The Covenants

You may not realize it but our God is a covenant maker! One of the many names used to describe our infinite and glorious God is Elohim, which means; total power and might; complete sovereignty; complete creativity; actively engaged with his creation. Another interesting aspect of this name is its plural encompassing Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

A covenant is a contract agreed upon by two parties declaring the responsibilities of each of the parties involved. Since one makes an offer and the other responds it is valid and binding contract. Included with the contract are the terms agreed to, the party initiating the contract is superior and is responsible for the fulfilling of the agreement, even if the second party violates the terms.

We see this all through the scriptures from creation to the end of this physical world, Elohim spoke and it is done-He always initiates the covenant and it is guaranteed by his word which declares it complete.

God does not speak idle words nor does say things in ignorance. He planned and executed his covenant with all He has created with full knowledge of the outcome. Before anything was made Elohim knew the course of sin would play in his creation and he also knew the cure.

Something we take for granted is the fact that if God spoke one word and it failed to produce, all of creation would implode. He can not lie, He can not deceive in anyway, and He is completely free from any imperfection whatsoever. With that understanding we can faithfully trust every word that God speaks and has spoken as the absolute truth.

There are many covenants the Lord has entered in with his creation, but I want to focus on the three important covenants. First, the covenant with Abraham, second with Children of Israel, and the final covenant through Jesus Christ.

Since God initiates all covenants with his creation, I find it interesting that Elohim's criteria for selecting the person or group to enter in this covenant relationship is completely at his discretion. According to scriptures “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23- so he doesn't choose based on performance. 

Abraham was minding his own business when the Lord showed up one day and proposed a blessing; leave everything you know and follow me to a land I will show you.  I will make you the father of a great nation, become famous and be a blessing including divine favor. (Genesis 12:1-4). What a deal! Abraham did as the Lord instructed and everything happed as the Lord said it would.

In the middle of this blessed life, reaching the Promised Land, Abraham had only one question, he had no heir to leave all this wealth to. The Lord did something more than amazing, he promised Abraham and his wife Sarah would have a child that would receive the next generation of blessing. Not such a big promise if they had been young couple, but Abraham and Sarah were way past child bearing ages, Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90. Although they both thought it was impossible, the Lord blessed Abraham and Sarah with a child, his was named Isaac.

The covenant made with Abraham was a blessing based covenant which extended to all future generations, but the conditions were based strictly on faith. The Lord, when executing the covenant said, “I am God Almighty, serve me faithfully and live a blameless life” (Genesis 17:1-8). This was the terms and Abraham complied as so did Isaac his promised son and Jacob his grandson. 

This was the family line that Elohim established the eternal faith covenant with. These three generations are known as the Patriarchs. They lived by faith in the sworn covenant made to them. When they died, their descendants were issued a written covenant.

The Lord told Abraham that his descendants would be slaves in a foreign land for 400 years, but then he would bring them back to the Promised Land, that was their inheritance forever. (Genesis 15:13-16). That promise was made complete with Moses.He was the chosen leader to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt and into their land.

The Ten Commandments and the Levitical Laws were given to the Children of Israel (Jacob) to accomplish three purposes: First to remind them of the eternal covenant the Lord had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; second the written law held them accountable to the covenant and third that they would know there is only One God. 

In prior generations, all people knew the laws of the Lord instinctively; the righteous obeyed the Lord out of respect, while others chose their own path worshiping false gods and demons. In order for the Lord to fully execute the plan of redemption, he started with this chosen group of people, fully knowing that they too would disobey, but those who chose righteousness would bring forth the Lamb of God.

The final and eternal covenant established with the people of the earth is the one the Lord initiated long ago. Through the vessels he chose, through the laws he ordained and through the faithfulness of righteous people who wanted a relationship with Elohim, later known as El Shaddai which means “The One who is more than enough- All Sufficient”, he brought forth the complete plan of redemption through Jesus Christ.

Our human thinking is clouded and sometimes we focus on the wrong details. The Lord did not only choose the blood descendants of Abraham to receive his full blessing, he chose all humanity. His ways and methods are different than we can imagine, but the end result is His wisdom. We are created in love for His enjoyment and to have a relationship with us. Through many long fought millennia He waited for the perfect time to reveal His purpose.

Jesus purchased eternal redemption for all humanity through his blood. All who have faith in Jesus, enter into the same covenant that El Shaddai initiated with Abraham, we become his descendants through faith, as well as heirs of his eternal covenant of blessing and prosperity, but it gets better. Through Jesus we become joint heirs as brothers and sisters, priests forever, and sons and daughters of the Father, indwelling by the Holy Spirit who seals us as new creations, something that has not been made before.

What a blessing we have received through God's love for us, eternal forgiveness of sins, a new spirit which is perfect and blameless before God, we have the same access to the Father as Jesus and we have an eternal inheritance of heaven- loving and fellowshipping with our God/Creator who is more awesome than anything we can imagine.

Have you come into the eternal covenant? There is only one way to enter this covenant and that is through faith in Jesus alone- all other covenants are invalid. For the blood of Christ established this final covenant. All those who want a relationship with the Father must accept the terms of this covenant, by accepting Jesus as savior.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved” (Romans 10: 9-10)

If this story has stirred your heart today, please don't hesitate to accept Jesus as your savior. By accepting Jesus you are accepting the Father and the eternal covenant is given to you free of charge because of your faith.  Blessings

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