Quotes About Covenant

All this time you have not deserted your brothers, up to this very day, but have kept the charge given you by the LORD your God.

They went to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead and said to them,

“This is what the whole congregation of the LORD says: ëWhat is this breach of faith you have committed today against the God of Israel by turning away from the LORD and building for yourselves an altar, that you might rebel against the LORD this day?

If indeed the land of your inheritance is unclean, then cross over to the land of the LORDís possession, where the LORDís tabernacle stands, and take possession of it among us. But do not rebel against the LORD or against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God.

Then the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered the leaders of the clans of Israel:

“The LORD, the Mighty One, is God! The LORD, the Mighty One, is God! He knows, and may Israel also know. If this was in rebellion or breach of faith against the LORD, do not spare us today.

If we have built for ourselves an altar to turn away from Him and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings on it, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the LORD Himself hold us accountable.

But in fact we have done this for fear that in the future your descendants might say to ours, ëWhat have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel?

For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between us and you Reubenites and Gadites. You have no share in the LORD!í So your descendants could cause ours to stop fearing the LORD.

Rather, let it be a witness between us and you and the generations to come, that we will worship the LORD in His presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings.í Then in the future, your descendants cannot say to ours, ëYou have no share in the LORD!í

Therefore we said, ëIf they ever say this to us or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the altar of the LORD that our fathers made, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.í

Far be it from us to rebel against the LORD and turn away from Him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or sacrifices, other than the altar of the LORD our God, which stands before His tabernacle.”

Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest said to the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, “Today we know that the LORD is among us, because you have not committed this breach of faith against Him. Consequently, you have delivered the Israelites from the hand of the LORD.”

So the Reubenites and Gadites named the altar Witness, for they said, “It is a witness between us that the LORD is God.”

“and you have seen everything that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake, because it was the LORD your God who fought for you.

See, I have allotted as an inheritance to your tribes these remaining nations, including all the nations I have already cut off, from the Jordan westward to the Great Sea.

The LORD your God will push them out of your way and drive them out before you, so that you can take possession of their land, as the LORD your God promised you.

So you are not to associate with these nations that remain among you. You must not call on the names of their gods or swear by them, and you must not serve them or bow down to them.

Instead, you shall hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.

For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them,

Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know with all your heart and soul that not one of the good promises the LORD your God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed.

But just as every good thing the LORD your God promised you has come to pass, likewise the LORD will bring upon you the calamity He has threatened, until He has destroyed you from this good land He has given you.

If you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from this good land He has given you.”

Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.