Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Gen. 9:12–17, 17:2–12, Gal. 3:15–28, Deut. 9:9, Heb. 10:11–18, Heb. 9:15–28.
Memory Text: “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant” (Hebrews 9:15, NIV).
God’s eternal decision to save humanity has been revealed to us through the ages by the covenants. Though the Bible speaks of covenants in the plural (Rom. 9:4, Gal. 4:24, Eph. 2:12), there is really only the covenant of grace, in which salvation is given to sinners,
not on the basis of their merits but on the merits of Jesus that are offered to all who claim those merits by faith. The plural, covenants, simply means that God has advanced His saving purposes by restating the covenant in various ways in order to meet the needs of His people in different times and settings. It is always, though, one covenant—the
eternal covenant of God’s saving grace.
The heart of this covenant is our Lord’s steadfast, faithful love, a love that the Bible at times even equates with the covenants themselves (see Deut. 7:9, 1 Kings 8:23, Dan. 9:4). As part of that covenant, God calls His people to obey His law, not as a means of salvation but as the fruit of it. Law and grace together have always been central to God’s eternal
Sunday June 1
Covenant Signs (Gen. 9:12–17)
A covenant can be simply defined as an agreement between two parties
based upon promises made by either one or by both parties. There
are two basic methods by which a covenant can operate. In the first,
both parties to the covenant agree to the terms of the relationship and
make mutual promises. This would be the case in a marriage, business
merger, or even the purchase of property. In the second category,
one party initiates the covenant by stipulating both the promises and
the nonnegotiable terms, and the other party is invited to participate.
Examples include payment of taxes or enrollment at an educational
institution. In both instances, either party is free to withdraw from the
covenant, but there is usually a consequence. (For instance, a person
who fails to pay his mortgage will lose his home, or a citizen who
refuses to remit taxes will be prosecuted.)
A covenant is usually sealed with at least one symbol. For instance,
a person purchasing a home places several signatures on a mortgage
agreement with a lending institution, which keeps the title deed for the
property in trust until the full amount is paid. Or married people are
issued a legal document of marriage by the state. The symbol itself is
not the covenant but an indicator that a person is obligated to a covenant.
Read Genesis 9:12–17 and 17:2–12. What is the difference between the
symbol and the covenant in these cases? Also, what are the differences
between these two covenants?
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In Genesis 9:9, God covenants with creation that He will never again
destroy the earth with water. Whenever a rainbow appears in the sky, all
are expected to remember God’s promise. The same is true for the mark
of circumcision, which was supposed to remind every Jewish male of
His people’s role in blessing the nations. One covenant was made with
all humanity; the other, specifically with the nation of Israel. Also, in
the covenant made with humanity after the Flood, the people didn’t
have to do anything; the promise was just there, regardless of what
the people did. This wasn’t so with the second one, the one made with
Israel; the people had to fulfill their part of the deal.
covenant.
Monday June 2
Covenant Promises
Covenants are based on promises. In fact, it is possible to use the
two terms interchangeably. Of course, when a covenant is made, it is
expected that the person who makes the promise (covenant) has the
ability to deliver what is promised (covenanted).
In the Old Testament, some covenants were local and limited affairs
(see, for instance, Gen. 31:43–54).
The incident with Jacob and Laban demonstrates that covenants can
be transactions made within and between societies. The monument at
Mizpah was to serve as the sign of a treaty that would apply only to the
two clans. When those to whom the treaty applied had died, the terms
of the treaty would be irrelevant. Unlike this covenant made between
humans, the covenants that Yahweh instituted with Noah and Abraham
have everlasting implications.
How does Galatians 3:15–28 help to explain the broader implications
of the Abrahamic covenant?
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Throughout the Bible, God has made several universal covenants in
which He makes promises that are relevant to all humanity. Recognizing
that the entire earth had been affected by the Flood, Yahweh promised
not to allow His creation to be devastated by water again. In the case
with Abraham, God saw humanity’s need for righteousness, and so He
promised to provide a blessing for all nations through Abraham’s seed
(Gen. 22:18).
Though God made the Sinai covenant with a specific nation, it
also has universal significance. God was very clear that any foreigner
could be a part of the chosen people (for example, Exod. 12:48, 49),
and Israel’s mission was to be an evangelistic light to the world (Exod.
19:5, 6).
What is your own personal understanding of your covenantal
relationship with God? That is, what has God promised you, and
what has He asked of you in return for those promises?
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