MAJOR ELEMENTS
OF BIBLE COVENANTS


GOD'S FIRST COVENANT WITH ADAM
AND HIS DESCENDANTS


        The first covenant between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit was (and is) a covenant of redemption. The covenant with the angels and the resultant covenant with Satan and fallen angels were NOT covenants of redemption, but were added to the first covenant and are therefore very directly associated with the redemptive works of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in the first covenant.
        God's first covenant with Adam and his descendants was NOT a covenant of redemption. Adam had not yet sinned and there was no need of redemption before he sinned. The revised covenant with Adam will follow immediately.
        The "first covenant," as referenced in Heb 8:7,13; 9:1,15,18; 10:9, refers to the Law Covenant as the first covenant with Israel as a nation, NOT the first Bible covenant. The covenant between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit was and is the first covenant. The covenant with Adam is the first covenant with mankind. The Law Covenant was the first covenant with Israel as a nation. And the New Covenant is the first covenant with the church as the engrafted seed of Abraham, Rom 11:11-32; Gal 3:6-9,14-29; 1Pe 2:5,9; Eph 2:11-22; 3:6; 2Co 6:16. Of course, the New Covenant is an everlasting covenant, Heb 13:20.
        A covenant of redemption is a covenant that provides for the redemption of those among fallen mankind who will repent and believe. "Redemption" means to buy or purchase back, or to purchase or deliver from an adverse state or condition into a better state or condition, such as, from slavery into freedom. Bible redemption includes two major aspects: 1) Redemption from slavery in sin and all its terrible effects into freedom where sin and its effects are banished, with a pure and beautiful but still physical universe remaining. Many nations of saved people will continue in this state on the new earth. 2) Redemption that further includes deliverance from sin and all its terrible effects, but also includes deliverance from the slavery of the elementary forces of the physical universe into a freedom immeasurably higher than a pure spiritual world, which itself is much higher than the physical universe. The covenant people will be joint heirs with Christ to inherit and rule "all things" jointly with Christ in the fullness of God, Eph 1:22-23; 3:19; Col 1:19; 2:9-20; Joh 10:30-36l 14:8-11,20; 17:21-23; 2:Co 6:18 (firstborn); 2Pe 1:4.
        Restated in a little more detail:

        1. A Covenant of Redemption Provides for Christ to become human -- a kinsman Redeemer (Gal 4:4), live a perfect, sinless life (2Co 5:21; 1Pe 2:22-23), receive God's wrath against our sins and die (Isa 53; 1Pe 1:18-20; 2Pe 2:24), be buried, and rise again the third day into a glorified, heavenly body 1Co 15:1-4.

        2. A Covenant of Redemption Also Provides for the redemption from sin back into a sinless, perfect but mere physical body which the many nations of saved people on the new earth will receive (Rev 21:23-26; 22:1-2; 1Co 15:21-28), after a thousand years in a sinful body on the Millennial earth, Gal 6:7-9; 1Co 5:5; 2Pe 1:4; and many, many others.

        3. Again, a Covenant of Redemption Provides for the redemption of a special covenant people over and above the nations of eternally saved people: these faithful covenant people will be redeemed into a glorified, spirit body which the saved people of the nations will explicitly NOT receive, Luk 16:9-12; Gal 6:7-9; Phi 3:7-14,21; Rom 6:3-6; 8:5,13,23-25; Eph 4:22-24; Col 3:9-11.

        4. Lastly, the Covenants of Redemption Provide for the redemption of the world (the cosmos, Joh 3:16-17), all that was put under Adam's authority in his beginning, Gen 1:26-31; Psa 8; Heb 2:5-10.

I. GOD'S COVENANT OFFER TO ADAM

        The covenant offer was tendered to Adam and Eve by giving them instructions as to the extent of their authority, what they were to do, what they were not to do, and a command to begin the work. God planted a beautiful garden with a host of perfect arrangement of flowers, shrubbery, trees and edible foods of all kinds, including the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam had to make a choice, very simple at first, but extremely difficult for the flesh after his treasured companion ate the forbidden fruit, Gen 1; 2; 3.

A. Covenant Work Description.

  1. God's Part of the Covenant Work.
    1. God created Adam out of the dust of the earth, Gen 2:7. God created Adam as a spirit being with an earthy body belonging to the physical universe, 2Co 4:17--5:5. God could have created man with a spirit body belonging to the spirit realm. In the resurrection, those "in Christ" will have their bodies changed into a very special spirit body as Christ now has (1Co 15:44-58); however, the unfaithful saved of the nations will receive sinless bodies on the new earth but never a spirit body nor the glorified body promised only to the faithful covenant people -- see later studies for an overwhelming abundance of proof. This necessarily creates numerous questions, but the Scriptures have the correct answers.
    2. Made Adam the head of the physical universe with the stars ministering to him, Gen 1:14-19 Heb 2:5-9. The New Covenant, however, without changing this inheritance, clarifies the broader horizon of it considerably: the destiny of the covenant people is to be joint heirs of "all things" together with Christ. This includes much more than is normally understood; for instance, it includes the entire spiritual realm of creation as well as the physical, Rom 4:13,16; 8:17,32; 1Co 3:21-23; Heb 1:2; Heb 2:5-9
    3. Gave Adam a work description of his authority and government over the earth, Gen 1:27-31.
    4. Taught Adam about his food and food of other creatures, and especially what he needed to know about the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Gen 1:28-31; 2; 3:8-9.
    5. Taught Adam about working six days and keeping the Sabbath day of rest (a prophetic empact), Gen 2:2-3.
    6. Had Adam name all the animals and fowls, Gen 2:19.
    7. Created Eve to be Adam's companion and helper and taught him regarding family life, Gen 2:21-24.
    8. Joined Adam and Eve together in marriage to represent a unique "one flesh" oneness between Christ and the covenant people at a future date, Gen 2:24; Eph 5:31-32.
    9. Serve as God and Judge of the court of heaven. Nothing could be done by Satan and his angels without God's permission, Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6; Luk 22:31-32.
    10. Gave Satan permission to deceive Eve and tempt Adam and Eve, Gen 3:1-6. Angels were created before the earth was formed, Job 38:4-7. Satan had already sinned and had to get permission from God before he could confront her with his sinister temptation.
  2. Adam's Part of the Covenant Work.
    1. Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, Gen 1:28.
    2. Subdue and rule the earth, Gen 1:28.
    3. Eat of every herb and every tree that has fruit with seeds, especially the tree of life, Gen 1:29; 2:9.
    4. Must NOT eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Gen 2:17
    5. Cultivate and take care of the garden of Eden, Gen 2:15.
    6. Give names to all animals and birds, Gen 2:19.
    7. Adam and Eve were to live together in holiness so that Adam would exemplify Christ as the Bridegroom and Eve would exemplify the covenant people as the bride of Christ, Eph 5:22-23. And so it should be in every marriage, Mat 19:1-6; 1Co 6:15-17.
    8. Worship God and keep the seventh day holy, Gen 2:2-3; Exo 20:8- 11; Heb 4:3-4 (3:6--4:11). This requirement anticipated Adam's fall into sin and the plan for the Millennium of rest, Heb 3 & 4.
    9. Adam was to be keenly alert to the instructions of His Creator and Benefactor, and vigilant and precise in his obedience to those instructions.
    10. The tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil were conspicuously matters of astronomical importance and the death warning was not hidden in the closet -- Adam knew. He was well informed.

B. Command to Begin Covenant Performance.

        God gave Adam a number of commands which included being fruitful and filling the earth, ruling and subduing the earth, keeping the sabbath day holy, cultivating and tending the Garden of Eden, eating of the tree of life but not eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, etc., Gen 1:28--2:24.

II. COVENANT ACCEPTANCE BY ADAM

        Adam accepted God's covenant offer by believing and obeying the covenant requirements until he was tempted and had sinned. This required a major revision of the covenant.

III. COVENANT LEGALITY

        God is perfect in righteousness, Mt 5:48. All His ways, His works, and indeed His Word (in Its entirety) express His covenants and are all righteous and perfect altogether. "...God is light and in Him is no darkness at all," 1Jo 1:5; Psa 18:30,32; 19:7.

IV. COVENANT CAPACITY OF ADAM

        Adam was able. He should have loved God more than he loved Eve. Should we say that Eve being deceived was overwhelmed and could not help herself? Then we may well excuse ourselves when we are deceived. Eve knew they were not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. She should have backed off and gone to Adam about the matter. Adam, likewise, should have refused to eat the fruit and have gone to God about the matter. The Scriptures say, "Adam was NOT deceived...," I Tim 2:14. Adam did not say, "Eve ate of the fruit and nothing happened, so I think I'll have a bite." Adam knew and was NOT deceived. Eve knew and was deceived. Both were transgressors, both were guilty, and both suffered the effects of sin and God's judgment because of it.

V. COVENANT CONSIDERATION TO ADAM

        Covenant consideration is expressed in the form of the covenant PROMISES -- see the last chapter of this book. Had Adam not sinned but had eaten of the tree of life, it appears that would have guaranteed his eventual change into the image of Christ's later resurrected body by receiving the fullness of God. This same promise is given in all the covenants, Gen 2:9,16-17; 4:1-7; 15:1 (kjv, nkj); 25:5-6; 27:27-37; Ex 4:22-23; Heb 12:23; Rom 8:29; Gal 4:4-6; Eph 1:22-23; 3:19; Col 1:19; 2:9-21--3:11; Eph 5:31; Joh 17:21-23; Rev 2:7.

VI. COVENANT RATIFICATION BY ADAM

        Adam ratified the covenant by beginning the covenant work performance, but then sinned which required a major revision of the covenant. Then, in order to show His wrath and power on those who persist in disobedience on the one hand, and also to show His mercy and glory toward those who by His grace will repent, trust, and obey on the other hand (Rom 9:22-23), God made a major revision in the covenant. Of course, this revision was already included in the initial covenant between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, plus all the other covenants that follow, 1Pe 1:18-20