The Value of Covenant With God : Pr Derek Hong

9 July 2014 by Jason Law CM –

 

Pr Derek Hong, the former senior pastor of the Church of Our Savior, Singapore, is one of the most well-known pastors in that nation. From a church of 70+ members, the church has grown to a present day worship attendance of close to 4000. He is ardently involved in cross-cultural outreaches, doing missionary work and church-planting. He has started a School in Supernatural Ministry with over 700 students in China and a Liberal Arts College in Singapore.

Pr Derek is a man who is passionate about revival and knowledge, and on 29 of June, 2014, he shared in KAOG about the significance of our covenant with God, and the power of the knowledge that comes from Him. The foundation of his message was taken from Hosea 4:6. This verse clearly tells us that the lack of the knowledge of God is destructive and has the power to destroy His people. Thus, the study of the Word of God is immensely important, and all Christians must have a proper grounding in it and the aptitude to process and meditate upon it.  

 

 

Pr Derek opened by pointing out; ‘First of all, God didn’t say that the people are destroyed because they did not earn enough money. In Singapore, where resources are scarce, people are understandably fearful of not having enough to survive. But despite the importance of money, God did not say that people are destroyed because they didn’t have enough money.

‘He also didn’t say that people are destroyed because they did not have education. Now, I believe in education. I am involved in it. I believe that education is a great key in building people, raising up leaders and sustaining them. Singapore is intensely competitive where education is concerned.

‘Education is also important, but again, God did not say that people are destroyed for lack of education. What God did say was that people are destroyed because of the lack of knowledge. We all know it’s a principle in life that ignorance is not grace; it’s a curse.’

 

 

Around the world, we see the effects of the lack of knowledge; in the spread of epidemics, strife, corruption and poverty. While God loves every human (in fact every being that He created), He is particularly concerned about His own people. The Bible says, and the reality around us shows, that the willful neglect of the knowledge of God often has the power to extend its impact on future generations.

‘The original purpose God took the Israelites out of Egypt during Moses’ time was not just to free them from slavery. One of the greatest miracles in the deliverance of nations was God taking the Israelites who were bound in slavery, and then transforming them into a great and influential nation of priests for His kingdom.

 

 

‘As slaves, the Israelites had no purpose, nor rights, inheritance or destiny. They were basically properties and had no identification as humans; their masters could do anything they like with them. Just think about this, if for generation after generation, people have been growing in an environment of slavehood, what would happen to them?’ Pr Derek pondered.

God’s Covenant with the Israelites was nothing short of miraculous. A covenant implies a special bond between two parties. Furthermore, God’s Kingdom is unlike all the other kingdoms that were surrounding it.

 

 

First of all, God was Almighty, and not confined through a physical boundary. Secondly, the Israelites were not obligated to build a palace for Him, since nothing on Earth could contain Him. But what is most significant of all, is that God was in fact saying ‘I want to lay before you my expectations up front‘.

‘For the Israelites’ sake, God did this upfront. Unlike the other kings, the Israelites knew what to expect from God and what were expected of them. This is very unlike the other kings who were themselves the law. Under the other kings, if he would one day fancy your daughter or your property, he would just take them, and no one would dare to argue. That was how dominant the kings were in those days. Straightaway, we can see how different God is from them. He is never whimsical or unpredictable. He is steadfast and He never changes,’ Pr Derek shared.

 

 

Unlike the other kings, God’s covenant with His people was made from a heart of love. God was proposing to the Israelites to become His. He had delivered the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt so that they could be a great nation and people for Him, and the laws that God proposed were there so that they could establish a perfect and deeply-rooted relationship with Him.  

The Law that was given through the Covenant is not there for us to get to Heaven. In fact, we can’t keep it; that’s why we need Jesus Christ. But it’s still needed for us to understand how our life works; how we should treat one another, how we should relate, in business and in all our relationships, both with God and with men. So, the Law has more than just the purpose of condemning us or showing us our sins; it was given for a vital purpose.            

 

‘The purpose of the Law was so that God’s people had a framework to keep their relationship right with Him. And the wonderful thing is that God provided His knowledge about every aspect of life. The great tragedy of the Israelites was that they rejected this perfect covenant with God, and they demanded a worldly form of government and law. Out of grace, God gave them what they wanted, but things were never the same again for them. Besides a handful of good kings, the rest of them were disasters and it affected much of the nation’s history,’ Pr Derek shared.

 

 

If the Israelites had followed God’s Laws, they would have been the head instead of the tail. They would have prospered. Pr Derek shared that when nations are governed by the values of God, they prosper and become influential. In history, we see nations prosper when they follow the rule of law, and decline when they start to turn away from Godly values. Sometimes, these nations may not even necessarily be Christian. The Law levels everyone in God’s sight no matter our position, and everybody knows what to expect from each other.   

 

 

Many Christians struggle with the aspect of the Law in Christianity. By looking at it through the viewpoint of a Covenant with God, we can understand and see the significance of this area in our relationship with God. Everything that is expected from us or handed down to us by God comes through a viewpoint of our relationship with Him. Besides sharing about our Covenant with God and the place of the Law, Pr Derek also shared about the characteristics and power that comes through the knowledge that is from God.    

 

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