Are you thinking, “Diddle diddle dumpling my son John?” If so, change gears and replace the name “John” with “Joshua”. That will take us to Joshua 5 for one of the treasures from our pastor’s sermon last Sunday. As Joshua moved into leadership of Israel, he moved into a contract with God, assuring victory. Off came that sandal. This is how covenants were ratified in ancient times.
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?
And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
We believers have been purchased by the blood of Christ. By faith, we have entered into a legal contract with God our Father. And this is the best part; it guarantees us eternal life and sonship!
He (Christ) entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining[b] eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:12-15)
The new covenant, the eternal contract, ensures us of our inheritance in Christ. Let’s walk in faith with one shoe off, believing God, resting in the finished work of the Cross. And as we live out our lives here on earth, let’s echo Joshua’s words: “What saith my Lord unto his servant?”