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Covenants in the old testament
Essay on covenants in the bible
The kind of covenants in the old testament
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Agreements these days are usually typed contracts that are composed by a lawyer and signed in front of a witness. However, it has not always been so formal. During the years the Old Testament was written, agreements and deals were primarily verbal contracts between two participants. Those contracts took on many forms and different customs were associated with each. These contracts also called covenants and have many different uses and meanings throughout the bible. Some commitments made in these covenants had been accompanied by self-maledictory oaths or curses that would have been implemented if the covenants were violated (New International Version 25). There are numerous ways to translate the word covenant, and many different types of covenants that are in use throughout the Old and New Testaments.
In the Old Testament the covenants were used by the people to make agreements among themselves. God also participated in these agreements and made promises with specific people and tribes throughout the Old and New Testament. In the bible the word covenant means ‘to cut’ (Monk), which is why when two people made a covenant they would walk through the cut bodies of slain animals (New International Version, ( Jer 34;14). Although, it was customary for both parties to benefit from such an agreement, it was not always customary for the covenant to be mutual. Many of the covenants made between God and his followers were contingent upon their loyalty to him. “Covenant concepts, used for the relationship between God and his people, form a large part of the Bible's skeletal structure” (Foster 206). Most covenants had specific implications and between the participating individuals. There are different types of covenants currently in use in t...
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Fruchtenbaum, Dr. Arnold. The Eight Covenants Of The Bible. 13 november 2005. 29 October 2011 .
Monk, Charles L. A Look at the Bible Covenant and Their Meanings. 22 February 2003. 29 October 2011 .
Newman, Judith H. "From Monarch To Bishop: Covenant, Torah, And Community Formation In The Old Testament And The Anglican Communion." Anglican Theological Review 85.1 (2003): 35-51. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. Web. 2 Nov. 2011.
Nystrom, Gary. The Biblicist. n.d. 29 October 2011 .
Padfield, David. Five Great Bible Covenants. 2004. 29 October 2011 .
Zondervan NIV Study Bible. Zondervan New International Study Bible. Ed. Kenneth L. Barker. 2008. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002.
Covenant according in bible's point of view is a promise made by God to man. According to the book of Genesis, Chapter 6 Verse 13, as a result of human's disobedient and evil ways on earth, God had planned to put an end to humanity with flood. The covenants between God and Noah was established in Genesis Chapter 9 Verse 11. God promised Noah and his descendants, never again would he destroy the earth by flood of water because of the pleasant sacrifice offered to God by Noah. God also confirmed his covenant by putting up signs in the sky in the form of a rainbow. The reason Noah and his family weren’t destroyed in the flood was because Noah found grace in God's sight. What this means is that God do not establish any kind of covenant with just anyone. Clearly Abel, Noah and Abraham were unshakable, upright and obedient towards God’s command.
...yne A. The HarperCollins Study Bible New Revised Standard Edition . New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1993. 1645-1722. Print.
Clinton, William J. "Our New Covenant." Language Matters. Third ed. Southlake: Fountain Head, 2010. 148-58. Print.
New International Version. [Colorado Springs]: Biblica, 2011. BibleGateway.com. Web. 3 Mar 2011. Accessed 22 April 2014.
God had offered Chosen people, a covenant, or special agreement. In this covenant, The Israelites promised to worship only God, and in return God promised them. preservation throughout history and the land of Canaan. Canaan was later called Judah, Israel, and Palestine. Central to the understanding of the Jewish covenant is the prosperous herdsman who heard and followed God’s call, Abraham.
Robinson, B. A. (2008, March 30). Books of the Hebrew Scripture . Retrieved May 7, 2011, from Religious Tolerance: http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_otb3.htm
Metzger, Bruce M., David Hubbard Allan., and Glenn Barker W. Word Biblical Commentary. Waco, TX: Word Books, 1982.
New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1997. Osborne, Grant R. Revelation. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002.
Carson, D, & Moo, D. (2005) An introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
An everlasting covenant is a promise from God that is characterized as eternal. Charles Spurgeon describes the significance of a covenant as, “the only ladder, which reaches from earth to heaven.” Covenants have historically connected to many passages all throughout the Old Testament; however, eternal covenant is mentioned in the New Testament as well (NIV, Hebrews 13:20). The reason eternal covenant is only mentioned once in the New Testament is because the Blood of the Lamb is the only needed element, as the work of the cross covers all sins for all people. An example of an Old Testament covenant is the Noahic Covenant , which is still significant today, is God’s promise to never flood the earth again (NIV, Genesi...
But when it comes to Old Testament, Covenant refers to two or more parties bonded together. For instance, legal treaties between kings and subjects existed during the Bible period like Moses, Joshua.
The Mosaic Covenant from exodus is a promise made between God and the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai. To begin with, the pattern of the covenant is very similar to other ancient covenants of that time because it is between God and his people. In the textbook, it explains how the Hebrews have struggled with the pharaoh around 1250 B.C.E. Moses, who was a prince that grew up in the household of the pharaoh, ran away. After returning he led the Hebrew slaves at the bottom of Mount Sinai. God spoke to the Hebrews who he freed them and explained the Ten Commandments. In addition, a quote form the readings “ I am the lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” (Judaism, pg. 397) This quote is the first commandment stating that he,
Barker, Kenneth L.. Zondervan NIV study Bible: New International Version. 2008 update. ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2008. Print.
Levine, Amy –Jill and Douglas Knight. The Meaning of the Bible: What Jewish and Christian Old Testament Can Teach Us. New York: HarperOne, 2011
There are five aspects of covenant. For the purposes of this paper I am going to be referring to primarily the new covenant that is offered us through Jesus. The first aspect is the parties involved. There are two parties: God and the elect. Unlike the old covenant, the elect goes beyond the Jews. It also includes the gentile, or non-Jew in all the nations. This is one aspect of covenant that has helped shape my worldview. I have spoken to people who believe that God only selects a few privileged people to be saved, and condemns the rest to eternal punishment in hell. I now wholeheartedly believe this to be completely false, and even a heresy. In John 3:16 God uses the phrase “panta ta ethne” which means “all the nations.” There are other places in scripture, for example, when Paul says in Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…” He clearly says ‘everyone who believes’ not leaving anyone out. There are places in scripture, such as Ephesians 1:11 that talk about things which are predestined for believers. This verse is commonly taken out of context by those who believe in predestination. He has indeed planned out things He wants those in covenant relationship to accomplish for His kingdom once we accept Jesus and make Him Lord of our life. He does not, however, make the choice beforehand to save some, and damn some to hell! God created us in His image, therefore we have also been given the gift of free will to choose to love Him or love the world. This is the depraved condition of mankind in our fallen state.