GODS
COVENANTS
Lesson 32
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For he himself is our
peace, who has made the two {nations} one and has
destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of
hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law
with its commandments and regulations. His
purpose was to create in himself one new man out
of the two, thus making peace, and in this one
body to reconcile both of them to God through the
cross, by which he put to death their
hostility
Consequently, you {Gentiles} are
no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow
citizens with Gods people and members of
Gods households, built on the foundation of
the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus
himself as the chief cornerstone.
Ephesians
2:14-16,19
(Insertions
mine)
The Bible Says
Bible history reveals the
Jews were not always faithful to God. Church
history confirms the same is true of Christians.
Human beings within any religious system are
capable of adjusting or distorting their
understanding of Gods will for expedient
social purposes. But, deviant theology has no
effect on Gods truth. Gods truth is
everlasting. Civilizations come and go, but God
and His truth remain forever. So, what was nailed
to the cross? In a sentence, two covenants were
nailed to the cross. One covenant was given to
Adam and Eve; the second was given to the
biological descendants of Abraham. (Genesis
15:18; Exodus 24:1-8; Deuteronomy 31:16; Jeremiah
11:10; 31:31-34; Ephesians 2; Colossians
2:13-17). When these covenants became null and
void at the cross, two things changed. Animal
sacrifices were no longer necessary, and all
distinction between Jews and Gentiles came to an
end. Paul wrote, For there is no difference
between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of
all and richly blesses all who call on him, for,
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved. (Romans 10:12,13)
After the cross, salvation comes through faith in
Jesus Christ.
Whosoever believes in
Him shall not perish but have everlasting
life. (John 3:16)
To understand the two
covenants that were made null and void at the
cross, a person has to understand Gods use
of covenants in the Bible. Unfortunately, many
Christians do not concern themselves with the
basics on this subject and this explains why
there is so much confusion. It is not necessary
to be confused on this topic, since the Bible
provides the answer.
Unilateral and Bilateral
Covenants
God has two types of
covenants: unilateral and bilateral. A unilateral
covenant is a one-sided covenant that God imposes
upon Himself and/or man. A bilateral covenant is
a two-sided covenant or a mutually agreed upon
covenant between God and man. Both types of
covenants require a continuous relationship
between God and man. Both types of covenants have
rules within them giving them the effect and the
appearance of law. But a covenant is more than a
set of laws. A covenant requires an ongoing
relationship between God and man whereas a law
does not. For example, the law of gravity is not
a covenant because there is no
intelligent relationship between gravity and man.
A law is an authoritative statement
and a covenant may have certain laws or
authoritative statements within it. The quality
of a covenant relationship is determined by love
and affection. When both parties are happy in a
mutually agreed upon covenant, the covenant is
wonderful. However, if disaffection should arise
between the parties, the covenant becomes a
terrible bondage for both parties! Have you ever
noticed that some marriages begin so happily and
end so miserably? Obviously, the marriage
covenant did not change. There was a change in
affection that brought about a change in the
relationship. How long should a mutually binding
covenant be honored when there is no love in the
heart of one party?
Contrasting the Covenants
A unilateral covenant is
one-sided and nonnegotiable. It is not a mutual
agreement between God and man. Gods
unilateral covenants are imposed on Himself or
man as long as He deems necessary. This is why it
is called unilateral or one-sided. On the other
hand, a bilateral covenant is a mutually agreed
covenant between God and man. A bilateral
covenant has a set of rules that are binding upon
both parties. A bilateral covenant is drawn up
and put into effect for mutually beneficial
purposes and it remains in effect for as long as
the covenant stipulates. The terms and conditions
set forth in a bilateral covenant can transfer to
succeeding generations. A bilateral covenant
comes to an end when (a) either party is
unfaithful to the agreement, or (b) when the
object for which the covenant was created is
fulfilled. Consider these examples: Marriage is a
bilateral covenant-two people fall in love and
they willingly agree to honor vows of moral
fidelity and faithfulness until death do us
part. The exchange of vows constitutes a
mutual agreement and the marriage covenant is put
into effect before witnesses. At death, the
marriage covenant is terminated because all that
was promised has been fulfilled. Similarly, if a
builder and a customer enter into an agreement to
build a new house, the bilateral covenant between
them ends when the house is finished-because the
covenant expires. To be legal, bilateral
covenants require witnesses. In ancient times, if
third-party witnesses were not available when a
bilateral covenant was made, inanimate objects
such as stones were stacked into a large pile as
a witness to t he agreement. (See Genesis
31:44-48)
Covenant Definitions
If a person enters into a
contract with a realtor to sell his house, the
realtors contract will state certain
matters (covenant laws), which the seller and the
realtor are expected to honor (through
obedience). The contract goes into effect when
both parties sign (or ratify) the contract. We
may use the word contract to describe
this relationship, but in a biblical sense the
contract between the seller and the realtor is a
bilateral covenant because a relationship exists
for the duration of the contract. Even though the
contract has a number of covenant laws or
performance specifications in it, we know that
compliance with the terms of a covenant is
something else. The realtor may not meet the
expectations of the seller; he may not promote
the property as specified or the realtor may not
present the sellers best interest in
selling the property. Likewise, the seller may
refuse to meet certain demands set forth in the
contract. The point is that all bilateral
covenants are performance-based covenants entered
into on the basis of good faith from
the moment they begin. A bilateral covenant
becomes necessary when two parties need each
other to accomplish something one party cannot do
alone. The hope and expectation of both parties
at the beginning of a bilateral covenant is
superior performance out of each other.
Many people get married
each year in the United States. The marriage
covenant is a bilateral covenant. At last count,
the number of people in the United States
terminating the marriage covenant each year is
about half of the number getting married. So,
even though two people may enter into the
marriage covenant, neither party loses its right
to abandon the covenant if the performance of the
other party does not meet the specifications of
the covenant. Of course there can be serious
consequences for choosing to violate the terms
and conditions of a mutually agreed upon
covenant. A bilateral (two sided) covenant can be
declared null and void if there is evidence
affirming that one party violated the laws or
stipulations within the covenant. But unilateral
covenants are not declared null and void if they
are violated. For example, when Adam and Eve
sinned, they came under the condemnation of a
unilateral covenant which states: But
you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will
surely die. (Genesis 2:17) Because this
covenant required their death, Jesus had to die.
In other words, someone had to pay for the
penalty for sin because this unilateral covenant
could not be declared null and void. The
wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)
This is a fundamental covenant of the universe
and it cannot be altered. With these definitions
in mind, let us consider five unilateral
covenants that were put in place before Moses
went up Mt. Sinai to see God.
1. Unilateral:
Do Not Eat of the Tree.
At the time of Creation,
God commanded Adam not to eat of the Tree of
Knowledge of Good and Evil for if he did, he
would be put to death. (Genesis 2:17) According
to divine wisdom and sovereign authority, God
imposed this unilateral (one sided) covenant upon
Adam and Eve before sin began and it was
nonnegotiable. A unilateral covenant is not a
mutual covenant. When God imposed this covenant
upon Adam, He spoke to Adam as the father of the
human race. Eve had not been created yet. In
other words, this unilateral covenant rested upon
Adam and all of Adams offspring that were
forthcoming. (In a sense, Eve is considered an
offspring of Adam since she was made from
Adams rib.) When Eve was deceived and
disobeyed the covenant she came under its
condemnation even though God spoke the covenant
to Adam. Adam, we know, willfully violated this
covenant and God commanded him to death just like
Eve, but Jesus spared their lives by stepping
in the way of the executing angel
when He offered to die in their place.
2.
Unilateral: I Will Put Enmity.
After Adam and Eve
sinned, God announced another unilateral (one
sided) covenant to man. He declared that (a) He
would put enmity between the offspring of the
serpent and the offspring of the woman, and (b)
that He the Messiah, would someday
crush the head of the serpent even though the
serpent would strike His heel. (Genesis 3:14,15)
God imposed this covenant upon Himself. (Praise
God!) Carefully notice that this covenant is not
dependant upon the cooperation or agreement of
man. This covenant declares the forthcoming
actions of God. This covenant will be fulfilled
when the serpents head is finally crushed
at the end of the thousand years. (Revelation 20)
3.
Unilateral: Destroy Those Who Commit
Murder.
Soon after the
floodwaters subsided, God declared a third
unilateral covenant to Noah. And your
lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting from
every animal. And from each man, too, I will
demand an accounting for the life of his fellow
man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man
shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God
has God made man. (Genesis 9:5,6) This
covenant was unilaterally imposed upon Noah and
his offspring (there were only eight people
living at the time) and it declares mans
accountability to God. Notice that death by
execution in the event of murder is a unilateral
decree. God did not negotiate with Noah. (Compare
Genesis 9:5,6 and Numbers 35:33.) God left no
wiggle room on this subject. God has imposed
accountability on every beast and on every person
and He declares that murderers must be executed.
4.
Unilateral: Never Again.
A fourth unilateral
covenant was also given to Noah right after the
flood. God declared, Never again will all
life be cut off by the waters of a flood.
(Genesis 9:9-17) Notice again that this covenant
is one-sided. This covenant is binding upon God,
not man, and God has faithfully honored this
covenant for nearly 4,500 years!
5. The
Fifth Unilateral Covenant
In Genesis 12 and 13, we
find a compelling story of faith. God selected a
man who was eager to follow Him and obey His
commandments. Every time I review Abrahams
life, I am impressed with his deep faith in God.
I am not surprised that God gave a unilateral
covenant to Abraham. Neither am I surprised that
Abrahams humanness got the best of him at
times. Abraham died without seeing the things
that God promised him, but Abraham will live
again and he will see everything God promised to
him. God promised a childless Abraham three
things:
(a)
Through Abraham, all nations of the Earth would
be blessed.
(b)
Abrahams descendants will be more numerous
than the stars in the sky.
(c)
God would give Abraham and his heirs a specific
section of land. (Genesis 13:14-17; 15:5)
The unilateral covenant
God gave Abraham was not conditional nor was it
based on mutual agreement. God honored
Abrahams faith by granting a unilateral
covenant to him! We find the same to be true for
a few other people of faith in the Bible such as
kings
Hezekiah and David. God
promised Hezekiah that he would live 15 more
years and God promised David that his throne
would last forever. (1 Kings 2:4; 2 Kings 20:6; 2
Samuel 7:16) The unilateral covenant God gave
Abraham was implemented because of sin. As the
first man of the human race, Adam was to be the
Great grandfather of billions of
sinless beings, but he forfeited that honor when
he sinned. After the flood, God started over by
honoring Abrahams faith, declaring him to
be the Great grandfather of all would live
by faith. However, the unilateral covenant that
God gave to Abraham still awaits completion.
Notice this text: If you belong to Christ,
then you are Abrahams seed, and heirs
according to the promise {that still
stands}. (Galatians 3:29, insertion mine.)
This verse, written about 30 years after Jesus
died on the cross, confirms three things. First,
God reckons all people who put their faith in
Christ to be children of Abraham (heirs). Second,
the time and setting of this verse confirm that
the covenant given to Abraham was in effect after
the cross! Third, this text indicates that anyone
can become Abrahams heir through faith in
Jesus. (Ephesians 2; Romans 2:28,29; 9:6,7) So
the unilateral covenant God gave Abraham still
stands and as far ad God is concerned, the
offspring of Abraham are those people who put
their faith in Christ!
Actually, faith in God
has always been the core issue for salvation from
the beginning of sin, but the biological
offspring of Israel stubbornly refused to
comprehend this point. (Jeremiah 3:20; Hebrews 4)
Rebellion is the opposite of obedient faith and
because of rebellion, God finally destroyed
Jerusalem. But, Abraham will receive everything
that God promised to him because God redefined
Israel at the cross! The Israel of God is
believers in Christ. (Romans 9-11; Ephesians 2;
Galatians 3 and 4; James 1:1)
At the end of the 1,000
years, the unilateral covenant God gave Abraham
will be fulfilled. At that time everyone will see
that all nations were blessed through Abraham for
the savior of the world came through the lineage
of Abraham! Second, at that time the saints will
be a numberless multitude, numbering more than
the stars in the sky. Last, when the Holy City,
New Jerusalem, descends from God out of Heaven,
it will rest upon the specific land that Jesus
promised to give to Abraham and his offspring!
(Zechariah 14; Revelation 21) Abraham well
understood the curse of sin. He knew Gods
covenant included more than merely living in the
land of Canaan. This is why the Bible says
Abraham was looking for a city whose builder and
maker was God. (Hebrews 11:10) By faith, Abraham
could see beyond the curse of sin. He was looking
for a new Heaven and a new Earth. So, be assured
that the unilateral covenant God gave to Abraham
will be fulfilled because God always keeps His
word.
Five Unilateral Covenants
So far, we have examined
five unilateral covenants. All of these covenants
predate Mt. Sinai by hundreds of years. They are:
1.
Do not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of
Good and Evil.
2.
I will put enmity between the serpent and
the woman and will one day send a Savior.
3.
I will demand an accounting for each
mans life. Murderers are to be put to
death.
4.
I will not destroy the world again with a
flood.
5. To
Abraham: Through you, all
nations will be blessed.
I will
make you father of many nations.
I
will give you and your descendants this
land.
Bilateral: If You Will Be
My People
.
Now, we turn our
attention to the first bilateral or mutual
covenant offered to man the day sin began.
Although Genesis 3 does not say this in the
clearest of terms, God offered a bilateral
covenant (a two-sided agreement) to fallen man
before He evicted them from the Garden of Eden.
The silver lining of that dark day is this: God
offered man a way back home if he wanted to
return. It may take God 7,000 years to restore
man to his garden home, but returning home is
possible! This covenant can be summarized with
words that God has used in various places in the
Bible: If you will be my people and
show faith in me by obeying me, I will be your
Salvation. (See Exodus 6:7; 19:5,6;
Jeremiah 7:23; Ezekiel 36:28; Revelation 21:7.)
Because bilateral covenants are performance
based, notice the conditional element in this
bilateral covenant. If you will be my
people
it is apparent from Genesis 3
that Adam and Eve accepted the covenant by
conducting the first animal sacrifice to
demonstrate the price of sin. (Genesis 3:21) The
killing of a flawless lamb was a shadow of the
death of mans Creator. After slaying the
lamb, I believe Jesus covered the nakedness of
Adam and Eve with the skin of the lamb. This is a
beautiful object lesson showing how God covers
our sins through the righteousness of Christ.
(Romans 3:21,22)
This bilateral covenant,
which was offered in perpetuity to Adam and Eve
and their descendants, is one of the two
covenants that were nailed to the cross. When
Jesus died, the requirement for animal sacrifices
- established in the Garden of Eden - came to an
end. This bilateral covenant between God
and man was fulfilled and a fulfilled covenant is
a finished covenant. A new bilateral covenant was
implemented at the cross that is based on the
blood of Jesus.
Abels Sacrifice
Consider for a moment how
the first bilateral covenant worked: Because the
blood of Jesus would have to be spilled to bring
about mans restoration, God mandated that
animal blood be periodically shed until
Christs blood could be shed. (Genesis 4:4)
Animal sacrifices served as a symbolic reminder
of the price of salvation. We know this to be
true because of Abels approved
offering and subsequent death. (Hebrews 11:4;
12:24; 1 john 3:12) Although Cain could actually
see into the Garden of Eden, he was so rebellious
that he would not submit to the terms and
conditions that god required to return there! He
refused to offer the prerequisite animal
sacrifice and God refused to honor Cains
offering of fruit. As Abel obediently presented
the prerequisite sacrifices, God commended him
and Cain went deeper and deeper into a jealous
rage. No doubt thought, How can God
continue to embarrass me, the firstborn of
mankind, in front of a lesser (younger)
brother? Finally, Cain vented his rage
toward God and Abel by killing Abel. For 4,000
years, from Adam to the time of Christ, everyone
wanting salvation had to submit to the
requirements of the first bilateral covenant God
to Adam and Eve. Noah obediently submitted to
this requirement. (Genesis 8:20,21) Remember that
everyone prior to the flood (with the exception
of Enoch) who offered animal sacrifices went to
their death without receiving what was promised.
(Hebrews 11:39,40) Understand that salvation is
granted to no one on the basis of obedience.
Obedience can be the result of faith or obedience
can be the result of conformity. In other words,
a person can offer animal sacrifices because it
is the religious thing to do but this
is not faith. Faith is most clearly revealed when
obedience comes with a penalty. In Abels
case, it cost him his life.
Bilateral Covenant
Expanded at Sinai
The bilateral covenant
that God offered to Adam and Eve was both
perpetual (for 4,000 years) and temporary (until
Jesus died). The slaying of animals was an act of
faith for 40 centuries. The slaying of the
sacrificial animals, according to the
requirements that God established, was expression
of faith. Faith renders obedience; presumption
excuses transgression. At Mt. Sinai, God offered
the descendants of Abraham a bilateral covenant.
This covenant was an enhanced and expanded
version of the bilateral covenant that He offered
to Adam and Eve. The covenant that God offered to
the offspring of Abraham at Mt. Sinai was not
entirely new nor was it entirely unique. Instead,
it was a repetition and enlargement of certain
issues that had been extended to the human race
through Adam and Eve. The bilateral covenant
offered to Israel included certain new features
for Israel (such as the privilege of being a
kingdom of priests to God), but it remained a
conditional two-side covenant, If you will
be my people, then I will be your God.
(Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28-30)
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