CRS Keypoints; The Covenant; A covenant is a binding agreement between two or more parties, in which promises are made and obligations are established. In the Old Testament, God made covenants with several individuals and groups, outlining the terms of their relationship with Him. These covenants had significant importance and implications for the people involved, and they continue to have relevance for believers today.
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CRS Keypoints; The Covenant
The first covenant in the Bible is the covenant God made with Noah after the flood (Gen. 6:1-22; 7:1-24; 9:1-17). In this covenant, God promised never to flood the earth again and established a sign of the covenant in the rainbow. The covenant with Noah emphasizes God’s faithfulness and the importance of obeying His commands.
God’s covenant with Abraham (Gen. 11:31-32; 12:1-9; 17:1-21; 21:1-13; 25:19-26) is another significant covenant in the Old Testament. In this covenant, God promised to make Abraham a great nation and to bless all the families of the earth through him. The covenant with Abraham emphasizes God’s sovereignty and the importance of faith in Him.
God’s covenant with Israel (Ex. 19; 20; 24:1-11) is perhaps the most well-known covenant in the Old Testament. In this covenant, God promised to be Israel’s God and to bless them if they obeyed His commands. The covenant with Israel emphasizes God’s holiness and the importance of obedience to His laws.
The New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek 36:25-28) is a promise of salvation and forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus Christ. This covenant replaces the old covenant, which was based on obedience to the law. The new covenant emphasizes God’s grace and the importance of faith in Jesus Christ.
The covenants in the Old Testament were significant because they established the terms of the relationship between God and His people. They emphasized God’s sovereignty, faithfulness, holiness, and grace, and they provided a framework for understanding the nature of God’s relationship with His people. The new covenant in Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of God’s grace and love for humanity, offering salvation and forgiveness of sins to all who put their faith in Him.
i. Concept of Covenant:
A covenant is a binding agreement between two or more parties, in which promises are made and obligations are established. In the Bible, covenants were often made between God and His people or between different people groups. The concept of covenant emphasizes the importance of trust, faithfulness, and obedience in relationships.
ii. Importance and Implication of Covenants:
The covenants in the Bible were significant because they established the terms of the relationship between God and His people. They emphasized God’s sovereignty, faithfulness, holiness, and grace, and they provided a framework for understanding the nature of God’s relationship with His people. The covenants also had implications for the people involved, as they were expected to fulfill certain obligations in order to maintain their covenant relationship with God. The covenants also provided a sense of identity and purpose for the people, as they understood themselves as chosen people with a special relationship with God.
iii. God’s Covenants with Noah, Abraham, and Israel:
God’s covenant with Noah after the flood (Gen. 6:1-22; 7:1-24; 9:1-17) established the sign of the rainbow and emphasized God’s faithfulness and the importance of obeying His commands. God’s covenant with Abraham (Gen. 11:31-32; 12:1-9; 17:1-21; 21:1-13; 25:19-26) promised to make Abraham a great nation and to bless all the families of the earth through him. This covenant emphasized God’s sovereignty and the importance of faith in Him. God’s covenant with Israel (Ex. 19; 20; 24:1-11) promised to be Israel’s God and to bless them if they obeyed His commands. This covenant emphasized God’s holiness and the importance of obedience to His laws.
iv. Old and New Covenants:
The Old Covenant was based on the law and was characterized by a system of sacrifices and offerings in order to atone for sins. The Old Covenant emphasized obedience to the law as the means to establish a relationship with God. The New Covenant, on the other hand, is based on grace and is characterized by faith in Jesus Christ as the means to receive salvation and forgiveness of sins. The New Covenant emphasizes the importance of faith in Jesus Christ as the way to establish a relationship with God, rather than obedience to the law. The Old Covenant was fulfilled and replaced by the New Covenant in Jesus Christ, which offers the ultimate expression of God’s grace and love for humanity.
