Covenant

Bereet

Formal Commitment two people make to each other, placing themsivles under obligations towoards each other for some end of some purpose or goal. Sometimes you list out the benefits and the consequences if you don’t keep it.

Bereet - was not used before Noah. Some see the command about the tree as the first covenant. But typically there is a formal agreement in a covent.

Covenants God Initiates

• Noah and all creation
  • Genesis 6: 18, Genesis 9 :8-17
  • Promise of stability of the cosmic structure
    • never again is all flesh cut off by the waters of the flood,
    • and never again is there a flood to destroy the earth.”
    • sign of the covenant - between YHWH and the earth -
      • bow in the cloud
      • To remind YHWH of the covenant
• Abraham
  • Genesis 12, Genesis 15, Genesis 17, Genesis 22 :15-18
  • Promise of people and land
    • make you a great nation
    • make your name great
    • you shall be a blessing
    • I shall bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you
    • To your seed I give this land.
  • Ritual sealed with animal sacrifices
    • God alone passes through - the sole obligator
• Israel
  • Exodus 19 - 24; Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28
  • Promise of life, security, and prosperity
• Levi
  • Numbers 25: 6-13; Malachi 2 :1-9; Jeremiah 33:21
• David
  • 2 Samuel 7; Pslam 89; Psalm 132
  • Promise of sovereignty
• New Covenant
  • Jeremiah 31; Ezekiel 36
  • a renewed covenant with the house of Yisra’ĕl and with the house of Yehuḏah,
  • Promise of Restoration to the Remnant of Israel
    • I am going to build you again
    • shall gather them from the ends of the earth
    • I shall turn their mourning to joy,
    • I shall fill the weary being
    • I shall replenish every grieved being
    • I shall sow the house of Yisra’ĕl and the house of Yehuḏah with the seed of man and the seed of beast
    • I shall put My Torah in their inward parts, and write it on their hearts
      • and no longer shall they teach, each one his neighbour, and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know יהוה,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,
      • If these laws vanish from before Me,” declares יהוה, “then the seed of Yisra’ĕl shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever.”
    • I shall give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you
      • put My Spirit within you. And I shall cause you to walk in My laws and guard My right-rulings and shall do them.

NOTES

God gave laws before Mt. Sinai.

Genesis 2 - Adamic Covenant - Law of the tree

Genesis 6 - Noahic Covenant - Law of lifeblood - rainbow given as a sign

Genesis 17 - Abrahamic Covenant carried over to Jacob/Israel and Isaac - Law of circumcision - given as a sign.

Exodus 6 - God heard the Israelites BECAUSE he remembered the Abrahamic covenant - Moses told the people and they did not listen.

Exodus 12 - Passover lamb

Exodus 19-25 - Mosaic Covenant - Law of the testimonies (Edut) - given as a sign. Also given were the Right Rulings: Judgements (Mishpatim), Statues (Chukot), and Commands (Mitzvot) as guides to living in blessings.

Exodus 31, 34 - Law of the Sabbaths for anyone following Yahweh - given as a sign

Joshua 5 - Joshua circumcised those born in the wilderness

Joshua 8 - Joshua renews the covenant with new stones of the law of Moses - both native born and foreigners, face to face with the Ark of the Testimonies

Joshua 24 - Joshua renews the covenant with a large stone as a sign and a witness

2 Samuel 7 - Davidic Covenant - no law

1 Kings 9 - Solomoniac Covenant - do commands, observe decrees and laws

2 Kings 23 - Josiah renews the covenant made with the Israelites to keep the commands, statues, and decrees

Ezra 10 - Ezra made a covenant for the people to send away foreign wives and fear the commands of God.

Jeremiah 11 - God proclaims the covenant commands through Jeremiah to Judah - keep everything I command

Jeremiah 31 - speaks of the new covenant to come (Jesus) where the laws will be written on the hearts instead of stone.