Part One The second argument, that there are covenantal elements in the Creation narratives, is somewhat dependent upon the first for its advocacy. Nobody denies that there is a repetition of parts of the Creation mandate in Genesis 9. But such a repetition was necessary seeing that God had just wiped out every living thing from the map. That necessity doesn’t extend however, to requiring a covenant given to Adam in the Garden. And we are not justified in drawing …
Category: Covenants
More material from the “big book”. There need not be much dissension from the view that Genesis 6:18 may refer to a previous understanding of covenant on Noah’s part.[1] It could equally mean that the covenant was “in God’s mind” before the waters came and He chose out Noah.[2] In either case the interpretation stresses the gracious (hen) movement of God towards Noah (6:8). But could it, indeed, should it, be construed as a reference to a “Creation covenant,” instituted …
Here are the third and fourth videos of my TELOS Conference presentations of Biblical Covenantalism. These presentations cover God’s Covenants: Third Talk: THE COVENANTS OF GOD Fourth Talk: CHRIST AND THE COVENANTS Parts One and Two are here. …
Part Five C. Phinehas (‘Priestly’) Since I have treated this covenant elsewhere in some detail I shall just briefly rehearse the salient facts. Owing to the zeal of Phinehas, Aaron’s grandson, a devastating plague was stopped and God’s wrath appeased (Num. 25: ). Although Phinehas could have had no idea what God would do next, his honoring of God’s holiness elicited a quite un-looked-for covenant between God and Phinehas’s offspring (Num. 25:13; Psa. 106:28-31). This covenant stands behind the promise …
Part Four As I have said, at the most rudimentary level covenants are for the purpose of reinforcing plain speech about specific momentous things. They do this formally in the terms of the covenant and its obligations upon specified parties. God holds human beings to the very words of their covenant oaths (Jer. 34:18; Ezek. 17:15c). The Bible also indicates that God “keeps covenant” (Deut. 7:9; Neh. 9:32; Dan. 9:4). We would expect no less from Him who cannot lie …
Part Three If it were up to us… If the Lord had relied upon men to fulfill their duties before fulfilling His oaths there would be no reason at all to make covenants in the first place. He was on the safest ground possible, and could have promised the universe without having to concern Himself about fulfilling anything. We all fail. Christians know that unless God is faithful to stand behind His promise in the Gospel, we are all done …
Part Two In the Bible there is always a correspondence between God’s words and His actions. You see it in the Creation narratives – “God said”…”and it was so”. You see it in the Gospel, – “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” You see it in such well known places as the curing of Naaman, or Jesus’ healing of Jairus’s daughter. When God says He is going to do something, you can bank on it. …
PART ONE The subject of this article has to do with how covenants clarify and underline specific terms about certain important (indeed central) theological topics. If we all spoke the truth and we all could hear it unimpeded by sin’s effects there would be no need of covenants. Covenants presuppose subjects (at least one) who have a propensity to diverge from an important truth. (It is for this reason that any pre-fall covenants, which are exegetically weak and empty in …
Why Make a Covenant? In Genesis 21 is an episode where a Philistine leader, Abimelech, comes to Abraham and wants him to “swear… that you will not deal falsely with me, with my offspring, or with my posterity…” (21:23). Abraham consented, but there was strife over a well which had been seized by Abimelech’s servants (21:25-26). To make sure there was understanding on both sides Abraham and Abimelech entered into a covenant (21:27, 32). In particular the point at issue …
This is a repost of an article I wrote in 2010. I shall follow it up with a new post on the subject of ambiguity faith. As some of you know, I am Founder of TELOS INSTITUTE & TELOS MINISTRIES, an online seminary dedicated to educating God’s people in solid dispensational and presuppositional theology at a low cost. This ministry also provides me with an outlet for my ongoing development of what I call “Biblical Covenantalism” (see here, and here): a more …