Those Not Present

Deuteronomy 29:14-15 ESV

It is not with you alone that I am making this sworn covenant, but with whoever is standing here with us today before the LORD our God, and with whoever is not here with us today.

Just so everyone is on the same page, there are only 10 kinds of people those that understand binary and those that don’t, or in this case, those that are present and those that are not. As the LORD is establishing his covenant with the people of Israel we are told that those not present are still bound by the covenant. It is a sworn covenant that those present are representing all of humanity, and that includes us. The dead are not present nor are those not yet born (i.e. us) and yet God still counts this covenant as applying to them. To this covenant of works all of mankind is to be held. Will they show themselves righteous and prove themselves worthy of God and eternity or is failure lurking at the door? Yet, those present were not long before sin had completely engulfed them. As the dust of Jericho settles sin enters into the heart of Achan and corrupts the people of Israel.

That corruption persists and envelops the entirety of the people within one generation. Moving like the blob in an old black and white move. Sticking to everything it touches like tar on a hot day. No, our current generation was not present but we were represented and the first covenant is written on our hearts as surly as the existence of God is written upon them (Rom 1:19). What more proof is needed than the persistent desire of man and woman to be “good” or “highly favored” by those they esteem. All in an effort to try and prove themselves to have done the works necessary to merit salvation. Yet, the weight of sin anchoring them, drawing them to the depths of abyss, persistently revealing the deficiency of the actions to bleach the stain of sin from their souls. What then is to be done? What hope have we to cut our chains and lift us up from the depths to which our hearts reveal we have sunk?

The yearbook, or annual for those of a more experienced generation, often had an index of every place the person is mentioned. All though the bible does not have such a thing it is prudent to not stop looking at all the places you are mentioned before giving yourself over to despair. Those not present are directly mentioned by Christ. As Jesus is preparing for the cross he delivers his “high priestly prayer” those not present are mentioned. In John 17:20, Jesus says “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word”. You see we believe that Christ has come, that he has died, and paid the debt we owed, and that he rose again, that we might rise with him, not because we have heard his words or saw the signs but because we believed his disciples who recorded these things that we might believe. Not only this but we are blessed by Jesus when he responds to Thomas “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Christ has given us a special blessing simply because we did MORE than the disciples, we have believed without seeing! The second covenant is as superior to the first as the person is superior to his shadow. Let us not despair, failure is sure and certain when based on our works, in any amount, but the new covenant shows that our failures have been paid for, and our joy is that our standing in that new covenant is not based on our works but rather on CHRIST ALONE!

CRUCE, DUM SPIRO, FIDO