The only One who keeps every promise He has ever made to us is our covenant God: El Berith. Our God is a covenant-keeping God. He always keeps His promises. Even when the fulfillment of these promises is still in the future and unseen, Christ-centered hope must be the foundation of our lives. Hard times come and hard times go, but God’s promises are forever.
El Berith. Our God is a covenant-keeping God.
Ever been disappointed in a loyal friend? Frustrated with the lack of follow through on a commitment? Or worse yet, has someone close to you broken a promise? Of course, all of us have experienced these kinds of pain. Unfortunately, people we trust go back on their word regularly, severed contracts and fragmented vows are an everyday occurrence. El Berith is the name of God that means God of the Covenant. Used of Baal in Judges 9:46. Probably used originally to refer to the God of Israel – Baal-Berith.
The idol Baal-berith was worshiped by the Jews after the death of Gideon. It was identical with Baal-zebub, “the ba’al of flies,” the god of Ekron. This idol was shaped like a fly. The Jews were so addicted to this cult that they would carry an image of the idol in their pockets, producing it and kissing it from time to time. Ba’al-zebub is called Ba’al-berith because the Jews were known to make a vow of devotion to the idol and refused to be apart from it for a single minute. Sounds disgusting. To carry around an image of a fly in your pocket for the purpose of caressing, worshiping, and even kissing. As a person who has recovered from a list of chemical dependencies, I am prone to becoming addicted to other things I might think could help me manage my stress. There is something I carry in my purse that is a temptation and sits on the fence of becoming an addiction. I may not ‘kiss’ my iPhone, but I pay too much attention to it when I am constantly checking it. I’ve decided to put boundaries on eyeing my iPhone. I will pray that we allow ourselves to be consumed with claiming God’s promises so that we are not dependent on anything or anyone for handouts to make us feel better about ourselves.
Here are a few verses for you to keep with you, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 56:3). “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8). “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for Him’” (Lamentations 3:2124). “How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying His commands. Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of Godly people will be blessed” (Psalm 112:1-2 NLT).
Let’s pray.
Dear El Berith, You are the God of the Covenant. Thank You for keeping every promise You have ever made to me. Help me to meditate on Your word today, claim Your precious promises, so I may focus on You and Your will. Thank You for Your faithfulness. In Jesus name, amen.
This blog was reprinted from Experiencing God Through His Names by Sheryl Giesbrecht, with permission from the publisher, Bold Vision Publishers.
