Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Covenants Part 1- Redemption: The Original Covenant

Biblical Covenants

I want to look at the nature and role of covenants in the overall Divine plan for humanity.

What is a covenant? It is a solemn statement of intent, a contract, or an oath, a promise to abide by certain conditions or fulfill certain actions, often forever. It may require commitment from both parties involved. We can see that promises, oaths and covenants are very similar.

God’s dealings with us throughout history are punctuated by covenants, oaths and promises.

Why make the effort to examine the Biblical covenants? Done with the help of the Holy Spirit, it will take us on a journey of discovery. We will see the perversity of fallen man but also the mercy of God. A mountain of misunderstanding will be crushed which obstructs us from fully seeing and experiencing God. This will happen as we analyze the significant differences and similarities between the covenants God has made with men.

God certainly keeps the covenants He makes, and it is an absolutely serious business to make a covenant with Him. For an example of how serious God is concerning covenants, see Jeremiah 34, particularly verses 8-11, and 18-21. It is foolish for natural man, particularly in his fallen condition, to make an absolute promise of major and ongoing significance to God. Jesus discouraged us from doing it in Matthew 5:37. James re-enforces the point in James 5:12.

A Covenant was made within the Godhead from before the Foundation of the World

The first covenant made was actually not what is normally called the Old Covenant or the Mosaic Covenant (i.e. the one made under Moses). Neither was it one of the covenants mentioned in Genesis and thereafter in the Old Testament.

Why do I say this? Let us look at some insight from the New Testament writers.

The apostle Paul had a revelation of the ‘grand plan’ of God’s dealings with mankind.

Paul, a bondservant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness;    in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began;  but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;    
(Titus 1:1-3 NKJV)

We could paraphrase Paul by saying, ‘God, who cannot lie, promised us the hope of eternal life. He made this promise before time began.’

Now with God, a promise is as good as a covenant. A covenant has a severity about it but it is necessary because people are fallible and negligent. God is completely faithful and reliable to His word. God participated in covenant rituals for our sake, not for his. They help us to realise that He is serious and committed to what is being promised in the covenant. But if we really know God, His ‘yes’ or His ‘no’ are all we need.

We could therefore reasonably re-phrase Paul by saying, ‘God covenanted to us the hope of eternal life before time began.’   

John also had insight into God’s eternal strategies. 

 .... the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.  
 (Rev 13:8b NIV)

John is saying, ‘the absolute decision to sacrifice Jesus on the Cross was made before the creation of the world.’

Along with creation, a plan for redemption was made. We call this the Covenant of Redemption. I will look next at the role of Jesus as mediator of the covenant.

(I have re-written this one a few times in an attempt to clarify the main points. My posts are back following time as a student in Mozambique at Iris Ministries Mission School and then in the UK. Thanks to those who have encouraged me to continue! I promised to do some posts on the government and discipline of God but first I will complete this series on Biblical covenants.)