Be Still And Know

Luke 1:72-73 “He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant— the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham.” Zechariah’s beautiful song of worship after the birth of his son, John the Baptist, celebrated the way in which God had led his people in the Old Testament. Fundamental to God’s dealings with his people was his covenant. This was the understanding that underpinned God’s relationship with the people of Israel. The important fact about a covenant is that it is two- way. God made certain promises and expected the people to fulfil their side of the relationship in response. Although he longed for them to live in partnership with him, he never imposed it. Zechariah pointed back to the covenant that God established with Abraham. To show the intense seriousness, God made it with an oath. That might seem strange to us, since we are used to people using oaths in order to appeal to a higher authority. Clearly God is in a completely different position, since he is the h