Following the Passover of Exodus 12 and Israel’s dramatic departure from Egypt, we find the people approaching Mount Sinai in the third month. This is the setting in which God established His covenant with them.

That moment was not casual. Covenant in Scripture is never casual. It is more than agreement; it is binding, weighty, and life-defining. When Israel entered covenant with God, they did so with full accountability to the words spoken and the terms given. Their response was clear: “All that the LORD has said, we will do” (Exodus 19:8).

For those who walk under the New Covenant, this reflection becomes even more significant. The New Covenant is not a lighter version of what came before, nor a relaxation of commitment. If anything, it calls for deeper transformation — one written not on tablets of stone, but on the heart. As it is written: “I will put My laws into their minds and write them on their hearts” (Hebrews 8:10; Jeremiah 31:33).

And this covenant, we are told, is established on better promises — not better laws.

That truth should not lessen our sense of responsibility but sharpen it. Covenant has always required faithfulness. The difference is not the standard of God’s law, but the promises that sustain those who walk in it.

When we come to Acts 2, we see the powerful outpouring of God’s Spirit on the disciples gathered on the Day of Pentecost. Those who witnessed it were “cut to the heart.” When they asked what they should do, Peter answered: repent, be baptized, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This was a call to newness of life. This was a call to covenant.

If you’d like to learn more about this walk in newness of life, click here to read or download the free study guide The New Covenant available on the United Church of God website. And check our website for a congregation near you. Join us as we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost this year.

By Lynn Leiby