Biblical Meaning of the Covenant, Term Paper Example

Covenant in Bible is an agreement between God and his people in which Lord entrusts some promises. The word itself in the Old Testament appears as the Hebrew word “berith” and is used almost 300 times in a variety of contexts. The active meaning of covenant in each situation is not hard to understand, yet the original meaning of the tem is not easy to establish. From the roots interpretation of “berith” it is said to derive from the word “obligation” or from eating a meal in the specific context of sacrifice being offered to the deity.  Another views lead to thinking that the origin of the word to come from words “to determine”, “to perceive” with the basic idea of “vision”. However, the scholarship weight comes upon the interpretation of “berith” as a “bond” from the root “bara” that stands for “to bind”.

“Covenant is generally defined as a special kind of agreement or contract, between men, or man and God”. (Canada Free Press) Since covenants in Bible usually are of religious nature, it is not difficult to understand its general idea. However, there are different types of “berith”. In Ezekiel 17:13 the king of Babylon is in control of the covenant he makes and its conditions. This example of setting one of Zedekiah’s seeds in king’s place shows surrender of the freedom of the superior to the inferior. Another kind of covenant is a parity one where the two parties bind themselves by a particular oath. Such include covenants between Abraham and Abimelech, Laban and Jacob or Issac and Abimelech. There exist covenants where one serves as the patron of another and those are the covenants between God and Israel. Lord not solely acts as the patron but also gives particular promises. Therefore, the general idea of the covenants is that of the arrangements, contract, pact or an agreement.

The covenants as they appear in Bible can be divided into two kinds. First are those that are made between the people without reference to Lord. This type usually involved giving promise before God. Another type of covenants are the agreements with God or those issued from God. The concept of this kind of pacts is of the most significant theological truths of the Bible. By making an agreement with Abraham, Lord gave a promise to bless and to make his descendants special people. Abraham from his side was to remain honest and faithful with God and to serve as a unique channel for Lord’s communication with the human world. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing”. (Gen 12:2) Before Abraham Lord made a covenant with a man named Noah and promised him he will never again destroy the world by flood. Another important covenant between God and man was between God and David. Lord established David and his descendants as the royal heirs of the throne of Israel nation. This agreement reached its highest and most significant fulfillment when Jesus of the line of David was born in the city of Bethlehem.

Covenant in Bible means much more than a plain agreement or a contract. While contacts have expiry dates or involved one person’s part, as for instance, a skill, covenant covers total human being and does not have time boundaries.  In the Old Testament the word for covenant also gives additional insight on its deep meaning. It originates from the Hebrew word that means “to cut”. This translation explains why the two people usually passed through the cut bodies of animals having made an agreement. Often the two parties would share a holy meal together. In case of Moses, he sprinkles animal blood on people who made covenant with God and the altar.

The Old Testament has numerous examples of agreements made between the people who were equals. For instance, Jonathan and David made a covenant out of their true love for each other. The agreement bears specific responsibilities and God does not break the promised. His pledge to lift up believing children to Abraham stays as an eternal covenant.

The New Testament gives clear distinction between the covenants of the promise and of law. It was apostle Paul who spoke of these two types noting that one originated from the Mount Sinai and the other one from the Jerusalem and above. Paul spoke of Mount Sinai covenant, the Law, as of “condemnation” and “ministry of death”, namely an agreement that cannot be possible obeyed due to the man’s sin and weaknesses. Covenant of promise, however, is the one where Lord guarantees that he will offer salvation to the men who cannot keep their promise due to their won sins. In case with Abraham, God blessed his descendants because of his faith and honesty. In the example with Noah God gave a promise and kept the judgment of the nature away while the salvation took place.

Alongside with these numerous covenants of promise occurred one of grace that was fulfilled during the life and ministry of God’s son Jesus. His death brought about a new kind of covenant that we, humans, are justified by Lord’s mercy and grace rather than our attempts to keep up with the law. Jesus himself served as the intermediary between man and God.  His death was a pledge that Lord made to humans. God wants to provide us with fellowship and eternal life. God promised this to every person who addresses him in faith and repentance.

New Covenant is a new contract or agreement that Lord made with humans based on resurrection and death of his son Jesus Christ. The foundation of this agreement lies in the certain promise of Jeremiah, the prophet, that Lord were to accomplish for the people what the old covenant failed to achieve. The new agreement involved God writing his law on the human hearts. This act suggested a brand new level of knowledge of God, forgiveness of the sins as well as the obedience. The New Testament that means new covenant represents the work of Jesus as the means of bringing the promised covenant into being. When having a meal at the Last Supper Jesus talks of his cup as of the new covenant of his blood.

In the epistle addressed to the Hebrews the basis and the whole matter of the new covenant is described in comparison with an old one. It is prolific and the old covenant seems outmoded and obsolete. It definitely needs a replacement with the new one. The first covenant is temporary while the new one is eternal. The old agreement has Moses as the mediator; the new one has Jesus Christ.

Covenants throughout Biblical writings have specific general principles and presuppose certain conditions, obligations and a vow of some kind. They are unique and are made with love, grace and mercy. Covenants with God in comparison to any other idols are made not solely to receive but also to give and show obedience.

All covenants with God are made in grace. Among them are the ones made with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and the new covenants. Sometimes it does not appear clearly at the first sight. But for instance in the case with Noah, the covenant was unconditional. Lord gave a promise that despite man’s sin, he will not to destroy the earth again with the flood. There is no specific demand or hope for the obedience but still disobedience is not set at the premium. The conclusion may be that the sin will most probably appear again but the power of Lord’s integrity in providence serves as a strong motivating power to show obedience.  Mosaic covenant is also built on obedience. It is presupposed in cases where law is given and it was written even on the tablets of stone. The above cases show that the obedience in the covenants made with God is vital.

Another important part of covenant’s nature includes love. There is certainly a link between obedience and love since first follows the experience of the latter, particularly from the knowledge that Lord is love. In Joshua 22:5 it is written: “Take good care to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul”. This passage proves that first there must exist the love of Lord in the covenant in order to inspire obedience and love in people who are grace by this covenant. God’s covenants are made of grace which motivates obedience. Even in case of a failure of man to obey, together with love grace motivates new obedience. There is no opposition between obedience and grace because usually the first one stimulates the latter.

In comparison to the old covenant, new covenant is the one referred to as Trinitarian. It involves Father who initiates it, his Son who mediates and the Sprit that acts for it as an agent. “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live in unceasing devotion to each other, reaching outward beyond the Godhead to create a community”. (Horton M., 10) The notion of Lord’s paternity and the covenant is very vivid in Malachi 2:10 that reads: “Have we not all one father? Has not one God created us?” This could mean Abraham or Israel, but it brings about the Hebrew parallelism to place. Having one Father, Lord, and staying faithless to one another would be a challenge, particularly in the family covenant Lord made with them.

Lord’s son Jesus is the Mediator of the new covenant. He is the one that brings forgiveness of sins. With regards to the people of Lord and his sons who are elements of agreement, Jesus Christ is the one who guides to his Father. Through him people are integrated into one body and are called “sons of the living God”. These people are the new men of Lord. The resurrection and death of Jesus Christ seal the new covenant.

The promise of new covenant is the promise of the Holy Spirit. In Ezekiel there is a prediction that God will restore Israel as well exists a promise of the Spirit that will be places in the hearts. It is obvious that God’s work is of Trinitarian nature. It involves salvation and recreation of the earth. When men fail to have access to God, he provides covenant access. In the Old Testament this was coordinated by the high priest while in the New by Son of God.

The links that covenants have with God’s people, the Kingdom and household of Lord, triumph of evil, gift of Holy Spirit or forgiveness of sins are some of the main elements that are related with the covenant. In the Old Testament most of the saints were enraptured with the God’s covenant and the love. Old agreement is a pale shadow of the new brilliant covenant, the Abraham’s come-of-age covenant. The revelation of Lord of grace by means of covenant comes when people begin to go through the mystery of this unique and amazing action of God. No wonder there are no cultural parallels in the origins of human history. Covenant goes beyond what man can foresee. It is in numerous ways the revelation of the Lord of grace and it communicates strong hope to sinful men. “Suppose for a moment that God did something to help you truly recognize His loving commitment, so that in peace and joy you could freely trust Him with every fiber of your being, form the deepest corners of your heart and soul, for every moment of every day of the rest of your life on earth”. (Kay A.) This is what the covenant is about.

References

Horton, M. (2006). Introducing Covenant Theology: 10. BakerBooks.

Kay, A. (1999). Our Covenant God. Learning to Trust Him. WaterBrook Press.

O’Connell, K. (2010). America’s Constitutional Foundation of Biblical Covenant. Canada Free Press.

The Holy Bible. New International Version. (1973, 1978, 1984). International Bible Society. Gen 12:2, Joshua 22:5, Malachi 2:10.