Sermon Tone Analysis

*BIBLICAL COVENANTS*

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Covenants are not just agreements between two parties nor are they arbitrary but covenants create binding relationships.

Covenants create a special relationship when two parties agree.

There are many kinds of covenants, some between groups and nations and some between individuals.

In the Old Testament, covenants between God and the Children of Israel for the most part are agreements where God provides His love and protection and Israel provides its pledge to worship and serve God alone.

There are at least four elements in all covenants: *participants,* usually two or more, *terms,* for a set period of time, *significance *and *expectations.*

There may be additional depending on the type of covenant but these elements are in them all.

A covenant can also be defined as:

/a formal agreement or treaty between two parties with each assuming some obligation.

In the Hebrew Bible, a covenant might be a pact of mutuality concerning individuals, such as Laban and Jacob (Gen.

31:44-54) or David and Jonathan (1 Sam.

18:3; 23:18); states or other political units, such as Abraham and the Amorites (Gen.

14:13), Abraham and Abimelech, king of Gerar (Gen.

21:22-32), Abner and David (2 Sam.

3:12-13, 21), David and the people (2 Sam.

5:3), Solomon and Hiram (1 Kings 5:12), and Asa and Ben-hadad (1 Kings 15:18-19); husband and wife (cf.

Mal.

2:14; Ezek.

16:8).

/

/A covenant also might be imposed by a greater power upon a lesser one.

The greater power demands loyalty and obligates itself to the protection of the lesser one, such as Israel and the Gibeonites (Josh.

9) and the request by Jabesh-gilead of the king of Ammon (1 Sam.

11:1-2).

The vast majority of the references to covenant in the Bible are to such a treaty—the covenant that God makes with Israel at Sinai.

This covenant must be understood on the basis of political and judicial categories.*[1]*/

/ /

Covenants can also be conditional and unconditional.

Conditional meaning that there are obligations upon parties involved that must be fulfilled or the covenant is void.

An unconditional covenant is one-sided.

One party agrees to perform but does not impose obligations upon the other party.

As we proceed, we will from time to time designate a covenant as conditional or unconditional.

Covenants are given for a purpose, and are intended to get a desired response.

Covenants have duration, for a set time or for eternity.

Covenants have significance, it is important that this covenant be fulfilled.

And covenants have a result, either it was fulfilled, partially fulfilled or not sufficiently fulfilled at this time.

We must also point out that biblical covenants are in a class by themselves.

They come from God because we are unable to save and secure ourselves; hence biblical covenants are designed by God to fulfill His Divine purposes.

Karleen says it this way:

/A series of key divine promises or covenants forms the backbone of God’s dealings with human beings.

Because of our inability to secure our own prosperity—spiritual and physical—on the earth, a gracious God has committed Himself to providing what we cannot./

/The main biblical covenants are a unifying factor for all events described in the Bible involving God and human beings.

Some of them provide the guarantee that yet—future predicted events will occur.

For example, the Abrahamic covenant is the basis for all of God’s subsequent dealings with Israel, and is expanded in the Palestinian, Davidic, and New covenants, which, respectively, provide for Israel’s eternal possession of the land, an eternal kingship, and the conversion of a remnant.*[2]*/

*Abrahamic Covenant** (GENESIS 12:1-3)*

 

Abram originally came from Ur of the Chaldees in Mesopotamia.

He was a descendant of Noah’s son Shem.

After he was married to Sarai, he moved with his father Terah and his nephew, Lot and settles in Haran.

After Abrams father dies, God called Abram to leave his country, kindred and father’s house and go to a land that God would show him.

At the age of 75 years, Abram left Haran with his nephew Lot.

For 24 years Sarai was barren.

The faith of both Sarai and Abram was tested to the point that Abram offered his household steward Eliezer and God said no. Sarai offered her servant Hagar which Abram accepted but God said no.

At 86, Abram had his first son Ishmael by Sari’s Egyptian servant Hagar.

There are many who disbelieve the Bible, but these were real historical people who believed God and Abram had Isaac at the age of 100 years and Sarai was 90 years.

This is a miracle from God.

It was through Isaac that the promise would continue.

This covenant embodies the agreement that God made with Abram once he obeyed God and sought the land that God had told him of.

*Purpose:*

 

The purpose of this covenant lies in the Divine intent of God to begin the process of salvation for mankind.

He would accomplish this through a people that He would call and nurture toward the fulfillment of His ultimate plan; to provide an eternal home for His creation.

Enns states it this way:

/God determined to call out a special people for Himself through whom He would bring blessing to all the nations.

The Abrahamic Covenant is paramount to a proper understanding of the kingdom concept and is foundational to Old Testament theology.

(1) The Abrahamic Covenant is described in Genesis 12:1–3 and is an unconditional covenant.

There are no conditions attached to it (no “if” clauses, suggesting its fulfillment is dependent on man).

(2) It is also a literal covenant in which the promises should be understood literally.

The land that is promised should be understood in its literal or normal interpretation—it is not a figure of heaven.

(3) It is also an everlasting covenant.

The promises that God made to Israel are eternal*[3]*/

 

Abraham and his family came from Ur of the Chaldees* *

*/— /*/light, or the moon city, a city “of the Chaldees,” the birthplace of Haran (Gen.

11:28,31), the largest city of Shinar or northern Chaldea, and the principal commercial centre of the country as well as the centre of political power.

It stood near the mouth of the Euphrates, on its western bank, and is represented by the mounds (of bricks cemented by bitumen) of el-Mugheir, i.e., “the bitumined,” or “the town of bitumen,” now 150 miles from the sea and some 6 miles from the Euphrates, a little above the point where it receives the Shat el-Hie, an affluent from the Tigris.

It was formerly a maritime city, as the waters of the Persian Gulf reached this far inland.

Ur was the port of Babylonia, whence trade was carried on with the dwellers on the gulf, and with the distant countries of India, Ethiopia, and Egypt.

It was abandoned about 500, but long continued, like Erech, to be a great sacred cemetery city, as is evident from the number of tombs found there.*[4]*

/

It should not strike you as coincidental that Abraham is called from the same region as it is believed the Garden of Eden existed.

It is evident from hindsight that God has something in mind.

*Duration: *

This covenant is eternal.

/1) The Abrahamic Covenant is described in Genesis 12:1–3 and is an unconditional covenant.

There are no conditions attached to it (no “if” clauses, suggesting its fulfillment is dependent on man).

(2) It is also a literal covenant in which the promises should be understood literally.

The land that is promised should be understood in its literal or normal interpretation—it is not a figure of heaven.

(3) It is also an everlasting covenant.

The promises that God made to Israel are eternal.*[5]*/

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*Significance:*

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In Genesis 12:1-3 His covenant with Abraham is stated.

Abraham was called *from* his land at the age of 75 years and God in His covenant with Abraham promises him *land*.

God also promised* *him that he would be a great nation and that all the families of the earth would be blessed.

Enns states it this way:

/There are three main features to the Abrahamic Covenant./

*/The promise of land /*/(*Gen.

12:1 *)*.

*God called Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees to a land that He would give him (Gen.

12:1).

This promise is reiterated in Genesis 13:14–18 where it is confirmed by a shoe covenant; its dimensions are given in Genesis 15:18–21 (precluding any notion of this being fulfilled in heaven).

The land aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant is also expanded in Deuteronomy 30:1–10, which is the Palestinian Covenant./

*/The promise of descendants /*/(*Gen.

12:2 *)*.

*God promised Abraham that He would make a great nation out of him.

Abraham, who was 75 years old and fatherless (Gen.

12:4), was promised many descendants.

This promise is amplified in Genesis 17:6 where God promised that nations and kings would descend from the aged patriarch.

This promise (which is expanded in the Davidic Covenant of 2 Sam.

7:12–16) would eventuate in the Davidic throne with Messiah’s kingdom rule over the Hebrew people./

*/The promise of blessing and redemption /*/(*Gen.