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Covenant (Special Relationship with God)
Meaning
Covenant is a word used to signify a special relationship with God. A relationship which is initiated by God’s choosing. In other words, it’s a relationship between God and God’s chosen people. There are many such covenants throughout Biblical history. The concept of a covenant (or binding relationships) is important to our understanding of the Bible, as well as our understanding of God and future events. The basis of a covenant is an agreement with God and those whom He chooses. And in special cases like God’s covenant with Israel, God can make a one-sided covenant where the responsibility to keep or maintain the covenant rest solely upon Him.
A covenant is more than just an agreement, they are usually forever binding and have responsibilities for both parties. However, they are best understood in the context of a relationship with binding responsibilities. Much like a marriage, both parties are bound together by the covenant. Some of the more significant covenants of the Bible include the Noahic Covenant, the Mosaic Covenant and the Abrahamic Covenant. This covenant was made with Abraham and renewed with Isaac and Jacob. There is also the Davidic Covenant and most importantly, we have the New Covenant. The New Covenant is God’s gift of grace for those who place their faith in Jesus alone for salvation. Also, we should mention one of the attributes of God, specifically His immutability. This special attribute of God means God doesn’t change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. This is important to remember, because it means His covenants never change. Because of God’s immutability they are forever binding.
“Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: ‘And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ And God said: ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.” (Book of Genesis 9:8-13)
“Then He said to him, ‘I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.’ And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: ‘To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.'” (Book of Genesis 15:7,17-21)
“And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever.” (Book of 1st Chronicles 17:11-14)