The God of the Covenant

If we are to understand God, it is vitally important that we understand that one of the fundamental characteristics of God is that He is relational.

God did not simply command the universe to be formed and then watch from a distance as the process of creation unfolded. On the contrary, he was intimately involved at every stage of creation, as we can see in Genesis chapter 1.

And in Genesis chapter 2 we can see how intimately he was involved in the creation of man and woman:

God himself is relational, and he has designed men and women, who are made in His image, to be relational, too.

Throughout the Bible we see God forming relationships with individuals, families, and even a nation – the nation of Israel. But the depth of God’s commitment to relationship is made clear above all in his willingness to enter into covenant relationships with men.

What Is A Covenant

A covenant is a binding agreement between two or more parties, which remains in force while the parties to the covenant are alive.

It was not uncommon in Old Testament times for men to enter into covenants with each other. These would normally have been what we might call 'political alliances'. For example, the patriarch Abram (whose name was later changed by God to Abraham):

These three Amorite men, Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner, were 'brothers' – not natural brothers, but brothers by covenant; and Abram had entered into an alliance with them, so he also was one of the 'brothers' who had covenanted with each other to stand by each other, help each other out when the need should arise, and generally keep an eye out for each other.

We see the force of this brotherhood in Genesis 14. Abram’s nephew, Lot, is captured by an invading army and taken away with all his family. Abram goes out to rescue him, and is accompanied by his three covenant 'brothers' – Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Because they are in covenant together, when Abram needs their help they go to war with him, at the risk of their lives.

The normal practice for entering into a covenant would have been that the men would take an animal, such as a sheep, a goat, or a bullock, and cut it into two pieces, laying the two pieces side by side on the ground. They would then walk between the bleeding pieces of the slaughtered animal and say something like, “may God do so to me, and more also, if I fail to abide by the terms of this covenant.”

By the time the ritual was finished, their feet and the hems of their garments would have been soaked in blood.

If you imagine yourself entering into a covenant with someone else using a ritual like this, or even being a witness to other people doing it, it’s easy to see how everyone would remember what was said and done that day for a long time to come.

Five Covenants

There are five major covenants reported in the Bible – covenants entered into by God, which affect all of mankind. They are:

1. Through Noah – God’s covenant with all living creatures on the earth

2. Through Abraham – God’s covenant with the nation of Israel and, through them, with all those who support and bless them

3. Through Moses – God’s covenant with Israel – the Covenant of Law

4. Through David – God’s covenant with the Davidic dynasty, from which will come the promised Messiah

5. Through Jesus, the promised Messiah – God’s covenant with all mankind – the Covenant of Grace

Let's now consider each of these in turn, starting with Noah.