Study Notes on Biblical Covenants

Overview of Covenants Made by God

  • Introduction to Covenants
    • Four covenants made by God with His people.
    • Focus on the nature of the covenants and the relationship between God and man.
    • Emphasis on God's establishment of conditions; no negotiation from man.

Types of Covenants

  • Bilateral or Conditional Covenants
    • Defined as covenants dependent on the fulfillment of stipulations by one or both parties.
    • Implication: If either party fails to meet stipulations, the covenant becomes null and void.
  • Unilateral or Unconditional Covenants
    • Defined as covenants where one party (typically God) makes a promise without requiring anything in return from the other party.
    • Key Principle: God’s faithfulness remains, irrespective of human actions.

The Act of Making Covenants in Biblical Times

  • Hebrew Definition of Covenant
    • The Hebrew term for covenant means "to cut."
    • Ritual involved cutting an innocent animal into two equal parts.
    • Each party would walk between the two pieces, symbolizing that failure to fulfill the covenant would result in death, akin to the dead animal.

Major Biblical Covenants

  • For discussion, eight key covenants identified, contrasting the interpretations of six or seven by some scholars.

1. Edenic Covenant

  • First covenant focusing on the relationship between God and Adam, stipulating the conditions for eternal life.

2. Adamic Covenant

  • Key Theme: Redemption
  • Established due to the broken condition after the Edenic covenant.
  • God’s promise to redeem mankind from their fallen state.
  • Biblical Reference: Genesis 3:15 - Promise of enmity between the serpent and humanity; foreshadowing Jesus’ victory.
  • Prophetic Reference: The serpent will cause harm (bruise heel) to Jesus while ultimately, Jesus will defeat evil (crush head).

3. Noahic Covenant

  • Key Theme: Restraint
  • God’s decision to refrain from destroying humanity despite their wickedness.
  • God saved Noah and family, promising not to repeat the flood destruction.
  • Promise: The earth will never be destroyed by flood again, establishing a unilateral covenant where God alone fulfills the covenant's condition.

4. Abrahamic Covenant

  • Key Theme: Restoration
  • Builds on the redemptive nature of the Adamic covenant.
  • Initiates the process of restoring the broken relationship from the garden through Abraham.
  • Biblical Reference: Genesis 12:1-3 - Promises including land, numerous descendants (seed), and blessings.
  • Land: God promises a specific land for Abraham and his descendants.
  • Seed: A lineage that will be as numerous as the stars in the sky.
  • Blessing: Protection and favor—"I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you."
  • Covenant Making Ceremony:
    • Genesis 15 describes how Abraham brought various animals, cut them in half, and laid them out.
    • Only God’s presence (symbolized by a smoking firepot) passes through, showing it as a unilateral covenant, emphasizing God’s commitment to Abraham without reciprocal obligation from Abraham.