Video Transcript: Our Covenanting God

Last time we saw that reconciliation with God can never happen, except for the  grace of God by which he gives sinners a desire to repent of sin, and the ability  to do so and take advantage of the Atonement offered by Christ. Today we  continue with this matter reconciliation by looking at the various covenants God  has entered into with those he has claimed as his own. The scriptures of the Old Testament make clear that our God is a covenanting God, a God who enters  into partnership with people. We don't often use the word covenant today, but  when we do, we're usually talking about more or less equal partners who make  promises to each other, and then seal the promises in some appropriate way.  For example, with binding those are signatures, sometimes notarized.  Marriages, lease agreements, international treaties, these are all modern forms  of covenants. The parties in the Old Testament covenants, however, were not  equal, how could they be? After all, God is the creator and sovereign of the  universe, and able to do whatever he wants. But although God needed no  partners, he wanted them. And so he initiated several binding though unequal  covenants with various people in Old Testament times. These covenants were  styled after two categories of governance, known in the ancient world, Royal  grant covenants and Suzerain-vassal covenants both presupposed a big  disparity between the parties involved. The first was between a king or  sovereign and his subjects. The second was between a superior king or nation  and a less powerful king or nation, bound in some way to serve the former.  Royal grants were grants of land or other such gifts to those the king was  pleased with, and such grants were typically given without conditions. Suzerain  vassal covenants, on the other hand, were conditional on the vassals continuing loyalty and service. faithful service resulted in blessings, while disobedience and rebellion resulted in punishments. With this background, let's look at some of the covenants God made. One is God's covenant with Noah Genesis 9:8-17. After  the flood that destroyed the ancient world, God promised Noah and his  descendants that he would never again destroy the world with a flood. It was  clear that God wanted Noah's continuing service for he gave him the same  command he'd given Adam and Eve in the beginning, Be fruitful, and increase  the number and fill the earth. Here's before. This was not permission to live  without regard to God, but to live in continuing dependence on him while  enjoying the privileges and exercising the responsibilities God had given.  Nevertheless, God didn't tie his promise to Noah's obedience he gave  unconditionally. God's covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15:9-21. Sometime  after God's, or Abraham is called by God, and after his move to the land where  God told him to go, he received the seal of God's promises in a special  ceremony. Before that point, Abraham and God were not officially bound to each other. But by the sealing ceremony, both parties became bound in a covenant  relationship. Abraham had been wondering if and when God was ever going to  fulfill his previous promise to give him and Sarah and heir. In fact, he had 

already sort of given up on it and had been making plans to pass on his estate  to his chief servant Eliezer. But God gave Abraham a vision in which he  repeated his promise of a son from Abraham's own body, and countless  descendants through that son. These descendants God said, furthermore, would take possession of the land to which Abraham had been led. Abraham  wondered how he can know this would happen. And that's when the Lord took  him through this solemn ceremony that would make God's promises binding  Genesis 15:9-10 says, The Lord said to Abraham, bring me a heifer, a goat and  a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon, Abram  brought all these to him, cut them in two and arrange the halves opposite each  other. The birds However, he did not cut in half. Well, this preparation was  according to the custom in such covenants, animals would be cut in half and  then the parties to the covenant would walk together between the halves to  signify their blood oath that they were willing to die rather than violate the  covenant. The unique thing in this covenant ceremony was that in Abraham's  vision, it was not the parties to the covenant God and Abraham who passed  between the pieces, but a smoking firepot and a blazing torch. This might be a  little puzzling to us. But Abraham knew what it meant smoke and fire were both  symbolic of the presence of God, who later led the Israelites through the  wilderness by a pillar of smoke and fire, and when God And when Moses met  with God to receive the law, Exodus 19:18, tells us Mount Sinai was covered  with smoke, because the Lord had descended on it in fire. And so the smoke  and the fire both representing God who by himself, passed between the divided  animals, and thereby making himself solely responsible for keeping the  covenant, both his part and Abraham's part. Abraham's promise to serve the  Lord was certainly implied by His very presence here in this land and his  concern for his heirs to keep covenant with God. But God was doing all the  promising here that makes this an unconditional promise of God very, like the  promise he made to Noah that there would never be another world destroying  flood. I've made this point elsewhere, but it bears repeating, that this promise of  God to Abraham of many descendants and the land of possess forever, finds  ultimate and continuing fulfillment in Christ. He is the everlasting home for all of  Abraham's spiritual descendants, as Galatians 3:29 says, If you belong to  Christ, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. God  revisited Abraham about 15 years after this covenant ceremony to repeat his  promises, and also to tell Abraham of his responsibilities. While Abraham had  known earlier than he was obligated to obey the Lord. But God was explicit now  about his expectations of Abraham and his descendants. This is in Genesis  17:10-13. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you the  covenant you are to keep. Every male among you shall be circumcised, you are  to undergo circumcision. It will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. This version of God's

covenant with Abraham is more like a Suzerain vassal treaty with certain  conditions to be fulfilled. So the Abrahamic covenant is really a combination of  unconditional and conditional promises. As to the former God himself stood in  for Abraham ensuring that he in his descendants, those with his faith, would  always enjoy God's blessings. But they also had an obligation to be blameless in their lives and keep the terms of the Covenant, the first sign of that obedience  they would carry in their flesh. Circumcision was to be the outward sign of a  heart and life devoted to serving God. It would cost Abraham and his  descendants something to serve God, just like the rest of their lifelong  obedience or faith, it would cost him some blood, pain and effort. The flesh that  was cut away symbolized the removal of sin. That's why later Old Testament  writers referred to the spiritual reality behind physical circumcision. And, and the  prophets urged the people of God to circumcise their hearts, not to actually cut a piece off but to remove the sin from their inner beings. Circumcision then was a  great reminder of how much God valued an obedient heart and neglect was a  sign that one despise God. And that's why God commanded that whoever  remained uncircumcised was forever be cut off from the people of God. But  mere outward circumcision wasn't enough for if one had cut flesh and an impure heart, he would also be cut off from God and His people. This means that  although physical circumcision is no longer a requirement for God's people  today, spiritual circumcision is, in fact, to come to God through Jesus Christ is to  be spiritually circumcised the Colossians 2:11-12 The apostle Paul says in him  you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands.  Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by  Christ. Having been Buried with him in baptism in which you were also raised  with Him through your faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead.  Another important covenant in the Old Testament and one that followed from  God's covenant with Abraham was the Mosaic or Sinai covenant, described in  Exodus 19-24, and summarized in Deuteronomy 11. In other places. Well, the  opening chapters of Exodus tell of God's preparations for getting Abraham's  descendants to the place where he can make his covenant with them. They had  just a shadowy memory of one God who ruled all the earth and heaven and who had made a promise to father Abraham to make him into a nation and give them a land of his own. And they also knew that God required circumcision as a sign  of allegiance. But they didn't know much more than this. Oh, no, they were  pretty ignorant about God and what he wanted. Before God could make an  effective covenant with Abraham descendants had to deliver them from Egypt,  where the Pharaoh was regarded as the head of a pantheon of gods, but there  was no appreciation for the one true God. So the Lord raised up Moses to lead  the Exodus. Afterwards at Mount Sinai, God told the people why he had done it.  Exodus 19:4-6. He said, You yourself, have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I  carry you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. 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, you will be for me a kingdom of  priests, and a holy nation. You can see that this was a covenant with conditions.  If you obey Me fully, then you will be my treasured possession. The conditions  included God's 10 commandments and many other rules all of them designed to keep the people in a good relationship with the God who had rescued them, and to help Israel serve as God's representatives to the rest of the world. Exodus  24:4-11 describes the covenant confirmation ceremony. It began with Moses  building an altar at the foot of Mount Sinai in setting up 12 stone pillars,  representing the tribes of Israel. After offering sacrifices, Moses read the book of the covenant to the people, and they responded by committing to obey  everything that the Lord had said. And then Moses sprinkled blood on the  people as a sign of the significance of the oath. They were making a blood oath.  Afterwards, Israel's leaders were permitted to see God without dying, and eat  and drink in His presence. It was a glimpse they were provided a glimpse of the  sort of relationship God wanted with a whole nation, which was symbolized  further by the tabernacle God commissioned for the middle of Israel's camp. The Book of Deuteronomy is especially concerned with spelling out the curses and  blessings associated respectively with disobedience and obedience to the  covenant. The blessings included health and well being for children, livestock  crops, and so on. Plus protection from enemies prosperity, and as God put it  success in all you do, and the curses were just the opposite. They spell disaster  for children, livestock and crops as well as lack of protection from enemies,  poverty, failure, disease, slavery, sorrow, pain, scorn, and disobedience would  inevitably leave the people despairing and terrorized. In Leviticus 26:33, God  tells people that if they break his covenant, I will scatter you among the nations,  and will draw my sword and pursue you your land will be laid waste in your cities will lie in ruins. And yet, a little farther in the same chapter, verses 44-45, God  says, Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not  reject them or abhor them, so as to destroy them completely breaking my  covenant with them. I am the Lord their God. But for their sake, I will remember  the covenant with their ancestors who am whom I brought out of Egypt, in the  sight of the nations to be their God, I am the Lord. So although the Mosaic  Covenant was conditional, there was also an unconditional aspect to it. To put it  in a nutshell, God was telling them if you disobey my law, you'll pay the penalty  for it. But that doesn't mean I'm going to give up on the idea of teaching people  to serve and love me, I'll know ever give up on that, in consideration of the  blessings and curses associated with this covenant, Moses exhorted the people. For example, one place, Deuteronomy 30:11-20. And just a few excerpts from  that passage. I command you today to love the Lord your God to walk in his  ways and keep his commands. And then you will live an increase in the Lord  your God will bless you. But if your heart turns away and you're not obedient, if 

you are drawn away to bow down other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. I've set before you life and death,  blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live  and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice and hold fast to him for the Lord is your life, and He will give you many years in the land. Presumably the people chose life for Moses arrange for a successor Joshua, who had  assumed the leadership for the next stage in Israel's journey, the conquest of  Canaan. And while Joseph was Joshua was alive, although life was not without  considerable hardships, Israel remained more or less faithful and as a result  experienced many blessings. But after Joshua died, the situation deteriorated.  And instead of unified obedience, the book of Judges tells us there were  repeated and extended periods of time when everyone did as he saw fit. And  one of the better times in Israel's history was during the reign of David, with  whom God made another significant covenant. This took the form of an  unconditional royal grant covenant in which God promised to bless David's  family line and assured him of a kingdom that would never end. II Samuel 7:12- 13. God said, when your days are over, and you rest with your ancestors, I will  raise up your offspring to succeed you your own flesh and blood and I will  establish His kingdom. He is the one who will build the house for my name, and  I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. David would later understand  that Solomon was the guarantor of his dynasty and the one who Fulfilled God's  promise. And Solomon did build a house a temple that David had in mind. But  David perhaps could not have foreseen an even greater offspring who would  himself be the temple of God, and who would have an everlasting kingdom. But  this is just what they angel who announced Jesus's birth to Mary told her in Luke 1:32-33, he will be right and will be called the Son of the Most High, the Lord  God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over Jacob's  descendants forever His kingdom will never end. Christ reigns now, in the one  who is the eternal and perfect temple of God also makes those who follow Him,  share in his glory, as the Apostle Paul put it to the Corinthian Christians. I  Corinthians 3:16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple, and that  God's Spirit dwells in your midst. However, it was a long road between God's  promise to David and the fulfillment of this covenant in Jesus Christ. Although  the line of David continued unbroken, and some of his descendants were faithful to lead God's people in covenant faithfulness, many others were disobedient  and people suffered as a result. Eventually the nation became so disobedient  that God allowed its destruction. The people were exiled from the promised land  and, and both Jerusalem and God's temple were destroyed. For a time it  appeared that God's plan for Israel to be for him a kingdom of priests and holy  nation was dead. It never was though. Even during the disintegration and  destruction visited upon God's people for dishonoring, the covenant the prophet  Jeremiah spoke of God's plan to bring them back to kept from captivity, 

Jeremiah 31:16-17. And also his plan to establish a new covenant with them. Let me read a couple of verses here from Jeremiah from verses 31 to 34. 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 will not be like a covenant I made with our ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt because they broke my covenant. So I was a husband to them, declares the Lord. 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. No longer will they teach their neighbors 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. Hebrews, the book of Hebrews makes clear in  chapters 8-9, that Christ is a mediator of this new covenant that Jeremiah spoke of. And it also comparison glories of the Mosaic Covenant, that covenant  involved a fearful meeting between a holy God and an unholy people. But the  New Covenant involves a joyful meeting with God because of the perfect  sacrifice for sin offered by Jesus and mediator of it. But you have come Hebrews 12:22-24 says, You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the  heavenly Jerusalem, you have come to 1000s upon 1000s of angels in joyful  assembly, to the church of the Firstborn whose names are written in heaven,  you have come to Job, God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect to Jesus and mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. This new covenant, thus helps  explain what God was working toward in all the other covenants he made. We  who are in Christ are called and enabled to be the faithful people God had in  mind all along and we have a glorious future with him.