Covenants Between God and his People March 3rd, 2024
God of wisdom, send your Spirit to prepare our hearts and minds to hear your Word. Teach us to see you more clearly and love you more deeply as we follow Christ, your Living Word. Amen.
What prompted today’s message came from the Old Testament lesson which was assigned for this Sunday of Lent. It’s from the book of Genesis and tells the story of the first covenant which God made with man. It took place after the Flood when God promised Noah that he would never again destroy the world with a flood. Here’s what God said, “‘As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’”
But, before we look any further at God’s covenants with man from the Bible, let’s first see exactly what a covenant is. One definition of a covenant is this, “A covenant is a relationship between two partners who make binding promises to each other and work together to reach a common goal. It is a promise to fulfill certain obligations or responsibilities, with the focus on the relationship between the parties involved.”
Contrast this with a contract which is defined this way, “A contract is a legally binding agreement between two or more parties that defines the terms and conditions of their relationship. It is typically designed to protect the interests of each party and to provide a framework for resolving disputes that may arise.” Thus, it can be seen that a covenant is much more personal in nature, and in some cases, such as God’s covenants with man, spiritual.
In our Bible there are five major covenants, four in the Old Testament and one in the New. These covenants establish the personal relationship which God made with man, a relationship which is just as binding today as it was when they were first made. The four in the Old Testament are known by the names of the men through whom God made the covenant for all of mankind, they are the Noahic, the Abrahamic, the Mosaic, and the Davidic covenants. We remember the familiar Bible stories of Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. These are the ancient leaders with whom God made the covenants in the Old Testament. The one in the New Testament, which is the most important to us as Christians, is called the New Covenant and was made by Jesus, the Son of God, for all of us.
The first of these five covenants is the one we heard about in our reading from the book of Genesis this morning, it was initiated by God and made with Noah. This is what had taken place, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So, the Lord said, ‘I will blot out from the earth the human beings I have created, people together with animals and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’” (Genesis 6:5-7) But Noah found favour with God, so he and his family were spared. God had Noah build a boat, called the ark, for himself and his family, as well as two of every type of creature on earth.
After the flood resided, God promised Noah that never again would he cause such a devastating flood on earth, this is what he promised, “‘As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’” God promised never again to destroy the earth with water, and he set his rainbow in the sky as a sign of his everlasting covenant. The rainbow is a reminder of God's grace and his commitment to uphold his promises. It is also a symbol of hope and peace for us, who are called to be faithful to God and to live in harmony with one another and with all living creatures.
The next agreement made between God and man was the Abrahamic Covenant. This took place when God chose Abraham, who at the time was called Abram, to be the father of his chosen people. The call of Abram is one of the most significant events in the history of salvation. God chose him and promised to make him a great nation, to bless him and to bless all the families of the earth through him. This promise is the foundation of God's covenant with Israel and the source of hope for all who believe in Jesus Christ. Here’s what God promised Abram, “Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’” (Genesis 12:1-3)
Then we have the Mosaic Covenant. At the time of Moses, the descendants of Abram, who became known as the Israelites, were being held as slaves by the Egyptians. Many of you will remember, this happened after they refused to follow God’s way and were banished to Egypt. Our gracious God gave them another chance and chose Moses to lead his people to freedom. After their escape, and while they were still in the wilderness, God made a covenant with Moses. The agreement that God made with the people of Israel through Moses was at Mount Sinai. This covenant is one of the most important themes in the Old Testament, because it reveals God's holiness, justice, and grace. The main part of the Mosaic Covenant are the laws which God gave Moses on Mount Sinai, which are known as the Ten Commandments.
The last of the Old Testament Covenants is the one made between God and King David, who is a key figure in the history of the Israeli people. Through one of the prophets, Samuel, God chose David to be the leader of the Israelites. This is the promise which God made to David, “‘I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more …; When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. …’” (2 Samuel 7:8-11,12-14)
In this passage, God makes a covenant with David, promising to establish his throne forever and to be the father to his descendants. God chose him and blessed him, not because of his merits, but because of his faith and obedience.
And the most important of David’s descendants was Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. It is believed that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was of the lineage of David. And Joseph, the stepfather of Jesus, was a direct descendant of David.
It is Jesus, who gave us the New Covenant, which is not like the old covenants that God made with the men of the Old Testament. The old covenants were based on the law, which required obedience and sacrifices. But the people could not keep the law, and they continually broke the covenants with God. The old covenants were a shadow of the things to come, but they could not make anyone perfect. But God still loved his people, even though they were imperfect, so he sent Jesus to lead us and build us up in the faith.
The New Covenant, given to us by Jesus, is based on grace, which is God's undeserved favour and love for us. God has forgiven our sins and remembers them no more. He has written his law in our hearts and minds, and he has given us his Holy Spirit to guide us and empower us. The New Covenant is a reality that we experience now, and it will be fulfilled when Jesus returns to establish his kingdom. The New Covenant makes us perfect in God's sight, because we are covered by the death of Jesus on the cross to atone for our sins. His gift of Jesus made it possible for us to have eternal life with him.
It was on the night of the Last Supper, that Jesus made this covenant with all of mankind. He was with his disciples in that Upper Room where he shared bread and wine with them. This is what took place, “While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” When we celebrate communion, we commemorate both the sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour and the eternal covenant which he made with us.
And this New Covenant is a better covenant because it is founded on better promises for all who accept it. God has promised to be our God, and we are his people. He has promised to give us eternal life, and we have a living hope. The New Covenant is a glorious covenant, because it reveals the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant, and he is also the guarantee of it. He is the high priest who offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins.
The New Covenant is a joyful covenant because it fills us with joy and peace in believing. We have access to God's presence at any time, and we can draw near to him with confidence. We have fellowship with one another, and we can share our burdens and blessings. We have a purpose in life, and we can serve God with our gifts and talents. We have a future in heaven, and we can look forward to seeing Jesus, face to face. We can look forward to an everlasting, incredible life with God.
Therefore, let us celebrate the New Covenant that God has made with us in Christ. Let us thank him for his grace and mercy that saved us from sin and death. Let us praise him for his faithfulness and power that sustain us in every situation. Let us honour him with our duty and devotion that reflect his glory and love. And let us proclaim him to the world as our Lord and Saviour, who invites everyone to enter into his New Covenant.
We also need to respond to God's call with faith and obedience. We need to leave behind our old ways of living and thinking and follow Jesus wherever he leads us. We need to trust him even when we don't always understand his ways or see his purposes. We need to obey him even when it costs us something or challenges us. That’s God’s call to us in his final covenant and the way to everlasting life with him.
Our closing prayer this morning is known as the Covenant Prayer.
Let us Pray:
Lord Jesus, I am no longer my own but yours. Your will, not mine, be done in all things, wherever you may place me, in all that I do and in all that I may endure; when there is work for me and when there is none; when I am troubled and when I am at p