God's Covenant with Abraham
God’s Covenant with Abraham and the People of Israel
Covenants are a prevalent practice in modern business. Examples of these contracts include things such as homeowners’ association covenants and restrictive covenants which limit how property is used. The concept of a covenant in ancient times was a bit different and involved an agreement between God and mankind. Covenants between God and man are found throughout the scriptures of three major western religions. Arguably, one of the most significant covenants is God’s covenant with Abraham and the people of Israel. This particular covenant is common in the teachings among the Abrahamic Monotheisms. Abraham’s unparalleled character was the reason God chose him, and has been inspirational to all the generations that have followed him. These generations include the people of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, all of whom can all trace their roots back to Abraham and the covenant between him and God.
Concept of a Covenant
Dictionary.com (2011) defines a covenant as “a contract or an agreement, usually formal, between two or more parties to do or not do something specified.” Additionally, Dictionary.com goes on to define the Biblical meaning as “the conditional promises made to humanity by God, as revealed in Scripture.” Throughout history, God made covenants with his people declaring that he would keep his side as long as they kept their side of the agreement. An excellent illustration of the concept of a covenant in ancient times can be found when God promised to protect the Israelites if they kept His law and were faithful to Him (Van Voorst, 2011, p. 222). The Judaism chapter of Experiencing the World’s Religions defines covenant as “the contract between Hebrews and their God, Yahweh” (Molloy, 2010, p. 340). This covenant was the agreement between God and the ancient Israelites that all started with Abraham (Gen. 12:1, New Living Translation).
God’s Covenant with Abraham
In Anthology of World
Covenants are a prevalent practice in modern business. Examples of these contracts include things such as homeowners’ association covenants and restrictive covenants which limit how property is used. The concept of a covenant in ancient times was a bit different and involved an agreement between God and mankind. Covenants between God and man are found throughout the scriptures of three major western religions. Arguably, one of the most significant covenants is God’s covenant with Abraham and the people of Israel. This particular covenant is common in the teachings among the Abrahamic Monotheisms. Abraham’s unparalleled character was the reason God chose him, and has been inspirational to all the generations that have followed him. These generations include the people of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, all of whom can all trace their roots back to Abraham and the covenant between him and God.
Concept of a Covenant
Dictionary.com (2011) defines a covenant as “a contract or an agreement, usually formal, between two or more parties to do or not do something specified.” Additionally, Dictionary.com goes on to define the Biblical meaning as “the conditional promises made to humanity by God, as revealed in Scripture.” Throughout history, God made covenants with his people declaring that he would keep his side as long as they kept their side of the agreement. An excellent illustration of the concept of a covenant in ancient times can be found when God promised to protect the Israelites if they kept His law and were faithful to Him (Van Voorst, 2011, p. 222). The Judaism chapter of Experiencing the World’s Religions defines covenant as “the contract between Hebrews and their God, Yahweh” (Molloy, 2010, p. 340). This covenant was the agreement between God and the ancient Israelites that all started with Abraham (Gen. 12:1, New Living Translation).
God’s Covenant with Abraham
In Anthology of World
References: covenant. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved March 10, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/covenant Molloy, M. (2010). Experiencing the world 's religions: Tradition, challenge, and change (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Van Voorst, R. E. (2011). Anthology of world scriptures (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.