Covenants

A Covenant is an agreement or compact entered into by two or more persons. An agreement or contract usually consists of mutual promises to fulfil certain prescribed conditions in return for mutual concessions or benefits. Thus in a building contract or covenant one party promises to build a house according to certain plans and specifications, and the other party promises on the completion of the work, or at specified dates, to pay a certain amount of money.

Many covenants are mentioned in Scripture. When Noah and his sons emerged from the Ark, God established a covenant with them, that the earth should no more be destroyed by a flood of waters. The rainbow was set as the token of this divine promise, which secures the earth as the everlasting home for all flesh, both man and beast. (Gen. 9: 8-17.) God made a covenant with David, that his house should be established forever. (2 Sam. 7: 15-29.) David had implicit faith in this promise, and in his last words referred to it as ” all his desire.” (2 Sam. 23: 5.) This covenant is elsewhere called

“the sure mercies of David” (Psalm 89: 20-37; Isa. 55: 3 ; Acts 13: 34),

inherited by David’s Son and Lord, who has been raised from the dead, now no more to return unto corruption.
Under Him, the rebuilding of the fallen “tabernacle of David” has been in progress during the Gospel Age, by the end of which it will be completed, in that the joint heirs will have been all gathered, and the fleshly house of Israel revived. Then all men shall have the opportunity to seek after the Lord. (Acts 15: 16, 17.) In the revival under King Josiah, he and his people entered into a covenant to observe faithfully all the requirements of the Law Covenant. (2 Kings 23: 2, 3.) Jehoiada, the priest, made a similar covenant at the accession of Joash. (2 Chron. 23: 16, 17.) The orderly succession of day and night is called a covenant, of the Lord. — (Jer. 33: 20-22).

The three Covenants which particularly have to do with the divine arrangement for Salvation from Sin and Death are now to be considered. The first of these was the promise made by God to Abraham, and confirmed to Isaac and to Jacob, that his seed should be great, that he should possess the land of Palestine, and that all families of the earth should be blessed in his seed. The condition of obedience was attached to this covenant (Gen. 12: 1-3; 13: 14-18; 18: 17-19; 22: 17,18), it was confirmed after the manner usual in those times, circumcision was its sign or token (Gen. 15: 3-18; 17: 9-14, 2 3 ; Rom. 4: 11, 12), and it was further confirmed by an oath.  — (Gen. 22: 16-18; Heb. 6: 13-18).

The second great covenant was the Law Covenant.
This was made between God and Israel over a sacrifice at Mount Sinai. Some of the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled on the Book of the Law, and some on the people, and so the bond was established. Moses had the honour of mediating this covenant between God and the children of Israel, and its Sabbaths were its sign or token. — (Ex. 19: 1-8; 24: 1-8; 31: 12-17; Deut. 5: 12-16; Ezek. 20: 12, 20).

The third great covenant is styled the New Covenant. It is a better covenant than the Mosaic one, being instituted upon better promises. Jesus is the Mediator of the New Covenant. His flesh is the sacrifice over which the New Covenant is ratified, and His blood is “the blood of sprinkling.” (Heb. 9: 15; 8: 6; 12: 24.)
It is a ministration of the Spirit, written on the believer’s heart, not of the letter (i.e., not of the Law Covenant written on stones and in books (2 Cor. 3: 3, 6, 7) ; it has for its Sabbath the perpetual rest of faith in the finished work of Jesus, and its circumcision is that of the heart. — (Heb. 4: 1, 9-11; Rom. 2: 29; Col. 2: 11).

The line of thought to be followed in our study concerning those covenants is that the Abrahamic Covenant is the expression of God’s purpose to bless all the families of the earth. The Law Covenant was an attempt to accomplish the fulfilment of the first part of the Abrahamic Covenant, the preparation of the “Seed.”

The New Covenant is the means by which the first and second portions of the Abrahamic Covenant will be gloriously accomplished.

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Preceding

Creator and Blogger God 5 Things to tell

Atonement And Fellowship 6/8

The Atonement in Type and Antitype 1 Sacrifices and High Priests

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Additional reading

1. Old language to confirm the promises
2. Disobedient man and God’s promises
3. The Seed Of The Woman Bruised
4. The flood, floods and mythic flood stories 14 Flooding rain stopped
5. The flood, floods and mythic flood stories 15 A ground never cursed in such way anymore
6. The flood, floods and mythic flood stories 16 Sign of the Covenant with Noah
7. Memorizing wonderfully 22 Jealous God not heaving pleasure in the wicked
8. Today’s thought “A Damaged and Wicked World” (January 03)
9. Today’s thought “God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark” (January 04)
10. In case you find contradiction between Old and New Testament
11. A Great Gift commemorated
12. Marriage of Jesus 9 Reason for a new marriage
13. Marriage of Jesus 10 Old and New Covenant

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Related

1. Daily Devotional – Genesis 17:1-27
2. Builder of the Ark of the Covenant
3. Apologetics — Noah Around the World
4. Devotional 108: The Other Prophesied King
5. ‘The four seeds of Abraham: natural, national, Christ and “in Christ”‘ by David Schrock
6. Abraham and the history of nation
7. January 6 Genesis 15-17
8. The Covenants-Chapter 5a-The Covenant of promise in Christ to Abraham
9. The Covenants-Chapter 5b-The Covenant of promise in Christ to Abraham
10. The Covenants-Chapter 5c-The Covenant of promise in Christ to Abraham
11. Hebrews 10:16-17
12. Living and Active
13. Israel Only: Valid or Not? (Part 1)
14. Christians and Old Testament Law (My Two Cents on the Andy Stanley Controversy)
15. God Does Not Want to Share You