The Importance of Understanding Covenant I. Introduction A. If we are going to be the people of God, we are going to need to understand the means by which God has bound Himself to people and how people are to bind themselves to God B. When we read the Bible-- from Genesis 6 onwards-- we see that God has used covenants to set the boundaries of this binding C. It stands to reason, therefore, that if we are to properly understand our relationship with God, we must understand the nature of covenants D. This understanding is lost on many in "Christendom" 1. For various reasons, many denominations have erred in their understanding of the nature of covenants and in so doing, more often than not, have bound themselves to laws not designed for them 2. Have we not heard instrumental music justified by an appeal to David and the Psalms? 3. Where do people who believe in observing the Sabbath, Jewish dietary regulations, etc. have gone wrong? E. Let us now examine first what covenants are, the different covenants of the Bible, and thus understand the importance of covenant. II. The Nature of Covenants A. In order to understand the importance of covenant, we first need to know what a covenant is and what its nature may be B. First, definitions of the term "covenant" 1. English: "1. A mutual consent or agreement of two or more persons, to do or to forbear some act or thing; a contract; stipulation. A covenant is created by deed in writing, sealed and executed; or it may be implied in the contract. 2. A writing containing the terms of agreement or contract between parties; or the clause of agreement in a deed containing the covenant. 3. In theology, the covenant of works, is that implied in the commands, prohibitions, and promises of God; the promise of God to man, that mans perfect obedience should entitle him to happiness," (Webster's). 2. Hebrew: the word is berit, and it means: "covenant, alliance, pledge," (Brown-Driver-Briggs). 3. Greek (and Syriac): the word is diatheke, and it means: "a disposition, arrangement, of any sort, which one wishes to be valid, the last disposition which one makes of his earthly possessions after his death, a testament or will; 2) a compact, a covenant, a testament," (Thayer's). C. Where did the idea of covenant come from? 1. Ancient idea-- back to the Flood. 2. Ostensibly, when man began to communicate and cooperate and needed some form of agreement to entrust cooperation, some form of a covenant was made 3. God used this type of agreement for our benefit as humans D. Ancient, Secular Examples 1. Many covenants seen in the ancient Near East in the 3rd and 2nd millennia (Abraham through the Judges) 2. Made between either a superior and an inferior or between two equals 3. Both sides had obligations they were bound to, and each side received similar benefits 4. Importantly, if one party violated the terms of the covenant, the other party was released from it 5. What did covenants include? a. Between king and subject, the king was bound to protect the subject while the subject was bound to obey the king and provide taxes b. Between a stronger king and a weaker king, both parties were generally bound to come to the defense of the other in case of attack and, obviously, to not attack one another, and sometimes the weaker king was obligated to pay tribute c. between equal kings, generally mutual pacts of defense if either party were attacked (and to not attack one another) E. A covenant, then, is a mutually binding agreement between two parties with obligations and benefits mutually made and received. Let us remember this as we examine the covenants in the Bible III. Biblical Covenants A. We will use the following categories when examining the covenants of the Bible: the covenanting parties, conditional or not conditional, the sign of the covenant, God's obligation, the obligation of the other covenanting party, and fulfillment of covenant, if any. B. One could perhaps see covenants being made with Adam and Eve in the Garden and also after the Fall, but since the term is not used to describe such agreements, we will pass over them at this time. C. Genesis 9: The Covenant with Noah 1. Covenanting Parties: God with Noah and his sons and all animal life (vv. 9-10) 2. Conditional or not conditional: not conditional 3. Sign of the covenant: the rainbow (vv.13-15) 4. God's obligation: He will never again destroy the world with water (v.11) 5. Noah et al's obligation: none 6. Fulfillment: Since then there has not been a flood that has consumed the world D. Genesis 17: The Covenant with Abraham 1. Covenanting Parties: God and Abram/Abraham (vv.1-4) and also God with Abraham's offspring (vv. 7-14) 2. Conditional or not conditional: conditional on Abraham's previous and future obedience to God (v. 1); also the faithfulness of Abraham's offspring to their covenant (vv. 7-11) 3. Sign of the covenant: circumcision (v. 10) 4. God's obligation: to multiply Abraham greatly, to make Abraham a father of many nations, the land of Canaan to his offspring, and to have covenants with his offspring (vv. 2, 4-10) 5. Abraham's Obligation: Faithfulness to God (vv. 1-2) 6. Abraham's Offsprings' Obligation: Faithfulness to their covenant with God (vv. 8-11) 7. Fulfillment: Abraham is a father of the nations of Edom and Israel directly and Abraham's descendants through Isaac and Jacob receive the land of Canaan and also a covenant with God through Moses. All of the promises of blessings, however, are ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Exodus 20, Joshua, Galatians 3:15-18) E. Exodus 20-24: The Covenant with the Israelites 1. Covenanting Parties: God and the Israelites (Exodus 19) 2. Conditional or not Conditional: Conditional on the faithfulness of the Israelites (Exodus 24:8) 3. Sign of the covenant: circumcision (Joshua 5:4-7) 4. God's Obligations: Israel as His people, giving them the land of Canaan for a possession, driving out the previous inhabitants and protecting the Israelites there (Exodus 19:4-6, 23:20-33) 5. Israelite Obligation: Obey the Law of Moses (Exodus 19:5) 6. Fulfillment: The land of Canaan given to the Israelites; when faithful, they were successful, when unfaithful, either subjugated or exiled from Canaan; the whole Law and the covenant were fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Joshua, Judges 2:16-23, 2 Kings 17:7-23, Matthew 5:17-18). F. 2 Samuel 7: The Covenant with David 1. Covenanting Parties: God with David and his descendants (vv. 11-16) 2. Conditional or not Conditional: conditional on David's previous faithfulness and prosperity conditional on later descendants' obedience (vv. 11-16) 3. Sign of the covenant: none given 4. God's Obligations: Establishment of the House of David, that David's descendants would maintain the kingdom, and that David's throne would be established forever (vv. 11, 16) 5. David and his Descendants' Obligation: obedience to God (v. 14) 6. Fulfillment: The house of David ruled over Judah until the Babylonian Captivity in 586 BCE because of Judah's idolatry; ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ (2 Chronicles 36:17-21, Acts 2:36). G. The Covenant with Jesus Christ 1. Covenanting Parties: God through His Son Jesus Christ with all mankind (Hebrews 9:15-28) 2. Conditional or not Conditional: conditional on faithfulness of man to His Gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:6- 9, Hebrews 10:28-31) 3. Sign of the covenant: baptism (Romans 6:3-7, Galatians 3:27) 4. God's Obligations: Remission of previous sins, forgiveness of sins when repentance and prayer for forgiveness is made, fellowship, and an eternal home in Heaven in His presence (Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 3:21, 1 John 1:9, 1 John 1:3, Matthew 25:31-46). 5. Man's Obligations: Obedient faith in Him (Romans 1:5, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9, Hebrews 10:22-39, James 2:14- 26) 6. Fulfillment: Forgiveness of previous sin and present sin assured to the baptized, penitent, repentant believer; all will be finally fulfilled at the Judgment (Acts 2:38, 1 John 1:9, Acts 17:30-31, Hebrews 9:27-28) H. Now that we have examined the covenants in the Bible, let us now draw conclusions that we may understand the importance of covenant IV. Understanding Biblical Covenant A. A covenant is bound on specific parties 1. This may seem evident, and it ought to be: a covenant is an agreement bound on two parties, and therefore any given covenant cannot be forced upon a party that was not previously bound 2. This is completely lost, however, when dealing with Biblical covenants, for many desire to bind many of the laws of the covenant with the Israelites upon Christians today! a. it is obvious from the book of Exodus that the two parties are God and Israel; therefore, whatever is bound in that covenant is not bound on Gentiles b. this was the finding of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles, and the elders in Jerusalem in Acts 15 c. Issues, therefore, such as the Sabbath and food laws and circumcision should not exist in Christianity 3. Let us, therefore, remember that covenants are bound only upon the two covenanting parties, and no one else B. God has made both conditional and unconditional covenants 1. An unconditional covenant, like the one with Noah and his children and all animals (essentially, every living creature on the Earth), is that there will be no more worldwide floods, no matter what man does 2. All other covenants God has made have been dependent on the faithfulness of the human party to Him a. If Abraham were unfaithful to God, then God could easily have removed His blessings from him b. The Israelites were unfaithful to God, and they were both subjugated by neighboring peoples and sent away into captivity 3. Many in "Christendom" today, however, will say that no matter what Christians may do, God will still save them a. how does this work with the understanding of covenant gained from the Bible? b. since we understand the nature of covenant-- and thus verses like Hebrews 10:22-39-- we know that the promises of the covenant are only ours if we are faithful to our obligations in the covenant 4. As Abraham and the Israelites needed to be faithful to the covenant to obtain their promises, so do we C. As with secular covenants, unfaithfulness in one party releases the other party from its obligations 1. When Israel sinned against God, God was released from His promise to maintain them in the land of Canaan, and thus He did twice, in 586 BCE and also in 70/122 CE. 2. With this witness for us, shall we not see that if we are unfaithful to the Gospel of Christ that God is thus released from His excellent promises to us? D. Covenants, once fulfilled by a later covenant, are superceded 1. This truth comes to us from Galatians 3:15, Matthew 5:17-18, Hebrews 7:12-14, and Hebrews 9:15-28. 2. We see this in the case of Abraham and Israel: the covenant with Israel fulfilled the promises of the covenant of Abraham that his seed would inhabit Canaan, and therefore that promise was superceded 3. This is true of the covenant with Abraham, Israel, and David in regards to Jesus Christ, for He is the fulfillment of all three 4. Are these three covenants, therefore, in force? a. Abraham and David are both in the ground. b. Jesus Christ, as the fulfillment of the previous covenant, guarantees that His covenant supercedes all previous covenants and becomes the normative covenant 5. Therefore, the covenant with God through Jesus Christ is the only covenant in force and bound to mankind today a. this is the message of Ephesians 2:11-16, Colossians 2:14-16, and Hebrews 7:12-14, 8, 9:15- 28 6. This means that physical Israel is not necessarily the people of God a. the land promise, fulfilled previously, does not need continual fulfillment; hence the Israelites have no valid claim to the land of Canaan b. The Law of Moses, therefore, is no longer in effect, and for one to adhere to it is to fall from the grace of Christ and to return to bondage per Galatians 5:1-4 c. Salvation, therefore, only comes to Israelites as it does with the Gentiles, through obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ (cf. Romans 1-4) 7. This is lost on many in the denominational world a. belief in the Sabbath, food laws, etc. based on belief in either "one covenant" or that only part of the Law was modified b. If only one covenant, then, we are all condemned as sinners since the blood of Christ cannot reach us (Romans 2-3) c. If only portions modified, where does it say so? The Law says that you must obey all of it or be condemned (Deuteronomy 4:2, Galatians 3:10-11). We all would thus stand as condemned under a covenant that was not bound on us in the first place! 8. Chants of Malachi 3:6, that the LORD does not change, does not help them, for Malachi speaks of God's nature, not His commands for man. a. We know this because we see many changes: no divorce (Genesis 2:24) --> divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1-4) --> divorce for sexual immorality only (Matthew 19:9) b. Also no circumcision --> circumcision (Genesis 17) --> no circumcision (Galatians 5:1-7) 9. We see, therefore, that our covenant with Christ effectively supercedes all previous covenants and the New Testament is now our rule of faith V. Conclusion/Invitation A. We have now thoroughly examined the concept of covenant 1. We have seen what a covenant is and how men have made covenants 2. We have examined the covenants in the Bible 3. We have seen that the only covenant to which we are amenable is the one with Christ, and that only from the New Testament are we to find what we must do to obey Him. B. Let no man, either Jew or Greek or American, be deceived: the only covenant which you must obey is the one with Christ C. Many of His obligations in the covenant have been fulfilled, for He has died for your sins and He is waiting to forgive you of those sins and to bring you to Heaven with Him D. All you must do is be obedient to His Gospel, the Word of God, and you can begin to do that by believing in Him, confessing Him before men, repenting of your sins, and be immersed in water for the remission of those sins E. Perhaps you have already entered this covenant and have put on Christ and His covenant yet have not been faithful to Him; if you turn and repent, the covenant will remain in full force for you F. If we can help you in either way, let us please do so as we stand and sing