MAJOR ELEMENTS
OF BIBLE COVENANTS


GOD'S COVENANT WITH ISRAEL,
THE LAW COVENANT


        The Law Covenant completely restricted the covenant people to the nation of Israel: to those who are "of faith" of the nation of Israel and whoever of the Gentiles who desired to worship the God of Israel according to the Law Covenant, Exo 12:43-39; Lev 11; 20:22-26; Lev 16. The covenant with Adam was set aside and there were no longer the head of family preisthoods that were established under the Adamic Covenant. Some features of that covenant were intended to continue in the following covenants, such as the curse upon the earth, the covenant promises, faithfulness, strict adherence to most covenant stipulations, justice, mercy, love, etc.

I. COVENANT OFFER TO ISRAEL

        The covenant offer was tendered to Israel by covenant instructions and a command to perform the covenant requirements. This began with instruction to Israel through Moses during the plagues upon Egypt, and especially with the Passover and the exodus from Egypt across the Red Sea, Exodus chapters 1 through 14.

A. Covenant Work Description.

        This work statement is not found as such in any of the covenants, but is "gleaned" especially from the Law Covenant and New Covenant writings. See the revised covenant with Adam.

  1. God's Part of the Covenant Work.
    1. God will serve as God and Judge of all covenant work performance. Nothing can be done by Satan and his angels without God's permission, Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6.
    2. Hear and give permission or reject Satan's requests to tempt the covenant people and all other such matters with regard to the nations, 1Ch 21:1; Job 1:6; 2:1; Luk 22:31-32; Rev 12:10; Dan 10:12-21.
    3. Hear Satan's accusations against the covenant people, Rev 12:10.
    4. Hear the intercessions of the covenant priests and the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:26-27,34; Heb 7:25), make decisions, command actions to be taken, and require the court of heaven to record all actions according to covenant stipulations, Psa 56:8; 139:16; Ecc 12:13-14; Dan 7:9-10; Mal 3:16; 2Co 5:10; Eph 1:4,11; Rev 11:18; 13:8; 20:11-15.
    5. Reveal excellences of His Person:
      1. Through the Son, Joh 14:6-11: Col 2:9; Heb 1:3-12.
      2. Through angels, Gen 3:24; Dan 7:9-10; Eze 1; 2Th 1:7-9.
      3. Through men, Heb 11; 1Co 15:1-2,44-45; Jud 14-15.
      4. Through nature, Gen 3:17-19; 6:17; 19; Exo 5-10.
    6. Reveal exceeding sinfulness of sin, Rom 1:21-32; 7:8-25.
    7. Reveal covenant information and knowledge, Phi 2:11; Luk 2:40,46-49; 4:22; Joh 5:19-20,30.
    8. Ensure that all covenant stipulations are precisely fulfilled. This means that His counsel, purpose, and pleasure are fulfilled, all of which is included in the master covenant before creation, Isa 46:9-11.
    9. Visit, fellowship, and teach the priests, prophets, kings, and people what they need to know, Gen 3:8-24; 4:1-16; 5:22; 6:9; Heb 11.
    10. Protect them, accept their worship, bless them greatly as they kept the covenant and obeyed Him, but punish them severely according to their sins, Deu 28; Heb 2:2.
    11. Give instructions for the tabernacle (temple), the Levitical priesthood, the ministry of the priest, and worship services, Exodus & Leviticus, especially.
    12. Give instructions and laws governing and emphasizing the covenant people's standing as God's firstborn people, Exo 11; 12; 13; Num 3; 8:16-18; Deu 21:15-17; See firstborn, firstlings, firstfruits, and firstripe.
    13. Give instructions and laws governing what was to be counted as clean and unclean among animals, fowls, and fish and the meaning of such, Lev 11; 20:22-26.
    14. Give instructions and laws governing sacrifices and ceremonies for cleansing from uncleannesses, Lev 15; Num 19; Leviticus through Deuteronomy.
    15. Give instructions and laws governing being an unleavened, holy people, Exo 12:15-20; 19:6; Lev 20; Exodus through Deuteronomy.
    16. Give instructions and laws governing political, social, and religious life, Lev 20: Leviticus through Deuteronomy.
    17. Give instructions and laws governing equitable judgments and punishments concerning offenses of various kinds, Lev 20; Leviticus through Deuteronomy.
    18. Give instructions and laws governing numerous sacrifices, feasts, Sabbaths, and ceremonies with prophetic applications, Leviticus chapters 1 through 8; 23; Num 28 & 29; Exodus through Deuteronomy.
    19. For the covenant promises and other details, see the New Covenant at the end of this book.
  2. Israel's Part of the Covenant Work.
    1. Worship God with animal sacrifices according to the covenant to portray the future death of Christ for covenant redemption, Gen 3:21; 4:1-7; Heb 11:4; Joh 1:29; 1Pe 1:18-20.
    2. Build the tabernacle (later the temple), establish the Levitical priesthood, and perform all the ordinances required by the covenant, Gen 4:1-7; Jos 1:5-9.
    3. Study the covenants, especially the Law Covenant, with the greatest diligence and care in order to know them thoroughly, including the spiritual meaning, Deu 6:4-9; Jos 1:5-9.
    4. Obey the requirements of the Law Covenant meticulously in every respect by grace through faith, Deu 30:8-20.
    5. Worship God by faithfully teaching and training the children in such a way as to maintain a clear knowledge and practice of covenant requirements, Gen 4:1-7; Deu 6:4-9.

B. God's Command to Believe and Obey According to the Covenant Requirements.

        Israel did initially believe and obey according to covenant requirements, though there were various moments of lack of faith for which hey were punished. As stated before, it was necessary for each person to believe and obey when they came to the age of accountability, Rom 7:9. With recurring and more blatant periods of lack of faith and disobedience, God punished them more and more severely until they rejected and crucified the covenant Redeemer and now exist under bitter covenant punishment until Christ returns, Mat 23:37-39.

II. COVENANT ACCEPTANCE BY ISRAEL

        Israel accepted God's covenant offer by believing and obeying God through the words of Moses, and as a result they witnessed God's terrible plagues on Egypt while the plagues did not touch them as the covenant people. They believed, obeyed, and left Egypt as God's promised and treasured covenant people by crossing the Red Sea under the mighty saving yet destructive hand of their covenant God.

III. COVENANT LEGALITY

        God is perfect in righteousness, Mat 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

        Israel was NOT able to perform the Law Covenant work requirements in the flesh. This is what God required of them constantly every day in order to prove to them that they were not able to keep the perfect requirement of the Law Covenant. But then, through the sacrifices God offered them "grace through faith" by which they could keep the righteousness of that covenant, Luk 1:5-6; Rom 8:4.

V. COVENANT CONSIDERATION TO ISRAEL

        Covenant consideration to Abraham and his seed was expressed in the form of covenant PROMISES. See New Covenant at the end of this book.

VI. COVENANT RATIFICATION BY ISRAEL

        Israel ratified the Law Covenant by believing and obeying God by grace through faith, as stated under "covenant acceptance" above. They also ratified the covenant by the required animal sacrifices being offered and their blood being sprinkled on the covenant, on the tabernacle, and on the people, Heb 9:14-22.