God’s Covenants
While time and space will not permit us to go into an exhaustive study of all of God’s covenants, we will briefly look at 4 of the covenants.
The student of the scriptures soon comes to the realization that God is a covenant making and covenant keeping God. God makes two types of covenants. There are the conditional two‑sided covenants in which God makes promises that are based on man’s obedience to the terms of the covenant. Then there are the unconditional one‑sided covenants in which God fulfills all the terms and actions to the benefit of those embraced by the covenant.
The first covenant we read about in the scriptures is the “covenant of the law of sin and death.” This covenant was set forth in Gen. 2:16, 17 as follows: “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” In this covenant God promised freedom to man to eat of all the trees of the garden but one. As long as man did not eat of the forbidden tree he had the benefits and privileges and provisions of the garden. If, however, he ate of the forbidden tree he would die. Adam as the federal head of all mankind was free to either eat of the tree or not eat of it with attendant consequences. This was a two‑sided conditional covenant.
The second covenant we read about is found in Gen. 9:9‑17. In this covenant God said that “I establish my covenant with you and with your seed after you; and with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you…neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.” This is a one‑sided covenant. All the provisions and terms of the covenant are accomplished by God. Neither man or any of the creatures are responsible to carry out any of the provisions of the covenant. This covenant is unconditional on man’s or the creature’s part. This is an unconditional one‑sided covenant. Man’s actions could in no way alter the outcome of this covenant.
The third covenant we consider is found in Exodus chapter 20 and is known as the “covenant of works” or the “covenant of the law.” In Ex. 20:5, 6 we read, “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” In verse 8 we read, “And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” In this covenant God gave the people the ten commandments to
keep. This was a two‑sided conditional covenant. The conditions on the people were that they would obey the commandments of God and enjoy the benefits of the covenant or they would not obey the commandments of God and suffer the curse of the covenant. The consequences and provisions of this covenant were dependant on the actions of the children of Israel. It was obey and be blessed or disobey and be cursed.
The fourth covenant we will consider is found in Rom. 8:28‑30, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of
his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” Please note that this is a one‑sided unconditional covenant. All the actions in this covenant are to be performed by God. Man is the recipient of all the benefits of this covenant but his actions in no way alter the outcome of this covenant. This covenant is known as the “covenant of redemption” or the “covenant of grace” as the covenant results in the “redemption” of God’s people and it is all by the “grace” of God. There are five actions in this covenant ‑ foreknow, predestinate, call, justify, and glorify. In each of these actions it is God who does the action. Those foreknown are the recipients of the benefits of the covenant. Man’s actions do not alter the outcome of this covenant for the same ones foreknown are also predestinated, called, justified and glorified, without the loss of one. Again, this is a one‑sided unconditional covenant.
In our next several essays, we will undertake a study of this “covenant of redemption.”