The Covenant Series, Part 1

For much of my life as a Christian, in our group Bible studies, I never was taught much about God being a 'covenant' God. Oh, I did know that there were covenants made like the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and New Covenant; but, to my recollection, we never studied each one in detail much if at all. So, in my later years, it was decided that it was time to dive in and see what could be learned about 'covenant'.

Let us begin by looking at Genesis l5, especially verses 9-l2, l7-l8...'And He said to him, Bring to Me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon. 10) And he brought Him all these and cut them down the middle (into halves) and laid each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not divide. 11) And when the birds of prey swooped down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12) When the sun was setting, a deep sleep overcame Abram,and a horror(a terror, a shuddering fear) of great darkness assailed and oppressed him. 17) When the sun had gone down and a (thick) darkness had come on, behold, a smoking oven and a flaming torch passed between those pieces. 18) On the same day the Lord made a covenant (promise, pledge) with Abram, saying, To your descendants I have given this land...(Amp).

Covenants have been the basis as we have walked with God. It would seem that unless we understand covenant, we won't ever realize how to truly understand our covenant God and what He expects of us being His covenant people especially in these end-times. We may not understand His true character in making covenant with us and how close He will be to us as we are awaiting His soon return. Christians are already under attack. Let us look farther and learn more about covenant.

Covenant is at the very core in our walk with God. The Bible describes our relationship in the New Testament with Christ as a marriage between a Bride and a Groom. We have become the Bride of Christ through the New Covenant. So, we have come into our New Testament relationship through the New Covenant. But as God's covenant people, how can we even relate to God if we don't understand how His New Covenant people were supposed to react in such a covenant? Do we even know the specifics of making the three types of covenants today? Most surely do not!

As mentioned prior, many churches today don't really understand making covenants and how they operate. Most churches don't even teach such things.

In our society, we only have the 'covenant of marriage' and how many truly know what even the marriage covenant is or ever knew that it was a covenant before God? What We Think We Know...

Understanding covenant helps us walk with God. However, many church goers have deep seeded beliefs about God.

'God is an angry God and He's going to get me if I don't tow the line.' Some feel God is so perfect and we are so unperfect that He would never care about us...that we are sinners...”Oh, I love Him; but, He would never care about 'me'!” “He surely wouldn't care about the little things in my life!” “I wouldn't bother Him with such trivial things.” “You may love me today; Lord; but, will you love me tomorrow?”

One day, you may feel you are in His grace. The next day, you may feel just the opposite.

That's no way we should stand before God and walk with Him. Perhaps, it is time that we all understand the depth of commitment that God has promised through covenant with you and with me. It's time to understand His Love and His Promises.

Throughout the Bible, we read that making covenants was a common practice. Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Peter and Paul all understood how important making a covenant was and what would happen if they didn't keep the covenant.

Throughout the chapters in the Old Testament, we see that many wars took place. Throughout the Bible, we see high walls built around cities for protection from their enemies. It was important like today who they could trust and in whom they could not.

Like in modern negotiations today, we call such things treaties; but, as we have seen, man-made treaties are just treaties that are made to be broken. However, in their day, the very key to survival was covenant.

In Genesis 26:26 through 28, for example, Abimelech and Isaac made peace by making up or (cutting) a covenant.

Also, we see in Genesis 3l that Jacob also made a covenant with Laban.

Loyal covenant partners provided better security for each other by adding strength to fight their mutual enemies. These would be people that they could count on when things got rough and possible war was looming.

At the time, making a covenant with another was very serious. When the men of their day made or cut covenant with one another, they were literally giving their lives to one another. They not only shared in the hardships of war but they also shared in the victories and joys of life.

We can find benefit of having a covenant in Ecc. 4 verses 9 through l2...'Two are better than one, because they have a good (more satisfying) reward for their labor; 10) For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up? 11) Again, if two lie down together, then they have warmth: but how can one be warm alone? 12) And though a man might prevail against him who is alone, two will withstand him. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.' (Amp) Therefore, it was always good to have someone you could count on in any situation of life, who would stand by you and cover your back.