Covenant

God chose the concept of covenant to relate to His people because He wanted a relationship with His people.  Covenant defines relationships.  God wanted to express Himself to His people.  Man was an expression of God.  That is why God said “Let us make man in Our image and likeness” (Gen. 1:26).  Man is a manifestation of God.  God made man to replicate Him.   He wanted to relate to them and to create a testimony of creation and of history.   Thus, He created man.  But man was wicked and God knew that they were wicked.    Man disobeyed God and God was about to destroy all of mankind.  Because of their wickedness, they began to multiply.  God saw their wickedness and every intent of their heart was evil.  God was sorry that He made man (Gen 6:5-8).   He was grieved.   According to Genesis 6: 5-7,  

5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.”

He made covenants with them to keep them on a tight leash so that they will not continue their wickedness and pollute the earth.  God knew these covenants were too strict and knew that it would be impossible for them to keep the commandments.   The sacrifices to make atonement for sin were neverending.  

But there was one man who found favor in God’s eyes.  It was Noah.  Noah was a just man, perfect in his generation.  He walked with God and God was pleased..  He blessed Noah and his sons and told them to be fruitful and multiply.  And through Noah’s sons, the whole earth was populated.  Nations descended from Noah and through his son Shem came Abraham.   The covenant started with Abraham.   Through Abraham, God made covenant with the Jewish people.  God decided to make a binding agreement to the Jewish people.  God said “never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth”  (Gen. 9:11, NKJV).  This a covenant between God and earth.

The covenant between God and Abraham is found in Genesis 12:1-3

Now the Lord had said to Abram:

“Get out of your country,

From your family

And from your father’s house,

To a land that I will show you.

2 I will make you a great nation;

I will bless you

And make your name great;

And you shall be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you,

And I will curse him who curses you;

And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

This covenant with Abraham is call the Abrahamic Covenant.  The main feature of this covenant is that it is unconditional on God’s part.  It needs no mutual consent from man.  This is the only covenant that is unconditional.  It is independent of man’s cooperation.  Through Abraham, God established His relationship with the people of Israel.  

The concept of covenant was created by God, not by man.  One of these covenants was the Ten Commandments.   The Ten Commandments are found in Exodus 20: 1-17.   They are as follows:

• you shall have no other gods before me.
• you shall not make for yourself a carved image...you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.
• you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
• You shall keep the sabbath holy.
• honor your mother and father.
• you shall not murder
• you shall not commit adultery.
• you shall not steal.
• you shall not bear false witness against your neighbors.
• you shall not covet your neighbor’s house.

God gave these ten commandments to define his relationship with the Jewish people.  And He did it using  Moses.   If they kept the commandments, God will bless them.  If they violated the commandments, He will punish them.

In the article that we read regarding the Hatti and the Amurru, there were conditions to follow as well.  It included voluntary submission, and codependency with the Egyptians.  Another aspect was reciprocal marriages in the royal courts.  These marriages solidified the treaties between the two groups of people  (Itamar).  

In the article “Covenant,” there were many stipulations or conditions to the treaties between the great king and the vassal or minor king.  Some of these conditions were that the treatie prohibited any relationship with a country outside the Hittite sphere, it prohibited hostility towards other Hittites.   The minor kings were expected to help the great king in times of war.  The minor kings must not listen to any slandering of the great king but immediately report to the king.   They are curse who break the treatie and blessed who kept the terms of the treatie (Wood).  

According to Duvall, “God introduced the law in a covenant context, saying, “now if  you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.”  The people agreed to keep the terms of the covenant and Moses seals the agreement in blood:  “Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words  (333).  

What this tells me is that covenant was God’s idea.  God used blood to seal the covenant because of the importance of it.  God takes covenant seriously and never breaks covenant.  Man does all the time.  However, God reminds the people of the blessings that follow when we keep His commandment  

“Commandment “ is defined as

(1) a divine rule, a rule to be observed as strictly as one of the ten commandments (oxford)

(2) dominance, expressing authority, imposing, controlling, superior (oxford)

(3) an order or injunction given by authority; a command; a charge; a precept; a mandate (webster)

(4) one of the ten laws or precepts given by God to the Israelites at Mount Sinai (webster)

According to an article by Hampton, the definition of “covenant” is the agreement between two parties.  Many times, the agreement contains actions to be performed by both parties.  It has conditional precedent and conditional subsequent.  The unilateral aspect of a covenant does not require actions by both parties.  One party promises to do something without requirements from the other.  In regards to God, God decided to make covenants with the people of Israel.  They had nothing to do with it.

The covenant is a means to communicate to his people.  The Jews were stubborn and still wants prove that Jesus is the messiah.  Jesus is the fulfillment.  Through the covenant with the Jews, He is revealing His plan and purposes for mankind.  God chose the Jews and then reveal His purposes.  God’s plan for mankind is to live in paradise and not have to labor the ground.  But because of sin, man is require to labor and pay for it for the rest of their lives.  Jesus Christ is God’s plan  of restoration.

Hampton gives several reasons for why God uses the covenant to relate to His people.  One reason is because Israel was chosen by God to be a special people (Gen. 12:1-3).  They were the immediate recipients of God’s promises.  They were the light to the Gentiles, pointing them to the one True God.  God took a pagan nation and made them a mediator between God and the world.  Through Israel, all the world will be blessed.  Israel will become a kingdom of priest (Exo 19:6)   

Another reason is that God made promises through covenants to bless Israel as a nation and use them as a vehicle to bless the world.   The church was born when Gentiles and Jews believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah to fulfill the covenant of God.  The church is born and Jesus Christ is the head of the churches.  So now we have the body of Christ at its birth because of Jesus.  We have today the God chosen elect of the Old Testament which is Israel and the New Testament elect which is the church as one people of God.  

Another reason is that in the Old Testament, God chose the Jewish people and when the covenant terms were impossible to keep, He sent His only begotten son, Jesus Christ to fulfill the Old Testament covenants and bridge the gap and that the birth of the church came with Jesus Christ.  Now the body of Christ is established with Jesus Christ that he who accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior becomes part of the people of God.  The people of God today is the church of Jesus Christ.  His people today is defined as Jews or Gentiles who have accepted Jesus Christ as Messiah.   

To contextualize all this to the gospel today, we are the bride and Jesus is the bridegroom.  The covenant God made with us is to prepare us to be the bride for Jesus when He returns.  The marriage supper of the Lamb can be found in the book of Revelations 19:6-10.

6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the[d] Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Jesus is the bridegroom and we are the bride.  Jesus has made a covenant (or treatie) with us.  He promised that if we voluntarily submit to His Lordship and follow His ways, He will take us to be His bride.  If we meet the conditions of the covenant with the Lord Jesus, He will take us home to be with Him forevermore.  He is preparing us today to be His bride.  He desires that we be codependent on Him.  Because He is our husband, and we are His bride, we shall adapt to His way just as the Hittites learn to adapt to the ways of the Amurru.  When we said ‘yes” to Jesus to follow Him all the days of our lives, we are then married to royalty because Jesus is the King of all Kings.  

We cannot stay under grace and mercy.  We must continue to strive to be one with Jesus Christ.  We move from grace and mercy to glory to glory.  We must do our part to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.  We must overcome sin, satan, and self.  We must be called sons of God.  We must ensure our allegiance and faith in Jesus Christ only.  We must know that the local church and pastors are a part of our walk of faith to continue to proceed in keeping covenant with Jesus Christ only and none other.  Whatever church membership or denominational ties we have must be forsaken because Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith and our names are found written in the Lambs book of Life.  When the Great White Throne Judgement occurs, we who have kept the covenant of Jesus Christ will not go through the second death in the eternal Lake of Fire.  We would be invited and called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Jesus made a covenant with His disciples regarding the marriage supper of the Lamb.  This is found in Matthew 26:26-29.  

26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

So today, a person has a choice to follow Jesus or not.  In the Old Testament, the penalty of sin is death.  God saw it was too strict, so He created a way out by sending His only begotten son, Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the divine Lamb of sacrifice.  Jesus came in the New Testament not to take away the covenant but to fulfill it.  For a person to keep a covenant under the Old Testament was impossible.  And any violation as a result of it would lead to death in many cases.  Nevertheless, the terms and conditions established by God was to keep them in the straight and narrow.  

Today, a person has a choice to live under the Old Testament law and face God on his own and think he can plead his case with God or to receive the gift of His only begotten son and be excluded and waived from the terms and conditions of the Old testament Law.  He is entering court pro se without defense counsel.    He can come to Jesus Christ to receive pardon, forgiveness, abundant eternal life  in that the person must confess his sin, repent, go and sin no more.  The terms and conditions of keeping the covenant of Jesus Christ is simply two items:  Love God with all your heart, soul and might and love your neighbors as yourself.    By complying to these two commandments, he complies with the terms and conditions established by God in the Old Testament.   

So why did God choose the concept of covenant?  It is because the mystery of keeping the two commandments is eternal life in Christ.  Jesus Christ replaced and fulfilled the Old Testament Law.   So the mystery for the Jewish people to know that it is impossible to keep the Old testament Law is  that God provided a way out for them by sending Jesus Christ and by keeping the two greatest commandments, they will have eternal life forever.  

So why did God use the concept of covenant to relate to His people?  It is to give them eternal life.  Because man sinned and was wicked, God made a plan of salvation to restore man to His image and likeness.  This is a mystery of God that through time, he revealed his plan.  It was God’s plan that man live in eternity with Him.  Now we can be restored back into fellowship with God.  The secret is to believe, receive and follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and thereby live forever in Him.

We are now able to return to paradise, enter it and this time stay forever and have residence in the Garden.  It is the entrance by way of faith in Jesus Christ.  We have come full circle and on our last phase.  For those who have receive this revelation knowledge, they have come back home.  This homecoming of His children is like the prodigal son who is now coming back home after he has gain his senses.  We have been the prodigal son a long time.  And because of the release of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentacost, it is only by way of the Holy Spirit that man can comprehend the mystery of Jesus Christ.  The secret hidden thing of God is now being manifest to those who have accepted and received Jesus Christ.  They must denounce any allegiance with any local churches, agencies, and government institutions, because nothing on earth has anything to do with eternal God.  Paradise is not found on earth but in Heaven with Jesus Christ.  So in the parable of the lost son, all Heaven rejoices because we have come back home to the Lord Jesus Christ.

But God made a way out so that if a person chooses Jesus Christ, he is now no longer under the law.  And if he commits the violation of sin, he has a way out to confess Jesus Christ as Lord and savior  The covenant agreement is for the person who has accepted this way of escape.  This person must repent and not continue to sin.  

God had made a way out for those who violated His covenant.  But those who have accepted the terms of Jesus Christ must also keep their covenant relationship with Jesus Christ.  One of the main covenant relationship is the two greatest commandments as per Matthew 22:35-39 (NKJV)

35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’[38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

If a person violated one of these two commandments, it may result in premature death.  If a person continue to commit sin, he will fall out of grace and die.  Many people take God’s grace for granted.  They think that they can sin and just use God’s grace as an eraser for their sins.  They somehow are under the notion that if I tell God that I am sorry for my sins, He will forgive me and I can go back to sinning the next day and repeat the formula.     

I cannot rely on any pastor or church to ensure my salvation.  I must work out my own salvation with fear and trembling because I am responsible for my own salvation.  

We today are His chosen people by way of faith in Jesus Christ.  For us who are non-Jews, we are His people.  I am today His people by way of Jesus Christ.  I relate to covenant because God is about relationship and has established relationship from the beginning.  

So the one main reason or most important reason God chose the concept of covenant  to relate to His people is that through covenant with Jesus Christ, a person can receive salvation and live eternally with Him forever.   It is not a free ride.  We must do our part in keeping His commandment to ensure salvation.

Aldwin Naruse

January 6, 2014

Work cited

“Commandment”  Oxforddictionaries.com. Web. 2013

“Commandment”  Webster-dictionary.com.  Web.  2009

Duvall, J.Scott and J. Daniel Hays.  Grasping God’s Word, 2nd Edition.  Zondervan: Grand Rapids,  2005. Print

Hampton, Keathley IV, “Relationships of the Church of Israel.” bible.org/article/relationship-church-israel. Web May 27, 2004.   

Hayford, Jack W. Spirit Filled Life Bible NKJV.  Thomas Nelson Publishers:Nashville.  1991. Print

Itamar, Singer. “The Treaties between Hatti and Amurru.” The Context of Scripture, Volume II, Monumental Inscription from the Modern World.  Brill: Boston. 2000.  Print.

Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. “Covenant.”  New Bible Dictionary. InterVarsity Press:Downer’s Grove. 1996. Web.