Covenants Lesson 1: What is a Covenant?

This is Lesson 1 of a series...
http://drytheology.blogspot.com/2011/03/covenants.html

The Significance of Covenant
Did you know that the English Standard Version of the bible uses the word “covenant” in 301 verses? (The Hebrew word berith, covenant, occurs over 280 times in the Old Testament. The translators of the OT into the Greek Septuagint chose the Greek word diatheke in place of the Hebrew berith. In the NT diatheke occurs 33 times.)

Did you know that the Reformed Presbyterian (RP) Church has a history of calling themselves “Covenanters”? (The major covenants in our history would be the Scottish National Covenant of 1638, the Solemn League and Covenant of 1643 and the American Covenant of 1871)

In this lesson, we’ll explore the idea of covenant in general. In future lessons, we’ll look at specific covenants in theology, the bible, and in Church History. So first, what is a covenant?

The Definition of Covenant
Though not in the larger or shorter catechism themselves, the question is asked in the catechism for young children:
Q. 22. What is a covenant?
A. An agreement between two or more persons.

O Palmer Robertson calls a covenant “A bond in blood sovereignly administered”#.

Covenant consists of 2 parts,"The 1st without the 2nd is no more than a promise: the 2nd without the first is no less than a law." - John Ball

What does the word “covenant” make you think of?

* Promises - Covenants are a way for someone to promise to another they will perform something.
* Stipulations - These are requirements for those within the covenant.
* Contract - The idea of covenant has legal implications. When a covenant is made between two parties there will either be covenant keepers or covenant breakers.
* Relationship - Recall that marriage is called a covenant.
* Representative Headship - Kings would sometimes enter into covenants. The covenants they entered had implications for all of their subjects. In the same way, we see that when God enters into covenant with this or that man.
* Signs and Seals - The sign and seal for marriage is the wedding ring. God often signifies his covenant relationships with signs (e.g. rainbow, circumcision, etc.)

Covenants between Men

• Covenants between husband and wife

Marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman. Both of these are equals in the covenant of marriage. The promise is made by the man to be a ‘loving and faithful husband as long as the both shall live’. He submits himself to stipulations that he will remain faithful to her. She makes similar promises and commitments.

Though they knew each other before the wedding day as boyfriend and girlfriend; fiancée and fiancé, their relationship takes a whole new turn at the formal inauguration of their marriage. Here they exchange their vows and seals of the marriage covenant. From this time forth they are to fulfil the promises and stipulations throughout their relationship. They are to love and serve one another until they die.

• Covenants between suzerain (or lord) and vassal

Sometimes covenants are entered into between two parties which are not equal. A suzerain, or lord, is a strong political power and may exercise dominance over a weak vassal state. This would be done by entering a covenant. The suzerain would offer to “be nice” to the vassal in return for the vassal to perform some service to the suzerain. The vassal would accept the offer and perform the service. It is important to remember that it is the suzerain who initiates this relationship. It would make no sense for a weak nation to say to a strong one, “here are the terms of the relationship between us two”. It is always the right of the suzerain to offer the relationship and the vassal to accept the terms offered.

Covenant between God and Man
The idea of a covenant is very foundational not just to RP’s but to how God deals with mankind in general.

Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) 7.1
The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto Him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition of Him as their blessedness and reward, but by some voluntary condescension on God’s part, which He hath been pleased to express by way of covenant.

What is the WCF saying?
Basically, it is saying that when God created the world, He didn’t owe them anything. Just that something exists does not entitle it to anything except that God voluntarily chooses to bless it. This reminds us that in some ways God’s covenants with mankind are like that of a suzerain to a vassal. We cannot make up our own terms of relating to God and offer them for Him to accept or reject. To relate to God and receive blessing and reward we must accept the terms of relating with Him that He has offered.