For most of us, the word “covenant” isn’t one we hear on a regular basis. It’s not something we think about. It doesn’t play a role in the ins-and-outs of our day-to-day lives. So, even though we might have an idea of what a covenant is, we might understand its textbook definition, or have even heard it talked about in church, it can be hard to wrap our minds around it, to understand what it means when the Bible says God is “the faithful God who keeps covenant”(Deuteronomy 7:9).
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be exploring God’s work of redemption through a study of five covenants we find in Scripture: the Noahic covenant, the Abrahamic covenant, the Mosaic covenant, the Davidic covenant, and the New Covenant.
Covenants are often framed as contracts. Two parties enter into an agreement under some kind of mutual understanding. The covenant serves as the formal commitment that each party will keep his end of the bargain as well as outline any stipulations or consequences.
This is the way covenants generally functioned in the ancient Near East, and this is the way the biblical covenants we’ll be studying functioned. But there’s an added dimension unique to the biblical covenant. Each of the covenants mentioned above are highly relational in nature. We can think of them as divine DTRs—specific moments in time when God distinctively moved to define the nature of his relationship with specific people, under specific circumstances, for specific purposes.
The covenants we’ll be studying function in one of two ways, as unilateral covenants or bilateral covenants. Unilateral covenants function as covenants of promise. One party commits himself wholly to some action with no obligation on the part of the other party. The Noahic, Abrahamic, Davidic, and new covenants fit under this category. In bilateral covenants, on the other hand, each participant binds himself to specific obligations and both parties are responsible for meeting the stipulations of their agreement. We’ll see how bilateral covenants work as we study the Mosaic covenant.
We’ll begin our study in Genesis 9 with the Noahic covenant. Here, we’ll see a renewal of God’s commitment to all of creation. We’ll then turn to the Abrahamic covenant just a few chapters later in Genesis 12, where we’ll be reminded of God’s great love for all people of the world. Our study of the Mosaic covenant will bring us to Exodus 24. As the only bilateral covenant in our study, this covenant will give us insight not only into God’s nature but into our human nature as well. Next, we’ll turn to the Davidic covenant in 2 Samuel 7 to learn how God’s promises to David would impact the entire cosmos. Finally, we’ll finish our study with the New Covenant. It is here that each covenant finds its ultimate fulfillment.
While each of these covenants are unique in their own way, they all point to the same good news: God is faithful to keep his promises. And it is through the covenants that we are given an unobstructed view of God’s redemptive work in the world and in the lives of his people.
I’ve been in a season of healing. We think of healing as a calculated response, a set time of rest and care, boom you’re better. That is not how healing works. God has taught me so much about suffering and healing, but the promises and covenants we entered into upon accepting him. A survivor of abuse, harassment, and a sufferer of autoimmune illness, I’m doing this on my own in the physical space. When I see each step in healing building on the last. I see new suffering being uncovered. He’s removing all the “old” layers and replacing them with new hope, new happiness, new treatments, new people. When I accepted God fully, I lost my entire “support system”. That was profound as I could see they were only supporting me for their gain or for the support in sin. Over the last few years he’s showed up, let me live, let me learn, let me love. When I’m down in my day, he never fails to deliver a ray of his light in places I don’t expect them. Giving thanks daily against the odds reminds me of the bond we made.
Being a part of God’s covenants are just like having a marriage contract. Just like a marriage, it takes commitment every day to establish a strong relationship with God as it does with one’s significant other. To be honest, I never really knew anything about the differentiation between each covenant prior to reading this, I look forward in learning more about each as my bond continues to grow with Jesus.
It shows that maybe I’m worth something ya know, if the God who created everything wants to be in an agreement with me.
It’s a picture of how strong, steady, immovable his love and compassion and proactive interaction is with us
Jesus will never forsake us, even though the people in-power on this earth
Are lying, stealing, and killing. Me and My family are so imperfect too, hurting each other, being controlling, greedy, and dishonest.
I know Jesus lives in me and will carry me through because of his promises and covenants Romans 3:23 For-all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God……Jesus Has shed his blood for me, my family, my friends and our country Bless us Lord, give us your strength, sanity, and healing Amen
WE are all imperfect and Jesus has shed his blood for each and every one of us. But I’m not sure Jesus shed his blood for our country. Gods ultimate plan is for no countries, instead it is for all the world to bow at the feet of God. There will be no Nations. God does not love one country over another. God wants our focus to be on God over country. People may be on here from all over the world. They all love their country and they all want what’s best for their country. We must focus on how we are alike in Gods eyes instead is how “our” country is better, or is “Gods country” because none of us are. With the death is Jesus on the cross national barriers were broken down- God’s chosen, the Jews, were no longer over all others. Gentiles, us, were brought into the covenant with God. We were grafted in, adopted a sons and daughters, not above the other. None destined to a more Godly country. But all who must look to Jesus above King or president, or ruler of any kind. No earthly leader will save us and our allegiance to them is misplaced if we think they can. We must look to God to save us and pray for our leaders to do the best they can with the resources God has given them. No political party or agenda will save us, only God can. We can only pray for our leaders, politicians, political parties to do what is right in the eyes of God, but these entities were not set up to do Gods will and they are in human hands. They are all corrupted by human power. We must not put our faith in these groups because they will all let is down. There is not one party, or one country closer to God. God deals with people and we must place our trust in God and God alone.
It’s the first unconditional parent love. He has laid it all out for us knowing we will fail and still He loves us.
He is steadfast regardless of the irregularity of people and our ways.
God is so good and patient. His love and mercies are not contingent upon our attempts at good works. His desire is for our affection and connection. Despite knowing we will mess up, He makes promises for newness each day. We have such a majestic Lord and Redeemer!
His covenants with sinful, faulty people show me that God will provide. He will make right, just as he promised in Genesis 3, foreshadowing the coming of Jesus for the sins of all of us whom believe.
God cannot and will not break his covenant with us because he IS God. But he knows we are only human and we have a sinful nature and therefore, not trustworthy. Yet he loves us so much, he enters into covenants with us to improve our lives and develop a closer relationship with us.