A covenant is a type of contractual agreement we see in Scripture. The covenants God has made with humanity are significant benchmarks in the Scriptures. Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Davidic, and the New Covenant all serve as critical moments when God has demonstrated his grace and mercy to humanity. But they aren’t the only covenants or contracts we find in Scripture or in many churches. There are also the Unspoken Contracts that people have made with God. Though God never agreed to them, many of us hold him to them anyway. This series will explore the Unspoken Contracts we find many mistakenly make in the Bible and how we can identify them and replace them with the Spoken Covenants that we should actually build our faith upon.
Receive
Throughout the Bible, we see God making covenants with His people from Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, to the New Covenant through Jesus. But those aren’t the only covenants, or contracts, we find in Scripture or in many churches today.
There are also unspoken contracts that people, including us, have made with God. Though God never agreed to them, many of us try to hold Him to them anyway. We expect God to work in a specific way.
If we have unspoken contracts with God, it’s good to identify them and replace them with God’s promises in the Bible.
Reflect
* Why was God’s contract/covenant with Abram in Genesis 15:1–10 ( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2015%3A1-10&version=NIV ) particularly notable?
* What unspoken contract did Abram and Sarai try to hold God to in Genesis 16:3–6 ( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2016%3A3-6&version=NIV )? What was the result?
* Based on Moses’ complaint in Exodus 5:3–9 ( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%205%3A3-9&version=NIV ), what unspoken contract did he mistakenly have with God?
* Throughout the book of Job ( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%201&version=NIV ), what are some of the unspoken contracts his friends believed about why he was suffering?
* What is the unspoken contract driving Martha in Luke 10:38–42 ( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2010%3A38-42&version=NIV )?
* How was Martha able to tear up her unspoken contract and embrace Jesus’ spoken contract in John 11:20–27 ( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2011%3A20-27&version=NIV )?
* What was Peter’s unspoken contract in Matthew 26:31–35 ( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2026%3A31-35&version=NIV ) and Matthew 26:69–75 ( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2026%3A69-75&version=NIV )?
* Based on 1 Peter 5:5–6 ( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%205%3A5-6&version=NIV ), what did Peter replace his unspoken contract with later in life?
Respond
(Use this prayer to start a conversation with God)
“Dear God, thank You for Your love and patience as I recognize and replace the unspoken contracts I may have in my life. Help me identify where I’m making assumptions about how You should act. Help me to replace those assumptions and expectations by trusting Your faithful promises in the Bible.”
Discover more about the topics in this episode with these recommended resources
Mentioned in this episode:
* Faith Under Construction podcast ( https://go.odb.org/dtw-faith-under-construction )
Listen:
* Promise Keeper (with Shannon Popkin) on God Hears Her Podcast ( https://go.odb.org/dtw-ghh-promise-keeper )
* Misunderstanding Martha ( https://go.odb.org/dtw-misunderstanding-martha )
Read:
* God’s Faithfulness to His Promises ( https://go.odb.org/dtw-gods-faithfulness-to-his-promises )
* A Covenant Keeping God ( https://go.odb.org/dtw-a-covenant-keeping-god )
* Mary, Martha, and Jesus ( https://go.odb.org/dtw-mary-martha-jesus )
Watch:
* Abraham & Waiting on God’s Promises ( https://go.odb.org/dtw-abraham-waiting-on-gods-promises )
* What Do We Desire of God? (Matthew 5–7) ( https://go.odb.org/dtw-what-do-we-desire-of-god )