Beneficiary of a before-time Covenant
By Pastor Bryan Coelho
II Sam. 9:1-13; Eccl.7:13
I Sam.18:1-5 – there is a covenant relationship in the Bible and this relationship is a relationship that reveals the future course of life for David and descendants forever. This relationship briefs of a relationship that happened in the eternity past – which we call it as an eternal convention – Titus 1:2 – a before-time covenant; and in this covenant God in His immutable nature would give eternal life to those who believe; Acts 2:23; 4:28; Rom.8:28-32. The Father determined that love would be expressed through grace - grace in its essence is love. So God’s before-time covenant was rooted in love – in order for this to come to pass God had to deal with His covenant.
In God there is justice, holiness, righteousness and love. We have God’s constitutional attributes, which do not change and which, we cannot partake in – those are His Omnipotence, Immutability, Omnipotence, and Omniscience. Then there are His non-constitutional attributes like love, mercy, justice, righteousness and holiness and we become partakers of it. Every attribute of God determines His plan and therefore we can rest in God’s plan. When I understand this and come into God’s plan based upon every attribute, I am not afraid of life as an individual. I am then able to deal with the past, live life in the present and not threatened by anything in the future.
This covenant relationship that David and Jonathan had was dealt with Mephibosheth in future because this was a before-time covenant. Mephibosheth was crippled in both his feet but did not know that a time like this would come where in he would be a beneficiary of a before-time covenant. We are like Mephibosheth. We have been crippled not just in one foot but both our feet. We cannot do anything unless we become beneficiaries of a before-time covenant. All of us need reconstruction in the cerebral hemisphere. We need to come into understanding of a before-time covenant.
Mephibosheth is crippled – son of Jonathan who is the son of Saul – he was of the house of Saul and David was actually continually in enmity with Saul but he did not forget the covenant. The devil is after the crippled who can be healed. Matt.9:13 – Jesus came for the sinners. Satan is not after the strong people but after the weak people made strong. Grace makes weak people strong. This was a before-time covenant where in Christ would come and die for all our sins – past, present and future and through this we would receive a life – the gift of salvation through grace. The world does not know this and we need to preach such a message.
I Sam.18:3 – the covenant renewed their relationship with each other. I Sam.23:16 – when David was distressed Jonathan encouraged him in the Lord. Mephibosheth means the reproach has been taken away – eradication or extermination of all shame. He was given a pre-natal name though he would be physically crippled. A Pre-natal name looks at us through the creation. We have a name besides our name given to us. One of the rewards that we would receive in heaven is Christ calls us by a name that only He knows. People normally have two names – one is the pet name and the other is the name by which they are called. The pet name reveals intimacy – and so it is a name, which is based upon an eternal convention through grace.
Mephibosheth was a beneficiary of a before-time covenant. He is in a way trapped because he cannot go on his own – he had to be carried by someone. Many have feet but they seem to run and get into trouble. You have the cosmic system, satan and self and so people enter into self-destruction. Judas was the son of betrayal but Jesus Christ had paid for that too on the Cross. Nothing that I have done or am doing will be brought about in heaven because it has been dealt with on the Cross. And so what is it that cripples one? It is his lack of understanding of what was given to him in the before-time covenant. People are struggling for things that God has already added to their account. When you know that you thank God for it and you don’t pray because you know that it is already given to you – and so you enter into Phil4:6-8 – thankfulness, because it is already given because of a relationship and when I appropriate it by faith then there is worship.
II Sam. 9:1 David asks, “is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” He was waiting to show kindness. The goodness and the forbearance and the longsuffering of God leads to repentance – Rom.2:4. God wants to show kindness to people – the natural man is running away from God, not understanding the incommunicable attributes. Perfect justice was satisfied by Jesus Christ - Rom.3:24. The wrath of God was poured on Christ and in satisfying the justice of the Father, God did not compromise on His holiness but without impairing His own righteousness - Rom.3:26. So God is waiting to show kindness – you could be crippled on both your feet but you are the beneficiary of a before-time covenant. You could be lame but that is why you go to God otherwise you would run away. You are weak but made strong in the Lord. If we are able we would not do the things that we are unable but if we are unable on our own, God is able. A transition will reveal the nature and character of God and not your personality then! The different situations that God places us in, brings out God’s character and not my ability. And if I fail remember that God chose me in spite of me. Moses, Jacob, Abraham – all our patriarchs of the Old Testament – God chose them despite them because of choosing them in the before-time covenant.
Eccl. 7:13 – “consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?” And we try to rectify it through moral reformation – meditation camps – trying to do with human life that which only God’s pre-natal plan can change. There is no unconditional love in the human institution – David’s love was super natural – grace is through unconditional love – and you and I love God and one another by God’s love in His pre-natal plan for us. Jonathan’s name means ‘Yahweh has given’. David means ‘chieftain’ or ‘leader’. 3 specific things that David said were:
1. II Sam. 9:7a - to show kindness – this happened to us on Calvary.
2. II Sam. 9:7b - Restored – forgiveness is just the beginning of salvation and restoration is what He does now in my life.
3. II Sam.9:7c - Sit at my table regularly to eat with me.
There is no such state as being backslidden – such a state does not exist in God though the condition could be true. God knows you in the before-time covenant. We and only we can deceive us. Devil can help us do it and the carnal man affirms it. Relationships affirm the problems that are already there if it is not spiritual. Any curse that could be there can go when I understand the beneficiary covenant. Mephibosheth was crippled. He could have been exterminated but David did not do that to Mephibosheth – you and I have passed from death to life - Jn.5:24 and we cannot be subject to something that we have been passed from.
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