CHAPTER TWO

COVENANT THEOLOGY

The second system under consideration is known as Covenant Theology. As in chapter one, a general description will first be given, followed by definitions of the central covenant, concluding with a discussion of each of the individual covenants.

I. A DESCRIPTION OF COVENANT THEOLOGY

Covenant Theology centers on one overall major covenant known as the Covenant of Grace. Some have called it the Covenant of Redemption. By many this is defined as an eternal covenant between the members of the Godhead including the following elements: 1) the Father chose a people to be His own; 2) the Son was designated with His agreement to pay the penalty of their sin; and, 3) the Holy Spirit was designated with His agreement to apply the work of the Son to this chosen people.

This Covenant of Grace is being worked out on earth in history through subordinate covenants, beginning with the Covenant of Works and culminating in the New Covenant which fulfills and completes God's work of grace to man on earth. The covenants whereby God is working out His Covenant of Grace include the following:

1. THE COVENANT OF WORKS
2. THE ADAMIC COVENANT
3. THE NOAfflC COVENANT
4. THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT
5. THE MOSAIC COVENANT
6. THE DAVIDIC COVENANT
7. THE NEW COVENANT

Unlike dispensationalism, Covenant Theology does not see each covenant as separate and distinct. That is to say, according to Covenant Theology's divisions of God's action in history, He does not work through one covenant, end it, and then move to another division or covenant. Rather, each covenant builds on top of the previous ones, and includes some aspects of the previous ones, until they all culminate in the New Covenant. This characterization of Covenant Theology will be seen more clearly as each of the covenants is discussed separately.

II. A DEFINITION OF A COVENANT

The usual idea of a covenant is that it is a mutual compact or agreement between parties or persons, whereby each agrees to render some benefit to the other. Obviously, though a Biblical covenant has some of these characteristics, this definition lacks depth in describing in detail a Biblical covenant. When speaking of a covenant between God and man, one would have to acknowledge that such a covenant is not one between equal parties, but that God as the greater is the author and instigator of the covenant, while man the sinner is the responder but benefactor of God's grace in granting the covenant.

Following are some definitions of a covenant as given by theologians of the past:

A diatheke in the singular number signifies a pact and agreement and promise.¹

A covenant in general signifies a mutual contract or agreement of two parties joined in the covenant, whereby is made a bond or obligation on certain conditions for the performance of giving or taking something, with addition of outward signs and tokens, for solemn testimony and confirmation that the compact and promise shall be kept inviolable.²

Perhaps one of the best definitions of a Biblical covenant is the one given by Palmer Robertson as he states it is a sovereignly administered bond-in-blood which relates God and man in a life and death relationship.³ The word "bond" speaks of the commitment of people or persons one to another as God and man relate and commit themselves one to another in a covenant. The phrase "bond in blood" speaks of the ultimacy and seriousness of the relationship or commitment between the two parties. The phrase "sovereignly administered" speaks of a covenant as being superintended by God and not by man as the covenant is initiated by God, as the terms are set by God, and as man is not a negotiator in the arrangement, but the recipient of God's goodness and grace.

III. A DEFINITION OF THE COVENANT OF GRACE

A. The Covenant of Grace as a Covenant Among the Persons of the Godhead

It has already been stated above that many define the Covenant of Grace as an eternal covenant between the persons of the Godhead. Few are as eloquent as Charles H. Spurgeon as he pictures what took place in eternity past in the agreements of this covenant. He writes as follows concerning the Father's part:

I the Most High Jehovah, do hereby give unto my only begotten and well-beloved Son, a people countless beyond the number of the stars who shall be by Him washed from sin, by Him preserved, and kept, and led, and by Him, at last, presented before my throne, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. I covenant by oath and sware by myself, because I can sware by no greater, that those whom I now give to Christ shall be forever the objects of my eternal love. Them will I forgive through the merit of the blood, to these will I give a perfect righteousness; these will I adopt and make my sons and daughters, and these shall reign with me through Christ eternally.⁴

My Father, on my part I covenant that in the fullness of time I will become man. I will take upon myself the form and nature of the fallen race. I will live in their wretched world, and for my people I will keep the law perfectly. I will work out a spotless righteousness, which shall be acceptable to the demands of Thy just and holy law. In due time I will bear the sins of all my people. Thou shall exact their debts on me; the chastisement of their peace will I endure, and by my stripes they shall be healed. My Father, I covenant and promise that I will be obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. I will magnify Thy law, and make it honorable. I will suffer all they ought to have suffered. I will endure the curse of Thy law, and all the vials of Thy wrath shall be emptied and spent upon my head. I will then rise again; I will ascend into heaven; I will intercede for them at Thy right hand; I will make myself responsible for every one of them, that not one of those whom Thou hast given me shall ever be lost, and I will bring all my sheep of whom, by Thy blood, Thou has constituted me the Shepherd - I will bring every one safe to Thee at last.⁵

Concerning the Holy Spirit's part in the covenant, Spurgeon writes:

I hereby covenant that all whom the Father giveth to the Son, I will in due time quicken. I will show them their need of redemption; I will cut off from them all groundless hope, and destroy their refuges of lies. I will bring them to the blood of sprinkling; I will give them faith whereby this blood can be applied to them; I will work in them every grace; I will keep their faith alive; I will cleanse them and drive out all depravity from them, and they shall be presented at last spotless and faultless.⁶

One must understand that this was Spurgeon's view of the covenant. No covenant theologian would claim any authority for his words, but would only refer to his thoughts to picture what the covenant of grace might have said in light of what it is felt Scripture teaches.

B. The Covenant of Grace In Its Relationship to Man

Other covenant theologians have defined or spoken of the covenant of grace in its relation to man. William Perkins says the covenant of grace is a "compact made between God and man touching reconciliation and life everlasting by Christ."⁷ Francis Turretine speaks of the covenant of grace as "a gratuitous pact between God offended and man the offender, entered into in Christ, in which God promises to man freely on account of Christ remission of sins and salvation, and man relying on the same grace promises faith and obedience."⁸ Herman Witsius defines the covenant of grace as "an agreement between God and the elect sinner: God declaring his free goodwill concerning eternal salvation, and everything relative thereto, freely to be given to those in covenant by and for the sake of the Mediator Christ: and man consenting to that goodwill by a sincere faith."⁹

Therefore the Covenant of Grace is an eternal agreement between the persons of the Godhead and with an elect people concerning their salvation by the grace of God shown forth in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross.

IV. A LISTING AND BRIEF CONSIDERATION OF EACH OF THE BIBLICAL COVENANTS

A. The Covenant of Works

Genesis 1-2

The Covenant of Works is the basis of God relating Himself to man before the fall took place. Though Adam's relation to God in this period is never called a covenant, the period and the relationship still has the characteristics of a covenant. Hosea 6:7 speaks of Adam as having transgressed the covenant. The contrast which Paul draws between the first and second Adam in Romans 5:12-21 and I Corinthians 15:45 makes little sense without the background or understanding of a covenant between God and his creation, Adam. Was not Adam, therefore, clearly tied to God with some definite responsibilities before the fall instead of simply being left to free-lance on earth on his own?

Further, is not the seriousness of the bond between the two parties seen in the ultimacy of the results of Adam's obedience or disobedience -- life if he obeys and death if he disobeys?

And was not this relationship between the two sovereignly administered -- God set forth the terms and man had no right to bargain, argue, nor negotiate?

It should be noted that many covenant theologians put this covenant outside of the outworking of the covenant of grace because it was not a relation of grace, but a relation of works. Others might point out that though it was a covenant of works, it still was part of God's outworking of His Covenant of Grace in that this covenant was necessary in the fulfillment of God's grace being known and offerable to man.

B. The Adamic Covenant

Genesis 3

After the fall man was still responsible to God --he was not left to live unto himself with his own person as the ultimate authority. Some of the responsibilities of the first covenant carried over to this second covenant, such as marriage, his obligation to labor and have dominion over the earth, and a worship of God, including observance of the sabbath. But the basis of man's relationship to God changed. In the first covenant man was before God on the basis of his obedience. When he disobeyed, it was obvious that he could never relate to God on that basis again in light of the results of the fall upon the whole man. The fall did not render man partly impotent, but totally powerless in the spiritual realm.

With the statement of cursings upon man because of sin (Genesis 3:16-19), God graciously gave the promise of a coming Redeemer (Genesis 3:15). God was not obligated to give man this promise of grace. He would have been fully just in banishing man from His presence for all of eternity. Yet the outworking of the Covenant of Grace begins with the gracious promise of a coming Saviour. It was and would be an ultimate commitment of God with man and man to God in light of the promise of the death of the Redeemer.

Further, this covenant clearly was sovereignly administered. Man was in no position to want to argue and seek to set terms with God, nor was he in any position to negotiate God's stated terms. He was already dead spiritually and dying physically. Only the grace of God could rescue him.

Genesis 6:17-22; Genesis 8:20-22; Genesis 9:1-17

It would be well to mention again that Covenant Theology is not like dispensationalism in that each covenant stands separate from the others. Rather, each covenant actually builds on the others, with each covenant maintaining promises and curses of the past covenants, but also adding divine understanding and further works of God to prepare for the eventual culmination of all the covenants in the New Covenant.

Thus when the Noahic Covenant unfolds it is does not do away with the promises and curses etc. of the previous covenants. Man is still under the curse of sin, but man still has also the promise of a coming Saviour.

The heart of the Noahic covenant is grace also, as God enters into covenant with Noah that he will spare him and his family (Genesis 6:17-22) and then promises (though man does not deserve it) never again to destroy by water every living thing. He promises further that as long as the earth remains, seedtime and harvest will remain, as will cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night (Genesis 8:20-22). Burnt offerings are even lifted up to God by Noah to indicate his recognition of a holy, sovereign and righteous God. Finally, man is commanded to be fruitful and to multiply and to re-populate the earth, and he is forbidden to take the life of another, with the clear penalty stated that if he does so, his life is to be taken also (Genesis 9:1-17).

D. The Abrahamic Covenant

Genesis 12:1-3, 7
Genesis 13:14-17
Genesisl5:3-21 - formal ratification
Genesis 17:1-27 - the covenant sign
Genesis 22:15-18
Genesis 26:1-5
Genesis 28:13-15
Genesis 35:9-12

?The grace of God continued to be displayed and administered with the establishment of the Abrahamic Covenant. Its graciousness and sovereignty of administration is seen in that God called Abraham (a man from a heathen background), and revealed Himself to him. Its character as a serious bond-in-blood is seen as God pledges Himself by ceremony and an oath of dismemberment to bless Abraham and his seed (see the formal ratification in Genesis 15:3-21).

That Abraham had responsibilities in the covenant relationship is clear also. There is the constant stress of Abraham and his seed's obligation to keep the covenant, as well as clear warnings against breaking it. Actually a gracious covenant does not diminish man's responsibility, but increases it. Not only does a proper understanding of God's grace inspire obedience, but also the mutuality of the relationship produces a spirit of joyful response to God's desires for us. Further, though it is a gracious covenant, this does not mean that the blessings in the covenant promise will be automatic. Clearly, the blessings of the covenant and the relationship and fellowship with God within the covenant cannot be enjoyed apart from submission to and obedience to God. Grace never minimizes human responsibility before God.

Thus the Abrahamic Covenant was the clearest manifestation of the grace of God up to this point of the history of mankind. But it was also the establishment of a people and the beginning of a channel through whom the promised Saviour would come.

E. The Mosaic Covenant

Exodus 19-24

Time will not be spent at this juncture proving the covenant aspect of the Mosaic revelation.? That is not a point of dispute. A reading of Exodus 24 and the surrounding passages will show to anyone that God entered into a covenant with Israel at this time of their history. The real point of discussion must center on several key points which are essential in understanding the view of Covenant Theology concerning the Mosaic Covenant.

First, the Abrahamic Covenant of promise was not annulled or even temporarily replaced by the Mosaic Covenant (see Galatians 3:15-18). Thus whatever one says about the Mosaic Covenant, it must be in agreement with the fact that it is subservient to the Abrahamic Covenant.

Second, the law was not something new in the Mosaic Covenant. Every Biblical covenant refers to the will of God for man, that is, God's requirement of obedience as God relates Himself to man even in a gracious manner.

Third, clearly the law did not end with the Mosaic Covenant when the subsequent covenants followed (see II Samuel 7:14; Matthew 5:17-19; and Romans 7:7, 12). Obviously, we speak here of the moral law and not the ceremonial law, in that the ceremonial law was fulfilled in Christ, being only the shadow of the reality of His final work. But in that the moral law was never given as a way of salvation, it never had to be repealed as the guide for God's people's lives.

Fourth, the law continued the progress of God's revelation of His redemptive purpose. It was necessary for a people who now at this point of their history became a nation, in that it revealed to them the will of God for the individual as well as their national life. It was necessary also to humble them and teach them more fully the reality of sin and its nature and thus prepare them for a proper understanding of the grace of God needed by them, not only at that point of their lives, but also the grace of God as all the covenants would culminate in the complete revelation of God's grace in the New Covenant.

F. The Davidic Covenant

II Samuel 7:1-16; I? Kings 2:1-4; I? Kings 8:15-20, 25-26; I? Kings 9:8; I?? Chronicles 17:3-15

The word covenant does not appear in II Samuel 7:12-17, but the event recorded in this passage is spoken of as a covenant in other passages of Scripture (see Psalm 89:3-4, 28, 34; Psalm 132:1 Iff). Therefore without question, what took place in those verses in II Samuel 7 was the establishment of a covenant with David.

Though all the covenants center on the grace of God, its need and fulfillment in Christ, the Davidic Covenant is uniquely Messianic. David and his seed are promised establishment forever and a throne to all generations, but such promises are only to be fulfilled in Christ and His kingdom. The covenant is clearly gracious, administered sovereignly, and involves a life and death commitment between God and the seed of David.

Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 26:28; I Corinthians 11:25; Hebrews 8-10

The New Covenant, promised in the Old Testament, is fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. This New Covenant established by Christ is the culmination of all the previous covenants in that they did not exist in finality for themselves, but they existed as units of God's continuous revelation of Himself and His gracious plan for His people.

The New Covenant is not only a bond in that it ties God to His people, but it is ratified in blood -- the blood of Christ Himself. It is sovereignly administered as God Himself sets the terms, and applies its benefits to His elect in accordance with His sovereign grace and sovereign purpose from eternity past as stated in the Covenant of Grace.

Finally, though it is a gracious covenant, it still includes the responsibility of man to obey as evidenced in the entire New Testament from the teachings of Christ Himself throughout all the epistles. Grave warnings again are sounded for those who minimize or neglect obedience. And again, it is the final culmination of the grace of God as evidenced in Christ that undeniably calls forth the covenant-related recipient of the glorious grace of God to joyful obedience.

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