Covenants How Covenant Agreements Work wikimedia “This is my blood of the covenant” Mt 26:28

CovenantsHow Covenant Agreements Work

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“This is my blood of the covenant” Mt 26:28

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A covenant made in 1998

Covenants are Common

A Covenant:

•Is an agreement or contract between two parties

• If God is one party, then it defines the relationship that a group of people has with God

I Agree

NIV translation of Hebrew berit (covenant):

“Covenant” 247

“Treaty” 26“Agreement” 4

“Alliance” 3“Compact” 3

Greek diathēkē is “covenant” 31, “will” 2.

Outline

A. The Five Features of a Covenant

B. Four important covenants

C. God’s Covenant with Israel (the Law)

D. God’s Covenant with Everyone(the New Covenant)

E. Other Covenants

A. The Five Features of a Covenant

A Covenant has five features:

The Parties Who the covenant is between.(God’s covenants all with person + descendants)

Requirements Conditions of the covenant that must be met

Blessings Benefits given, if the requirements are kept

Curses Penalties applied if the requirements are not kept

Duration (Ongoing for all of God’s covenants)

B. Four Important Covenants

Abraham Israelites David “Whoever”

with Abraham+(circumcision)

with the Israelites+(The Law)W

with David+(Kingdom)

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with Everyone (the New Covenant)

Offer the land of Israel

Offer a world-ruling Kingdom of God

C. God’s Covenant with Israel (the Law)

God’s Covenant with Israel (the Law)

The PartiesGod and Israel + descendants(Ex 34:27, Dt 29:1, 12:28, 4:9-10, 31). Not other nations (Ex 19:5, Lev 20:26)

Requirements The Law (Gen, Exod, Lev, Num, Deut—esp Exodus 20-24).

BlessingsPeace and prosperity and possession of the land of Israel, and God’s dwelling among them (Lev 26:3-13, Dt 28:1-14)

Curses Famine, disease, war, defeat and exile, temple gone (Lev 26:14-46 and Dt 28:15-68)

Duration At least 1,000 generations (Dt 7:9); til sky and earth pass away (Lk 16:17, Mt 5:17-20)



Requirements The Law (Gen, Exod, Lev, Num, Deut—esp Exodus 20-24).

BlessingsPeace and prosperity and possession of the land of Israel, and God’s dwelling among them (Lev 26:3-13, Dt 28:1-14)

Curses Famine, disease, war, defeat and exile, temple gone (Lev 26:14-46 and Dt 28:15-68)

Duration At least 1,000 generations (Dt 7:9); til sky and earth pass away (Lk 16:17, Mt 5:17-20)



”Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write down these words, because I have made a covenant with you and with Israel on the basis of these words”” Ex 34:27

I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be mine. Lev 20:26

“This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the children of Israel: 4 … 5 Now if you fully obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you will be my treasured possession out of all the nations. For the whole earth is mine, 6 but you will be kingdom of priests for me and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the children of Israel.” Ex 19:3-6

God’s Covenant with Israel is defined within:

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Genesis

aka:The “Law”The Law of MosesThe Mosaic CovenantThe TorahThe PentateuchThe “Old” Covenant

How Moses made the covenant with Israel

“Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and half of the blood he splashed on the altar. 7 He took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people, and they said, “We are willing to do and obey all that the Lord has spoken.” 8 So Moses took the blood and splashed it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”” Exod 24:6-8 NET

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Questions Interlude

1. A requirement of God’s everlasting covenant with Abraham and his descendants was circumcision (Gen 17). Who does this apply to today?

2. Does the teaching in Ecclesiastes define God’s covenant with Israel (the Law)?

3. Were the Greeks of 200 BC required to keep all of God’s covenant with Israel (the Law), including laws such as attending 3 annual feasts in Jerusalem? Why or why not?

D. The New Covenant

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The New Covenant

The Parties God and everyone/all nations/the world(Jn 3:16, Mt 28:19-20, Mt 25:32-46)

Requirements Jesus’ words(in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)

Blessings Eternal life; Freedom from sin; Holy Spirit; God’s love and presence; Answered Prayer; and more

Curses Destruction on the day of judgment (Jn 12:48, Mt 25:46)

Duration Ongoing.At least until the Day of Judgment (Jn 12:48)

The New Covenant






The New Covenant is with Everyone

“God so loved the world

that he sent his only son,

so that whoever believes in him

may have everlasting life”

Jn 3:16

“Go and disciple all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son

and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded

you” Mt 28:19-20; Mk 16:15 is sim.

“This gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the

inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end

will come” Mt 24:14; Mk 13:10 sim.

At the judgment Mt 25:31-46, Jesus will judge all the nations according to how they loved their neighbour (part of his teaching).

The New Covenant






Requirements and Blessings of the New Covenant

1. Eternal life: “If anyone keeps my teaching, he will never see death in the age [to come].” John 8:51

2. Freedom from sin: “If you keep my teaching, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” John 8:31-32 lit.

3. The Holy Spirit: “If you love me, you will keep my commands, and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of Truth” John 14:15-16

4. God’s love and presence: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” John 14:23

5. Answered prayer: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. This brings glory to my Father, that you bear much fruit” John 15:7

Requirements & Blessings

Jesus’ words in the four gospels point the way I need to take to gain all the blessings of the new covenant

ALL THEBLESSINGS

Jesus’ words in Mt Mk Lk Jn

The New Covenant is defined by Jesus’ words in:

Mark

Luke

John

Matthew

akaThe “Gospels”Jesus’ Teachings

Protestant Old Testament New Testament

Mark

Luke

John

Acts Apostles

Matthew

L RomansL

Corinthians 3

L Galatians

L Ephesians

L Philippians

L Colossians

L Timothy 2

L Titus

L Thessalon 2

L Philemon

L Hebrews

L James

L Peter 2

L John 3

L Jude

Revelation J

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuterony

Genesis

Joshua

Judges

Ruth

Samuel 2

Kings 2

Chronicles

Nehemiah

Esther

Ezra

Psalms 150

Job

Proverbs

Ecclesiastes

Song of Sol

Hosea

Amos

Micah

Joel

Obadiah

Jonah

Nahum

Habakkuk

Zephaniah

Zechariah

Malachi

Isaiah

Jeremiah

HaggaiLamentatn

Ezekiel

Daniel

The four gospels are more relevant and important to me than any other books in the bible

The New Covenant






Curse/penalty of not keeping the covenant:

• Jesus’ last public statement: “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them… that very word which I spoke (past tense) will condemn him at the last day.” Jn 12:47-48

• Those who don’t love their neighbours (as Jesus taught) will be sent away to destruction on the Day of Judgment Mt 25:31-46

• People who don’t put his teachings into practice are likened to a house built on sand which gets completely destroyed Lk 6:49

The New Covenant






Duration of the New Covenant:

• “My words will never pass away” Mt 24:35, Mk 13:31, Lk 21:33

• Jesus’ words/teachings will be the basis for awarding eternal life Jn 8:51 or for judging people when he returns Jn 12:47-48, Mt 25:31-46, which is still in the future

• No expiry date specified in the new covenant

• So the new covenant/Jesus’ teachings remain in effect at least until the day of Judgment

How Jesus made the New Covenant

Jesus told them the conditions of the covenant (his teaching); told them the blessings of keeping his teaching (Jn 13-16); and “He took the cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 this is my blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” Mt 26:27-28

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Both Covenants made similarly

“This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

Exod 24:8 NET

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“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Mt 26:28

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The blood was divided between the two parties: God via the sacrifice on the altar or cross, and the people via sprinkling or drinking the blood or wine.

The New Covenant Fixed 30 AD (by Acts 1-8):• A covenant is an agreement* which is formalised between the

parties at a point in time (eg Last Supper 30 AD).

If one party “changed” it later (and went against what they had agreed to), they would be breaking the covenant, ie dishonest.

“…He is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations” Lev 26:9 (re Law)

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*Or a promise, in the case of some covenants with no requirements, eg Noah’s

Jesus’ Teachings are Sufficient:• Jesus promised the blessings of the new covenant to those

who keep his teachings – not anyone else’s teachings besides.

• In Acts 1-8, the disciples experienced those blessings: Holy Spirit, freedom from sin, God’s presence with them, answered prayer, and presumably eternal life later.

This was before/without any NT letters, church councils or creeds, “bible” defined, or institutional churches or buildings.

Therefore Jesus’ teachings alone are sufficient.

Therefore we should be cautious of claims that we must also do other things which Jesus didn’t teach. w

Jesus’ Teachings are the gospel:

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• Jesus’ commission to his 11 apostles was to disciple the nations, “teaching them to obey everything I have (past tense) commanded you” Mt 28:20, ie to teach Jesus’ teachings.

Jesus’ teachings = the gospel they were sent to preach = the new covenant

Therefore we should be cautious of any gospel which does not consist of Jesus’ teachings.

Comments…

• God still directs individuals to do things, but these are not commands which everyone must do in order to gain the blessings of the new covenant.eg God told Philip to go to the desert road to Gaza Acts 8:26 – but this is not something everyone has to do to gain eternal life. It isn’t part of the new covenant’s definition.

• God won’t contradict his own covenant. He will never say, “You can have eternal life without loving your neighbour” because Jesus said that loving my neighbour is necessary Lk 10:25-28, Mt 19:17-19, Mt 25:31-46.

Questions Interlude

1. Do Jesus’ words in Matthew define the new covenant or part of it?

2. Do Paul’s letters to the Corinthians (written ~54 AD) define the new covenant or part of it?

3. How do we “claim” Jesus’ promises in the new covenant?

E. Conclusions

Conclusions

1. Jesus’ words in Mt-Jn define my covenant with God,which makes them extremely important

2. I need to know and follow Jesus’ teachings in Mt-Jn in order to gain the blessings of the new covenant

3. I don’t need to know or follow any other teachings

Appendix: Other Covenants

Other covenants God made with men:

Men made covenants with each other (usually translated as “treaty” or “agreement” or “compact”) eg Gen 21:27, Jos 9:15, 1 Ki 15:19

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Noah + desc + animals

Gen 9:8-17

Abraham + desc

Gen 15, 17

Phinehas + desc Num 25:10-13

David + sons

Ps 89, 132

2Sa 11:7-16

2,300 BC 1,900 BC

1,400 BC 1,000 BC

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Listen to the Holy Spirit:

Does the Holy Spirit want to say anything to me about covenants?

HS

Questions:

Did the Holy Spirit say anything to you?

Were there any new or useful concepts for you?

Do you have any sticking points or queries in your mind about covenants?

Is it new to think of covenants belonging to people rather than to time periods?

?

Appendix

Covenant with Abraham foreshadowedCovenant with Israel

with Abraham+(circumcision)

with the Israelites+(The Law)W

Required circumcisionPromised lands of Israel, Jordan and Iraq to Abraham’s descendantsBrief, “place-holder”For the futureGen 15 and 17

Required entire LawPromised land of Israel to Israel’s descendants (did not include Ishmael)Full, detailedFor the presentExod-Deut

Covenant with David foreshadowedNew Covenant (with everyone)

with David+(Kingdom)

WW

with Everyone (the New Covenant)

Required Law keptPromised throne of Israel

to David’s sons foreverProphets described this Kingdom of GodPsalm 89,132; 2 Sam 11:7-16

Required Jesus teachings (based on Law)Offered the Kingdom of God to Israel (and entry to all nations)Rejected by Israel, Kingdom taken away. Offered Holy Spirit etc to all nations, and entry to Kingdom in future.Matt-John

God’s Covenant with David

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God’s Covenant with David(the Kingdom Covenant)

1. Parties: God and David + descendants (Ps 89:3-4)

2. Requirements: sons must keep God’s Law (Ps 132:12)

3. Blessings: A son would sit on David’s throne forever (Ps 132:12); God would give him his firstborn who would be the most exalted of the kings on the earth (Ps 89:27)

4. Curses: Punish David’s sons with the rod and flogging Ps 89:32

5. Duration: ongoing. As long as the heavens endure (Ps 89:29).

God’s Covenant with David is defined in:

2 Sam 11:7-16

Psalms 89, 132 aka:

The Davidic CovenantThe Kingdom CovenantGod’s Promise to David

Documents

Covenants How Covenant Agreements Work wikimedia “This is my blood of the covenant” Mt 26:28