Even before Abraham's time, God also made a covenant with Noah, assuring, Noah that He would not again destroy the world by flood. - Gen. 9 - Another famous covenant was between God and David, in which David and his descendants were established as the royal heirs to the throne of the nation of Israel. - 2Sam. 7:12; 22:51 - This covenant reached its highest fulfillment when Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of the line of David, was born in Bethlehem about a thousand years after God made this promise to David the king.
A covenant, in the biblical sense, implies much more than a contract or simple agreement. A contract always has an end date, while a covenant is a permanent arrangement. Another difference is that a contract generally involves only one part of a person, such as a skill, while a covenant covers a person's total being.
The word for covenant in the Old Testament also provides additional insight into the meaning of this important ideas. It comes from a Hebrew root word which means 'to cut'. This explains the strange custom of two people passing through the cut bodies of slain animals after making an agreement with each other. - Jer. 34:18 - A ritual or ceremony such as this always accompanied the making of a covenant in the Old Testament. Sometimes those entering into a covenant shared a holy meal. -Gen. 31:54 - Abraham and his children were commanded to be circumcised as a sign of their covenant with God. - Gen.17:10-11 - Moses sprinkled the blood of animals on the altar and upon the people who entered into covenant with God at Mount Sinai. - Ex. 24:3-8 -
The Old Testament contains many examples of covenants between people who related to each other as equals. For example, David and Jonathan entered into a covenant because of their brotherly love for each other. This agreement bound each of them to certain responsibilities. - 1Sam. 18:3 - But the striking thing about God's covenant with His people is that God is holy, all-knowing, all-powerful and all-loving; but He consents to enter into covenant with man, who is weak, sinful and imperfect.
In the Old Testament, God's Chosen People confirmed their covenant with God with oaths or promises to keep the agreement. At Mount Sinai, the nation of Israel promised to perform 'all the words which the Lord has said'. - Ex. 24:3 - When the people later broke this promise, they were called by their leaders to renew their oath. - 2Kin. 23:3 - By contrast, God does not break promises. His oath to raise up believing children to Abraham is an "everlasting" covenant. - Gen. 22:16-17; 17:7 -
The New Testament makes a clear distinction between covenants of.................
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Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
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