The Covenants: Toward A Biblical Understanding

[Guest shiloh357]

The Covenants: Toward A Biblical Understanding

By Shiloh357

Introduction

I have found that it would be beneficial to begin a study on the covenants that appear in Scripture. Just as there are seven dispensations that provide natural divisions in the Bible, likewise there are seven major covenants that correspond to each of these dispensations.

In this study, the method of study will be a literal approach attempting to ascertain from the text of Scripture God's message in each covenant, and what the understanding which original recipients of these covenants would have taken from them. Any writing, the Bible included, must be judged by the object the author has in view. In addition we will examine the relationship of each covenant to the preceding and proceeding covenants and of course, their relationship to the plan of redemption.

It is has been said by many a preacher that there is a scarlet thread that runs through the entire Bible, beginning in the first chapter of Genesis all the way to the last chapter of Revelation. That scarlet thread is the theme of redemption. The covenants, the festivals, the sacrificial system, the Dispensations, all of these things teach us about the chief theological theme of Bible: Redemption and particularly, redemption by blood.

The Covenant we see in the Bible, teaches us, among other things that all through human history God has not been passively watching history simply play itself out. The covenants show us that God has been actively guiding history toward fulfilling His purposes, His agenda.

As I stated earlier, there are seven major covenants. What some people are unaware of though, is that there are seven other minor covenants. Keep in mind that depending on you who talk to, what constitutes "major" or "minor" can be different. Some, for example count the Davidic Covenant as one of the minor covenants. So, while I am sharing this, keep in mind that what I say is not the final word on the covenants, nor should it be treated as such. My purpose in this study is to examine primarily the seven major covenants, but I will also spend some time touching on the minor covenants as well to help us to have as thorough an understanding as possible, where the covenants is concerned.

The Seven Major Covenants are as follows:

1. The Edenic/Adamic Covenant Genesis 1:26-30; 2:16-17 3:16-19

2. The Noahic Covenant - Gen 9:1-17

3. The Abrahamic Covenant Gen 15:12-21

4. The Mosaic Covenant Ex. 19-24

5. Land - Lev 26; Dt 11:8-32; 27:1-30; 30

6. Davidic- 2 Sam 7-: 1-17;

7. The New Covenant Jer. 31:31-36; Matt: 1:1-Rev. 22:21

There are of course, more Scriptures associated with each of these, than I listed above, but we will discover them together as the study progresses. The above is pretty much the pattern we will following, a working "Table of Contents" if you will, as we examine the covenants of Scripture and discover how they relate to plan of redemption.

Stay tuned, more to follow!!

[Guest shiloh357]

No study of the Bible is complete without at least some working knowledge of the covenants that are prevalent throughout Scripture. As I stated in the introduction, the covenants occur concurrently alongside what are known as

[Guest shiloh357]

The Adamic Covenant

The first covenant we are going to deal with is what is known as the Adamic or Edenic, as some also call it. Actually, there are two schools of thought, both with valid points. Some see two covenants made separately the first being the Edenic, which was made prior to the fall of man, the second being made after the Fall. Others view this as one covenant with two parts. I will not burden the reader with a long discussion of this issue, I only felt it fair to point out that there are valid and respectable differences of opinion regarding the particulars of this covenant, and regardless of which position is held to, neither position is a threat to theology we find in this first covenant. For the purposes of this study, it will be treated as one covenant in two parts as I feel that to be the better of the two options.

The First portion of the Adamic Covenant begins in the following passages:

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

(Genesis 1:26-30)

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 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.

(Genesis 2:16-17)

From this portion we see the following:

Genesis 1:26-30; 2:16-17

[*]Man is created in God

[Guest shiloh357]

Now we come to the second portion. The first portion pertained to the covenant, but now we come to the portion that contains the covenantal judgment of God.

Genesis 3:16-19

• Enmity between Satan and Eve and her offspring/children.
  
• Terrible pain in childbirth for women.
  
• Marital strife.
  
• The ground is cursed.
  
• Thorns and thistles start to grow.
  
• Survival to be a struggle.
  
• Death is comes into existence.
  
• All living things subject to physical death
  

Given the commonality of the human experience I don

[Guest shiloh357]

What Does the Adamic Covenant Mean For Us?

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

(Romans 5:12-19)

It is here that we need to begin to see the relevance of the Adamic and what it means to Believer in Jesus. Paul shows us, spiritually what happened in the Garden of Eden on that fateful day when mankind failed.

Arthur Pink correctly notes that God does not treat mankind like a cornfield where every stalk stands on its own individual root. Rather, he treats man like tree, and men are like the branches joined to a common trunk. Pink goes on to say that when you lay an axe to the foot of a tree the entire tree falls, branches and all. Likewise, when Adam fell in the garden, like one giant tree, all of his posterity fell with him.

An important lesson, therefore, is that the popular notions in our world of what makes a person a sinner are completely wrong. Sinner is not a sinner because of what they do. Everyone one is born a sinner because of what Adam did. What we see in verse 12 of Romans 5, is that Adam operated as Pink says, in the capacity as the

[Enquirer]

The Covenants: Toward A Biblical Understanding

By Shiloh357

Introduction

I have found that it would be beneficial to begin a study on the covenants that appear in Scripture. Just as there are seven dispensations that provide natural divisions in the Bible, likewise there are seven major covenants that correspond to each of these dispensations.

In this study, the method of study will be a literal approach attempting to ascertain from the text of Scripture God's message in each covenant, and what the understanding which original recipients of these covenants would have taken from them. Any writing, the Bible included, must be judged by the object the author has in view. In addition we will examine the relationship of each covenant to the preceding and proceeding covenants and of course, their relationship to the plan of redemption.

It is has been said by many a preacher that there is a scarlet thread that runs through the entire Bible, beginning in the first chapter of Genesis all the way to the last chapter of Revelation. That scarlet thread is the theme of redemption. The covenants, the festivals, the sacrificial system, the Dispensations, all of these things teach us about the chief theological theme of Bible: Redemption and particularly, redemption by blood.

The Covenant we see in the Bible, teaches us, among other things that all through human history God has not been passively watching history simply play itself out. The covenants show us that God has been actively guiding history toward fulfilling His purposes, His agenda.

As I stated earlier, there are seven major covenants. What some people are unaware of though, is that there are seven other minor covenants. Keep in mind that depending on you who talk to, what constitutes "major" or "minor" can be different. Some, for example count the Davidic Covenant as one of the minor covenants. So, while I am sharing this, keep in mind that what I say is not the final word on the covenants, nor should it be treated as such. My purpose in this study is to examine primarily the seven major covenants, but I will also spend some time touching on the minor covenants as well to help us to have as thorough an understanding as possible, where the covenants is concerned.

The Seven Major Covenants are as follows:

1. The Edenic/Adamic Covenant Genesis 1:26-30; 2:16-17 3:16-19

2. The Noahic Covenant - Gen 9:1-17

3. The Abrahamic Covenant Gen 15:12-21

4. The Mosaic Covenant Ex. 19-24

5. Land - Lev 26; Dt 11:8-32; 27:1-30; 30

6. Davidic- 2 Sam 7-: 1-17;

7. The New Covenant Jer. 31:31-36; Matt: 1:1-Rev. 22:21

There are of course, more Scriptures associated with each of these, than I listed above, but we will discover them together as the study progresses. The above is pretty much the pattern we will following, a working "Table of Contents" if you will, as we examine the covenants of Scripture and discover how they relate to plan of redemption.

Stay tuned, more to follow!!

Whenever you get opportunity, will you please post the "seven minor covenants" for my enlightenment? Thanks

[Enquirer]

What Is A Covenant?

Next I think it important to understand what a covenant is. Some Bible scholars view a covenant as a contract, and that is incorrect. In no way does our modern concept of a contract compare to the biblical concept of a covenant. A covenant, from a biblical perspective is not a contractural relationship that exists to provide mutual benefits to all parties involved.

A contract only exists so long as it is mutally beneficial for the parties involved.

The phrases

Edited February 5, 2007 by Enquirer

[Enquirer]

What Does the Adamic Covenant Mean For Us?

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

(Romans 5:12-19)

It is here that we need to begin to see the relevance of the Adamic and what it means to Believer in Jesus. Paul shows us, spiritually what happened in the Garden of Eden on that fateful day when mankind failed.

Arthur Pink correctly notes that God does not treat mankind like a cornfield where every stalk stands on its own individual root. Rather, he treats man like tree, and men are like the branches joined to a common trunk. Pink goes on to say that when you lay an axe to the foot of a tree the entire tree falls, branches and all. Likewise, when Adam fell in the garden, like one giant tree, all of his posterity fell with him.

An important lesson, therefore, is that the popular notions in our world of what makes a person a sinner are completely wrong. Sinner is not a sinner because of what they do. Everyone one is born a sinner because of what Adam did. What we see in verse 12 of Romans 5, is that Adam operated as Pink says, in the capacity as the

[Guest shiloh357]

We are sinners because we sin.

One thing you should note is that The book of Romans differentiates between being in bondage to sin, and the act of committing sins. Romans 1:1-5:11 deals with sins we commit and the blood of Jesus to deal with those sins. Roman 5:12-8:39 deal with the power of sin and man's bondage to it.

In Romans 5:12-16, Paul reveals that Adam operated as the representative "man" before God. All of mankind was in Adam, and when Adam fell, all of man fell with him.

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

(Romans 5:12)

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

(Romans 5:19)

Two things that Adam brought into the world, was sin and death. Death is the product, the fruit, the wages of sin. One man's act of disobedience in the garden made us sinners, from a legal and spiritual standpoint. The death and resurrection of Jesus is a reversal of what Adam did in the garden.

We sin because se are sinners. It is our nature to sin. Why do we have to teach children values? If a child were born into the world, left to his own, he would grow up, living like an animal. The fact that human nature, unchecked, gravitates toward sin and destructive behavior tells us a lot about the truth of the Bible's assessment of man's spiritual and moral condition apart from Christ.

And Enoch "walked with God for he was not" due to the fact Enoch pleased God. Enoch did not qulaify to be the sacrifice for sin because that required a voluntary agreement, which is not recorded in Enoch's case. Nothing wrong with not volunteering, but once one volunteers, he is committed to fulfill his contract/covenant with God, as in the case of Jonah who wanted to quit his job as God's prophet when he understood it was not according to his (Jonah's) plan.

Enoch did not qualify to be the sacrifice because Enoch was not born from the seed of woman (virgin birth), he is nowhere called sinless, and because Jesus was already selected by the Father to be the sacrifice. Jesus is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The plan of man's redemption was already in place before world was even created.

A "Contract" is an agreement between two or more parties for the "doing" or "not doing" of an agreed upon action or for trade. It is no different from a covenant. A covenant with God is an agreement between two or more parties to do or not do something, and both a covenant and a contract may contain benefits, penalties for non-compliance, and rewards for compliance. It all depends upon how the covenant/contract is written up.

I dilineated the differences between them. You cannot compare a modern "contract" of paper and ink to a biblical covenant. They completely different in nature, essence and structure. Entering a biiblical covenant is not like buying a car.

Whenever you get opportunity, will you please post the "seven minor covenants" for my enlightenment? Thanks

1. The Cainic Covenant - Gen 4:11-15

2. The Solaric Covenant - Gen 8:22; Ps 89:34-37

3. The Saraic Covenant - Gen 17:15-19; 18:9-15

4. The Hagaric Covenant Gen 16:7-14

5. The Healing Covenant - Ex 15:26; 23:25

6. The Levitic Covenant - Lev. 25:10-14

7. The Salt Covenant - Lev 2:13; Num 18:19; II Chr 13:5, Mar. 9:49-50

[nebula]

Interesting - I never noticed the Covenant of salt before!

BTW - there is no Mar. 4:49-50??