Bible Covenants – what they mean to you
Bible Covenants
In the next few months, we will be teaching about Bible Covenants. We will cover 7 specific covenants: the Edenic, Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and New. There are other covenants in the Bible but these 7 are significant and important as believers to understand what they are and how they impact our faith.
Importance of Covenants
So, why are Bible Covenants important to us as believers? First, because God’s relationship with us is based upon covenantal relationships. Everything that God does is based on covenant. In fact, the Bible is divided into two parts by covenant. The first is the Old Testament or the Old Covenant. The second is the New Testament or the New Covenant. So, he is the God of covenants and the sovereign administrator of covenants. Having knowledge about these covenants will help you to “rightly divide the word of truth” (II Tim. 2: l5)
What is a Covenant?
It is a legal term denoting a formal and legally binding declaration of benefits to be given by one party to another, with or without conditions attached. In secular contexts, it was most often used as a “last will and testament. Covenants can be made between men, but we are dealing with covenants that are between God and man.
In this context, a covenant can be defined as an unchangeable, divinely imposed legal agreement between God and man that stipulates the condition of their relationship. It is not subject to negotiation. The Greek word used for covenant in both the Septuagint and the New Testament indicates that the provisions are set by one party only. God does not negotiate or take a survey to see how he can get buy-in. He is the Lord. God made the earth and all that is in it. He formed us and sets the terms.
2 Major Types of Covenants
There are two main types of covenants in the Bible: conditional and unconditional. It is important to distinguish between these two types of covenants in order to have a clear picture of what the Bible teaches.
- Conditional Covenants
A conditional covenant is a bilateral covenant in which a proposal of God to man is characterized by the formula: if you will, then I will whereby God promises to grant special blessings to man providing man fulfills certain conditions contained in the covenant. Man’s failure to do so often results in punishment. Thus one’s response to the covenant agreement brings either blessings or cursings. The blessings are secured by obedience and man must meet his conditions before God will meet His.
Two of the seven covenants we discuss here are conditional: the Edenic Covenant and the Mosaic Covenant.
- Unconditional Covenants
An unconditional covenant is a unilateral covenant and is a sovereign act of God whereby He unconditionally obligates Himself to bring to pass definite blessing and conditions for the covenanted people. The covenant is characterized by the formula: “I will” which declares God’s determination to do as He promises. Blessings are secured by the grace of God.
There may be conditions in the covenant by which God requests the covenanted one to fulfill out of gratitude, but they are not themselves the basis of God’s fulfilling His promises.
Five of the seven covenants are unconditional: the Adamic Covenant, the Noahic Covenant, the Abrahamic Covenant, the Davidic Covenant, and the New Covenant.
Covenants with Israel
Four of the seven covenants we are going to cover were made exclusively with Israel while the others were made with mankind in general. (this is very important to understand) Only one of the four covenants made with Israel is conditional: the Mosaic Covenant. The other three covenants with Israel are all unconditional: the Abrahamic Covenant, the Davidic Covenant, and the New Covenant.
4 Important Aspects about the Unconditional Covenants
Four things should be noted concerning the nature of the unconditional covenants made with Israel.
- First: they are literal covenants, and their contents must be interpreted literally as well.
- Second: the covenants that God has made with Israel are eternal and are not in any way restricted or altered by time.
- Third: it is necessary to re-emphasize that these are unconditional covenants that were not abrogated because of Israel’s disobedience; because the covenants are unconditional and totally dependent upon God for the fulfillment, their ultimate fulfillment can be expected.
- Fourth: these covenants were made with a specific people: Israel. This point is brought out by Paul in Romans 9:4: “who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises;” This passage clearly points out these covenants were made with the covenanted people and are Israel’s possessions
The Principle of the Timing of the Provisions
A covenant can be signed, sealed, and made at a specific point of history, but this does not mean that all the provisions go immediately into effect. This is very important in understanding the covenants. In fact, three different things happen once a covenant is sealed: first, some go into effect right away; second, some provisions go into effect in the near future, which may be twenty-five years away or five hundred years away; and third, some provisions go into effect only in the distant prophetic future, not having been fulfilled to this day.
As we cover each covenant, we will be pointing out the timing for each plus we will cover;
- The Scriptures revealing the covenant
- The Participants of each covenant
- The Provisions of each covenant and
- The current status of the covenant
So, stick with me the next couple of months as we unpack these 7 Biblical Covenants and show you the significance of each and how your understanding of each will help and benefit you.