THE COVENANTS - PART 1
There are
seven major covenants having to do with the dispensations or
arrangements of the salvation and righteousness of man before God and
nine other covenants in the Bible that have to do with God
contracting something to man or mankind. There are also many
covenants that man made to God and that man made to man himself.
Each one of these covenants, even when made to heathen peoples by God
or man, was something to be considered as sacred and binding and were
not to be disregarded unless a better covenant was to come later as
in the case of New Covenant of Grace through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Even then, the promises of the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants were
not broken but fulfilled in Christ. Gal 3:15-25
When we
speak of dispensations we speak of an arrangement between God
and man, not something in relation to the ages of time. The word for
dispensation in the Bible means literally; "administration of a
household or estate, or stewardship" (In the following verses
the underlining and brackets are mine for emphasis.)
I
Cor 9:17; For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward, but
if against my will, a [dispensation] of the gospel is
committed unto me. KJV
Eph
1:10; That in the [dispensation] of the fulness of times
he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are
in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him. KJV
Col
1:25; Whereof I am made a minister, according to the
[dispensation] of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill
the word of God; KJV
Luke
16:1-4; And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain
rich man, which had a [steward]; and the same was accused unto
him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto
him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy
[stewardship]; for thou mayest be no longer steward. Then the
steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away
from me the [stewardship]: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the
[stewardship], they may receive me into their houses. KJV
The
major covenants that we will examine in detail in the coming weeks
are:
1.
The Edenic Covenant - The dispensation of innocence.
2.
The Adamic Covenant - The dispensation of conscience.
3.
The Noahic Covenant - The dispensation of human government.
4.
The Abrahamic Covenant - The dispensation of promise.
5.
The Mosaic Covenant - The dispensation of the Law.
6.
The New Covenant - The dispensation of Grace.
7.
The Everlasting Covenant - The dispensation of Divine
Government
or the dispensation of the Kingdom.
The
other covenants are:
1.
Solaric - Gen 8:22; Ps 89:34-37; The promise that as long as
the solar system endured, man would remain fruitful upon the earth.
2.
Cainic - Gen 4:11-15; A pledge to Cain that vengeance would
befall anyone who would kill him.
3.
Hagaric - Gen 16:7-14; This concerned the promise made to
Hagar through her son Ishmael and his seed.
4.
Sarahic - Gen 17:15-19; 18:9-15; These were promises made to
Sarah and her offspring Isaac.
5.
Healing - Ex 15:26; 23:25; This was made to Israel and all who
would come under the covenant of God given to Moses.
6.
Levitic - Num 25:10-14; Phineas the son of Levi was to receive
blessings to his house and an everlasting priesthood.
7.
Palestinian - Lev 26; Dt 11:8-32; 27:1-30; 30; The promises
made to Israel through obedience that would allow them to go in and
possess the land.
8.
Davidic- 2 Sam 7-:1-17; An everlasting covenant containing seven
blessings to David and the house of David.
9.
Salt - Lev 2:13; Num 18:19; II Chr 13:5; This concerned
the sacrifices that Israel was to offer as meat and grain offerings.
What
is a covenant?
Websters
defines it as follows:
1:
a usually formal, solemn, and binding agreement. 2 a: a
written agreement or promise usually under seal between two or more
parties especially for the performance of some action
In
essence, the covenants between God and man are contracts that are
drawn up between them. Lawfully binding and unchangeable.
Why
does a holy God make covenants with sinful man?
There
are two main points in why God makes covenants.
1.
To illustrate that God's word is true.
2.
Man's word is untrue.
So
what's the point? That when we understand the unreliability of man
in comparison to the complete reliability of the unchanging God, we
begin to understand the plan of salvation for man more fully. That
God's grace has saved him, God's grace is saving him
and that God's grace will ultimately and completely save him.
Heb
4:16
Eph
2:8,9
Covenants
were to be binding when set forth. Otherwise serious consequences
would arise.
Lev
26:1-46
Jer
11:2-3
So
sacred and binding in the fear of God were the covenants made by the
Israelites, that even though it meant being burdened occasionally and
often times eventually ending in severe judgement, reaping the
effects of doing something without the counsel of God was not as
important as keeping an oath sworn by the name of the Lord.
Joshua
9:18-21
Man
in his sinful state, often forgets the seriousness of the covenants
that he makes before God. As in the cases following, making a
covenant and breaking or disavowing it brought those severe
judgements of God and man upon the people. The sin of man cannot
nullify the binding aspects of a covenant, it simply causes the
covenant made to be broken.
Jer
34:8-21
Ezek
17:14-18
2
Sam 21:1-6
Lev
26:25-46
Covenants
are binding, not only on those who make them, but on those who are
represented. Even the promise in Joel of the Holy Spirit was to
"those who are afar off."
Deut
29:14-15
Covenants
were ratified in various ways.
By
giving the hand
Ezra
10:19
Lam
5:6
Ezek
17:18
Loosing
the shoe
Ruth
4:7-11
Written
and sealed
Neh
9:38
Jer
32:10
By
giving presents
Gen
21:27-30
I
Sam 18:3
By
making a feast
Gen
26:30
By
a monument
Gen
31:45-49
By
salting
Lev
2:13
Num
18:19
II
Chr 13:5
By
offering a sacrifice
Gen
15:9-17
Jer
34:18
When
God confirmed a covenant with man, He did so by an oath, even
swearing by His own name or the character of Himself.
Gen
22:16
Psalms
89:35
Heb
6:13
Heb
6:17-18
God
in His eternal purposes, has set forth in the covenants that He made
to man, portions of those covenants or the promises in their entirety
to be everlasting and unchangeable. The only determinant that can
change or has changed those promises, is the sin factor of man.
Gen
8:20-22
Gen
9:1-17
Psalms
105:8-11
Isaiah
54:10
Jer
44:26-27
God
in His great mercy and long suffering towards man is faithful to keep
His promises even in disobedience. God's plan for mankind and the
salvation that He has provided would not allow Him to completely
destroy those whom He had made the covenants with.
Lev
26:44-45
Deut
4:31
Judges
2:1
Micah
7:20
Man
often made covenants with God.
Jacob
Gen
28:20-22
Joshua
Joshua
24:19-28
Absalom
II
Sam 15:7-8
Jehoiada
and Joash
II
Kngs 11:17
Josiah
II
Kngs 23:3
Asa
II
Chr 15:12-15
Nehemiah
Neh
9:38
Neh
10
Israelites
Jer
50:5
