Posted on 03/20/2009 8:02:16 PM PDT by Chris DeWeese
There’s a whole lot of wrangling in the news today here in the US about bonuses and contracts and such. I thought it might be a nice idea to put forth this Christian’s opinion on how God views contracts which are synonymous with covenants in my opinion.
The first promise God made that I can think of was that He promised not to allow anyone to kill Cain after Cain slew Abel and did God keep that promise? Yep (Genesis 4). The first covenant was with Noah and subsequently all mankind. It is found in Genesis 9 where God promised not to destroy the world again with a flood. God made the most famous covenant with Abraham to make Abraham’s seed a multitude of nations and also made what is commonly known as the Old Covenant with the physical seed of Abraham, the Israelites. Both the Old Covenant and the New are key to this discussion because they both have (or had) conditions or, rather, “terms and conditions”. The Israelites had to obey in order for that covenant to remain in force (Exodus 19:5). Christians living under the New Covenant, where faith in Jesus allows us to be adopted into the house of Israel and thus we become heirs according to the promise (Jer 31:31, Luke 22:20, Galatians 3:26-29) also have conditions (Hebrews 10: 26-27).
One thing that remains true with God’s contracts is that He never, ever, went back on His Word and He never will. He also never went back and re-worked the contract after the fact (or ex post facto). Either His covenant was/is in force or it wasn’t/isn’t. Either we accept Jesus by faith or we don’t.
Contracts show up in other places in scripture and they even seem to trump the Law of God. The first that I can think of was when Jephthah made a vow with God that if he was given victory in battle, then he would offer the first thing that he saw when he arrived home. Well, the he won the battle and the first thing he saw when he got home..... his daughter. And his reply:
Judges 11:35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, "Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have given my word to the LORD, and I cannot take it back."
36 So she said to him, "My father, you have given your word to the LORD; do to me as you have said, since the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the sons of Ammon."
He couldn’t take it back and his daughter didn’t even want him to.
I think it is important to know that God is not going to go back on His word. God gave His only Son so that the world might be saved. God will not forsake His children. Sure, times may be tough in this age, and injustice may abound, but this age is going to come to an end. God’s justice will ultimately prevail. And if God is not going to renege on His contracts, how much more-so should we, as individuals or as nations, honor ours?
ping
The covenant was with all creatures:
And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;
And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you: from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.
Yeah, but Noah was the principal (and I was trying to keep it short)! Thanks for the ping, though.
If we’re going to bring the Bible into this issue we should start with the commands against usury.
In light of the current economic mess, we’d be better off without it, so there is timeless wisdom there. But, society as we know it would not be possible.
I wonder how God feels about being used by a bunch of corporatist and how he feels about people breaking labor union contracts...
Doesn’t the bible oppose the interest levied by the banks? Oh wait not all contracts are meant to be honored...
it should of never been imposed in the first place and Christians shouldn’t hold up one doctering over another. it’s simple and disgusting faith manipulation and it occurs all too often.
We’re being chastened for departing from the Word. Given an object lesson in just why usury was forbidden.
But, society as we know it would not be possible.
I know. We need to be realistic about the risks and benefits. As with many things, moderation whould probably give us the most benefit.
Late last year, I asked my friend who is in the financial services industry and well versed in scriptures why we don't just have a Jubilee and start from scratch. It turns out that our entire economy is based on credit/futures whereas the Israelite economy (God's model) was based on assets. So (me talking now, not my friend), when we start with a flawed system, the only way to go is down.
Regarding the breaking of contracts by unions and corporations, I am going to go out on a limb and say that God does not approve of anyone dealing falsely and going back on their words.
Without contract law, Western Civilization ends.shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach Adonai
Regarding the breaking of contracts by unions and corporations, I am going to go out on a limb and say that God does not approve of anyone dealing falsely and going back on their words.
I agree, but to be consistent with that position, bankruptcy would have to be outlawed. The entire bailout and most of the Federal budget is a violation of an agreement (the US Constitution).
Can there be civilization at all without the ability to trust in agreements?
Yes, what we have seen since the tail end of W's term in the financial sector is incredibly unconstitutional. The taxing of the bonuses law they passed recently being the most eggregious, IMO. Our country is in near complete chaos at the federal level and it looks like more is to come.
I believe W made filing for bankruptcy much more difficult. Hower, even if it were outlawed, people would still take too much risk and end up in court, penniless. Having bankruptcy laws to guide the actions of the courts is prudent, IMO.
I believe prior to W, people could rack up a lot of debt, claim bankruptcy, and keep all of their stuff. That lax of a law only served to support bad behavior.
Regarding the scriptures, though, Jesus told a parable about a man who owed much and was forgiven his debt only to turn around and treat someone who owed him money without mercy. This is precisely what the federal government is doing to us right now. They are forgiving the debt and bad business practices of the elites while contriving new means to exact money from the unwashed masses. It is despicable behavior.
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