The covenant idea—that God makes promises to his people based on his character rather than on theirs—permeates the entire Bible. In fact, the very structuring of our Bibles—Old Testament (or Old “Covenant”) and New Testament (New “Covenant”)—demonstrates the significance of the covenant theme. Yet the covenant structure of the Bible is even more pervasive than the Old/New Testament division indicates. As a reader attends to this covenant structure, the story of the Bible itself is ordered. Further, the very substance of the covenant becomes clear: Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, is the central blessing of the covenant; in and through him God condescends to be our God, that we might have him as our blessedness and reward.
Covenant Structure
Beginning with Noah, covenants structure the unfolding of biblical history. God announces his covenant to Noah as the representative of a new humanity to emerge after the flood (Gen. 6:18). After the flood, God extends the covenant to all creation through Noah as the representative: never again will creation be destroyed through a flood (Gen. 9:9–11). To assure creation of this promise, God gives a covenant sign, the rainbow; when God sees the bow, he promises to remember his covenant (Gen. 9:12–17).
These same elements—God’s initiating the covenant with a representative, making specific promises, and giving a sign—are present in many other covenants as well. With Abraham, God covenants to make him a great nation (evidenced in land and a successor), to give him a great name, and to bless all the families of the earth through him and his posterity (Gen. 12:1–3). In the rest of Abraham’s story, these covenant promises are reiterated (Gen. 15:1–11), with the addition of the covenant sign, circumcision (Gen. 17:1–14). God extends the covenant to Abraham’s posterity, first Isaac (Gen. 26:1–5) and then Jacob (Gen. 28:13–15), to assure his people that he will keep his promises.
After the Israelites’ sojourn in Egypt, God leads them out of Egypt toward the Promised Land. As he does so, he establishes a covenant through Moses, the covenant mediator and representative of God’s people. Having redeemed his people, God through his covenant instructs them in how they are to live in the Promised Land (Exodus 19–24). If God’s people keep the covenant requirements, they will experience the blessings of God’s covenant (the covenant itself is irrevocable, since it is initiated and maintained by God) and will be a blessing to all the families of the earth as a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6). However, if they fail to keep the covenant, they will experience judgment and exile (Deut. 28:15–68) as God brings them to repentance. God gives a covenant sign—Passover—meant to remind and teach God’s people of both the cost of their redemption and the call to holiness summarized in the Mosaic covenant (Exodus 12).
With David, God restates the promises he had made to Abraham. In 2 Samuel 7, God promises David a great name (v. 9) and nation (evidenced in the land and a promise of a male successor; vv. 10–12). But God goes further and promises David that, despite his own personal failings, from his line will come a forever king who will rule a forever kingdom (7:13, 16). This is the way all the families of the earth will be blessed: a son of David, a son of Abraham, will rule forever.
These covenants—with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, and through them with creation and God’s people—serve to structure the biblical story as it unfolds in the Old Testament. However, Israel’s failure to keep covenant with God brings upon them the promised curses—judgment and exile—and raises questions about how God will keep his promises, especially that of a Davidic king who will rule God’s people forever and bless the nations.
During the exile, God explains the covenant in a new way, identifying this “new covenant” by pointing toward his future plans. In Jeremiah 31 especially, God promises that his covenant revelation will be understood better: his law will be written on his people’s hearts, their sins will be forgiven as God wipes it from his accounts, each person will be a teacher for another, and, above all, God will be their God. He promises not to forsake his people (vv. 31–40). Thus, the Old Testament ends with a new understanding of God’s covenant promises—actually an extension of the previous covenants.
Covenant Substance
This is why the opening words of Matthew’s Gospel are significant: they announce “Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matt. 1:1). All that the Old Testament covenants promise is realized in Jesus the Messiah. Through Jesus, the creation is liberated from its bondage to decay and a new heaven and a new earth will arise (Rom. 8:18–25; Eph. 1:7–10); all the families of the earth are blessed as God’s promises to Abraham are extended to Gentiles as well as to Jews (Gal. 3:1–14); God gains a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, through the blood of a spotless lamb (John 1:29; 1 Pet. 1:17–19; 2:1–10; Rev. 1:5b–6); God establishes his rule over his world through his forever king ruling a forever kingdom (Luke 17:20–21); and the blessings of the new covenant are secured for those who trust in him (Hebrews 8).
The central promise of the various covenants—“I will be your God; you shall be my people”—is realized in and through Jesus (Ex. 6:7; Jer. 7:23; 11:4; 30:22; Ezek. 36:28; Rev. 21:7). He is the God-man, the One who gives himself for his people that he might give himself to them. And we are his blood-bought people (Acts 20:28), claimed for all eternity as his own, signs and agents of his redemptive work until he makes his world new. He is not simply the representative with whom God ultimately makes covenant; Jesus is the ultimate blessing of the covenant, the substance of all that God has promised his people.
Key Themes:
Jesus. Jesus is God, the “I am.” He existed before the creation of the world, and he has supernatural knowledge. He fulfills the Jewish festivals and institutions. As the sent Son of God, he reflects the Sender. Signs and witnesses demonstrate that he is the Messiah.
The Trinity. Father, Son, and Spirit are united in their work of revelation and redemption.
Salvation. God is sovereign in salvation. Jesus’ death is the basis of salvation, which is obtained through believing in the living Jesus as the Son of God
Eternal Life. Jesus is the giver of eternal life. Believers can experience some of salvation’s benefits during this present evil age.
Mission. Believers are called to continue Jesus’ mission.
References:
All contents are reposted from ESV.org.
“Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.
All rights reserved.”
Commentaires