Covenant

Fulfillment of the Noahic Covenant:

We are still here

The Book of Sirach describes a covenant:

"He bestowed knowledge upon them, and allotted to them the law of life. He established with them an eternal covenant, and revealed to them his decrees" (Sir. 17:11-12 NRSV).

What is a Covenant according to Williams' definition

"The word 'covenant' may be defined as a formal, solemn, and binding contract between two parties." (275)

The covenant with Adam to grant him life is mistakenly called a

"covenant of works."

The Edenic Covenant

"covenant" is not used of this in Genesis but is used in Hos. 6:7: "But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me" (ESV).

Mosaic Covenant Obligation

"if you obey my voice and keep my covenant," that is obedience to the 10 words and all God's laws, Israel agree to these terms at Sinai (Exod. 19:8)

Deuteronomy's Treaty Format: The preamble

1:1-5

Deuteronomy's Treaty Format The historical prologue

1:6-ch. 4

Deuteronomy's Treaty Format Blessings and curses

27 - 30

Deuteronomy's Treaty Format Arrangements for the continuation of the covenant

31-34 including provisions for deposit of the text (31:26), provisions for public reading of the text (31:9-13) the invocation of witnesses of the treaty (31:19,26)

Davidic Covenant

A Royal Grant (2 Sam. 7:5-16)

Promise of the Abrahamic Covenant

A Royal Grant covenant to give Abraham the land: "To your descendants I give this land" (Gen. 15:18).

Parity

A covenant between equals binding them to mutual friendship or mutual respect

Davidic Covenant Promise

A perpetual dynasty on the throne of Israel (Psa. 89:3-4)

The Noahic Covenant

A royal grant covenant

Mosaic Covenant

A suzerain-vassal covenant (Exod. 19-24) given to people already redeemed

The New Covenant Fulfillment

All of the above promises are at least partially experienced now, although final salvation awaits the eschaton

A covenant is not a contract.

An ancient contract has a list of parties, description of transaction, list of witnesses, and date (Martens, God's Design, 73). A contract implies two equal partners, but covenants were not always so. A contract is generally temporary. A covenant was an arrangement between parties, drawn up in legal language, involving promise, obligation, and reciprocal responsibilities.

Royal Grant

An unconditional covenant, A King's grant to a loyal servant for faithful or exceptional service, Usually perpetual

Suzerain-vassal

Between a great king and one of his subject kings ▫ Conditional, based on the vassal's faithfulness and loyalty, The suzerain was sovereign: Requiring loyalty and Providing protection

Obligation of the Abrahamic Covenant 2 (Thus this is a suzerain-vassal style treaty)

Circumcision (17:9-14). Note the contrast in vv. 4 & 8: "as for me" and "as for you." Note that obedience in circumcision signifies loyalty, that is, total consecration to Yahweh.

Greek term: διαθήκη diathēkē, occurs 33x in the NT

Covenants in the ancient world were often between a great king and a subject king.

Sinaitic or Mosaic Covenant: Background

Deuteronomy is patterned after the suzerain-vassal treaties of the ancient Near East. It is very similar to the Hittite treaties of the second millennium B.C.

Summary of OT Covenants

Edenic, Gen. 2 | Noahic, Gen. 9:8-17, Royal Grant | Abrahamic (A), Gen. 15:9-21, Royal Grant (land) | Abrahamic (B), Gen. 17, Suzerain-vassal | Sinaitic, Exod. 19-24, Suzerain-vassal | Davidic, 2 Sam. 7:5-16, Royal Grant | New Covenant, Jer. 31:31-34, Royal Grant

Hebrew term: berith, occurs 286x in OT

First occurrence: "But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you" (Gen. 6:18 ESV).

Davidic Covenant Fulfillment

From a historical-redemptive perspective, God's plan and promise could not fail and is fulfilled in Christ (Isa. 9:6-7; Acts 2:36)

Parties of the Abrahamic Covenant

God & Abraham, and by extension, Isaac, Jacob, and the chosen seed (Gen. 15:18; Exod. 2:24)

Parties of the Edenic Covenant

God and Adam/mankind • Promise: Life, via the "tree of life" (Gen. 3:22) • Obligation: Obedience to God's command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:16-17)

Davidic Covenant Parties

God and David (2 Sam. 23:5; Jer. 33:21)

Mosaic Covenant Parties

God and Israel

Parties of the Noahic Covenant:

God and Noah/descendants/all living creatures (Gen. 9:9-10)

Ratification of the Abrahamic Covenant 2

God has already committed himself with an oath, but now Abraham's family must bear the sign of circumcision

Davidic Covenant Ratification

God's personal oath (Psa. 89:34-35; 132:11)

Ratification of the Abrahamic Covenant

God's self-maledictory oath

Mosaic Covenant Promises

Israel would be God's own possession and ▫ "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (19:3-6)

Fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant

Israel's entrance into Canaan

Elements of a Covenant according to Williams

It has two Parties, Promise, Obligation, Ratification or Seal, and Fulfillment

Mosaic Covenant Fulfillment

Kept by God, broken by Israel (Jer. 11:10), The law had a built-in obsolescence (Gal. 2:19-20), The law is fulfilled in Christ (Gal. 3:24)

The New Covenant

Parties OT - God and Israel, NT - God and believers

Promise of the Abrahamic Covenant 2

Multiplication of Abraham's seed (Gen. 17:2-6; cf. 13:16; 15:5) Implicit in this is God's blessing, a major theme in the Pentateuch (on Sarah in v. 16) "to be your God and the God of your descendants" (17:7)

Obligation of the Noahic Covenant

None for man (9:15-16)

Davidic Covenant Obligation

None, as this is a royal grant, although the unfaithfulness of individuals could result in temporary forfeiture of the promise (1 Kings 2:4)

Obligation of the Abrahamic Covenant

None, but it is enacted on the basis of Abraham's faith (15:6)

The New Covenant

Obligation None, as it is a royal grant. As with royal grants in the OT, the vassal accepts the promise in faith, and the vassal's continued loyalty/faith is understood (Heb. 6:12) Saving faith is a continuing faith

The New Covenant

Royal Grant (Jer. 31:31-34)

Parties of the Abrahamic Covenant 2

Same as 1

Fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant 2

The birth of Isaac ▫ The multitudes of Israel (Deut. 1:8-9) ▫ The heirs of the promise in Christ (Gal. 3:16)

The New Covenant Ratification

The blood of Christ (1 Cor. 11:25; Luke 22:20)

Abrahamic Covenant

The covenant with Abraham is communicated in stages beginning with the 7-fold blessing in Gen. 12. Although covenants are made with individuals, the major biblical covenants have in mind all of humanity.

The New Covenant Promises

The law in the heart (Jer. 31:33) "I will be their God" "They will be my people" The knowledge of God The forgiveness of sins (cf. Heb. 8:12; Acts 2:38) The indwelling Spirit (Ezek. 36:26-27) Eternal life (1 John 5:12)

The main components of ancient treaties include:

The preamble, The historical prologue, The stipulations (both general and specific), Provisions for deposit of the text and public reading, A list of the divine witnesses to the treaty, Blessings and curses

Fulfillment of the Edenic Covenant:

Williams points to Gen. 3:15

Loyalty was

a key element in many covenants.

Deuteronomy's Treaty Format The stipulations,

general 5-11 specific 12-26

Williams argues that the promises of land to Israel are

no longer valid.

The NT says "the meek shall inherit the land" and also

points to the New Heavens and New Earth.

Ratification of the Noahic Covenant

rainbow, a sign for God to remember (as this is a royal grant, 9:13)

Mosaic Covenant Ratification

sacrificial blood (24:8)

Regardless of the land issue, Rom. 9-11

states emphatically that God is not done with national Israel.

Promise of the Noahic Covenant:

to never again destroy the earth with a flood (9:11)