Biblical Covenants: An Introduction

• The Rosetta stone, discovered 1799: The top and middle texts are in Ancient Egyptian using hieroglyphic and Demotic scripts respectively, while the bottom is in Ancient Greek. Allowed us to unlock hieroglyphics
• Covenant is to scripture interpretation the same way. Should we follow the Law? Keep the Sabbath? God in the OT can seem very harsh, and in the NT He's all about love--has He changed?
• Does God cause evil or not?
• OT: Amos 3:6 “ shall there be evil in a city and the Lord has not done it?” and Isa 45:7 “I form the light and create darkness:  I make peace and create evil:  I the Lord do all these things”.
• NT: 1 John 1:5 “God is light and in him is no darkness at all”. John 10:10: "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
• "Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever" (Heb 13:8), and “God is not a man that he should lie or the son of man that he should change his mind” (Num 23:19). The difference has to do with the covenants in place at the time.
• How did David have the courage to face Goliath? He knew His covenant (1 Sam 17:26, 36)
• circumcision was a sign of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 17:10-14) which covered all Isaac's descendants (Gen 17:19).
• Included: God will bless those who bless Abraham and his descendants, and curse those who curse them (Gen 12:3) + "The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways" (Deut 28:7) (Mosaic covenant in place by this time too)
• Jonathan and his armor-bearer knew the same promises applied (1 Sam 14:6).
• Covenant = Testament (Diatheke)
• Old and New Testament = Old and New Covenant
• New Covenant anticipated at the Last Supper (Luke 22:19-20), fulfilled by the cross (Hebrews 8:6-7).
• Gospels before this are still under the Old Covenant (Mosaic).
• Jesus 'didn’t come to destroy the law but fulfill it' (Matt 5:17)
• After the cross:
• Galatians 3:12: "the law is not of faith, being made a curse for us"
• Romans 4:7 “you died to the law”
• Gal 5:4: “Christ is become of no effect unto you; whosoever of you are justified by the law you are fallen from grace.”
• Paul’s anger in Galatians 5:12 against those who insisted that circumcision (part of the Abrahamic covenant) should continue for Christians--if used as a tool for justification
• Rom 3:31 “Do we then make void the law through faith?  God forbid: yea, we establish the law."

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