Old Testament Covenant and New Testament Grace
Minor essay 1: Old Testament Covenant
Introduction
The idea of covenant is central to the Bible’s story. “Covenant presents God’s desire to enter into relationship with men and women created in his image. This is reflected in the repeated covenant refrain, “I will be your God and you will be my people” (Exodus 6:6-8). Covenant is all about the relationship between the Creator and his creation. The idea may seem simple; however the implications of covenant and covenant relationship between God and humankind are immeasurable” (Gentry & Wellum, 2012, p21).
What is Covenant?
The English word ‘covenant’ suggests legal restrictions, documents tied with pink tapes and sealing wax.
In Biblical context, the Hebrew word that is translated as “covenant” in our Bibles is berit. Berit is the bond, which united people in mutual obligations whether through a marriage contract, a commercial enterprise or a verbal undertaking. It was only natural that people’s relationship to God should also have been expressed in terms of a covenant. On three separate occasions in the Pentateuch, these covenant terms are used when God promises Noah that he will never again send a flood upon the earth (Genesis 9:9); when God makes his promises to Abraham (Genesis 15:18; 17:4); when the Sinai covenant is established with Moses and summarised in the ‘book of covenant’ (Exodus 24:7).
Although in everyday use covenants were made between equals, the religious use of the term always referred to a relationship between a greater and a lesser partner. The form of the covenant between God and Israel in Exodus and Deuteronomy has been helpfully illuminated by the discoveries of Hittite suzerainty treaties made between a king and his vassal. They consisted of a historical introduction; a lost of stipulations; curses and blessings invoked on the parties; a solemn oath; and a religious ceremony to ratify the covenant. Most of these features can be found in the Old Testament pattern of
Introduction
The idea of covenant is central to the Bible’s story. “Covenant presents God’s desire to enter into relationship with men and women created in his image. This is reflected in the repeated covenant refrain, “I will be your God and you will be my people” (Exodus 6:6-8). Covenant is all about the relationship between the Creator and his creation. The idea may seem simple; however the implications of covenant and covenant relationship between God and humankind are immeasurable” (Gentry & Wellum, 2012, p21).
What is Covenant?
The English word ‘covenant’ suggests legal restrictions, documents tied with pink tapes and sealing wax.
In Biblical context, the Hebrew word that is translated as “covenant” in our Bibles is berit. Berit is the bond, which united people in mutual obligations whether through a marriage contract, a commercial enterprise or a verbal undertaking. It was only natural that people’s relationship to God should also have been expressed in terms of a covenant. On three separate occasions in the Pentateuch, these covenant terms are used when God promises Noah that he will never again send a flood upon the earth (Genesis 9:9); when God makes his promises to Abraham (Genesis 15:18; 17:4); when the Sinai covenant is established with Moses and summarised in the ‘book of covenant’ (Exodus 24:7).
Although in everyday use covenants were made between equals, the religious use of the term always referred to a relationship between a greater and a lesser partner. The form of the covenant between God and Israel in Exodus and Deuteronomy has been helpfully illuminated by the discoveries of Hittite suzerainty treaties made between a king and his vassal. They consisted of a historical introduction; a lost of stipulations; curses and blessings invoked on the parties; a solemn oath; and a religious ceremony to ratify the covenant. Most of these features can be found in the Old Testament pattern of
Bibliography: 1) York, Lornie, 2012, “The Grace of god”, http://www.newtestamentchurch.org/york/libraryfiles/LIBRARY.html 2) Christian Biblical Church of God (CBCG), 2012, “The Grace of God in the New Testament”, http://cbcg.org/graceofGod_NT.htm 3) Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. 4) Alexander, Pat and David, 1999, “Handbook to the Bible”, The New Lion Handbook. 5) Gentry, P.J. Wellum, S.J, 2012, “Kingdom through covenant: A biblical theological understanding of the covenants”, Crossway. 6) Yancey, Philip, 2002, “What’s so amazing about Grace?”, Zondervan.