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What is "Covenant"?

July 17, 2024 | Todd Dillon

Let me start with a disclaimer: I am not a Biblical scholar by any means. I have a B.A in Biblical Studies and Vocal Performance with no graduate degrees. However, I love to learn and read, and I can wield a concordance, a study Bible and a commentary with the best of them. If we were to do an in-depth study of the meaning of the word “covenant” and all that it entails, it would be far too lengthy for a single blog post. Having said that, let me share a "Reader's Digest" version into this topic.

Covenant is a word that, sadly, has disappeared from our vernacular. We are more apt to use the word promise, and although a good word, I think revisiting this rarely used word—covenant--is a worthwhile proposition.

Although the actual word  “covenant” is not used in the creation account, it is certainly implied. The Creator speaks the world into existence and gives the first family tasks to fulfill, establishes their relationship with Him and gives them a beautiful life in the garden, with the understanding that there were no restrictions but one...they could not eat from the Tree of Knowledge and Good and Evil. Well, we all know how that turned out.

Mankind broke that initial implied covenant, and everything changed.  They were expelled from the garden and the world became so corrupt that God sent a great flood and destroyed everyone except Noah and his family...a remnant of faithful people.

"Wait a minute," you say! "I thought we were talking about the word ‘covenant.’ What does it actually mean?"  I'm glad you asked that question. The Hebrew word for covenant is beriyth. It is taken from the root word for cutting, because most covenants were made by passing between two cut pieces of flesh from an animal sacrifice, and well, trust me, that is another whole blog post in itself!

There are two main types of covenants. The first is obligatory, which deals with two parties of equal standing. The second is promissory, as seen in the covenant between God and Abraham and the nation of Israel. This is the type we will look at.

In Genesis 12, 15 and 17 God covenants with Abraham to make him a mighty nation, give him the "Promised Land" and promises that many nations would be blessed through him if they would worship Yahweh alone and bow to no other gods. Abraham’s descendants became known as the Israelites or God's Chosen People. Later the covenant was extended through Moses and it was through Moses that the Law was established and given on Mount Sinai. The law was never intended to save anyone.  The Law was to teach people what sin was, show them that they could never live up to it perfectly, and remind them that someone would eventually have to pay the price for that sin. It was to prepare God’s people for a new covenant that was to come through Jesus Christ, God's Son. This would be the covenant of grace.

The prophet Jeremiah spoke these words: "The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife, says the Lord. But this new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Jeremiah 31:31-33 NLT)

 Now, back to the actual word and its implications and meaning for us. There are many ways to understand a word and I find that sometimes a word is best described by what it is NOT. I will attempt to do this by comparing it and contrasting it to the word “contract,” which is often mistakenly interchanged with the word “covenant.” I actually use this approach in the wedding ceremonies that I officiate to clarify the idea that what we should enter into in marriage is a covenant and not a contract.

 

A contract is a business relationship.

A covenant is a personal relationship.

 

A contract is an agreement.

A covenant is a pledge.

 

A contract can be broken or established for a limited time.

A covenant is intended to be a perpetual promise. It is forever.

 

A contract is a mutually beneficial relationship.

A covenant is something that is fulfilled by the initiator.

 

A contract is enforced by the law of the court.

A covenant is enforced by the values of those involved.

 

A contract normally says, “I seek my will or desires.”

A covenant says, “We seek God’s will.”

 

A contract often involves the exchange of goods and services.

A covenant is the giving of self to the other.

 

A contract, when not lived up to the conditions, is punishable.

A covenant is established with the understanding that even if failure occurs, the price has already been paid, and in our case, it has been paid by Christ on the cross.

 

A contract is normally a win /lose proposition.

A covenant is a win/win proposition.

Aren't you grateful that what we share with the living God is a covenant and not a contract? Isn’t it wonderful to know that God knew from the very beginning that we would fail and yet he provided a way to gather us to himself for all eternity?

 “ Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.  For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:2-4)

 Like I said… I am no scholar, but I know on whom I have believed, and He is able to deliver me from my sin!  Hallelujah for the covenant that we have with the Father through the Son, Jesus Christ.

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