Waitangi Day

Tomorrow is Waitangi day in New Zealand. This day commemorates an event that was pivotal to the founding of our nation. New Zealand is unique in that it was founded on a covenant or treaty between the indigenous Maori people and the British Crown. This covenant provided the possibility of the two peoples living together in harmony.

Unfortunately the covenant made at Waitangi was broken when the British government confiscated substantial tracts of Maori land.

Breaking a covenant is really serious. The ninth commandment says.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16).

Bearing false witness includes lying to a court, slander of character, fraud, ignoring a contract and breaking a covenant.

The failure of successive governments to honour the Treaty of Waitangi was disobedience to the ninth commandment that put New Zealand under a curse. For a more detailed explanation of the reason, see Treaty of Waitangi, where I explain how Joshua and Saul's experience with the Gibeonites provides principles for understanding and resolving broken treaties.

Ahab and Jez is relevant too.

Recent governments have established the Waitangi Tribunal, a judicial process for remedying the situation right and making restitution. This has turned away the curse. Christian should be really thankful for this change.