Think "Covenant"

"Great are the works of the LORD ...he remembers his covenant forever." - Psalm 111:2a, 5b

God acts according to what's called a "Covenant".

Covenants, like present day legal contracts, have terms, conditions, remedies, and participants. Also like a contract it takes a purposed agreement from all participants before it is binding. Unlike contracts, once entered they last forever; or at least as long as the participants live.

In the Bible there was a covenant where God promised not to destroy the earth again with water, and where God promised land and descendants to Abraham. God made a covenant with Moses and Israel when he gave the Ten Commandments. There was a "Covenant of peace", a "Covenant of salt", a "Covenant of everlasting priesthood" - covenants all throughout the Bible, each with its special provisions, all remembered and followed by God.

Finally, God promised a "New Covenant"¹ different from all the rest - a commitment by God to put his laws into participants hearts and take them as his people forever. That's the covenant we enter when we receive Jesus as our Savior!

"But ye are come ... to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant" - Hebrews 12:22, 24

Think in terms of covenants and a lot of the Bible makes more sense.

- fritz

1 - Jeremiah 31:31-33 and Hebrews 8:8-12