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A biblical covenant may be defined as a promise by God, formalised in a legal agreement with benefits for adhering to and penalties for violating the terms, that is solemnised by a sacrifice and guaranteed by an oath. In biblical times the making of covenants was common, such as between persons, clans or nations, and the concept was well understood.
Such treaties or covenants could ether be between equal parties (individuals or groups) for mutual benefit, called ‘parity’ covenants, or ‘suzerain’ covenants where one party was superior and dictated the terms, which can only be accepted or rejected in their entirety, and in which the other party could be severely penalised for violating.
In the Old Testament the Hebrew word used for covenant is berit, which also used for a wide variety of oath-binding commitments, including personal agreements, business arrangements, pledges, marriages, clan alliances and national treaties. In the New Testament the Greek word used for covenant is diatheke which describes a grant of possessions and rights by a party with absolute power to define the terms which the other party can only accept or reject, but not change the terms.
There are several examples of covenants (berit) between different persons, or persons and groups in the Bible:
Abraham and Abimelech (Genesis 21:22-34) to avoid conflict and to agree ownership of a well.
Jacob and Laban (Genesis 31:44-54) not to harm each other.
Joshua and the people of Gibeon (Joshua 9:15-19) Joshua was tricked into making a peace treaty with the Gibeonites guaranteeing their safety.
Abner and David (2 Samuel 3:1-13) where Abner, a powerful leader of those loyal to Saul, changed sides to support David, which led to David making a covenant with the elders of Israel who then anointed him king of Israel (2 Samuel 5:3).
David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18:1-4) made a covenant because of their friendship, which was extended to their heirs (2 Samuel 21:7).
2 Samuel 21:7 The king spared Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth, who was Saul’s grandson, because of the oath David and Jonathan had sworn before the Lord.
The Bible refers to 5 specific covenants, all of which were initiated by God:
1. Noah
Made in 2,348 BC (Genesis 6:18, 8:20-22, 9:8-17) by God with Noah and his descendants (all humanity) just after the flood, as a universal, everlasting, and unconditional covenant, and in which the rainbow was given as a sign. Noah offered a sacrifice of animals and birds (Genesis 8:20-21).
Genesis 9:8-11 Then God told Noah and his sons, “I hereby confirm my covenant with you and your descendants, 10 and with all the animals that were on the boat with you – the birds, the livestock, and all the wild animals – every living creature on earth. 11 Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth.”
2. Abraham
Made 1,913 BC (Genesis 12:1-3, 15:13-18, 17:1-14, 19, 23:15-18) by God with Abram (his name was then changed to Abraham) and through him the nation of Israel, and its blessings are now available to all through faith (Romans 4:11). Right back in Genesis God had promised that all the families of the world would be blessed through the physical line of Abraham (Genesis 12:3; 22:17-18).
Genesis 12:3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.
Genesis 22:17-18 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. 18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed – all because you have obeyed me.”
This is a reference to the Messiah, who would come from the line of Abraham. Hence this too is an universal, everlasting, and unconditional covenant, with the sign of circumcision of the flesh (Genesis 17:11) and of the heart (Romans 2:29).
Genesis 17:4-5 “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations.
As part of this covenant, God also promised to give Abraham the land of Canaan, on which Israel was established, referred to as the ‘Land Covenant’ or (incorrectly) the ‘Palestine Covenant’ (Genesis 15:1-21 and confirmed in Genesis 17:8). The geographical boundaries of the promised land are laid out in Genesis 12:7; 13:14-15; and especially 15:18-21).
Genesis 15:18-21 So the LORD made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River – the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”
3. Moses
This covenant was in effect from 1,491 BC to AD 33 (Exodus 19:5-8, 24:3-8, 31:13-17). It was made by God with the nation of Israel (Exodus 19:5-7, Romans 2:12, 19), in which they were given the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) and all the laws (Exodus 24:3-8, 31:13-17). The blessings promised under this covenant were conditional on their obedience to the law (Deuteronomy 5:32, 28:1-14) with curses for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). The sign was observance of the sabbath (Exodus 31:13), and this covenant was abolished with the death of Christ (Acts 13:38-39, Galatians 3:24-25). This covenant is called the Old Covenant, or the Mosaic covenant after Moses, and because it was made at Mount Sinai it is also sometimes called the Sinai Covenant.
Exodus 19:5-6 Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.
Exodus 34:27 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write down all these instructions, for they represent the terms of the covenant I am making with you and with Israel.”
4. David
Made in 1,042 BC (2 Samuel 7:1-29, Psalm 89:3-37) by God with David and his seed, as a unilateral, unconditional and everlasting covenant, the sign being Christ’s resurrection and enthronement (Acts 3:30-33) and to be finally fulfilled when Jesus ascends David’s throne in the Millennium (Luke 1:32-33).
Psalm 89:3-4 The LORD said, “I have made a covenant with David, my chosen servant. I have sworn this oath to him: ‘I will establish your descendants as kings forever; they will sit on your throne from now until eternity.’”
Luke 1:32-33 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
5. The New Covenant
This is also called the Messianic Covenant, and commenced in 33 AD with the crucifixion of Jesus. (Isaiah 59:20-21, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ezekiel 36:24-31, 37:26-28, Hebrews 8:8-12, 10:15-18).
It was made by God as a unilateral, unconditional and everlasting covenant, to be accepted and enjoyed by faith by all believers spiritually now, and to be enjoyed by ethnic converted Israel at Christ’s return, both spiritually and physically (Jeremiah 31:33, Ezekiel 36:28, 37:14, 37: 24-28, 39:25-29). The sign or symbol is the bread and the wine (Matthew 26:26-28, 1 Corinthians 11:23-25). This covenant superseded and entirely replace the Old Covenant and all the laws that God gave Moses (Hebrews 8:13, Galatians 3:13-14, 3:19, 24-25, 5:1-4) and is open to all believers in Jesus Christ, whether Jew or Gentile.
Galatians 5:1-4 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. 2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favour with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. 4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.
Hebrews 10:16-18 “This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.
How were covenant ceremonies conducted?
In the Old Testament, the English phrase “make a covenant” is most often a translation of the Hebrew kārat berît, which literally means “cut a covenant”.
Abraham
When God Told Abram that he would have a son and that his descendants woudl be as numerous as the stars, and then confirmed it with a covenant (Genesis 15:1-21).
Genesis 15:9-10 The Lord told him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 So Abram presented all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side; he did not, however, cut the birds in half.
Moses
When God made the covenant with Moses he was told to climb Mount Sinai and there he received all the laws and commandments (Exodus 24:1-18).
Exodus 24:4-8 Exo 24:4 Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.” 8 Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
David and Jonathan
David and Jonathan formed a strong bond of friendship, which they formalised as a covenant, and which endured despite the attempts of Saul, Jonathan’s father, to kill David.
1 Samuel 18:1 NIV After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2 From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.
Note that the ‘love’ between David and Jonathan was one of strong friendship, and not sexual. We should not forget that homosexual acts under the Old Covenant were regarded as ‘a detestable sin’ (Leviticus 18:22) and were punishable by death (Leviticus 20:13).
Leviticus 20:13 “If a man practices homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, both men have committed a detestable act. They must both be put to death, for they are guilty of a capital offense.
Friends
The partners in a covenant relationship refer to each other as friends. In societies where covenant-making was practiced and understood there was no higher honour than to be called “friend.” Because of the covenant God made with him, God referred to Abraham as His friend (2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8-10; James 2:23). Jesus also called his followers His “friends” (John 15:12-15). Because of our covenant relationship with God, we too can be His friends – what an honour!
2 Chronicles 20:7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?
James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.
John 15:12-15 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Note that the ‘love’ stated here is ‘agapē’. The Greek word “agape” is used in the New Testament to describe a form of love that is both selfless and unconditional. It is often used to denote the love of God for people, as well as the reciprocal love of people for God.
Dr Brian Drury
