Covenants with God in the Bible refer to the promises that God gave to the people of Israel, as well as what the Israelites had to perform in order to be granted these covenants. we read about covenants between God and his people, as well as between God and all of humanity.
These covenants function as a kind of partnership or contract between God and man. They are agreements that describe God’s commitments to mankind as well as the advantages he promises.
This article examines the biblical covenants formed with God.
How many biblical covenants are there?
Theologians of the Bible hold different opinions on how many biblical covenants are there in the Bible. While some scholars recognize two covenants; covenant of promise and Covenant of the law, we have gathered eight covenants in the Bible from our research.
What was God’s first covenant?
Adamic Covenant
The Adamic Covenant was the first covenant with God in the Bible. This covenant took place in the garden of Eden. In this covenant, Adam was the Mediator.
The Adamic Covenant was first made with Adam and Eve, the first man and woman created. It was the first recorded covenant between God and man, and it serves as the foundation for much of what we see in the remainder of the Bible.
God pledges in Genesis 2:16–17 that if Adam upholds his end of the bargain—that he will not eat from “the tree of knowledge of good and evil”— he will have dominion over all living things:
And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Genesis 2:16-17 (NIV)
Sin entered creation as a result of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, and God’s wrath ensued. God cursed man and forced him to till the ground (Genesis 3:13-24).
Noahic Covenant (The Second Covenant)
The Second Covenant with God in the Bible is the Noahic covenant. The Noahic Covenant was an agreement between God and Noah concerning the destiny of the Earth on Mt. Ararat and it is recorded in Genesis 9. It was created by God in response to humankind’s depravity prior to the Flood, as related in Genesis 6.
The Noahic Covenant is significant because it bridges the gap between God’s covenant with all humanity and His covenant with Abraham. This covenant was entered into by all of humanity, laying the groundwork for God’s salvific plan to be extended to all of humanity.
God establishes himself as a merciful God in this agreement. He declares that living creatures will never again be harmed by a flood, but that he will show compassion for future generations (as he had shown for Noah). He included a rainbow as His sign of commitment.
Abrahamic Covenant
The Abrahamic covenant is the third covenant with God in the Bible. This covenant was established with Abraham at Mt. Moriah. The Abrahamic Covenant is divided into three parts:
The First Promise: God tells Abraham that his descendants would outnumber the stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5)
The Second Promise: God tells Abraham that his descendants would inherit Canaan (Genesis 15:18)
The Third Promise: God promises Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the sands on a beach, and that he will bestow all of his blessings on them (Genesis 22:17)
The covenant required Abram to circumcise himself and all of his male offspring, who were likewise expected to be circumcised when they reached adulthood. The Abrahamic covenant is a covenant that is It is only available to Abraham and his (spiritual) descendants. (Genesis 17:7), It is eternal and not replaced by any subsequent covenant and it is a covenant that was and is accepted through faith (Genesis 15:6).
Mosaic Covenant
Another covenant with God in the Bible is the Mosaic covenant. This covenant was a covenant with God and the Israelites after they were free from the Egyptians after a hundred years of slavery.
The Mosaic Covenant was divided into two parts: the first ten commandments and a collection of additional regulations and instructions for Jewish living. This covenant served as the nation’s constitution, guiding them as a people through their new existence.
The Mosaic Covenant (also called the Old Covenant or the Law of Moses) was a peace treaty between God and the Israelites, mediated by Moses. The covenant defined their connection with God, with one of the most significant provisions being that they would observe his commandments and honor him.
Unlike the other three, which are everlasting covenants with God, this is a conditional agreement that will last for a specified length of time before being replaced by another. The agreement had definite repercussions for both parties: after entering into it with God, Israel had to observe specific laws or else they would be chastised by God or exiled from the land. Similarly, if they obeyed God, he would bless them.
Priestly Covenant
The Priestly covenant is one covenants with God in the bible recorded in the book of Leviticus. The priestly covenant is also know as the Levite covenant.
The word “priestly covenant” refers to a sequence of promises and obligations made by God to the priests. God and Aaron, the Israelites’ first High Priest, made the Priestly Covenant with God. The covenant established a set of regulations for Aaron and his descendants to observe in his role as high priest, such as not making any cuts on his body, wearing mixed fiber garments, or having tattoos.
In it, God promises to keep priests and their descendants holy for all time. The descendants of the Priests would be distinguished from the rest of the people and would be allowed to offer sacrifices on behalf of individuals who were unable to perform this function.
Palestinian Covenant
Covenants with God in the Bible: The Palestinian Covenant is found in Deuteronomy 30:1–10. This covenant ensures Israel’s fundamental right to the land. It is unconditional, as evidenced by the words “God will,” and there are no associated requirements.
This covenant guarantees Israel’s eventual return to the land in repentance and faith In circumstances where God will bless them.
The covenant was fulfilled twice: first during the Babylonian Captivity/Rebuilding of Jerusalem and once during the Destruction of Jerusalem/Reinstatement of the Jewish People.
Davidic Covenant
Covenants with God in the Bible: In 2 Samuel 7:12-16, God promises King David that his successors will have an unending, uninterrupted line of rulers. There is hope for restoration among the exile prophets, under a Davidic ruler who will bring peace and justice.
The covenant guarantees that Israel’s kings and queens will always be accountable, just, and faithful to God, and that they will possess the land “forever.”
The requirement for this fulfillment of the covenant was that the righteous line adhere to God’s commandments. It is divided into two parts. The first pledge is that the king’s line shall reign in perpetuity. The second promise is that his heir will construct a house for God.
Eucharistic / New Covenant
God’s Covenants in the Bible: The Eucharistic / New Covenant is a covenant made at the Last Supper and reaffirmed on the cross. The Passover sacrifice of Jesus Christ makes the Eucharistic / New Covenant possible. The Ten Commandments represent the covenant’s obligations.
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Luke 22:20 (NIV)
The New Bond is an unconditional covenant between God and humanity, created by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the cross. Because the original “Old” Covenant had become obsolete – that is, it did not lead to redemption — the New Covenant was established.
Power of Covenant in the Bible
The power of covenant in the bible is expressed as an agreement between God and man. Our God is a covenant God and his covenant occurs when He decides to pursue a thing to its conclusion. When God desires to modify the fate of a nation, a people, or a man, He enters into a covenant with him or the people.
Covenants with God in the Bible are not one-sided agreements, but rather relationships with conditions and expectations that must be met in order to keep the relationship going.
God’s covenant is an example of His commitment to a cause. And His determination to see it through. They are His principles, His position on a subject. Psalm 89:35 says,
“Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David”
- The power of God’s covenant is found in the faithfulness and integrity of His word and promises.
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Mathew 24:35 KJV
God is not a man, so he cannot lie; nor is he a son of man, so he cannot repent: hath he said, and shall he not execute it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Numbers 23:19 KJV
- There is no variation or shadow of turning in Him. It is God’s divine promise to humanity, an open desire to complete a task.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
James 1:17 KJV
- It is God’s spoken word that can never return void without completing the task for which it was sent.
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Isaiah 55:11 KJV
Personal Covenant with God
Personal covenants with God are covenants an individual makes with God. It includes trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Spirit, ordination to the priesthood, and everlasting marriage.
Another form of personal covenants with God concerns the individual’s own condition. For example, God promised Noah that he would save his family from the flood, Abraham that he would give his descendants the country of Canaan, and Joseph of Egypt that his children would prosper in the land of the eternal hills, Hannah Covenants to Give Her Son to Service of the Lord.
The new covenant that God pledged to form with Israel is personal, not national, and its acceptance and compliance are personal issues. It takes a lot of courage to turn away from the broad way when one makes a personal covenant with God.
How to Enter Covenant with God
Entering covenant with God is a sacred act. It should never be taken lightly, and it should never be done for the sake of a reward.
To enter a covenant with God requires five key experiences:
1) Faith in God and Jesus Christ.
To enter a covenant wit God, you must have faith in God and his son, Jesus Christ. You must also believe in the holy Spirit. This is the first most important criteria to making a covenant with God.
2) Confession of Sin.
The next step is to confess your sins to him. By confessing your sins, you are thereby cleaning your heart, body, and mind to be able to be a holy alter for the Holy Spirit to dwell in. Understand that you can not deceive God by limiting the things you confess about. Your heart must be a clean for God to dwell in.
3) Repentance For Sins
After confessing your sins, you must show repentance for your sin. Repentance is the means through which we can be set free from our sins and receive forgiveness for them. Sins impede and even halt our spiritual growth.
Repentance allows us to spiritually grow and develop once more. The privilege of repentance is made available through Jesus Christ’s Atonement. how do you repent? To repent you must do the following:
- Make Restitution
- Forsake your Sins
- Keep the Commandments of God
4) Baptism
Baptism is the physical manifestation of the interior phenomena of coming to and recognizing Jesus Christ as real, as God incarnate, as the sacrificial method by which those who believe in him can be eternally reconciled to God.
The objective of baptism is to provide visual evidence of our covenant to Christ. We are joined through faith in Christ Jesus via Baptism. Through Baptism we are cleansed of all inequities that kept us from God.
5) Submission and Obedience
Keeping Covenant with God
God calls those with whom He establishes a covenant to keep the covenant. Although it is not a human work on which the covenant is based, keeping the covenant is crucial, if not necessary. It is required because God requires it, because it is how we are saved and know we are saved, and because it glorifies God, which is the primary goal of the covenant.
how do we keep covenant with God?
- keeping the covenant consists of obeying God’s commandments
- We keep the covenant by loving God as our heavenly father. We keep the covenant by loving God with our hearts.
- Drawing near to God is the means of covenant keeping, as Hebrews 10:22
In prayer, we draw closer to God. We approach near to God by seeking Him where He may be found in the authentic church, in gospel preaching, and in the sacraments, particularly the sacrament of the Supper. - Keeping covenant with God means keeping it unconditionally. You should not only keep a covenant when you are comfortable but also during times of hardship.
Bible Verses About Covenant with God
Genesis 9:13
I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth
Genesis 9:13 NIV
When we see a rainbow in the sky, it is a simple, visible sign of God’s covenant of grace to His creation, which is recorded in His written Word. It was sin and rebellion that caused the judgment of water, but it was mercy and grace that caused the Lord to set His rainbow in the clouds as a covenant between God and the earth.
Deuteronomy 7:9
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.
Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV
Without fear or favor, we are to know that the Lord our God is a covenant-keeping God. His promises to Israel are certain, and His promises to the Church are equally certain, for every promise and covenant made to humanity are whole. all we have to do is trust in him and worship him in spirit and in truth.
Hebrews 9:15
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
Christ shed his blood bring us into the new covenant and through this covenant with God we receive the promised eternal inheritance.
Matthew 26:28
for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins
Matthew 26:28 (NIV)
in this Bible verse, Jesus gave up his blood for new covenant so that our sins will be forgiven and washed away. God has set up a new covenant between himself and mankind through the passion and death of his Son, through whom alone men may draw near to God.
