Most of us don’t often hear the term “covenant” in common conversation anymore. It’s a word that has lost it’s meaning and is forgotten in our society today.
Typically covenants are promises that are established between two people to reach a common goal. They are personal and relational commitments, unlike a contract that is more of a business-related agreement. There are two types of covenants in Scripture, Suzerain-Vassal covenants and Royal Grant covenants. A Suzerain-Vassal covenant is one we typically would think of, involving two parties agreeing to a promise. A Royal Grant covenant is one less common, where one person makes an unconditional promise to the other, not expecting or requiring the beneficiary to do anything in return. This is a selfless covenant that we rarely see exampled in society.
There are five main covenants that God has established with us in Scripture:
- The Noahic Covenant: The rainbow signifying God would never flood the entire earth again
- The Abrahamic Covenant: Abraham would become the father of many nations
- The Mosaic Covenant: The formulation of the Law and origination of the 10 Commandments
- The Davidic Covenant: King David and his lineage would rule over Israel forever
- The New Covenant: Jesus’s sacrificial death on the cross, so we could go to heaven
Throughout all of Scripture, we can see how God demonstrates Royal Grant covenants. He shows us incredible humility and selflessness, not expecting anything in return but offering His love with no expectation other than accepting His salvation and following after Him.
Have you ever made a covenant with someone else stating that you would fulfill an obligation to them, knowing they may not, or could not, return the same in return for you? It’s a difficult promise to keep. While it is extremely difficult for us to do on a rare occasion, in Scripture we find it overflowing with examples of His promises to us that we could never offer in return. We serve a God that is the most humble of all, but has every right to flaunt His power.
When I am in a situation where I feel unable to control my circumstances and questioning how it could ever be resolved, I can remember the God who keeps His promises with us. He fulfilled every covenant with us in Scripture and will continue to fulfill His covenant with us through all of time.
When we wonder what God is up to and all we see is darkness, we can remember God’s protection with Noah and his family. He kept them safe in a worldwide flood, leading them to a dry earth in the perfect timing (Noahic Covenant). When a situation feels impossible and we don’t know how God could ever work things out, He allowed Sarah to have a baby at 90 years old, fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah of a lineage of great nations (Abrahamic Covenant). When we’ve reached a dead end and don’t know how God will direct us, we can recall how God led the Israelites through Red Sea, protecting them and helping them escape Pharoah (Mosaic Covenant). When we don’t know how God could possibly use something so shameful for good, we can see how God used David and Bathsheba’s sinfulness to give birth to Solomon, the lineage leading to the birth of Jesus (Davidic Covenant). When we can’t overcome forgiveness for how that person treated us, we can remember how God allowed His Son to come suffer and die so we could go to heaven (New Covenant).
When I look to the covenants that God has established with us all throughout Scripture, it allows me to continue to trust that He will do as He has promised in the present and future. He is faithful to His Word and will never break any of His covenants with us.
Hebrews 6:18
So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.
I remember seeing one of God’s covenants displayed to me at an early age. The day after my dad passed away my sister and I witnessed a double rainbow, reminding her and I that He keeps His promises to us. Yes, God had taken my dad from our family, but it was a reminder to me that He saw our pain and suffering and decided to display a visual act of His presence with my sister and I. Life would be hard growing up without a father, but I grew to rely on God more as my Father than ever before. Whenever I see a rainbow it brings me right back to that sad time in my life, but it also reminds me of God’s incredible covenant of His presence and provision.
What covenant do you most need to look to in this season of your life, knowing that God will be faithful to keep His promise? It’s encouraging to know that He is the One that can ultimately keep us protected us from harm, fulfill the impossible, direct us when we’re uncertain, look past our imperfections and love us so selflessly.