3.002 Look for the Covenant

In Matthew 5, Jesus calls us the salt of the earth and the light of the world, reminding us that our lives are meant to preserve, illuminate, and point others to Him. This season on Savory Salt, we'll walk through the Old Testament, one verse and one thought each day. Perhaps these moments will add greater savor and brighter light to our lives as we seek to truly live as savory salt.

Hello, my friends. It's a new day with new opportunities. Choose ye this day whom you will serve.

We continue taking a look at the introduction of sorts here to the Old Testament or as I mentioned yesterday the First Testament of Jesus Christ. And today we're going to put a lens on what we're going to seek throughout Savory Salt as we dive into the Old Testament. The intent of Savory Salt is simple: it is to take Scripture and see what it can be for you and for me to continue to improve our lives and be better examples of Jesus Christ, better examples of His followers and covenant keepers every day we go forward.

So if you're looking for the deep doctrine, if you're looking for the four hour podcast that's going to wrestle with Old Testament texts and translations, this one's not for you. And that's okay. But if you're looking for a message each day that we can take and say, what does this mean for me here and now?

And how does it change me as a believer? This may be the place for you to come back each day. So today as we take a look, I want to bring in the lens that we're going to look at throughout the Old Testament.

And it's an important one, especially for those that see the Old Testament through the lens of Christianity. That lens is the covenant. The covenant that Jehovah makes with the people of Israel, the Hebrews.

We're going to see the covenant come and go. We're going to see the people make covenants and then follow them. Follow them and we're going to see people make covenants and leave them.

And yet throughout all of it we're going to see the advantages and disadvantages that come with making, keeping, and breaking covenants with the Lord. The resource I wanted to give you today to look at is from President Nelson. He gave a talk in 2022 called "The Everlasting Covenant." And it goes hand in hand with the covenant we're talking about here from the Old Testament.

In fact, he references the Abrahamic Covenant, which is going to be the covenant that comes into play in the Old Testament. And inside of that talk, he talks about some of the blessings that come with those that make covenants with the Lord. And I'm just going to give you one paragraph, but I'd absolutely encourage you to dive in and spend some time inside of "The Everlasting Covenant" here.

He says this: "Once we make a covenant with God, we leave neutral ground forever. God will not abandon His relationship with those who have forged such a bond with Him. In fact, all those who have made a covenant with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy.

In the Hebrew language, that covenantal love is called hesed." And then he goes forward to continue to define hesed and explain what it is. And I would absolutely encourage you to take time to read that and look into that special love and mercy. So as we put the two of these together, so far, our first two episodes, we have a lens to look at this First Testament of Jesus Christ and the personal protection that comes to those who make covenants with the Lord.

And then, we have this "Everlasting Covenant" that comes with it, a special love and mercy as well. My friends, I know the Old Testament is typically seen as kind of a harsh God, kind of a more difficult time. It seems like the rules are more rigid.

It seems like the consequences are heavier. And yet I'd encourage you as we go through this year to find this love and mercy from God, especially to His people that make covenants with Him. That's all for today, my friends.

You and I have come here for such a time as this. Step forward in faith and let's be savory salt. We'll be here tomorrow and we hope you are too.