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Understanding
Scriptural Covenant The Nature of Covenant What is the essence of covenant? To quote Derek Prince: The nature of covenant is one of the jealously guarded secrets of Scripture. It is a "pearl" which God will not cast to the careless (see Matthew 7:6). It is something holy which God will not unveil to the impure. In Psalm 25:14, David says, “The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He wilt make them know His covenant." The secret of covenant must be approached in the reverent fear of God. It is withheld from those who approach with any other attitude. Furthermore, an understanding of covenant requires careful, thorough study of Scripture. It takes time and concentration. In Proverbs 2:4, Solomon states that those who desire discernment and understanding must “seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures." This implies strenuous effort. Just as the earth does not yield up her treasures to the superficial observer, so Scripture yields up the true understanding of covenant only to those who are willing to go below the surface, and to devote time and study to their search. I say this by way of introduction to the study of covenant which we will now undertake. At first, it may seem somewhat hard and laborious. But if we pursue it with patience and diligence, it will ultimately yield up treasures of infinite worth. The Definition of Covenant There are two basic words in Scripture for covenant. The Greek word used in the New Testament is diatheke. The Hebrew word, used in the Old Testament, is b'rit (or b'rith). This Hebrew word occurs in the name of the well-known Jewish organization, B'nai B'rith, which means, literally, "Sons of Covenant." Each of these words—diatheke in Greek and b'rit in Hebrew—is regularly translated by two different English words: covenant and testament. The English word used in each varies according to the context. In English, we do not normally think of covenant and testament as being the same. We limit the word testament to a legal document which, as Scripture points out, comes into force only after the death of the one who made the testament (see Hebrews 9:16‑17). On the other hand, we do not usually think of a covenant as being necessarily associated with the death of the parties to the covenant. However, in the concepts of Scripture, this distinction between testament and covenant is not valid. In Scripture a covenant is a testament, and a testament is a covenant. We are all aware, of course, that the Bible has come to us in the form of two "testaments" — the Old Testament and the New Testament. However, our understanding is increased if we substitute the word covenant for testament in each case, and speak of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. It is a fact of tremendous significance that God's entire written revelation to man is contained in the form of two covenants. Thus, the concept of covenant is central to the whole of divine revelation. If we do not understand the nature of covenant, how far can we hope to understand the real meaning of God's message to us? What, then, is the meaning of the word covenant? It is not easy to give a precise and simple definition. It is suggested that the root meaning of the Hebrew word b'rit is "to bind," but that is not certain. It is certain, however, that a covenant is binding. The root meaning of the Greek word diatheke is "to set something out in order." It suggests, therefore, the setting forth of specific terms and conditions. It has more of a legal association than its Hebrew counterpart b'rit. In Scripture, we find two, different types of covenant. One is on the horizontal plane, a covenant between two human beings. This more nearly approaches the concept of a contract. For instance, in I Kings 5:12, we read about Solomon making a covenant with Hiram, the king of Tyre. (The KJV here translates b'rit with the word "league.") By this covenant, Solomon and Hiram committed themselves to mutual ‑friendship and established the conditions upon which Hiram would supply Solomon with material and labor for the building of the temple. Although this form of covenant was. only on the human level—between two kings—it is interesting to note that later on, when God declared through the prophet Amos that He would bring judgment on the kingdom of Tyre, one reason that He gave was that "they did not remember the covenant of brotherhood"‑‑that is, the covenant made between Solomon and Hiram (see Amos 1‑9). So we see that, even on the human level, God considers the breaking of a covenant a very serious matter and one which will bring judgment on the guilty party. Covenant: The Basis of Relationship However, beyond that, the main use of covenant in Scripture is not as a contract between two human beings on the horizontal plane, but as a relationship sovereignly initiated by God Himself, with man, in which the two parties are not on the same level. Essentially, a covenant expresses a relationship which God Himself sovereignly initiates out of His own choice and decision. He defines the terms on which He is prepared to enter into that relationship with man. We need to emphasize that the initiative is wholly with God and the terms are set exclusively by God. Man's part is simply to respond to God's offer of a covenant and to accept the relationship which that covenant brings with it. Man does not set the terms nor does he ever initiate the relationship. You have to be something of a Presbyterian or a Calvinist to understand this aspect of covenant. Historically, it is the Calvinist stream of Protestantism that has always laid special emphasis on covenant. In so doing, they have preserved a thread of truth which is very important. I would venture to say that we cannot fully understand our relationship with God unless we understand the scriptural concept of covenant. In the last analysis, every permanent relationship of God with man is based on a covenant. God never enters into a permanent relationship apart from a covenant. In Psalm 50:1‑5, the psalmist gives a prophetic preview of the Lord coming in power and glory at the close of this age to gather His people to Himself In so doing, He clearly defines those whom God will acknowledge as His people. 1 The Mighty One, God, the LORD, has spoken, and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. [This is a call to the whole earth.] 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of
beauty, God has shone forth. 3 May our God come and not keep silence, fire devours before Him, and it is very tempestuous around Him. [This is a clear prophecy of the coming of the Lord in power, glory, and judgment] 4 He summons the heavens above, and the earth, to judge His people: [This is the judgment of God's people, before the judgment seat of Christ—not the judgment of the unbeliever, but the judgment of the believer. Not the judgment of condemnation, but the judgment for reward.] 5 "Gather My godly ones to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice." [This verse tells us to whom God's call is addressed.) (Psalm 50: 1‑5) The Hebrew word here translated "godly one" is hasid. It is the word that gives us hasidic Judaism—which is the most intense and dedicated form of orthodox Judaism. A hassid is a person whose life is totally wrapped up in God. He is a person who exists only for God. However, the psalmist here defines the "godly ones" the true hasidim, as “those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice" ‑‑more literally, "those who cut My covenant on the basis of a sacrifice." The Hebrew speaks of "cutting" a covenant, rather than merely making one. It suggests the action of the knife that puts the sacrifice to death. "My" covenant means specifically the covenant that God Himself initiated, the eternal covenant. There is only one basis on which God makes a covenant—the basis of a sacrifice. Without a sacrifice, there can be no covenant. Years ago, about 1944, when I first began to study the Bible in Hebrew, the Holy Spirit prompted me to do something unusual. I armed myself with three colored pencils—blue, green, and red—and I set out to underline three different themes with a special color for each. The themes were: covenant, sacrifice, and shedding of blood. Blue was for covenant, green for sacrifice, and red for the shedding of blood. In that way, I stumbled into a revelation because I discovered that wherever I had the blue, I had the green; and wherever I had the green, I had the red. In other words, wherever there is a covenant, there must be a sacrifice; and wherever there is a sacrifice, there must be the shedding of blood. This agrees with the description of God's people in Psalm 50:5: “those who cut My covenant on the basis of a sacrifice." Two things are essential for entering into a permanent relationship with God: a covenant and a sacrifice. Without a covenant there can be no relationship with God; without a sacrifice, there can be no covenant. Historically, the way that men entered into covenant with God before the new covenant in Jesus Christ was very remarkable, and many people are not familiar with it. Jeremiah describes it well. This is a period in Israel's history when the nation was backslidden and rebellious in their relationship to God, and they had done something God forbade them to do‑they had made slaves out of their fellow Israelites. When God reproved them for this through the prophet Jeremiah, they made a show of repentance and entered into a covenant in which they agreed to release their slaves. But then, to add to their sin, they broke their covenant and took the slaves back. The only part of this incident which concerns us just now is the procedure by which they entered into the covenant. This has a significance which goes far beyond this particular moment in the history of Israel. It is described in Jeremiah 34:18‑20, where God says: 18 "And I will give the men
who have transgressed My covenant, who have not fulfilled the words of the
covenant which they made before Me, when they cut the calf in two and passed
between its parts— 19 the officials of Judah, and the
officials of Jerusalem, the court officers, and the prints, and all the
people of the land, who passed between the parts of the calf— 20 and I will give them into the
hand of their enemies...'" (Jeremiah
34.18‑20) This provides an important addition to our understanding of the process of making a covenant. Not merely did making a covenant require a sacrifice, but the sacrifice had to be dealt with in a special way. The animal that was killed as the sacrifice was cut into two parts, and the two parts were placed opposite one another with a space in between. Then the people who were making the covenant passed between the two parts of the sacrifice. This was the act by which they entered into the covenant. Covenants Were: 1. Sacred
(Joshua 9:18; Galatians 3:15-17) 2. Binding
(Joshua 9:18; Galatians 3:15-17) 3. Upheld
with penalty for breaking (Leviticus 26; Deut. 28; 2 Samuel 21:1-6; Jeremiah
34:8-22; Ezekiel 17:13-19) 4. Covenants
Were Ratified by: (1) Oaths
(Genesis 22:16) (2) Blood
of animals (Genesis 15:9-17; Genesis 31:43-53; Exodus 24:8; Hebrews 9:19-22) (3) Feasts
(Genesis 21:26-31; Genesis 26:30-31; Genesis 31:46,54) (4) Monuments
(Genesis 28:16-22; Genesis 31:43-53) (5) Raising
of the hands (Ezra 10:19; cp. Genesis 14:22) (6) Pulling
off shoes (Ruth 4:7-8) (7) Blood
of Christ (Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 9:11-22; Hebrews 13:11-12,20) Concerning
the old covenant, the Ten Commandments written on stone were kept in
the ark which had a mercy-seat on it as a constant reminder of God's presence
and of man's obligation to obey it (Numbers 10:33; Numbers 14:44; Deut. 10:8;
Joshua 3:3-17; etc.). The new covenant has an eternal ark (Hebrews 8:1-6; Hebrews 9:1-22; Rev. 11:19). “No, I will not break My covenant; I will not take back a single word I said.” (Psalm 89:34) “The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all those who keep His covenant and obey His decrees.” (Psalm 25:10) God’s Remarkable Covenant with Abraham Fifteen Great Covenants of
Scripture
The
Context “The object and purpose of our instruction and charge is that all believers would be filled with charity (love) that comes from a pure heart, and a clear conscience, and genuine faith.” —1 Timothy 1:5 Links “For His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and goodness. And by that same mighty power, He has given to us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these you all might be partakers of the Divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter1:3-4) There are 750 promises in the New Testament alone. The Key
That Unlocks all promises Link to the list of 250 separate benefits
of the 750 New Testament promises “The Lord leads with unfailing love and
faithfulness all those who keep his covenant and obey his decrees.” (Ps.
25:10) The benefits of God’s promises are conditional. “…For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged [by the Lord]. But when we are judged, we are chastened [taught] by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.” (1 Corinthians 11:31-32) “…Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of Messiah (Christ).” (Romans 2:1-16; 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10-11) Understand the Seven Judgments in Scripture – currently under construction “If you love me [Jesus], keep My commandments.” (John 14:15; 1 John 5:2-3; 2 John 1:6) And the very God of peace sanctify you
wholly, and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body
be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess.
5:23). See the tri-unity of humans. Some links require Adobe Acrobat Reader “This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Habakkuk 2:4) “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” (Hebrews
3:19) See Doubt and Unbelief
concerning God’s Word “Beloved, I pray above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even
as your soul prospers.” (3 John 1:2) “For we wrestle not against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in
high places.” (Ephesians 6:12) See the reality of evil, Satan, or the devil
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication
[prayer as from neediness] with thanksgiving let your requests be made known
unto God.” (Philippians 4:6) See The Art of Prayer “…The eternal purpose which He [God]
purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:11). “…Rightly dividing the
word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Link to God's Plan for Mankind This site relies mostly on the message
of the “King James Version” (KJV) of the Bible. Here are some of the
reasons. Thank you Derek Prince and Derek Prince Ministries Thank you Finis Jennings Dake and Dake Publishing |