Covenants are a significant part of God’s salvation history and are recorded throughout the Old Testament and affirmed in the New Testament. Covenants were a type of commitment, agreement, or contract that God made with His people. As LaSor states, a covenant “forms a bond that did not exist by normal ties of blood or social requirements.” (LaSor, 50) There are two types of covenants. The first type is a Royal Grant, which was when a King would give an unconditional reward to one of His subjects. The second type of covenant was called a Suzerain –Vassal Covenant, which was a conditional reward based on the fulfillment of an agreement. Each of these types of covenants are seen in the Old Testament, in the five covenants that God made in the Old Testament. Noahic / Creational Covenant The first covenant we see recorded in the Old Testament is the Noahic / Creational Covenant. This covenant is seen in Genesis 9, after God had flooded the earth. In this covenant God promised never to destroy the earth by flood again. Genesis 9:11 says, “I establish my covenant with you: never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” Abrahamic Covenant The second covenant in the Old Testament is the Abrahamic Covenant. In this covenant, God makes three promises: 1) that Abraham’s seed will be made into a great nation, 2) that they will be given the promised land, and 3) that they will be a blessing to all people. Genesis 12:1-3 says, “The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great; and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’” This covenant is significant because it began as conditional and became an unconditional promise. Mosaic Covenant The third covenant in the Old Testament is the Mosaic Covenant. In this covenant, God tells Israel that they will be His chosen people. He gives instructions on how to live as God’s people and tells them that they will be a Kingdom of Priests. Exodus 19:5-6 says, “’Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” The Mosaic covenant is a Suzerain-Vassal covenant, wherein God says if the people obey Him fully, they will be His kingdom of priests. Davidic Covenant The fourth covenant in the Old Testament is the Davidic Covenant. In the Davidic Covenant, David is told that his family is going to rule forever and that the Messiah will be a Son of David. God makes a conditional covenant and says that if David’s house will obey Him, He will bless the King who will rule forever. 2 Samuel 7:12-16 says, “When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” New Covenant The last covenant in the Old Testament is the New Covenant. The New Covenant is a lasting and unconditional covenant with God’s people. In the New Covenant, God says that he will not forget His people. He will forgive the sins of His people, and will give His people the desire and enablement to obey God forever. The key passage for this covenant is Jeremiah 31:31-33, which says, “’The time is coming,’” declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,’ declares the Lord. ‘This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.’” This is why Jesus said that His blood is the covenant in Matthew 26. This fulfillment is confirmed in other passages as well, including 2 Corinthians 3, Hebrews 8, and Hebrews 10. Jesus was the fulfillment of the New Covenant, tying together each of the other covenants that God made with His people in the Old Testament. -Pastor Tyler
Posted on: Sun, 01 Sep 2013 01:32:24 +0000
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