Sunday: Covenant Basics
“And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly” (Gen: 17:2).
“The Hebrew word translated as ‘covenant’ (appearing about 287 times in the Old Testament) is berith. It can also be translated as ‘testament’ or ‘last will.’ Its origin is unclear, but it has come to mean that which bound two parties together.
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It was used, however, for many different types of ‘bond,’ both between man and man and between man and God. It has a common use where both parties were men, and a distinctively religious use where the covenant was between God and man. The religious use was really a metaphor based on the common use but with a deeper connotation [meaning].” — J. Arthur Thompson, “Covenant (OT),” The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, revised edition (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979), vol. 1, p. 790.
Like the marriage covenant, the biblical covenant defines both a relationship and an arrangement. As an arrangement, the biblical covenant contains these basic elements:
1. God affirmed the covenant promises with an oath (Gal: 3:16; Heb: 6:13, Hebrews 6:17)
2. The covenant obligation was obedience to God’s will as expressed in the Ten Commandments (Deut: 4:13)
3. The means by which God’s covenant obligation is ultimately fulfilled is through Christ and the plan of salvation (Isa: 42:1, Isaiah 42:6)
Look at the three elements listed above (God’s promises, our obedience, and the plan of salvation). How can you see those factors at work in your own walk with the Lord? Write down a paragraph describing how they are manifest in your life now.
In the Old Testament, the sacrificial system of types instructed the people regarding the entire plan of salvation. Through its symbols, the patriarchs and Israel learned to exercise faith in the coming Redeemer. Through its rites, the penitent could find forgiveness for sin and release from guilt. The blessings of the covenant could thus be retained, and spiritual growth — restoring the image of God in the life — could thereby continue, even when humankind failed to uphold their end of the bargain.
| Though there are covenants made between people, the main use of the word berith in the Hebrew Bible deals with the relationship between God and humanity. Considering who God is and who we are in comparison to Him, what kind of relationship would such a covenant depict? |
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Abraham obeyed because he believed. He believed in the promises of God. His faith was in God and the Christ who come from his loins. Abraham, by the grace of God, was able to look past the fleshly and the earth to see the heavenly, spiritual and eternal things they signified. He did not just see land, offspring and a bloody sign. He saw Christ. And he saw the new heavens and the new earth which would be purchased by him. “For he [Abram] was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” May we have the faith of Abraham, and my that faith be accompanied by the obedience of Abraham as well.
We are blessed with being able to study all the divine covenants together. I have found it helpful to use the DNA of the new covenant outlined in Jeremiah and Hebrews to understand the other covenants.
I discovered there are 4 Promise/Provisions:
(1) Sanctification - change our hearts to be like the LORD - His law in our hearts
(2) Reconciliation - restoration of the relationship - I will be your God , you will be my people
(3) Mission - everyone will know the LORD, share the knowledge/experience of the LORD with everyone
(4) justification - forgive their sins, imputing His righteousness to us.
As we journey through the Word in our study of the covenants we will find the DNA of the new covenant in all of them.
1Cor 6:11
And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
Heb 13:20-21
20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy fathers' house, unto a land that I will shew thee. Gen 12:1
Covenant Basics
“And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly” (Gen: 17:2).
The author began with the verse above in the covenant. But, wait, at that time Abraham was 90yrs old. We can go back to him being Abram- Gen 12:1. Get thee out of thy country. Did he obey despite he never knew nothing else more? Here is where I see the covenant began. Abram was 75yrs old when he heard those words. A process. Justification and sanctification is a process leading up to the final glorification.
Within the process of Abram-Abraham we saw a man who made many grave mistakes more than once in the relationship with his maker and covenant partner, (he fell from grace) several times but got up back on his feet and cont the walk both physically and spiritually. He maintained his walk with his friend and held on to the covenant. The Lord visited his several times both in person, vision and in dream and outlined the covenant.
It was after all those encounters the Lord said.
“And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly” Gen: 17:2
When I contemplate the covenants God made with individual humans for humanity, I see the end result being an innumerable group of people who reflect His character. They speak His Word, they are loyal to His law by the power of the gift of His Spirit. No matter where they go or what the circumstances they find themselves in, the glow of God’s presence is with them. They are His by creation, faith and redemption. As they enter the covenant relationship with Christ He creates in them His own likeness and gives them all the blessings promised.
I do not think the Covenant of our Father with His children was as easy as one, two, three – if it were, what went wrong, why is it not enough to just follow the instructions as written?
Yes, in hindsight, these points provide simple, basic insights for us who live in the age of Christ, but for the people living in privious ages, their understanding rested mainly on fear of not observing the rules correctly and trusting the religious and governmental leadership to do their part; though the Father always admonished his children to love Him.
‘How can I see those factors at work in my own walk with the Lord’? I can reduce them to one, the one and only factor governing man’s relationship with the LORD - - 'Faithtrust' in the Father's unwavering Love for His children!
I believe that mankind exists in a perpetual Covenant-relationship with its God/Father; it started in the Beginning. Our first parents lived in a conditioned faithtrust relationship; the people of Noah’s time as well, but only Noah heeded the Voice of God calling all who wanted to be saved from the Flood. Noah trusted the Word of His Almighty God, demonstrating this trust by building the Ark; the Father so filling the earth again with His children. This new generation has been given the 'Ark of the Covenant' for its salvation.
Abram was offered and agreed to the by-faith-conditioned Covenant relationship with His God; it provided His offspring with the promised land to form their nation. At the outset, God defined Himself by basing His Covenant on His Laws to so become their LORD, authorized to judge His People Israel; but He was also their heavenly Father who looked to His people with Love and Compassion in the Hope that they would do right by Him.
At last, in Christ, the Father offered His final conditional Covenant, stating clearly the foundation on which all previous Covenants were based - loving the Father with all ones heart and not to lean on ones own understanding; being so equipped to love ones neighbor with the same love the Father has for His children.
I recognize the Father's Love to be the main ingredient present in all covenant agreements the Father established with His children in the Hope to draw them back to Himself.
It is the one ingredient most precious to obtain the 'perl of great price' - though invisible, it is observable through our actions; crucial to fulfill/complete man’s Covenant obligations and live in the Kingdom of Heaven. Our focus is to desire to love and trust the Father before living according to His Will.
It appears that man still wants to see himself as the originator of good works without the motivation provided by loving the Father. Righteous living cannot be achieved in this order – learn to love and trust Him has to come first, otherwise our living is presumptious, or based on a sense of obligation or guilt.
God’s children are grateful and eager to return the Love the Father showed us; wanting to do right by Him when following His guidance. We gladly choose to honor the Father by submitting our will to do the Father’s Will; this is how I see our Covenant obligation being fulfilled - an ongoing exchange of Love between the Father and His children.
I believe this most important aspect was neglected by the religious leadership right from the start as organized religion was formed. The focus was mainly in observing the outer form of religion correctly, instead of experiencing the spirit of Love.
Our relationship with the Father cannot be establishment outside loving and trusting our Creator - it is a sacred relationship.
The Creator based His Covenant relationship with us on His Live-giving Love, we are called to trust the Originator of our love, trust and faith.
Ours is a personal Covenant based on Love and Faith, our relationship with our heavenly Father personal, our worship is defined by Love. Everyone starts their relationship where the Father meets him, we do not need to know a lot about the theological aspects of the Father, our Savior, all we need to know is Him and how to more and more become like Him.
It is so comforting to know that Gods WILL is in play here. No matter how we fail in the relationship Gods ultimate WILL will be fulfilled.