God's Covenants

Immediately following God's revelation of himself he announced His covenant with the people- Exodus 34:10-11

Exodus 34:10–11 NIV

Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you. Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

This covenant was one of five major covenants in the Old Testament between God and His people.

The Covenant with Noah - Genesis 9:9-11

Genesis 9:9–11 NIV

9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

God promised to never again destroy the world

God gave the sign of the rainbow- Genesis 9:12-13

Genesis 9:12–13 NIV

12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

The significance of this covenant is that God establishes His grace as He demonstrates His righteousness

The Covenant with Abraham - Genesis 12:2-3

Genesis 12:2–3 NIV

2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

God promised a special relationship with His people- land, nation, numerous descendants

This all depends on Abraham having a child, but Abraham and Sarah were both beyond their child-bearing years

This required Abraham accept the covenant by faith

God promised Abraham would be a blessing to all nations

Jesus is the fulfillment of this promise - Galatians 3:6-9

Galatians 3:6–9 NIV

6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The Covenant with Moses - Exodus 19:5-6

Exodus 19:5–6 NIV

5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

The covenant with Moses includes all of the Mosaic Law including the Ten Commandments.

The Law defined God’s standards for righteous behavior

The Law reveals our inability to completely keep God’s standard - Romans 3:19-20

Romans 3:19–20 NIV

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

The Covenant with David - Psalm 89:3-4

Psalm 89:3–4 NIV

3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, 4 ‘I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.’ ”

God would establish his kingdom.

His throne would ultimately endure forever.

Jesus fulfilled the covenant with David - Luke 1:31-33

Luke 1:31–33 NIV

31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

The New Covenant - Jeremiah 31:31-34

This covenant comes at a time when God’s people were being taken into captivity

The nation had fallen into idolatry and immorality

While most of Jeremiah’s message involved judgment this is a message of hope in the darkness

Jeremiah 31:31–34 NIV

31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. 33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

The New Covenant was needed because God’s people failed to keep the previous covenants - Jeremiah 31:32

Jeremiah 31:32 NIV

32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord.

The New Covenant addresses changing human hearts - Jeremiah 31:33

Jeremiah 31:33 NIV

33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

In the New Covenant God takes the initiative

I will make the covenant.

I will put my law within them.

I will write it on their hearts.

I will be their God.

I will forgive them.

I will remember their sins no more.

The foundation of the New Covenant is not human determination but divine grace. God does not merely offer better religious instructions. He acts to forgive and transform sinners.

The New Covenant reestablishes God’s relationship with His people - Jeremiah 31:33

Jeremiah 31:33 NIV

33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

The New Covenant provides for perfect forgiveness - Jeremiah 31:34

Jeremiah 31:34 NIV

34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Jesus is the inauguration of the New Covenant - Luke 22:20

Luke 22:20 NIV

20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.