A Marriage Story: Contract vs. Covenant

Hosea 2:14–23 ESV

14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. 15 And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. 16 “And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’ 17 For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. 18 And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. 19 And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. 20 I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord. 21 “And in that day I will answer, declares the Lord, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth, 22 and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel, 23 and I will sow her for myself in the land. And I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’; and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’ ”

Covenant: A sacred kinship bond between two parties, ratified by searing an oath.

Contract: An agreement between two or more parties creating obligations that are enforceable at law.

Covenant vs. Contract

Oaths vs. Promises

Exchange of Souls vs. Exchange of Stuff

Loyalty/Love vs. Profit

Permanent/Intergenerational vs. Temporary

Divine vs. Secular

Oath

Swearing AND Ritual for deep Remembrance

Covenants in the bible

marriage (Adam), household (Noah), tribe (Abraham), nation (Moses), international kingdom (David), universal church (Jesus)

But over and over we come back to marriage and he will say that he is in covenant with his lover.

Back to Hosea

God’s is in covenant with his people, and the marital relationship helps us to see that.

If you’ve viewed a marriage, they stick in their. Because they swore they would?

But God uses Hosea’s marriage to tell you about himself? And what do we learn?

Covenant Love is the Highest Form of Love.

promise to be there for each other.

swearing to God — blessings if i fulfill — curses if I don’t

Ritual!!!

Covenant Love requires God to struggle with his Bride.

Covenant Love requires God to be Family to those who believe in His Son Forever.

New covenant - fulfills the old covenant by being worthy and taking the curse.

Promises a new covenant

And he said to them, “This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many. Mark 14:24

How Will Your Respond to Your Husband?