Did you ever read something in a book or printed page that made you stop and reread it? It hit you and it was almost like you couldn’t believe what your eyes read? Perhaps it was a statistic that was so astonishing. Maybe it was a quotation that you couldn’t believe so-and-so said that! So you were compelled to read it again, just to make sure. Instead of looking just to comprehend the big picture, you looked closely at each word to find nuances and meaning.
You read it again and paused. You noticed. And thought. And nodded. And you understood.
It means more when we put our name in writing, doesn’t it? Do you remember the first contract you signed to buy a car or a house? Your signature meant your promise. I am really going to do this. There is responsibility in owning this property. It needs maintenance. I will sacrifice and make the required payments.
Because of how the people felt, because of the impact of the Law on their lives, the people wanted to commit to a certain type of behavior. Such a commitment needed to be written.
The term “covenant” is technically not in the text. The Hebrew word used describes “a firm promise” (see also Nehemiah 11:23). But the verb translated “make” is “to cut” which has huge connections to the concept of “covenant-making.”
Notice who signed the contract. Verses two through eight list twenty-one names of priests, although at least fifteen of them appear to be family names. This would explain the absence of Ezra’s name. These names are followed by the names of Levites and “chiefs of the people.”
Contracts and laws are designed to make sure people do what they are supposed to do – that they don’t forget or allow themselves to stray. The speed limit here is 65mph. There is a law that stops discrimination against people, to make sure that people are treated fairly and equally.
The Torah – the Law of Moses – did that for the people. But God longed for the day when the Law didn’t have to be written down, instead it would be written on man’s heart (Jeremiah 31:33, Ezekiel 36:26, Psalm 51:10). The Hebrew writer affirms that the day has arrived through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 8:10).
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