Covenants between Man and God in the Bible

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Introduction to covenants

From the creation of man started the Covenants. God makes deals with men and they do it. In return, God does something for them.  Covenants play an important role in the Old Testament. The meaning of Covenant in Basic English is “a written agreement or promise.... between two or more parties, especially for the performance of some action.” (Webster’s Ninth Collegiate Dictionary). In religious terms, the idea of covenant is that of a pact, contract, arrangement or agreement. These changes are depended on the covenant that is made. Christians, unlike Jews, also have New Covenant. This new covenant is not shared by the Jews.  In this essay I will be discussing more about the formation of covenants; its importance; types of covenants, and the characteristics of covenants.

There are two types of covenants; Conditional and unconditional. “Conditional covenant guarantees that God will do his part with absolute certainty when the human requirements are met.” An unconditional covenant is the declaration of the purpose of God.  (Class notes)

The first covenant is the Edenic covenant (). It was a conditional covenant because Adam and Eve had to obey God. Abrahamic covenant is considered as one of the most important covenant. It was an unconditional covenant because God required nothing of Abraham. The Mosaic covenant is considered the most significant covenant because in this covenant, God gives the Laws to the people of Israel. It is also a conditional covenant because the blessings directly depend on Israel’s obedience to God. New covenant is the last covenant; it was unconditional. People just have to accept the offer.

Covenants are important because the divine-human relationship is based on covenant. If we are going to be the people of God, we are going to need to understand the means by which God has bound. God has used covenants to set the boundaries of this binding it stands to reason, therefore, that if we are to properly understand our relationship with God, we must understand the nature of covenants.  Hebrew gives prime importance to the Old Covenant. Hebrews gives prime importance to the Old Covenant.  The two most important covenants for the Hebrews were the Noahic Covenant, which according to Jewish theology are the obligations all mankind has, and the Mosaic Covenant which is the Torah that God gave the Jewish People, and are an obligation for Jews. The theme of Covenant is important to the Hebrews because In Biblical times, it was important because it brought the Jewish people into a relationship with their God, who promised if they kept their promise to obey Him, He would protect. When God joined the Jews in their covenant, He stated that the covenant would be eternal. The importance of the covenant to Jews is because it gives Jews their path to God (Lion handbook).  The Old covenant is important to Christians too. “The five books (Torah) covered the Ten Commandments” (exodus 20: Deuteronomy 5) (Lion handbook).  Christians understand the covenants as their guide to God. It tells them the things to do to have a good relationship with God

Covenants have key features like promises and blessings. In the Adamic covenant the conditions imposed on Adam was obedience to God's commandments, especially refraining from eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The implied promise of God: eternal life and immortality, represented by access to the tree of life. Rainbow was the sign of the Noahic covenant and circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic covenant.  “The Law, the sign of God’s promise and covenant, ought to have governed the hearts and institutions of that people to whom Abraham’s faith gave birth.... The Kingdom, however, the object of the promise made to David, would be the work of the Holy Spirit; it would belong to the poor according to the Spirit” (Catechism of the Catholic Church) this is the New Law. While the old law is based on obedience, the new law tells that whoever asks shall receive even if they are sinners.

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Abrahamic Covenant

Abraham was one of the descendants of Noah (Genesis 10-12:3). His father was Terah, the son of Nohor.  Terah, Abraham, Sarai and Lot travelled to Haran. After they set up a home there, Terah died (Student Resource). They were very rich and had many cattle (Genesis 12). Abrahamic covenant was an unconditional covenant (Student Resource). God required nothing of Abraham (CCC#72). It is the third covenant that God had made with man after the Adamic and Noahic covenants (Student Resource). It is an important covenant to the Hebrews because in this covenant, God promised the descendants ...

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