Mizpah

Day 22.
Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I. And let it be a witness between you and me.” So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. And Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” Therefore he named it Galeed, and Mizpah, for he said, “The Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another’s sight. (Genesis 31:44-49 ESV)

Galeed means “heap of witness” and Mizpah means “watchpost.” This was not uncommon in the Bible to set up memorials to remind future generations of some important event. This heap that Jacob erects marks the covenant betwee he and Laban. The covenant invites the Lord to keep watch between them and it is consecrated by a sacrifice (later in verse 54) and eating bread together.

Psalm 5 carries to idea forward when the psalmist begins the day with a sacrifice (or prayer) and “watches.” It points to a daily renewal of the covenant we have with God and a fresh invitation for the Lord to keep watch over him that he might be faithful through the day. The amazing thing about the Lord’s covenant with us is that his watching is proactive rather than reactive. He watches over us to preserve and protect rather than merely watches us to judge. His name is at stake. He has invested the lifeblood of Jesus in us. So, may the Lord who sees all keep watch over us today that we may be faithful to His covenant.

This is an important prayer for the Christian. He moves from only worrying about keeping his word when others will notice to seeking to keep his word when no one is watching because he has invited the Lord to keep watch. When does the Lord not see?

Do you ever do things that you shouldn’t because you know no one will ever know?

Make Psalm 5 your prayer for today.

Chronological Reading Plan plus Psalms: Ge 30-31, Ps 22