Street Meeting Twenty Seventh

The Great Commandment Manifested in the Covenant Faithfulness of Marriage
Being a Brief Discourse Upon The First Part of Mark 12:28–34

The evident frailty and inconsistency of our devotion unto God often arise, in part, from our failure to apprehend rightly who God is and who we ourselves are before Him. We mistakenly think of our relationship with the Lord according to earthly categories, seeking comparisons from among mortal men whereby we might better understand divine things. Yet every earthly illustration miserably fails, for there is none like unto God.

We must first lay this foundation firmly: God is not our equal. He is under no obligation to us, neither doth He owe us any kindness, mercy, or blessing. Whatever good we receive from His hand proceeds not from debt, but from grace. Even as an adopting father is not indebted unto the orphan whom he taketh into his household, so the Lord is not beholden unto those whom He graciously receives as His children. Indeed, the comparison itself falls short, for the distance between God and man is infinitely greater than that between father and child. Neither is our relationship unto Him one of equals, as though two parties met together upon common ground. He is the Creator; we are but creatures. He is self-existent and eternal; we are sustained from moment to moment by His power. He gives, and we receive. He commands, and we obey. He has full control. He has full authority. He needs nothing of us, while we stand in need of Him.

Therefore, before we speak of love toward God, devotion unto God, or communion with God, we must first understand who God is according to how He reveals Himself in His Word, and who we are in our complete and utter dependence. For it is only when the soul beholds the greatness of God and the smallness of self that true worship begins to flourish properly.

To be regenerated by the Spirit of God is, in no small measure, to be brought into joyful submission unto the kingship of Jesus Christ. The converted soul no longer claims sovereignty over itself, but willingly bows before the King, Jesus. What was once divided among scattered loyalties and many priorities is now gathered unto one supreme affection. In this respect, the union between husband and wife in marriage, furnishes us a useful illustration, for the covenant of marriage requires exclusive devotion: one man unto one woman, forsaking all others. The covenant binds the affections and allegiances of both parties unto one another.

Yet we must be careful not to press the comparison beyond its proper bounds. In the marriage covenant, the agreement is entered into by equals. Likewise, within the eternal counsels of God, the covenant between the Father and the Son is established between persons equal in glory, majesty, and divine nature. But when the Scriptures speak of God's covenant dealings with man, we enter altogether different ground.

For here the covenant is not established between equals, but between the great King and those who are His subjects. It bears more resemblance with ancient treaties, between a mighty sovereign and a lesser king. The terms are not arrived at through mutual negotiation, nor are they the product of compromise between parties of equal authority. Rather, the covenant proceeds from the will of the greater imposed unto the lesser. God created all things, therefore He Himself declares the terms. God Himself establishes the obligations. God Himself promises the blessings, and sets the standard for what is acceptable and unacceptable, what is good and what is evil. God Himself executes the sanctions. He is the great Suzerain, and we are but those who owe Him first of all, loyalty, and second, unwavering allegiance.

Therefore regeneration is not merely the acceptance of certain truths, nor the adoption of a religious identity. It is the surrender of the rebel unto the rightful, conquering King. It is the joyful acknowledgment that Christ alone hath authority to rule over all, and that all personal, and rival claims upon the heart must be renounced. As the faithful spouse forsakes all others to cleave unto one, so the regenerate soul forsakes every competing lord and giveth itself wholly unto Christ.

To speak of this relationship otherwise is to obscure the truth of the matter and confound the nature of God's covenant with man. One cannot render supreme devotion unto two contrary masters (Matthew 6:24). God and self stand opposed in this regard. Where self reigns, God is displaced; and where God reigns, self is stripped of its autonomy. The heart cannot be divided indefinitely between competing thrones. For this reason, God cannot truly be acknowledged as King while His authority is only partially received. A king whose commands may be accepted or rejected at pleasure is no king at all, but merely an advisor. The very confession that Christ is Lord implies submission unto His rule. Though the believer obeys imperfectly in this life, yet the disposition of the regenerate heart is one of surrender rather than resistance, of allegiance rather than rebellion.

Moreover, the blessings of the covenant are not detached from the covenant itself, as though a man might lay claim unto the benefits while refusing the Lord who bestows them. The vassal receives the privileges of the covenant because he embraces the covenant established by the Great King. The promises, protections, and blessings are inseparably joined unto the covenant relationship itself.

In the book The Structure of Biblical Authority by Meredith Kline (1972), it states that there are many examples preserved from the ancient world which bear witness to the form and structure of what scholars commonly call a suzerain treaty. In such an arrangement, a great king, known as the suzerain, enters into covenant with a lesser king, often a conquered ruler or dependent vassal. Yet this covenant is not negotiated between equals. The greater king alone establishes the terms of the relationship, and the lesser king receives them as one bound to the authority of another.

These treaties followed a recognizable pattern. They commonly began by identifying the name and titles of the great king, thereby establishing at the outset the authority from which the covenant proceeded. Thereafter followed an historical prologue recounting the benefits, deliverances, protections, and mercies which the suzerain had previously bestowed upon the vassal. This remembrance of past beneficence served as the foundation for the obligations that followed. Having rehearsed his kindnesses, the great king then declared the stipulations of the covenant. These laws prescribed the conduct expected of the vassal and governed the manner in which he was to live under the authority of his lord. Foremost among these obligations was the demand for exclusive loyalty. The vassal was forbidden to divide his allegiance among competing rulers, for covenant fidelity required singular devotion unto the suzerain alone. The treaty would also set forth blessings for obedience and sanctions for rebellion. Faithfulness was rewarded with continued favor, protection, and prosperity, whereas disloyalty brought judgment, curses, and the withdrawal of covenant privileges. Finally, provisions were included concerning the preservation of the treaty itself, its public reading before future generations, the calling of witnesses, and the means by which covenant disputes were to be settled.

This covenantal pattern may likewise be observed in the Decalogue itself. At its very beginning, the Lord identifies Himself, saying, “I am the LORD thy God.”(Exodus 20:2a) Here the Great King first declares His own name and authority, establishing the source from which the covenant proceeds. He then immediately recounts His prior act of deliverance: “which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”(Exodus 20:2b) Thus the covenant is not presented in a vacuum, but is preceded by a gracious remembrance of divine beneficence.

Having identified Himself and rehearsed His mighty work on behalf of His people, God then sets forth the stipulations of the covenant. The first four commandments chiefly concern exclusive loyalty unto Him. Israel is forbidden to acknowledge rival gods, fashion idols, misuse His holy Name, or profane the day He hath sanctified. These are not arbitrary regulations, but covenant obligations flowing from the reality that the Lord alone is their rightful Sovereign.

The other commandments that follow reveal the practical implications of such covenant fidelity. Loyalty unto God necessarily shapes one's conduct toward fellow men, and thus the covenant governs not only worship but the whole of life. Throughout the Decalogue there are also embedded sanctions, promises of blessing, warnings of judgment, and reminders that the covenant is not a matter of indifference, but of profound consequence. Nor doth the covenant conclude with the giving of its stipulations. Elsewhere the Lord commands that His law be publicly read before the people, that both they and the generations following might hear, remember, and continue in covenant faithfulness. 

References: Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief, John M. Frame (2013).

The written document itself occupies a place of great importance. As in the treaties of the ancient world, the covenant is preserved in written form so that its terms may be known, remembered, and appealed unto. To violate the covenant document is, in effect, to violate the covenant itself, for the written text stands as the authoritative witness to the relationship. In the ancient treaties, copies were commonly deposited in the sanctuaries of both the suzerain and the vassal and periodically brought forth for public reading. In a similar manner, God committed His covenant words unto writing and entrusted them unto His people. The written Word therefore is not a mere collection of religious reflections, but the covenant document of the Great King towards the people He covenants with.

Hence we may better understand the great significance attached to the Decalogue, which was not merely spoken by God, but written by His own hand upon tablets of stone. The medium itself was instructive, for stone signifies permanence and abiding authority. That which was inscribed thereon was not intended for a generation only, nor subject to the changing opinions of men, but stood as the enduring expression of God's covenantal faithfulness. Nor was this sacred document placed in some ordinary location among the possessions of Israel. It was deposited within the Ark of the Covenant and set in the Holiest of Holies, the most sacred and prominent place in all the tabernacle. This placement was intentional and declarative. The covenant stood at the center of Israel's relationship with God. Their worship, obedience, blessings, and identity as a people were all bound unto the words which God had spoken and inscribed permanently.

Thus the Decalogue was not treated as a temporary arrangement or a passing ordinance, but as a matter of profound covenant significance. For the authority of the covenant is derived from the authority of the One who established it. And because God Himself is everlasting, faithful, and unchanging, His covenantal demands are not to be regarded lightly or as though they were subject to the whims of successive generations. The covenant document remained before His people as a continual witness that the Lord who redeemed them also claimed their allegiance, their obedience, and their devotion. To emphasize, they are to be His covenant people, and He is to be their covenant God.

Here, then, we may clearly see the pattern from which the marriage covenant draws its form. Marriage is not a human invention, nor a social arrangement fashioned according to the preferences of a particular age. It proceeds from God Himself, the Author of covenant, who hath woven into the institution of marriage the very principles of faithfulness, obligation, enduring devotion, blessings, and curses. For this reason the marriage ceremony has historically been regarded not as the celebration of a passing event, but as the solemn ratification of a covenant between two people. Its vows are publicly declared, its terms witnessed, and its union established as a binding bond between husband and wife, intended to endure until physical death brings the covenant to its earthly conclusion. The covenant requires loyalty, and loyalty requires devotion.

When God blessed our first parents and commanded them to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, His purpose extended far beyond the mere increase of human numbers. The divine intention was that the earth should be filled with image-bearers living joyfully beneath the rule and glory of their Creator, reflecting His character and rendering unto Him the worship that was His due. Thus the mandate to fill the earth was also a mandate to extend the knowledge of God throughout the whole creation, that every corner of the inhabited world might resound with His praise. In this light, to multiply under the blessing of God was the ordained means whereby a godly seed might fill the earth, generation after generation, living under the benevolent kingship of God. The multiplication of mankind was to be accompanied by the multiplication of worshippers, so that the glory of the Lord might be reflected ever more broadly throughout His creation.

In our age, greater value is now bestowed upon the extravagance of the wedding, replacing the sanctity of the vow itself. The ceremony is adorned with luxury, at much expense, careful planning, and public admiration, while the covenant which gives the ceremony its life is now regarded as an insignificant matter. Couples strive for months to prepare for a single day, yet give little to no thought to the lifelong faithfulness that day is meant to inaugurate. By this confusion, the sanctity of marriage has suffered severely. When vows are treated lightly, families are more easily broken; when covenant fidelity is neglected, both husband and wife, together with their children, bear the painful consequences. The weakening of the marriage bond hath contributed no small measure to the disorder and instability visible throughout society. To honor that covenantal union, is to reap many blessings benefitting society. But when it is despised, the effects are felt far beyond the household itself.

How greatly hath our generation diminished the sanctity of this ordinance. That which God established as a covenant hath been reduced in the minds of many to a mere experience, dictated by preference, sustained by convenience, and abandoned whenever it ceases to provide immediate satisfaction. The permanence of covenant hath yielded to the instability of sentiment, and vows once regarded as sacred are now frequently treated as though they were provisional arrangements subject to revision at will. Such thinking reveals how little we understand either covenant or God Himself. For would we desire a God who dealt with His people according to the same principles by which modern men and women treat their vows? Would we find comfort in a Lord who withdrew His faithfulness whenever obedience became difficult, who forsook His promises when they no longer suited His purposes, or who turned His back upon His people whenever another course seemed more agreeable?

Indeed, the very hope of the believer rests upon the opposite truth. God remains faithful even when men prove faithless. He is steadfast because His covenant is steadfast. He changes not, and therefore His promises endure. It is precisely because the Lord doth not govern His relationships according to the selfish and fluctuating desires of fallen men that the redeemed possess any assurance at all. Thus marriage, rightly understood, stands as a living testimony to the covenant faithfulness of God. Its permanence proclaims His permanence. Its exclusivity reflects His demand for exclusive allegiance. And its vows remind us that true covenant love is measured not merely by present affection, but by enduring faithfulness through every season appointed by Providence.

To profess oneself a Christian is an easy thing. Such professions abound in every place and may be found as readily as broken glass scattered upon the pavement. A mere claim unto Christ costs little, and for this reason many bear His name who have never bowed before His throne. The lips may confess what the heart hath never embraced, and the tongue may speak of grace while the soul remains a stranger unto its power.

But when God regenerates a person from death unto life and calls him from his separated state unto Himself, an altogether different matter occurs. This is no mere change of opinion, no adoption of a religious identity, nor a passing affection for spiritual things. It is the sovereign act of God whereby He lays claim to a soul and brings that person into covenant fellowship with Himself. In this covenant, God doth not merely offer benefits; He claims the whole person as His. The sinner is redeemed unto God, separated from the world, unto His service, and bound unto Him by a covenant stronger than death itself. What was formerly an enemy is now made a citizen, a child, and an heir. Yet the language of Scripture carries the matter even further, for the redeemed are not only subjects of the King, but are also betrothed unto Him in covenant love.

Thus the believer stands in this present age as one spiritually engaged, awaiting the consummation of that union yet to come. As a bride is pledged unto her bridegroom and keeps herself for him alone, so the church is set apart for Christ. Her affections, loyalties, and hopes are to be directed unto Him above all others. She waits in expectation for the day when faith shall become sight and the marriage supper of the Lamb shall be fully realized. Therefore regeneration is not merely the beginning of a religious life; it is the commencement of an everlasting covenant relationship. The redeemed soul hath been claimed by God and pledged unto Christ. What began in sovereign grace shall end in eternal union, when the Bride shall at last dwell forever with her Bridegroom, the two becoming one. Forever joined by God. Forever inseparable.

Indeed, it is here that we begin to perceive one of the foundations of the Bible's doctrine of Scripture. The written Word is indispensable because the covenant itself is inseparable from the words by which God hath revealed, established, and preserved it. The covenant requires remembrance, and remembrance requires it is committed unto writing. When one becometh familiar with this covenantal pattern, many portions of Holy Scripture appear in a brighter light. For the Lord doth not present Himself merely as a distant deity dispensing commands at random, but as the Great King who first declares who He is, reminds His people of His mighty acts, and then calls them unto covenant faithfulness. 

How many desire Christ as Savior who have no desire for Him as King. They would gladly receive pardon, yet reject His authority; they would embrace the crown of life, yet refuse the yoke of discipleship. But such a division cannot stand. The Christ who redeems is the same Christ who rules. The hand that bestows mercy also holds the scepter. Therefore the question is not merely whether a man professes belief, but whether he hath bowed the knee. For regeneration is not simply the acceptance of certain truths concerning Christ, but the yielding of oneself unto Christ Himself. The covenant requires allegiance, and allegiance requires devotion. Thus the soul brought alive by the Spirit learns, however imperfectly, to forsake self and to commit unto its rightful King.

Let us end by simplifying the matter at hand:

What does it mean to love God with all your heart?

It means rendering to God the same kind of exclusive covenantal devotion that marriage partially reflects, but in a far higher and more ultimate sense. The love meant in the Great Commandment resembles covenant loyalty.

It is not merely affection. It is allegiance. Not merely emotion. Devotion. Not merely appreciation. Submission.

To love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength is to be wholly devoted unto Him: to delight in His goodness with your mind, to cherish Him with your affections, and to order your life according to that devotion. Such love is covenantal rather than romantic. When one considers the faithfulness required in marriage, the allegiance owed by a subject unto his king, and the forsaking of all rival loyalties, he then begins to understand what it means to love God with the entirety of his being.