Covenants: The Spine of Scripture and the Backbone of Civilizations
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Introduction:
Body:
Body:
What is a Covenant
A covenant is a formal agreement between two or more parties that includes promises, conditions, and either signs or instruments.
Divine Covenants: The Spine of Scripture
The Eternal Covenant: Hebrews 13:20–21 “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Parties: The members of the Godhead
Promises: The Redemption of the Church for the Glory of God
Conditions: The meritorious death of Christ in the place of sinners.
Signs: Blood
The Covenant of Works
parties: God and Man
Promises God promised Adam that if he did not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he would live.
Conditions: If Adam did eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil he would die.
This is why it’s called a covenant work. It is not, at its core, a gracious covenant. God said to Adam “Do this and live”
Signs: The tee of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The Promise of the Covenant of Grace Genesis 3:14–15 “So the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.””
Parties: The Sead of the women and mankind in some sense.
Promises: The Seed of the Women will defeat the serpents.
Conditions:
Signs: Sacrificial coverings
Genesis 3:20–21 “And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.”
Adam ought to have died, but he lived. HE LIVED!
And not only that, but God sacrificed and animal in order that he may have a covering. And here we find the first shadow of the idea of a sacrifice offered in order to make a covering.
The Noehic Covenant (Genesis 9:1-17)
Parties: God and the whole earth.
Promises: God will never destroy the whole earth again.
Conditions: If man sheds blood, then by man his blood shall be shed.
This is the institution of civil government.
Signs: The Rainbow
The Abrahamic Covenant
Parties God and Abraham and Abraham's descendants.
Promises
A son
a bountiful heritage that will bless the nations.
Land
Righteousness (Genesis 15:6)
Conditions: Genesis 18:19 “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”
In order for Abrahams offspring to receive the blessing of the covenant they have to follow after Abraham in faith.
The only way that they will be able to do that is if Abraham teaches them to do so.
Thus, while the covenant is gracious, Abraham
Signs: Circumcision
The Mosaic Covenant
Parties
Promises
Conditions
Signs
The Davidic Covenant
Parties
Promises
Conditions
Signs
The New Covenant
Parties
Promises
Conditions
Signs
Institutional Covenants: The Back Bone of Civilization
The Institution of Marriage
Parties
Promises
Conditions
Signs
The Institution of the Church
Parties
Promises
Signs
The Institution of Civil Government
Parties
Promises
Signs
Conclusion:
Conclusion: