Answer: God’s covenants are legally binding agreements that He has made or will make with individuals or nations. These agreements comprise the foundation of God’s dealings with men and His plan for their salvation. Some of the covenants are conditional requiring men’s compliance to reap the associated blessings. Others are unilateral where God promises to perform a future action regardless of what men do.
God’s first covenant with a man was recorded in Gen. 2:16,17: “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” The covenant was simple and conditional. Obey God’s commandment and live; disobey God’s commandment and die. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, disobeyed the covenant and as a result, mankind is a dying race.
God’s next covenant was unilateral. It promised to never again destroy all flesh via a flood. (Gen. 9:8-17) To show God’s commitment to this commitment, He gave man the symbol of the rainbow.
Perhaps God’s greatest covenant was the commitment to Abraham to (1) give Abraham’s descendants the land of Palestine (Gen. 13:14-16), (2) to develop Abraham’s offspring as the stars of heaven and the sand of the seashore and (3) through the seed, to bless all the families of the earth. (Gen. 22:16-18) This covenant was confirmed four (4) times by God, the last with an oath. (Gen. 22:16) It promises man’s future offering both a spiritual salvation (stars of heaven) to the followers of Jesus and an earthly salvation (sand of seashore) to the Israel and the rest of mankind.
The conditional Law Covenant was made with Israel at Mt. Sinai and was a schoolmaster or tutor to lead them to Christ. (Gal. 3:24) The Grace or Sarah Feature of the Abrahamic Covenant offered the followers of Christ to opportunity to be spiritual children of God by being baptized in Christ. (Gal. 3:26-29; Gal. 4:24-31) The New Covenant will be made with Israel and Judah in Christ’s earthly kingdom and offer to all mankind perfection, everlasting life and earthly sonship – everything that Adam lost by disobedience. (Jer. 31:31-34)
For more information, please see the related booklets and videos listed below:
Booklet God’s Plan |
Video Three Great Covenants |
Video Abrahamic Promise, Covenant, and Oath |
Booklet God Has a Plan |
Video The Law Covenant |
Video The Sarah Feature of the Abrahamic Covenant |
Booklet Gods Plan For Man |
Video The New Covenant |
Video |
You must be logged in to post a comment.