Covenants of Love (2 Chronicles 19:2-11; 20:7; Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34)

2 Chronicles 20:7 says, " (Are) not You our God, (who) did drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people, Israel, and gave it to the seed of Abraham, Your friend, forever? "

This concept of "friend", though expressing intimacy, especially in relation to Abraham, (see He Breathes After You), has a specific context within the confines of a covenant relationship.

Jehoshaphat had just been rebuked by the prophet for his alliance [covenant] with Ahab (2 Chr. 19:2), and he repented, to the point that he instituted major religious reforms throughout Judah, to bring the nation back to God. (2 Chr.19:4-11). The devil obviously didn't like this, so "It came to pass, after this...", [i.e., people repenting and returning to God], that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and Mount Seir (20:1,10,22,23), came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

There is only a battle when you begin to take ground for God, [that rightfully belongs to you], from the devil. [see "Getting it Together" ] 

Jehoshaphat appealed to God, on the basis of His covenant with Abraham, to deliver them. [i.e., Your "friend" forever].

This Hebrew word, translated "friend", is most frequently translated "love", and that, within the confines of a covenant relationship. The word is used 27 times of God loving people, and 24 times of people loving God. Out of the 24 uses of people loving God, 12 are within the book of Deuteronomy (5:10;6:5;7:9;10:12;11:1,13,22;13:3;19:9;30:6,16,20), and 8 of the other 24 refer specifically to covenant obedience, as referenced in Deuteronomy.

In other words, 20 out of the 24 times that we are told to love God, in the OT,  refers to our obligation to be committed to God because of our covenant with Him. 

When kings were in covenant with one another, in the OT, and in the ANE (Ancient Near East), generally, they were said to "love" one another. Hence, the reference in 2 Chronicles 19:2, where God rebukes Jehoshaphat, for his covenant with Ahab, He says "Should you help the wicked, and love them who hate the LORD?". Also, it is said of Hiram, that he was "...ever a lover of David." (1 Kings 5:1). [There may have been some degree of affection involved, but this is specifically a reference to a covenant relationship.]

Even the very familiar phrase, "...you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul. and with all your might." (Deut. 6:5), is a direct parallel to the ANE covenants between kings.

In the technical vocabulary of ANE covenants, a covenant with a superior king, and his people, referred to the superior king as "father", or "Lord"; an inferior king, was called "son"; and equal partners were called "brothers". 

It is to be noted, that when Jesus referred to this text, He said it was a commandment. (Matt. 22:34-40; Mk 12:28-34).

In fact, the second great commandment, is also within the context of covenant, namely, "...you shall love your neighbor as yourself..." (Lev. 19:18).

COVENANT

Though very familiar texts, these covenant commands, are not based on feelings, but obligations that enable us to fulfill God's plan for our lives. To "love", in context, speaks not to emotions, but to choices made for the good of all parties within the covenant. To "love" is to act for the benefit of the other party, for the mutual benefit of all within the covenant.

People made covenants in order to be able to survive, and to carry on their lives without the threat of extinction by a stronger force, and to insure the prosperity of their people, by allegiance with a nation or group of people that could directly benefit all parties in the covenant. The OT is littered with important covenants established with groups of people, all the way from Abraham; Isaac; and Jacob; down to the kings of Israel.

To put it another way, people made covenants, where there was termed a "love" relationship, not based on a feeling, but a contractual agreement, in order to fulfill their destiny, and to not just survive, but to thrive.

To bring it to where we live, we have a covenant relationship with our Father, God, who is our Lord, with certain expected obligations and commitments, that are mutually beneficial, [actually we have the better end of the deal], but we also have, in a practical, but spiritual sense,  "covenants" with churches that we attend, where we have entered into agreement with a group of people, in order for God, our Father, to use them, in fellowship with one another, to help us fulfill our destiny. It may be easier, at times, to abort the process, especially in larger urban centers, and just go somewhere else, but we may be unconsciously, breaking a covenant that was necessary for us to reach our purpose in God.

More specifically, we have marriage covenants, where the relationships require an enormous amount of effort to be successful, but outside of our relationship with God, that other individual is the single most important person, that God has joined you with, in covenant, to insure that you achieve your full potential in Him. 

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours.