A CONTRACT AND A COVENANT

A CONTRACT is an agreement made in suspicion. The parties do not trust each other, and they set "limits" to their own responsibility. A COVENANT is an agreement made in trust. The parties love each other and put no limits on their own responsibility. Indian Leaders made Treaties with the Great White Father and called them Covenants, sealing them with the smoke of the Sacred Pipe. The trouble began when the Great White Father, his Lieutenants and Merchants, looked on the Treaties and called them Contracts. Thus began -- in the basic religious difference -- the conflict between Cultures. Other Covenants made in respect and love:

Covenant With Noah (Genesis 9:9-17) With these words

I make my covenant with you: I promise that never again will all living beings be

destroyed by a flood; never again will a flood destroy the earth.

As a sign of this everlasting covenant which I am making with you and with all living

beings,

I am putting my bow in the clouds. It will be the sign of my covenant with the world.

Whenever I cover the sky with clouds and the rainbow appears,

I will remember my promise to you and to all the animals that a flood will never again

destroy all living beings.

When the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting

covenant between me and all living beings on earth.

That is the sign of the promise which I am making to all living beings."

NOTE: The rainbow is a sign of the covenant of God to all living things that includes us.

Covenant With Abraham (Genesis 17:2-7) I will make my

covenant with you and give you many descendants."

Abram bowed down with his face touching the ground, and God said,

"I make this covenant with you: I promise that you will be the ancestor of many nations.

Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, because I am making you the ancestor of many nations.

I will give you many descendants, and some of them will be kings. You will have so many descendants that they will become nations.

"I will keep my promise to you and to your descendants in future generations as

an everlasting covenant. I will be your God and the God of your descendants.

Covenant With Moses (Exodus 34:10)The LORD said to Moses, "I now make a covenant with the people of Israel. In their presence I will do great things such as have never been done anywhere on earth among any of the nations. All the people will see what great things I, the LORD, can do, because I am going to do an awesome thing for you.

Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation."