This is “How to Effectively Operate in Covenant Using the Example of Avraham and Eliezer.” It is the 21st parshah of our 3-year Torah Reading Cycle and it is found in Genesis or Bereshit, 24:1-41. But because the topic content I want to discuss with you today is primarily contained in only a portion of our reading, I’ll be referencing just verses 1-19.

 

And as in our previous STAR discussions, I’ll be referencing Robert Alter’s translation of the passage, from his “The Five Books of Moses” publication.

 

For those who may be new to our format, I’ll first read each verse in its recorded order, comment as needed, and then enter into a general discussion on the spiritual applications contained therein.

 

So, let’s begin.

 

24.1. And Abraham was old, advanced in years (let’s just say, he’s beyond 137-years young), and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

 

In other words, Yah kept His promise to immensely bless him (Gen. 15). So, Avraham was very wealthy in terms of ANE standards. Not only was he wealthy in material wealth, Avraham was wealthy in terms of his health—obviously—his wisdom; and his respected standing in the region he resided.

 

 

24.2. And Abraham said to his servant, elder of his household, who ruled over all things that were his (this most likely was the Eliezer of Damascus that Avraham identified to Yah by name and position as possessor of his house back in Genesis/Bereshit 15:2), 

 

 

24.3. “Put your hand, pray, under my thigh, that I may make you swear by the LORD, God of the heavens and God of the earth (an ancient act that accompanied the swearing of an oath that some say was tied to matters of fertility, progeny, family and such), that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanite in whose midst I dwell.

 

 

24.4. But to my land and to my birthplace you shall go (Ur, of the Chaldees in Mesopotamia), and you shall take a wife for my son, for Isaac.”

 

 

24.5. And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not want to come after me to this land. Shall I indeed bring your son back to the  land you left?”

 

In other words, (and I’m pretending to be the servant Eliezer speaking here) the likelihood that this plan of yours boss will work. What are the chances that a woman is going to agree to leave her home and her family, return back here to Hebron (assuming Avraham is still living in Hebron at this time) with me, a total stranger, to marry a man she’s never met, or for that matter, seen before. So then, wouldn’t it be a more surer bet for me to simply take Yitschaq with me, show him off up there around your kinfolk, and let the fish bite naturally?

 

 

24.6. And Abraham said to him, “Watch yourself, lest you bring my son back there.

 

In other words, heavens no! (I’m pretending to be Avraham here) I’m not going to allow you to take my son back to the place that I was told to leave by Yehovah, only for the woman he marries to somehow convince him to remain there with her for the rest of his life. Not only no to that idea, but heck no!

 

 

24.7  The LORD God of the heavens, Who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birthplace, and Who spoke to me and Who swore to me saying, ‘To your seed will I give this land,’ (a reference back to the covenant pronouncement Yah made to Avraham as recorded in Bereshit/Genesis 13, 15 and 17) He shall send His messenger before you and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

 

 

24.8. And if the woman should not want to go after you, you shall be clear of this vow of mine, only my son you must not bring back there.”

 

In other words, me still pretending to be Avraham, if what you suggest turns out to come true, that the young lady refuses to accompany you back here to Hebron to marry my son, then we’ll find another way to get him married to one my kinfolk. You’ll be absolved of your oath/vow. We’ll address the spiritual implications of this verse in our halachah, thoughts and reflections discussion in a few.

 

Whatever would come of this plan, however, Eliezer was forbidden to remove Yitschaq from Canaan and relocate him to Mesopotamia. Yitschaq remaining in Canaan was crucial to the integrity of the covenant. Indeed, we see here Avraham operating from a covenant mindset. And we’ll discuss what operating from a covenant mindset looks like in a few as well.

 

 

24.9. And the servant put his hand under Abraham’s thigh and he swore to him concerning this thing.

 

 

24.10. And the servant took ten camels from his master’s camels, with all the bounty of his master in his hand (Eliezer goes on his mission bearing gifts), and he rose and went to Aram-Naharaim, to the city of Nahor.

 

I tried to find the distance Eliezer would have to travel on this mission, from Hebron to Nahor by camel. There’s not much in the way of expressed distances, but I did run across two mentions: One individual suggested, based upon their research, that the distance was about 600 or more miles and that it would have taken the servant’s entourage roughly three (3) weeks to reach their destination. Another individual, who seemed quite sure of himself, asserted that the distance was no more than 300 miles and that it would have taken the group just about a week to complete. Does it really matter? No. But it is good from time-to-time to have a sense of distances traveled and the challenges the patriarchs faced during their lifetimes.

 

 

24.11. And he made the camels kneel outside the city by the well of water at eventide, the hour when the water-drawing women come out.

 

 

24.12. And he said, “LORD, God of my master Abraham, pray, grant me good speed this day and do kindness with my master, Abraham.

 

 

24.13. Here, I am poised by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the town are coming out to draw water.

 

 

24.14. Let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Pray, tip down your jug that I may drink,’ if she says, ‘Drink, and your camels, too, I shall water,’ she it is whom You have marked for Your servant, for Isaac, and by this I shall know that You have done kindness with my master.”

 

I find the servant’s prayer or declaration or meditation, whatever it truly was, to be interesting. You know, when we people of Faith seek Yah’s favor in some endeavor, most will approach Abba from the standpoint of asking or petitioning Him to do that thing which we’re seeking Him to do for us. We generally ask Abba to accomplish that thing for us in generalities or in general terms. We might of course ask Father to grant us that thing we seek in specific terms, like, say, we have no money and we have a utility bill that is due and we petition father to make those funds available to us in order to pay that bill and avoid a shut off.

 

But in this particular situation, the servant lays out to Abba a very specific course of events he would have happen, leading to the ultimate desired or planned outcome. It’s an odd petition formulation to me, incorporating possibly some element of the prophetic, which is suggestive of maybe the Holy Spirit working in or on the servant here to accomplish his mission.

 

Or maybe its more wishful thinking on Eliezer’s part, such that he is simply laying out for father his ideal path to success in this mission. Sort of like, “You know Yah, You being the Elohim of my master Avraham, would you show favor to me and my master today, as I sit by this well, ready for a great thing to happen; waiting for the unbelievable to happen? And it sure would be nice if the young woman I’m scoping out for Yitschaq were to suddenly show up (which she in fact does in the next verse) here at this well to fetch water, and when I ask her for a drink, she readily provides that drink to me and then without me even asking, she offers to water my camels for me. And if this crazy thing were to happen, then I would be certain that this is the woman for Yitschaq and You will have blessed and honored your servant Avraham and the covenant.”

 

24.15. He had barely finished speaking when, look, Rebekah was coming out (yep, there it is), who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her jug on her shoulder.

 

There is an interesting aspect to Josephus’ version of this story. According to Josephus, and conceivably a sect of first-century rabbis, that Avraham was already familiar with the availability of Rebecca as a potential wife, she being a granddaughter to his now deceased brother Nahor. So, the issue from Josephus’ perspective was not so much his servant, whom Josephus does not identify by name, miraculously stumbling upon the one girl who would have the character to attend to his and his camels’ needs and agree to the marriage proposal which would require her to leave her people and return with him to Canaan. The issue instead was the servant miraculously bumping into Rebecca and Rebecca and her family agreeing to her returning with the servant to Canaan.

 

24.16. And the young woman was very comely to look at, a virgin, no man had known her (at this point, key to the integrity of the covenant, which we’ll address in a few). And she came down to the spring and filled her jug and came back up.

 

 

24.17. And the servant ran toward her and said, “Pray, let me sip a bit of water from your jug.”

 

 

24.18. And she said, “Drink, my lord,” and she hurried and lowered her jug onto her hand and let him drink.

 

 

24.19. And she let him drink his fill and said, “For your camels too, I shall draw water until they drink their fill.”

 

And of course, the rest of the story follows along the lines of him identifying himself, an exchange of gifts and the servant discussing his mission in detail with Rebekah and her family after being graciously welcomed into Milcah’s and Laban’s home. And this is where our overall text ends for this parshah.

 

Practical Halachah and Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections

 

Perpetuating the Covenant Through Isaac

 

There is no doubt that Avraham operated in covenant. And Avraham clearly recognized that the component parts of the covenant he had with Yah, which guaranteed the perpetuation of the covenant, required Yitschaq/Isaac, his son, be married and produce an heir through whom the covenant would continue.

 

Messianic author, teacher and commentator Tim Hegg best described this specific situation as follows:

 

“…the generational aspect of the covenant is the necessary bedrock upon which all of the other blessings are founded” (Parashah 21—Maintaining the Covenant notes).

 

In other words, without a proper wife for Yitschaq who would bear him a child within the confines of the covenant, that established covenant would end at Avraham’s death. And this is made all the more apparent to us with the opening verse of our reading passage:

 

“And Abraham was old, advanced in years…” (24:1; Alter).

 

And thus, we see here that Avraham was sensitive to the reality of his mortality. He recognized the importance of perpetuating the covenant which could only happen through his son having a family of his own.

 

Spiritual Truths Contained in our Reading

 

Of Torah, the Apostle Paul/Shaul, wrote that it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man and woman of Yah may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (2 Tim. 3:15-16). And certainly, the parshah that is beautifully laid out before us fulfills this definitive statement of truth. I believe it is filled with spiritual and halachic truths and principles, that if prayerfully and meditatively applied, can benefit, and enhance an elect one’s walk with Messiah.

 

One such spiritual and halachic principle has to do with covenant. Not covenant from the standpoint of covenant relationship with Yah being required of every Messianic, disciple of Yahoshua mind you.

 

And yes, I and other brethren such as Robert Bills of highpursuitministries have been proclaiming and discussing and teaching about covenant and the importance of being in covenant with the Creator of the Universe through the Person and Ministries of Yahoshua Messiah throughout our respective ministries. And this understanding of covenant has not and will not change in the least. We’ll continue teaching, preaching, and proclaiming the importance of covenant until Master Yeshua returns.

 

Covenant Gives the Faith Purpose and Viability

 

The aspect of covenant that this reading highlights most, at least to me, has to do with the nuts and bolts of operating in covenant. Specifically, how a disciple of Yahoshua Messiah should effectively operate or function in covenant. How he or she most effectively must live in covenant. How he or she must perceive covenant and behave in covenant.

 

Covenant is that thing that makes this Faith of ours viable or relevant. You see, without covenant, one’s profession of Faith or one’s practice of their Faith or one’s religion is without purpose.  Covenant gives one’s Faith credibility, viability and most importantly, purpose.

 

I would liken covenant, if you will, to computer software. A PC or Mac, for instance, is useless without software. Without software, it is nothing more than a block of hardware. It has no purpose. Likewise beloved, Torah-living and Torah-keeping serves absolutely no purpose without covenant.

 

Covenant is More than a Cognitive Agreement

 

Covenant is not just a cognitive agreement to walk in the Eternal’s Ways; to obey Torah and be a disciple of Yeshua. It involves far, far more than agreeing in principle to enter into an agreement with Yah to keep His instructions in righteousness.

 

The covenant that we’re involved in as Messianics, which is the renewed covenant as described in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36, involves a transformative existence that is made possible through the Person and Ministries of Yahoshua, our Master, and through the workings of the Ruach Kodesh, the Holy Spirit. And that transformative existence makes it possible for us to have a true and substantive relationship—a “yada” relationship with the Creator of the Universe.

 

And so, without covenant, there is no relationship with Yehovah. Without covenant (without its power and transformative affect upon humanity), there is no life abundant that Master Yeshua promised those who would be His disciple (Joh. 10:10). Without covenant there is no access to the coming Kingdom of Yah. Without covenant, there is no eternal life.

 

And for the definitive teaching on covenant, I would highly recommend you watch or listen to Messianic Teacher and author Robert Bills’ definitive seven (7) part series on covenant, that can be found on his ministry’s website, https://www.highpursuitministries.com/way-of-spirit-and-truth. Once you pull up the webpage, scroll down till you get to his podcast postings, then within the podcast posting box, scroll down to his covenant teachings dated from 5/8/2021 to 6/19/2021. Pretty much everything you’d ever need to know about the concept of covenant is contained in that series.

 

Covenant Principles Found in our Reading

 

Despite the term covenant not once being mentioned in our reading, covenant principles are firmly embedded throughout. In fact, I would go so far as to say that our reading is somewhat of an expose on effectively operating in covenant. And in my study of this reading, I was able to identify five (5) elements or principles, which when studied and implemented in a Messianic’s life, will equip him or her to effectively operate in covenant.

 

You know, it’s one thing to say and know about the importance of entering into and maintaining covenant with Yah, but it’s another thing to know how to operate or walk or live in covenant. And I believe this is what this reading reveals to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

 

So, for the remainder of our time together, let’s examine each one of these elements and see where they take us in our journey to be effective covenant operators.

 

1. A Covenant Mindset (A Renewed Mind)

 

In Ephesians 5:15-30, Shaul admonishes his Ephesian Assembly readers to be diligent to walk circumspectly, or rather that they pay close attention to how they conduct themselves in life; that they should walk wisely and not as fools (vs. 5; cf. Col. 4:5). Shaul points out that indeed the times in which they were living were evil (vs. 16). And then, Shaul makes a poignant statement to his readers that they “try to understand what the will of the Lord is” (vs. 17; CJB). This is a critical piece of instruction that not only intersects this week’s reading but also underscores our central theme of effectively operating in covenant.

 

One of the main, essential elements involved in our effectively operating in covenant is (1) not conforming to this world and (2) being transformed by the renewing of our minds. In short, it’s possessing and maintaining a steadfast, proper covenant mindset. You see, Avraham could have taken the path of least resistance and found a wife for Yitschaq among the daughters of the Hittites or some other Canaanite peoples. But Avraham sought to stay true to covenant by not taking the path of least resistance and doing what otherwise would have been logically expected of him.

 

So, he has his trusted servant (most likely Eliezer of Damascus) declare via an ancient oath ritual that he would “not choose a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live” (24:3; HCSB).

 

Now, some might think, wait a minute Rod, where do you get from this verse that Avraham was operating in covenant here? Well, maybe I should say that it is implied here that Avraham was operating in covenant AS WELL AS in the prophetic by insisting that Yitschaq’s wife come from his kinfolk and be of the land from which he was born and raised and not from the daughters of the Canaanites (24:4). And so, Avraham’s instructions to Eliezer are made within the framework of covenant. This is evident in the statement Avraham makes to Eliezar when Eliezer expresses to Avraham the concern he has that he may not be able to successfully complete his mission to find Yitschaq a wife among his master’s kinsmen:

 

“Yehovah, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my nativity, and who spake unto me, and who sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land” (24:7; ASV).

 

Now, Moshe doesn’t reveal why Avraham did not want his son to marry any of the daughters of the Canaanites. Maybe Avraham simply did not care for the Canaanite people. Or maybe Avraham simply preferred that his son marry a member of his kinsmen. Or maybe it’s because Avraham realized that for the covenant to remain viable, his son Isaac/Yitschaq could not marry a Canaanite and have children with her because it would adversely impact the covenant.

 

 

How Avraham knew that is not revealed in the text. However, we find that later on in history, Avraham’s seed, Yisra’el, would be tasked by Yah of “utterly destroying…the Hittites…the Canaanites…for purposes I’ve talked about on this platform, the discussion of which I’ll post in this post’s transcripts if you are interested in finding out what that purpose may have been. So, it would be a very reasonable assumption that the Hittites were incompatible with the covenant and somehow Avraham recognized that which I would call a covenant mindset: recognizing those things in life that are incompatible with one’s covenant relationship.

 

And as it relates to us, we must learn to operate under or through a covenant mindset. What does that mean or what does that look like you might ask. Well, just look at the conversation that Avraham had with Eliezer his servant. Eliezer expresses concerns over the task given him and the oath he pledged to Avraham over this matter. And Avraham allays the servant’s fears by repeating the overall covenant he held with Yah, with the assurance that because he would be operating under the framework of covenant, an angel would guide and lead him.

 

Well, what this says to us is that we must filter everything in our lives through our covenant relationship with Yehovah. And yes, as mundane as it may be, I’m talking everything: how we spend our money; how we conduct ourselves among our family members and out in public; how we think; how we process things; how we plan our lives; how we worship; how we pray; how we obey Yah’s instructions in righteousness as well as obey Yah’s specific instructions to us. It’s a factoring in of what things will negatively impact versus be consistent with our covenant relationship with Yah. This being the case, we will often face situations that, because of covenant, we cannot conform; we cannot act; we cannot take the path of least resistance because to do so might compromise the covenant.

 

And to some extent, this is what Shaul was talking about when he instructed the Messianic Roman Assembly that they not conform to this world or the ways of this world–in Avraham’s instance, don’t attach your son Yitschaq to your pagan neighbors, the Hittites, but rather go back to the lineage of people, your kinfolk, and marry him off to one of those women.

 

A covenant mindset requires a renewing of one’s mind because we are hardwired to operate in the ways of this world. And so, it is quite often counterintuitive for new disciples to operate in covenant the way they should. Why? Because they were born and raised to operate in the ways of this world or their former religion. Therefore, to overcome this problem–or rather in order for one to be transformed in mind, body and soul, to operate in covenant, he or she must have their minds completely renewed.

 

 

The transformative covenant mindset places the covenant above every element and aspect of a disciple’s life. This mindset doesn’t eliminate those sanctioned elements, responsibilities, and aspects of an elect’s life, such as family, health and wellbeing, security, personality, and preferences, and such. But rather, a covenant mindset helps puts these elements into a holy and proper order in an elect’s life. It should control and even enhance and make for better handling of those responsibilities and elements. We become the ideal human being, with the ultimate goal of conforming to the very image of our Master Yeshua Messiah, who was Himself the splitting image of His Father Yah. So, from a covenant mindset perspective, covenant must consume everything in our lives. And as we saw beautifully exemplified in our parshah today, covenant drives and controls every aspect of Yah’s people.

 

So then, in order to effectively operate in covenant, the child of Yah must possess and function through a covenant mindset. The covenant mindset is developed in an elect during the sanctification process. And when he or she reaches that place where they’re filtering and processing everything going on in our lives through covenant, he or she becomes an effective agent for the Kingdom of Yah. How so? Because he or she will image Yah in the earth more effectively by properly walking in His Ways and doing His Will in the earth without error. And through his or her covenant living, he or she will be as lights to a dying and condemned world, pointing that dying and condemned world towards the only answer to their dire situation.

 

Avraham highlighted this concept of a covenant mindset by his actions as recorded in our reading here today. We see he’s getting old and he recognizes that the covenant needs to be perpetuated. He’s coming to terms with his mortality, realizes that for the covenant to continue and expand, he’s gotta find an acceptable wife for his son, Yitschaq. And for that wife to be suitable to the perpetuation of the covenant, she could not be of the Canaanites. But rather, she must be of his kinsmen.

 

So, Avraham is filtering this critical concern of his life through a covenant mindset.

 

How do we then acquire this transformative covenant mindset? Well, we all know the answer to this question. But in case there are those who are new to Faith or who are out searching for Truth, let’s quickly lay this thing out for you.

 

First and foremost, we must recognize that unconverted humanity are condemned creatures because of sin. And thus, the unconverted are in dire need of a rescuing and pardon. Yah made provision for that by sending His Son Yahoshua to this earth and through His Person and Ministries, humanity has the opportunity to be redeemed from the clutches of the evil one and to receive eternal life.

 

But that’s not where our responsibility begins and ends. Our recognizing that we are in a dire situation must then compel us to take action to address that dire situation. And that action beloved is to commit to a relationship with the Creator of the Universe. That relationship is an exclusive relationship that is based on trusting faith. This exclusive relationship also comes with rules and precepts that we are compelled to abide by and follow as a covenant partner. And in that process of our trusting Father’s willingness and ability to redeem, save and provide for us, in addition to our walking in His Ways, His precepts, His Will, He provides us His gift of the Ruach Kodesh/Holy Spirit to teach us; lead and guide us; encourage and embolden us; to correct and test us. But the key to this is that we must make ourselves open to that work of the Holy Spirit in us. And the process of making ourselves open to that work by the Ruach Kodesh is that we must die to self. We must deny ourselves, pick up our crosses and follow Yahoshua; sit at His feet and receive His Father’s Words of life. Of course, we must do this, because this is an exclusive relationship whereby no other Gods are permitted. This exclusive relationship requires that we not follow the ways of the world but follow the ways of the covenant. This exclusive relationship demands that we not desire the things of this world, but instead desire the things of the Kingdom.

 

Beloved, all in all, it’s an entirely new way of thinking that the patriarchs could only envision as a future promise and hope. These all received a blessed glimpse of the covenant we possess today through the various progression of covenants that Yah established with them.

 

If we are diligent in all that I just mentioned, we will experience a powerful change within us because we would be operating through a transformative mindset. In so doing, we will resist conforming to the ways of this world, but rather our focus will be on, as Shaul worded it: “knowing what Yah wants and that that which Yah wants is proper, good, satisfying and able to succeed” beyond the intentions and machinations of unredeemed humanity (Rom. 12:2). But that transformative mindset will not come without a full commitment—obedience and trust—on our part; a disavowing of the things and ways of this world (1 Joh. 2:15); a circumcised heart (Psa. 51:10); a presenting of our bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and acceptable unto Yah (Rom. 12:1). And most importantly, simply stepping out in faith and walking in covenant to the best of our ability (Col. 3:10).

 

You know, it’s not a crime to put one’s best foot forward and operate in covenant. One does not have to go through years of training and instruction before they begin walking in covenant. Sure, we’re going to fail from time to time in our walk. And when that happens, we simply dust ourselves off, go to Yah and confess our shortcomings and failures, and then make every effort to not repeat those failures again. Indeed, Abba is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (Ref. 1 Joh. 1:9).

 

Folks, none of what I’ve discussed here with you today is easy. In fact, at times it can seem impossible. But Shaul declared to his Philippi readers that he was assured that he could indeed do all things through Him who gives him power (4:13). How we manage our time; how we spend the money Yah blesses us with; with whom we socialize and interact; the places we go and the things we do, are things in our lives that should be processed and enacted through a covenant mindset. If when done, we can effectively operate in covenant and one of the tools we have at our disposal to accomplish this is to acquire and operate from a covenant mindset.

 

2. Maintain the Purity and Integrity (Holiness) of the Covenant

 

The second element needed to effectively operate in covenant as illustrated in our reading is maintaining the purity and or integrity of covenant. We’re talking not just maintaining the purity and integrity of the covenant and its attached relationship with Yah, but also maintaining personal and spiritual integrity. And I might add, there is serious crossover here with the previous element. You see, you cannot maintain purity and integrity of covenant without operating in a covenant mindset. Without the proper mindset just discussed, one will compromise the integrity of the covenant. And a compromised covenant is for all intents and purposes “tame” or “defiled.” And Yah is not interested in being involved in any defiled covenant relationship.

And we see this truth underscored throughout Tanach, with one of the most poignant examples being that found in Yermiyahu/Jeremiah:

 

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Yisra’el, and with the house of Yehudah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which My covenant they brake (defiling and compromising covenant), although I was a husband unto them, saith the Lord” (31:31-32; ASV).

 

Fortunately, as we see beautifully laid out here, Yah, by virtue of His grace and mercy and Plan of Salvation, Redemption and Restoration, brought forth to us a new covenant; the opportunity to reestablish a relationship with Him, through the Ministries and Person of Yahoshua Messiah. Now, we can do this thing right and walk/operate in covenant as Yah always intended for us to do. And this time Yah is doing most of the heavy lifting by doing a work within us that makes breaking covenant with Yah less likely, as we saw happen with our ancient Hebrew cousins. And those heavy lifting actions Yah has undertaken to make our operating in covenant less challenging by virtue of the sanctification process:

 

“…I will put My Torah in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people” (Jer. 31:33; ASV).

 

With Yah’s Word, Yah’s covenant becoming part of our spiritual and even physical DNA, all that is left for the would-be child of Yah to do is “DIE TO SELF.” Let go and let Yah. Do as Avraham did: Whatever Abba told Him to do, he simply did it. And in him doing that which Yah directed him to do, covenant was established and maintained. We are the beneficiaries of Avraham operating in covenant. In fact, this is part and parcel of the fifth element we will discuss.

 

Now, in terms of maintaining the purity and integrity of the covenant, we’re referred right back to verse 3 of our reading:

 

“…you will not choose a wife for my son from among the women of the Kena’ani, among whom I am living” (CJB).

 

We just discussed this major concern. The integrity of the covenant would have been severely compromised if Avraham would have given in to the path of least resistance and married Yitschaq off to a Hittite woman. And apparently, by all appearances, Avraham was acutely aware of this, or so it would seem.

 

In verse 18 of this week’s apostolic reading, Shaul counsels his Ephesian readers:

 

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to Yah the Father in the name of our Master Yahoshua Messiah” (5:18-20; ESV). In Romans, Shaul simply counsels his readers to “walk honestly” (13:13).

 

Beloved, once Eliezer embarked on his mission to find his master’s son a wife among the kinsmen of Avraham, he would not be deterred from that mission. He would not allow the carnal to mess him up. And so, when he arrived in Nahor of Mesopotamia by that city’s well, he turns to Yehovah and asks for Abba’s grace/favor, not just for himself, but also for his master Avraham (Gen. 24:12). An unselfish heart and mind indeed.

 

The integrity of the covenant was, in part, maintained by Eliezer swearing that whatever became of his mission back to Avraham’s hometown, he was by no means to take Yitschaq back there to Mesopotamia. And it made more sense to Eliezer that maybe the easiest way of finding Yitschaq a wife in his master’s hometown was to take Yitschaq with him on the mission and parade him throughout the town. That way, the chances of successfully finding his son an appropriate bride would have been substantially increased. But Avraham was acutely aware that the covenant was based in great part on him and his seed remaining in Canaan. Besides, Abba commanded Avraham to leave his kin and his kin’s land and resettle in Canaan. So, for Avraham to permit Yitschaq to possibly travel to his kin’s land and end up permanently resettling there could upset the integrity of the covenant. And this certainly plays heavily into the obedience element of operating in covenant, which is element four of list. And thus, it makes sense that Avraham’s response to Eliezer’s suggestion here was emphatic as it was: “No! You’re not to do such a thing,” or better, “heaven forbid you should do such a thing.” This is where Yitschaq was to remain and carry on and perpetuate and operate in the established covenant.

 

And certainly, one of the clearest contrasts to this can be found in the story of Ya’achov (Jacob), who fearing for his life by the hand of his betrayed brother Esau, will personally end up in his grandfather Avraham’s hometown amongst some of the same kin that Eliezer deals with in this story. But Ya’achov/Jacob, due to dubious circumstances, will end up being in exile from Canaan for some 20-years. And it would take circumstances, no doubt through the workings of the Holy Spirit, to drive Ya’achov back to Canaan.

 

The point is that Avraham knew, be it by divine wisdom or personal experience or both, that when you leave the place that Yah has instructed you to be, the enemy will do everything in his power to keep you there. It becomes extremely difficult, and at times, impossible to return to that place Father intends for you to be.

 

Again, this plays directly into the element of obedience. If Yah puts us someplace and tells us to operate in that place—to carry on and operate in covenant in a certain place, at a certain time, and under a certain set of circumstances, it is imperative that we stay put until such time Abba moves us to our next destination. In this case, Avraham had not received any notice to move him and his family out of the Land of Promise. And needless to say, Yah would not do such a thing since the covenant clearly stipulated that Avraham and his seed would possess and dwell in the land.

 

One of the important things we must prayerfully examine in our covenant relationship with Yah is its purity and integrity. What do I mean by this?

 

It behooves us to petition Yah, in addition to our conducting a self-examination of our covenant relationship with Him, to reveal to us the weak areas of the covenant relationship. And what we may find in that examination and revelation from the Holy Spirit, of course, is that the weak areas of the relationship will have nothing to do with Yah. Yah is always going to maintain His end of the covenant relationship bargain. The weak or impure areas will always come from our end.

 

So, we must determine whether or not our involvement in the covenant relationship is pure and whether or not the relationship is sound and secure. For I will tell you: If we are permitting impurities to infiltrate and influence our lives—I’m talking introducing and allowing things that we have no business being involved with as a child of Yah—and we allow those things to become part of our lives or influence our lives, then those impurities will taint the covenant relationship and compromise the covenant’s integrity. Are you following me?

 

Are we ensuring perpetuation of our covenant relationship with Yah by keeping ourselves pure and worthy of the covenant relationship in the first place?

 

Beloved, the world is filled with impurities that if the child of Yah allows into their lives, will taint the covenant relationship and cause the covenant to be compromised. I’m talking entertainment of all kinds—movies, music, books, pornography, inappropriate relationships, habits, thoughts and ideas, etc. Certain unsanctioned relationships. I’m talking shacking up with someone who is not our spouse; fornicating; adultery; homosexuality; certain unsavory business relationships; careers that a child of Yah should not be involved in; friendships and relationships that present an unequally yoke situation. Which all leads in some form or another to living lifestyles that run contrary to the holiness of the covenant way of living. These, and other impure or “tame” influences that don’t readily come to mind, compromise the integrity of our covenant relationship. They cause us to stop hearing the voice of Yah in our lives. They stymie the work of the Ruach Kodesh in our lives. They cause the child of Yah to take their eyes off Yah and place them on the things of this world. They have the distinct tendency of enticing a would-be child of Yah to return to the slop, muck and mire of this world, which might result would in an abandonment of covenant.

 

This whole concern about purity and integrity of covenant involves being able to filter out the noises and influences of this world and exclusively listen for Yah’s still small voice, which will always support and enhance and bless our covenant relationship with Him.

 

3. Faith/Trust

 

Operating in covenant is impossible without a Trusting Faith. In verse 8 of our reading, Avraham gives Eliezer an opt out card of sorts, as it relates to his servant’s uncertainties that he will be successful in his mission. Avraham says to Eliezer:

 

“But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there” (ESV).

 

Now, when I initially read this verse the first couple times in my preparations for this discussion, it seemed to me that maybe Avraham wasn’t sure whether his plan would work or not. I thought that maybe Avraham’s faith may have been once again slightly off-kilter.

 

But what we’re most likely looking at here is Avraham operating in covenant and in faith, but in his operating in faith and in covenant, he knows to make allowances for bumps in the road along the way. Indeed, Avraham was stepping out in faith by his sending Eliezer to his former hometown to find Yitschaq a wife. However, the route to that end may have unanticipated turns, bumps and such. And the lesson to be learned in this verse in relation to my point here is that in our respective journeys and walks, in particular when we’re stepping out in faith to do what we’ve been led to do by the Ruach Kodesh, we have to factor in to our thoughts and plans that maybe, just maybe, that thing in which we’re stepping out in faith on, may not come to fruition as we may have initially envisioned or planned. This should not be perceived as lacking faith or trust in Yah and His plans and promises for us. But rather, the ins and outs of walking and operating in covenant. And this is what Avraham was demonstrating to us in his words to his trusty servant. The important thing is being led by the Spirit, as Shaul wrote:

 

“All who are led by Yah’s Spirit are Yah’s sons” (Rom. 8:14; CJB).

 

And this being led by Yah’s Spirit is part and parcel, my friends, of operating in covenant. It’s actually being obedient to Yah’s leading, which happens to be our next element.

 

However, the pathway in which that leading actually takes place may not always work to our advantage or preference. Sometimes, the going may get downright difficult. Sometimes beloved, we may have to change course or come up with another plan. But the overall thing that we are striving for that flows from Yah’s leading is the thing we must always focus on. And in Avraham’s case, it was making sure Yitschaq remain in Canaan and his wife to be being selected from the daughters of his kinsmen.

 

4. Obedience

 

Avraham acted in obedience by following the leading of Yah’s Spirit. He was obedient to the belief and understanding, wherever that belief or understanding actually came from, that he was not to marry Yitschaq off to a daughter of the Hittites, but rather to find his bride among the daughters of his kinsmen. He was obedient to maintain the purity and integrity of covenant by sending his servant to select a wife for Yitschaq  from the daughters of his master’s kinsmen. He had been obedient in everything Yah instructed him to do. And all those things he was instructed to do were bound-up in covenant.

 

And so it was, because Avraham was operating in obedience to the tenets of covenant, Eliezer’s prayer was quickly answered in the positive:

 

“He (he being the servant) had barely finished speaking-speaking actually meaning the servant’s prayer or exhortation to Yah that He grant him good speed and kindness with his master Avraham-when, look, Rebekah was coming out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her jug on her shoulder” (24:15).

 

So, what we see here is that often Yah will honor obedience with a stark positive answer to our prayers and inquiries and concerns. And sometimes, those stark, positive answers to our prayers, inquiries and concerns are miraculously spot on to what we were petitioning Abba for. And we see this very thing played out before us in this story.

 

5. Swearing Oaths unto Yehovah-Committing to the Covenant

 

Committing oneself to the covenant is the last element to discuss on our list.

 

When we come to Faith and we enter into covenant with Yah, we commit ourselves to walking in covenant. In our committing to walking in His ways, we are essentially swearing an oath to do this thing we’re calling here in this installment of discussion today; we are essentially swearing an oath to operate in covenant. And what this story does for us is to show us the importance of swearing oaths and staying true to the oaths we make. In our story here, Eliezer swears an oath to Avraham, which is an indirect oath unto Yehovah, to ensure that he would not permit Yitschaq to marry any of the daughters of the Canaanites, but rather that he ensures Yitschaq marries one of the daughters of his master’s kin who were still over in Mesopotamia at this point.

 

When we’re talking about swearing oaths, in particular, in our commitment to enter into and operate in covenant, we’re not talking about making a formal declaration or profession of faith similar to that of “denominationalism’s” “sinner’s prayer,” which is not biblical by any stretch of the imagination. But rather, within the framework and authority of the renewed covenant, facilitated and instituted by our Master, that our commitments must not be as those who were acting in accordance with tradition and the flesh—swearing by heaven; swearing by earth; swearing by one’s head and such. But rather, one’s commitment must be simply:

 

“Yes, I will or No, I won’t, for anything beyond this is from the evil one” (Mat. 5:37; NLT).

 

Master’s biological half-brother James the Just agreed with Yahoshua on this, and he wrote:

 

“…let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; that ye fall not under judgment” (Jas. 5:12; KJV).

 

Master was quite clear as to the importance that a would be elect of Yah must be in his or her weighing the costs associated with committing to a covenant life and then remaining true to that commitment.

 

“If anyone come to me and does not hate his father, his mother, his wife, his children, his brothers and his sister, yes, and his own life besides, he cannot be My disciple” (Luk. 14:26; CJB).

 

“So every one of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has cannot be My talmid” (Luk. 14:33; CJB).

 

“…No one who puts his hand to the plow and keeps looking back is fit to serve in the Kingdom of Yah” (Luk. 9:62; CJB).

 

So then beloved, all that is required to enter into covenant is to say yes to covenant, and then operate in covenant without looking back. Do what we’ve committed to do and trust Father to aid us in fulfilling our commitment to the covenant. He’ll do it and we will be victorious in the end.

 

So, again, the five elements that will serve us in our effectively operating in covenant are:

 

1. Operate from a covenant mindset.
2. Maintain the purity and integrity of the covenant.
3. Possess and operate out of a trusting faith.
4. Operate obediently in covenant.
5. Commit to operating in covenant.