Covenants
 

“For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant [italics added] with your fathers that He swore to them” (Deuteronomy 4:31 English Standard Version). When one thinks of the word covenant, perhaps one thinks of a marriage covenant or a promise made between two parties. In biblical times, a covenant is when two parties mutually agree to do certain things (Arnold & Beyer, 2015; Elwell & Beitzel, 1988). A biblical covenant can also mean a sacred kinship bond between two parties which is secured by an oath or ritual (Barry et al., 2016). Covenants can be conditional or unconditional (Brand et al., 2003) but are always given by God to His people to improve the relationship humanity has with God. A covenant is simply a partnership between God and His crowning creation, humanity (“The Bible Project,” 2015). This essay will focus on the love story that God has with humanity by making covenants throughout biblical history. Specifically, one needs to understand why covenants exist, the nature and aspects of each biblical covenant, the relationship that each covenant brings with God and His people, and how these primary covenants relate to one another.

The Fall

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and everything in the Earth (Gen 1). God then created his masterpiece which was humanity on the sixth-day and God created man in His image (Gen 1:27). To be created in the image of God or the Imago Dei means many things. First, it suggests humanity has partnered with God to have dominion over all of God’s creation and that they can have a relationship with God (Arnold & Beyer, 2015). God’s creation of humanity is His crowning Jewel, His most significant work, and the climax of all of God’s creative activity (Arnold & Beyer, 2015). God also gave humanity the capability of language and communication and abstract consciousness (Arnold & Beyer, 2015). The summation of being created in the image of God could simply be summed up in one word, good (Arnold & Beyer, 2015). Sadly, in Genesis 3, the fall of humanity occurs by Adam and Eve disobeying God, thereby breaking the partnership and relationship that God had initially created. Humanity immediately experienced spiritual death separating themselves from God. Due to the fall, murder, wickedness, idolatry, and social injustice spread among the land. God, despite His holiness and justice, continued to pursue and make a way of restoration for humanity. Due to the nature and separation that the fall brought, God would now extend to His creation covenants, which would begin to restore humanity back into a perfect partnership with God. If God did not make covenants with humanity, they would be forever lost and separated from God forever. The first covenant that God extended to humankind was the Noahic covenant.

Noahic covenant

Noah lived in a time of total corruption throughout all of the earth. Ever since the fall, humanity continued to spiral out of control into wickedness and horrific sin. God saw man’s heart was evil, continually (Gen 6:5) which is why He pronounced judgment upon the whole Earth in a global flood (Gen 6:17-18). The Bible describes Noah as a righteous man (Gen 7:1) who walked with God and found favor in the Lord’s sight (Barry et al., 2016; Gen 6:8-9). God in all of His grace would make provisions to save Noah and his family inside an ark that God commanded Noah to build (Gen 7:1-5). After the flood and preservation of Noah and his family, God introduced the first covenant with Noah and all of the creation (Hahn, 2005). God said, “never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth” (Gen 9:11). This covenant was unconditional in the sense that Noah nor anyone else ever had to do anything to receive the benefits of this covenant. No matter how wicked or evil the Earth gets, they could rest assured in God’s promise and covenant; He will never flood the Earth again. The final aspect of this covenant was Noah was given a sign for this covenant in the form of a rainbow. Every time God’s people see a rainbow, they should be reminded of God’s unconditional covenant with humankind and all other flesh (Gen 8:12-13; Hahn, 2005). The Noahic covenant would stand on its own as the prototype for all other covenants (Hahn, 2005).  

Abrahamic Covenant

God was not done making covenants with His people though and continued to make way for a man named Abraham to lay the foundation of His restoration. Abraham was a man who was elected and called out by God to separate himself from the pagan nation of Ur to become a people that would carry God’s covenant to the whole Earth (Gromacki, 2014). Abraham’s name literally means the father of multitudes which would resemble the promises that God would later give him (Elwell & Beitzel, 1988; Gen 17:5). The Abrahamic covenant has many aspects to it and is shown on two separate occasions (Hahn, 2005; Niehaus, 2013). First, this covenant was unconditional, but later, it would be highlighted as a conditional covenant. God promised He would make Abraham a great nation, that He would bless him, and make His name great (Genesis 12:1-3; Gromacki, 2014). Secondly, Abraham was promised land for him and his offspring and God also promised his descendants would be like the dust and stars of the earth in number (Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:14-17; Genesis 15:5; Gromacki, 2014). The ceremony that took place in Genesis 15 signified the covenant was unconditional since it was only God that passed through the two pieces of animals and caused Abraham to go into a deep sleep to prevent him from passing through (Gromacki, 2014). God also gave a sign to this covenant that He made with Abraham which was circumcision (Genesis 17:9-14), symbolizing the fact of cutting or separating (Niehaus, 2013). Finally, God said all the world would be blessed through the seed of Abraham (Genesis 12:3; 22:18). Later, one would discover this fulfillment in Christ, who was the seed of Abraham. God was not done building steps to restore His people through covenants. God would raise up another man named Moses whom the covenant would become conditional.

Mosaic covenant/Sinai covenant

Unlike the first two covenants which were the Noahic and Abrahamic covenants, the Mosaic covenant or Sinai covenant, is conditional. “Obedience to God’s commands brings blessing while disobedience brings failure” (Arnold & Beyer, 2015, p.198; Deuteronomy 28; Exodus 19:5-8; Exodus 20). The Sinai Covenant, The Law, or the Decalogue (“Lecture 3,” 2017) was of great importance in the life of Israel. This law was an agreement between God and man to obey all that was written in order to inherit the full blessing of God’s covenant that He gave to Abraham back in Genesis 12, 15, and 17 (Macedo, 2016). This covenant became an extension of the Abrahamic covenant to all of Israel but came with conditions. God wanted this covenant and law to set apart His people from the pagan nations enabling them to reflect the glory of God. God’s covenant includes promises to Israel that He would make them a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6). In addition to the promises, the covenant ushered in the sacrificial system. It was through sacrifice and blood that would bring forgiveness to Israel’s sins and eventually would be replaced by the New Covenant in the future with a better sacrifice, Jesus Christ.

“The law was not a set of arbitrary rules to keep God happy. It was a way of life, a way of being human, a culture in a particular time and place, to show what a redeemed people under God looks like” (Wright, 2013, p. 32).

This idea of retribution theology (Deut. 28) would be the focal point of all of God’s prophets to guide Israel back to a complete understanding of partnership and restoration with God. The final covenant given in the Old Testament would be given to none other than King David, a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22).

Davidic Covenant

Many years after the Mosaic covenant, after the time of the judges, the people wanted to abandon a theocratic kingdom and live like the pagan nations being ruled by a king. God gave the people what they wanted through their elected king, who was Saul. Saul took Israel further into in depravity, and God used His prophet Samuel to raise up a king, whom God would further provide as a stepping stone back to restoration. David who was a shepherd boy and was chosen by God to be the next king of Israel, and whom God would next make a covenant with. The Davidic covenant has many aspects to it. First, God promises David that through his lineage, and specifically through the tribe of Judah, that through his seed Messiah would come and His Kingdom would endure forever (2 Samuel 7:16; Macedo, 2016). Secondly, God reaffirms the land promise which was given to Abraham and Moses (2 Samuel 7:10) and that David would have a son who would establish the Kingdom of God and build a temple in God’s name (2 Samuel 7:12-13). Thirdly, God promised He would make David’s name great, like the great ones of the earth (1 Chronicles 17:8). Lastly, God promised His love would be with David and his son (1 Chronicles 17:13). David’s seed, house, kingdom, and throne would all be established forever and fulfilled because of Jesus Christ. This covenant is what ushers in the new and final covenant.

The New Covenant

God introduces a New Covenant, which is far different than the Mosaic covenant which was conditional. This New Covenant is unconditional, and instead of God’s law being written and known by only a selected few, God will now write the law on the tablet of their hearts, so everyone would know there is a God (Borg, 2014; Jeremiah 31:33-34). Secondly, God promised to give His people a new heart and spirit so the people would be able to walk with God (Ezekiel 36:26). As one moves into the New Testament, we learn that this new covenant is brought upon humanity through Jesus Christ. Jesus would implement the New Covenant which was a better covenant (Hebrews 7:22). No longer would we continue to have to sacrifice bulls and goats, Christ offered Himself as a one time, eternal ransom on humanities’ behalf to take away their sins by the cross (Luke 22:20). Christ is the one who mediates this New covenant and brings about better promises (Hebrews 8:6). Jesus ushers in this New Covenant during the last supper with His disciples. Now our salvation is secure solely based on the free, undeserved, unmerited gift of Grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). God in his abundant love and mercy continues and desires to make our relationship better with Him. Despite our failures, sins, rebellion, and disobedience towards Him, He still offers us a way to reconcile us back to the original relationship we once had.

Why do covenants exist?

Each of these covenants described above created a stepping stone back for humanity to restore the original relationship that man once had with God. In the Noahic covenant, despite the separation and wickedness of men, God by His grace shows us a way of salvation. Salvation can only be obtained through the one true ark, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only one who can save people from an eternal judgment by His accomplishment on the cross. In the Abrahamic covenant, God gives humanity a stepping stone of faith. God shows humanity that He is faithful to His promises to save and by giving people faith, they will be able to overcome the next stepping stone which is the law. The Mosaic covenant is the law and the step that humanity needed to realize that they would never be good enough. God demands holiness and required perfection. Only Jesus would be able to fulfill all the requirements of the law to satisfy the demands of God to bring us back into a relationship with Him. Even with King David, he wants to build God a temple for God to dwell in but rather God further gives another step to restore humanities relationship with Him by promising the Messiah and an everlasting Kingdom. God through the Messiah would be able to be restored once again to humankind and He would never leave them nor forsake them ever again. This is what Jesus fulfilled by satisfying all the conditions of the law and fulfilling the eternal line of David. Jesus brings a better covenant, a final covenant, a complete covenant. It is with this covenant that humanity would be able to have a perfect relationship with God once again. These covenants restore humankind’s relationship back with God and finally one can see how they relate to one another.

How do the covenants relate to one another?

Each of these covenants are beautifully woven together by Jesus (Hubbard, 1983). From the first covenant to the last, each covenant continuously gets extended holding all the promises of the original covenant. Despite man’s rebellion, God pursues after His people and remains faithful to His promises. In each covenant, you can find hope (Hubbard, 1983). Hope is the focus of the rainbow, hope is the focus of circumcision, hope is the focus of the Messiah, and hope is achieved by the sealing of the Holy Spirit. The idea of hope, restoration and partnership is the theme presented in all the covenants (Hubbard, 1983). All of these themes are fully realized in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

The theme or concept of covenants is one of the most important things to realize in the Old Testament. Why covenants exist, the details of each covenant and how they all relate to each other show anyone who reads God’s word how our relationship can be restored with Him. Only through Jesus can all the requirements of the covenants be fulfilled and only by Jesus does one restore their relationship back with their Creator. Jesus’s life, death, burial, and resurrection is the central climax of all the covenants, and one day, after the eschaton, believers in Jesus will finally be in a perfected relationship for all eternity with their Creator.

References

Arnold, B. T., & Beyer, B. E. (2015). Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian survey (3rd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Barry, J. D., Bomar, D., Brown, D. R., Klippenstein, R., Mangum, D., Sinclair Wolcott, C., … Widder, W. (Eds.). (2016). In the Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Borg, M. (2014). The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Puritan Reformed Journal, 6(2), 16-34. Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rlh&AN=97766900&site=eds-live&scope=site

Brand, C., Draper, C., England, A., Bond, S., Clendenen, E. R., Butler, T. C., & Latta, B. (Eds.). (2003). In Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

Gromacki, G. (2014). The fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant. Journal of Ministry & Theology, 18(2), 77-119. Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ofs&AN=99269983&site=eds-live&scope=site

Hahn, S. (2005). Covenant in the Old and New Testaments: Some current research (1994-2004). Currents in Biblical Research, 3(2), 263-292. doi:10.1177/1476993X05052433. Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=17057510&site=eds-live&scope=site

Hubbard, D. A. (1983). Hope in the Old Testament. Tyndale Bulletin, 34, 33-59. Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0000933468&site=eds-live&scope=site

Lecture 3 (2017). BIB-106: Old Testament Survey. Phoenix, AZ: Grand Canyon University.

Macedo, B. (2016). Covenant theology in the thought of John Calvin: From the Mosaic covenant to the new covenant. Fides Reformata, 21(1), 121-148. Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=120342111&site=eds-live&scope=site

Niehaus, J. J. (2013). God’s covenant with Abraham. Journal of The Evangelical Theological Society, 56(2), 249-271. Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=88216615&site=eds-live&scope=site

[The Bible Project]. (2015). Covenants [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ferLIsvlmI