John Walton: What is Covenant?

Summary

The video explores the concept of a covenant in the Bible, emphasizing its central role in God's relationship with humanity. Beginning in Genesis, the covenant is key to God's revelation of Himself to Abraham and his descendants, later extending to Israel through the law. The ultimate purpose of the covenant is to establish a relationship with humanity by revealing God's nature. This revelation culminates in Jesus Christ, who fulfills the covenant and law, leading to the New Covenant, through which people can now relate to God through Christ.

Takeaways

• 📜 The concept of a covenant is central throughout the Bible, starting in Genesis and evolving through the Old and New Testaments.
• 📖 The first major covenant is offered to Abraham in Genesis 12, and it is formalized in Genesis 15 with a sign in Genesis 17.
• 🛕 The covenant continues with Israel in the Exodus story, where the law elaborates on the covenant and God's presence among His people through the Tabernacle and Temple.
• 📣 Prophets in the Old Testament act as covenant mediators, calling Israel to remain accountable to their covenant relationship with God.
• 🤝 A covenant establishes a relationship between parties, specifically between God and His people.
• 🧐 The purpose of the covenant is not merely to make promises or provide benefits but to reveal God and bring people into a relationship with Him.
• 🌍 At the time of Abraham, no one knew God, so the covenant was God's way of revealing Himself to the world through Abraham's family.
• ⚖️ The law given through the covenant serves as a means of revelation, showing God's holiness and establishing a relationship with Israel.
• ✝️ Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the covenant and the law, revealing the ultimate holiness and character of God, thus completing God's revelation.
• 🌟 The New Covenant, fulfilled through Christ, establishes a permanent relationship between humanity and God, completing the covenant's purpose.

Q & A

What is a covenant in biblical terms?

A covenant in the Bible is a relationship established between parties, specifically between God and His people. It involves promises, benefits, and commitments, and serves as a foundational concept in both the Old and New Testaments.

Where is the first reference to a covenant found in the Bible?

The first reference to a covenant is found in Genesis 9, but it becomes a central focus beginning with the Abrahamic covenant in Genesis 12.

What role does the covenant play in the Abrahamic stories in Genesis?

The covenant in the Abrahamic stories establishes a relationship between God and Abraham, promising land, family, and blessing to Abraham and his descendants. It is later ratified in Genesis 15 and marked with a sign in Genesis 17.

How does the covenant evolve in the story of Israel?

The covenant evolves through the Exodus narrative, where Israel becomes God's covenant people. It is further elaborated with the giving of the law at Sinai and continues through Israel’s history, with the prophets acting as covenant mediators.

What is the ultimate purpose of God's covenant with His people?

The ultimate purpose of God's covenant is to establish a relationship with His people by revealing Himself to them. This relationship is the goal, while the covenant is the means through which God reveals His character and plans.

Why is revelation a key aspect of the covenant?

Revelation is key because people cannot have a relationship with a God they do not know. The covenant serves as God's program of revealing Himself to the world, starting with Abraham and his descendants, so that they and the world may come to know Him.

How does the covenant benefit Abraham and his descendants?

The covenant brings benefits such as land, family, and blessing to Abraham and his descendants. These are advantages they gain from being the first recipients of God's revelation.

Does Israel’s faithfulness affect the covenant's purpose?

While Israel’s faithfulness affects the benefits they receive, it does not stop God’s overall plan of revealing Himself. Whether Israel was faithful or unfaithful, God’s nature would still be revealed through the covenant.

How does the covenant relate to the New Testament?

In the New Testament, the covenant is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who embodies the ultimate revelation of God’s holiness and salvation. Christ fulfills both the law and the covenant, bringing the relationship between God and humanity to completion.

What does it mean for the law to be fulfilled in Christ?

The law is fulfilled in Christ because He embodies the holiness and character of God. Through Christ, the purpose of the law, which was to reveal God’s holiness, is realized, and the covenant is brought to completion with the New Covenant, where people enter into a relationship with God through Christ.

Outlines

00:00

📜 The Centrality of Covenant in Biblical Theology

The Bible presents the concept of a covenant early on, starting in Genesis 9 and becoming a central theme in the Abraham stories from Genesis 12 onward. God offers Abraham a covenant relationship, which is formalized in Genesis 15 and signified in Genesis 17. The covenant extends to the Israelites in the Exodus, where it is elaborated through the law at Sinai. This relationship continues throughout the Old Testament with the prophets serving as mediators, calling people back to the covenant. The concept of covenant is essential to understanding God's relationship with His people and extends into the New Testament with the establishment of the New Covenant. This covenant is not simply a political or administrative agreement but rather establishes a deep, relational bond between God and His people.

05:01

🔍 Understanding the Purpose of the Covenant

A covenant fundamentally establishes a relationship between two parties. In the Bible, God’s goal is to be in a relationship with His people. This relationship begins with a covenant, but it's more than just promises or benefits like land, family, and blessings. The purpose of the covenant is to reveal God to His people, as at the time of Abraham, no one knew or worshiped Yahweh. The covenant becomes the means through which God reveals Himself to Abraham's family, leading them to know Him and fostering a relationship. Thus, the covenant acts as a tool for revelation, allowing God’s people to come to know Him over time.

🌍 Israel as God's Instrument for Revelation

Through Israel, God reveals Himself to the world. While Israel stands to gain advantages by receiving the revelation of God first, God's plan is not dependent on their faithfulness. Even in Israel's unfaithfulness, God’s nature would be revealed. This revelation through Israel allows not only Israel but also the nations to know God. The theme of Israel as a 'light to the nations' is evidenced through figures like Rahab and continues in the prophetic books, such as Ezekiel. The covenant thus serves the dual purpose of drawing Israel into a relationship with God while also allowing the world to come to know Him through their experiences.

✝️ The Fulfillment of the Covenant in Christ

The covenant reaches its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who embodies the law and the covenant. In giving the law, God was revealing Himself as a holy God and calling His people to holiness. The law was not just a set of rules but a form of revelation, bringing joy and benefit. Christ fulfills the law by perfectly embodying God’s holiness and character, thus fulfilling the covenant's purpose. Through Christ, the new covenant is established, bringing people into a renewed relationship with God. The covenant, having revealed God's nature and salvation plan, has now completed its role through Christ.

Keywords

💡Covenant

A covenant is a formal agreement or relationship between two parties, often seen in religious contexts as a pact between God and humans. In the video, the covenant is central to understanding God's relationship with humanity, beginning with God's covenant with Abraham in Genesis and evolving throughout biblical history. The covenant signifies not just promises but a deep relationship that shapes God's interaction with His people.

💡Revelation

Revelation refers to God's process of making Himself known to humanity. In the context of the video, revelation is crucial to the covenant because God uses it to reveal His character and intentions. Through the covenant with Abraham and Israel, God unveils Himself to people who did not know Him, culminating in the ultimate revelation through Jesus Christ.

💡Abraham

Abraham is a foundational figure in the Bible who enters into a covenant with God, as first mentioned in Genesis 12. This covenant promises blessings, land, and descendants, but more importantly, it sets the stage for God's self-revelation and the unfolding of His plan for humanity. Abraham's covenant relationship with God becomes a model for understanding faith and obedience.

💡Law

The law, given to the people of Israel through Moses, is an extension of the covenant, providing guidelines for living in relationship with God. In the video, the law is portrayed as both a revelation of God's holiness and a benefit to those who follow it. Ultimately, the law is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who embodies the holiness and purpose of God's commandments.

💡Holiness

Holiness refers to the state of being set apart, especially in relation to God's pure and perfect nature. In the covenant relationship, God calls His people to be holy as He is holy, reflecting His character in their lives. The video emphasizes that God's holiness is revealed through the law and fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodies it.

💡Israel

Israel is the nation chosen by God to be His covenant people, beginning with the descendants of Abraham. The video discusses how Israel is central to God's plan of revelation, as He reveals His nature through their history, their successes, and failures. The covenant with Israel not only benefits them but is also intended to show the world who God is.

💡Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the covenant and the ultimate revelation of God. According to the video, Christ embodies the law and God's holiness, completing the promises made to Abraham and Israel. Through Jesus, the new covenant is established, allowing all people to enter into a relationship with God.

💡Promise

In the context of the covenant, promises are the benefits God offers to those in a relationship with Him, such as land, descendants, and blessings. However, the video emphasizes that the covenant is more than just a series of promises; it is about God's larger plan to reveal Himself to humanity and establish a lasting relationship.

💡Faithfulness

Faithfulness in the video refers to both God's unwavering commitment to the covenant and the expected response of His people. Although the people of Israel sometimes failed to keep the covenant, God remained faithful, continuing to reveal Himself and work through them. Faithfulness is a key attribute in understanding the dynamics of the covenant relationship.

💡Relationship

Relationship is a core concept in the video, as the covenant is fundamentally about establishing a connection between God and humanity. From the beginning of Genesis, God seeks to be in relationship with His creation, and the covenant is the means through which this relationship is formalized and deepened. The goal of the covenant is not just to offer benefits but to bring people into a deeper knowledge and connection with God.

Highlights

The concept of a covenant is introduced in Genesis chapter 9 and becomes the focus with the Abraham stories in Genesis 12.

God offers Abraham a covenant relationship, which is ratified in Genesis 15 and symbolized in Genesis 17.

The covenant relationship between God and Abraham’s family is central to the rest of Genesis.

The covenant extends into the Exodus narratives, where Israel becomes God's covenant people.

The covenant is elaborated through the giving of the law at Sinai, highlighting its importance in God's relationship with His people.

Prophets serve as mediators of the covenant, calling the people to accountability in their relationship with God.

Covenant remains a central theme in Old Testament theology and transitions into the New Testament with the New Covenant.

Covenant involves not just promises but a relationship between God and His people, with the ultimate goal of knowing God.

God initiates the covenant to reveal Himself to the world, beginning with Abraham and his family.

The benefits of the covenant include land, family, and blessings, but these are secondary to the primary goal of revelation and relationship with God.

God's revelation through the covenant is a progressive process, leading to the knowledge of God through Israel and ultimately the world.

Even if Israel was unfaithful, God would still use them to reveal Himself, as seen in the confessions of Rahab and Ezekiel.

The covenant finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who embodies the holiness and character of God.

Through Christ, the law and covenant are fulfilled, as He is the ultimate revelation of God’s salvation.

The New Covenant, established through Christ, brings believers into a new relationship with God, completing the work of the original covenant.

Transcripts

[Music]

you can't read very far into the Bible

without encountering this concept of a

covenant uh we first see reference to it

in Genesis chapter 9 but then it really

becomes the center of focus beginning

with the Abraham stories in Genesis 12

where God offers Abraham a covenant

relationship and eventually that's

ratified in Genesis 15 we have a sign of

the Covenant in Genesis 17 and really

the whole back part of Genesis is the

development of this Covenant

relationship establishing it among

Abraham and his family and of course it

doesn't stop there it goes into the

Exodus narratives where Israel becomes

God's covenant people the Covenant is um

elaborated with the law that's given

from SI the Covenant is crucial to God's

residence among his people in the

Tabernacle and Temple and then all the

way through as the Old Testament

proceeds as we have the idea of the

prophets as Covenant mediators or

Covenant Champions calling people to

accountability of the Covenant and so

the Covenant is is Central in Old

Testament Theology and it doesn't stop

there we move into the New Covenant in

the New Testament and so we find out

that Covenant is a fairly important

theological concept so what do we make

of it what is this Covenant thing all

about did God just decide that he was

going to use a covenant to make promises

so he could show that he could keep

them is the Covenant an

administrative sort of facilitating

element uh is Covenant just sort of a

political

agreement what is the Covenant well

let's take a look at a few of the

concepts that might help us understand

it first of all we have to understand

that a covenant entails a

relationship that is uh whatever the

purposes or reasons for the relationship

a covenant establishes a relationship

between parties now relationship is a

key term and that that should help us

quite a bit here because we understand

from the very beginning of Genesis and

all the way through the the Bible to the

very end that God has always intended to

be in relationship with his people

therefore relationship is an important

concept and Covenant is involved with

that but what exactly was the the target

the focus of this relationship because

we see that there are a lot of parts to

it what's the focus I don't think that

it's just promise certainly God made

promises the promises that he makes to

Abraham and his family and that carry on

into Israel are promises that involve

benefits benefits because God has made

this relationship with them and so they

have something to gain land family

blessing there there are things that

they stand to gain and those are

important benefits but is God just doing

this so he can give his his favorites

some benefits I don't think that's going

to help

us God has another goal in

mind and God's goal I would suggest to

you is a goal go that will end in

relationship but has to get there

through a particular

instrument see it's difficult to be in

relationship with someone that you don't

know at the time of Abraham there was no

one no one in the ancient world who knew

God who knew

Yahweh Abraham's family was not

monotheistic they were not worshippers

of Yahweh the text tells us that Joshua

24 among other

places and so there were no faithful

worshippers so how in the world could

God expect relationship from people who

didn't know

him the Covenant then is the beginning

of God's

initiative to reveal

himself God was undertaking a program of

Revelation so that people could come to

know him and through knowing him come

into relationship with

him so relationship was the final goal

but

Revelation was the objective along the

way and God decided that he was going to

reveal himself to the world through

Abraham and his

family they would stand to gain certain

benefits because of the fact that God

was using them in this way it was to

their advantage because they received

the revelation of God first Romans talk

to us about that what advantage does the

Jew have every way through them came the

Oracles of God and so having that

relationship was an advantage to them

but it was also something that God was

going to do regardless of whether they

were Cooperative or not they could lose

the benefits if they were not

Cooperative if they didn't respond but

God was going to reveal himself through

Israel through Abraham's family whether

they were fa faithful or

Unfaithful every aspect of God's nature

would be revealed and all of those

vicissitudes of Israel's keeping or not

keeping the Covenant and in this way God

intended to reveal

himself and through that Revelation that

Israel could come to know him but

through Israel that the world could know

him this is that light to the Nations

idea that they could know God and that

others could know the god of Israel

through them we have the confession of

Rahab in in Joshua chapter 2 uh we know

that your God is great the world was

coming to know him and the same carries

as a theme in Ezekiel especially chapter

20 and so this knowledge of God is

important and that's what God is doing

in the Covenant and that Covenant then

was fulfilled finally in Jesus Christ

because in Christ we find the

Fulfillment of the law and the

Fulfillment of the Covenant when God

gave the law he was revealing himself

revealing himself as a holy God and he

tells them I am Holy and you're to be

holy so law becomes Revelation law

becomes benefit law becomes joy and law

is fulfilled in Christ because in Christ

the Holiness and character of God are

embodied and therefore Christ fulfills

the law Christ fulfills the Covenant

because the ultimate revelation of God

God comes in the Covenant and the

ultimate Revelation eventually of God's

salvation through Christ comes through

the Covenant which then leads to the New

Covenant in which we are now in

relationship to God through Christ and

the Covenant has done its

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