Revisiting the Power of Covenant

Without fully understanding the word “COVENANT”, there can be no forward thrust of God’s purpose!

Whenever the Bible illustrates a forward thrust of God’s purpose there is always the cutting of covenant to validate the further progression of His divine plan.

COVENANT:

A covenant, in the biblical sense, implies much more than a contract or simple agreement. A contract always has an end date, while a covenant is a permanent arrangement. Another noteworthy difference is that a contract generally involves only one area, such as s skill, while a covenant covers a person's total being.

Covenant is first established between God and man as they commit themselves to partnership for the enforcing of God’s divine will upon human civilization. Covenants that are made between God and man extend laterally from man to man as it is necessary for the effective administration and execution of God’s purpose.

WHAT IS COVENANT?

A covenant is a contract or a binding agreement between two parties with each party being obligated to the terms and condition of the covenant.

The Hebrew word for Covenant used throughout the Old Testament is "Berith". This word is derived from a root word meaning “to cut” in reference to the cutting or dividing of animals into two parts. The parties entering into covenant would pass between the animals. As they walked through the blood, they would bind themselves with a curse that what was done to the animals would be done to them if they violated the terms and conditions of the covenant; clearly illustrated in Genesis 15: 1-21.

In other words, Covenant is the commitment that lies behind every successful relationship; it comprises the principles of integrity and fidelity; thus guaranteeing the relationship will be preserved and the purpose of that relationship will be realized.

Covenant is not a Christian cliché but it is a pivotal Kingdom characteristic that determines the quality of ones commitment to the Lord and to one another.

PRESERVING THE INTEGRITY OF RELATIONSHIP:

Every relationship entered into by man or woman is a reflection of that person’s commitment to an objective that transcends beyond him or herself.

1. Relationship says – I cannot achieve a mandate alone, but with the pooling of effort, intelligence and resources in other like-minded people will fulfill the mandate. It results in the creation of a corporate mind.
2. From that perspective, relationships can never be considered mundane and casual. They are not designed to tickle one’s emotion or to quell personal loneliness, but rather, relationships are to be used as a currency for the establishment of the Kingdom, which is foundationally grounded in covenant relationships.
3. The quality of human relationship depends on the extent of commitment the individual parties have in adhering to the values of covenant. This strict adherence to covenant values is the key feature in protecting the vulnerability of each person within the relationship.

“I will not break my covenant, nor change the thing that has gone out of my lips.”

Psalms 89:34

When God makes a covenant and confirms it with an oath, He binds Himself to its fulfillment, making the covenant immutable or unchangeable.

God honours His covenant without annulling and violating the sacredness of it, in spite of the human tendency to fall away, to deny Him, to betray Him and others as we follow after our own sinful ways, God remains faithful.

God’s model of faithfulness and integrity should be our standard in relationships. God’s standard presents us with the profound principle that along with faithfulness and integrity, covenant relationship is never negated nor is it dependent on the other party’s action.

This is the model of Jesus. He gave His life for us even when we were still sinners.

This quality of selfless giving must be rekindled in our personal interactions as we aim to fulfill the eternal mandate given to us by the Lord.

There are several Covenants Mentioned in Scripture:

THE COVENANT WITH NOAH:

When man had become so corrupt in the earth, God found in Noah one who was faithful and able to stand the persecution of the scoffers while working towards the preservation of God’s eternal intents. God sealed His commitment to this new initiative with a covenant.

God assured Noah that judgment would not again come to men in the form of a flood; and that the recurrence of the seasons and of day and night should not cease! Please note this was the very first Covenant after creation and so it was very significant!

Genesis 9: 1-17.

“And God blessed Noah and his sons. And He said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon the animals of the earth, and upon every bird of the air, upon all that moves on the earth, and upon all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herb. But you shall not eat of flesh with the life in it, or the blood of it. and surely the blood of your lives will I require. At the hand of every animal will I require it, and at the hand of man. At the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, his blood shall be shed by man; for He made man in the image of God. And you be fruitful and multiply. Bring forth abundantly in the earth, and increase in it. And God spoke to Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, Behold! I, even I, establish My covenant with you, and with your seed after you; and with every living creature that is with you, of the birds, of the cattle, and of every animal of the earth with you; from all that go out from the ark, to every animal of the earth. And I will establish My covenant with you. Neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood. Neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between Me and you and every living creature with you, for everlasting generations: I set my rainbow in the cloud. And it shall be a token of a covenant between Me and the earth. And it shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud. And I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the rainbow shall be in the cloud. And I will look upon it that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said to Noah, This is the token of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is upon the earth." NKJV

“God blessed Noah and his sons and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth. All the animals, birds, and fish will live in fear of you. They are all placed under your power. Now you can eat them, as well as green plants; I give them all to you for food. The one thing you must not eat is meat with blood still in it; I forbid this because the life is in the blood. If anyone takes human life, he will be punished. I will punish with death any animal that takes a human life. Human beings were made like God, so whoever murders one of them will be killed by someone else. "You must have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth." God said to Noah and his sons, "I am now making my covenant with you and with your descendants, and with all living beings---all birds and all animals---everything that came out of the boat with you. With these words I make my covenant with you: I promise that never again will all living beings be destroyed by a flood; never again will a flood destroy the earth. As a sign of this everlasting covenant which I am making with you and with all living beings, I am putting my bow in the clouds. It will be the sign of my covenant with the world. Whenever I cover the sky with clouds and the rainbow appears, I will remember my promise to you and to all the animals that a flood will never again destroy all living beings. When the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between me and all living beings on earth. That is the sign of the promise which I am making to all living beings." GNB

Through Noah, the earth was repopulated and God created a nation through whom He could fulfill His redemptive purpose on the earth.

THE COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM:

God chose Abraham who expressed resolute faith in Him! With Abraham, there began the process of building an empowered nation. Again, the signature of God’s commitment was the making of a covenant.

Let us read the conditions to the Covenant with Abraham – Genesis 12: 1-3 “And Jehovah said to Abram, Go out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house into a land that I will show you. And I will make you a great nation. And I will bless you and make your name great. And you shall be a blessing. And I will bless those that bless you and curse the one who curses you. And in you shall all families of the earth be blessed.” MKJV

The condition of this covenant was that Abraham was to leave his country, kindred, and father's house, and follow the Lord into the land that He would show him. The promise was a fourfold blessing:

1. He would Increase into a numerous people;
2. There would BE Material and Spiritual Prosperity-"I will bless you";
3. That there would be an exaltation of Abraham's name-"make your name great";
4. That Abraham was not only to be blessed by God, but also to be a blessing to others.

Later this covenant was renewed, and Abraham was promised a son and abundant posterity. About fourteen years after the making of the covenant it was renewed again, this time with a change of his name and the establishment of circumcision, which was to be the sign of accepting and ratifying the covenant: Genesis 17: 1-11

“And when Abram was ninety-nine years old, Jehovah appeared to Abram and said to him, I am the Almighty God! Walk before Me and be perfect. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face. And God talked with him, saying, As for Me, behold! My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. Neither shall your name any more be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham. For I have made you a father of many nations. And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, greatly so, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come out of you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your seed after you. And I will give the land to you in which you are a stranger, and to your seed after you, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. And I will be their God. And God said to Abraham, And you shall keep My covenant, you and your seed after you in their generations. This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your seed after you. Every male child among you shall be circumcised. And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin. And it shall be a token of the covenant between Me and you.” NKJV

As God’s purpose gained momentum, the baton of responsibility was moved from one faithful partner to another, as Abraham passed it on to Isaac an so on down the line.. At every stage of the divine evolution process there was the making of covenant to underscore and validate the progress.

Moses was the next a star pupil as the baton was passed and Moses continued in the way of his fathers as shown in Exodus 24: 1-8; Deuteronomy 5: 1-3. This brings us to the next Covenant

THE COVENANT WITH ISRAEL:

This covenant took place at Sinai, when the people had intimated their acceptance of the Ten Commandments, the very words of the covenant; and they also promised to keep the same. (Exodus 34:28; 24:3)

According to Exodus 23:20-33, their obedience to the commands of the law was to be rewarded by:

1. God's constant care of Israel
2. Prosperity
3. Victory over enemies
4. And the pouring out of His Spirit.

The seal of this covenant was the act of circumcision, a procedure unheard of up to this point, but established as the ratification of covenant by the blood that it shed. Genesis 17: 9-11.

The Covenant was renewed throughout Jewish history (Deuteronomy Chapter 29; the Book of Joshua; 2 Chronicles 15:1; 23; 29; 34; Ezra 10:3; Nehemiah 9:1-10:39). This brings us to the next Covenant

THE COVENANT WITH DAVID:

This was a more specific covenant than the one made with Abraham. Its main objective was to highlight with greater precision the bloodline through which the blessing promised in the Abrahamic Covenant was to find accomplishment. The royal seed was from then on to be in the house of David (2 Samuel 7:12; 22:51).

COVENANT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT:

It was a New Covenant for the Church (Acts 15:20-29) Jeremiah31:31-34. Covenant is like a Kingdom piston that generates the necessary ignition for thrust in the spirit. There is therefore no redemptive initiative from God outside the influence of covenant.

God climaxed His redemptive plan for man with the establishment of the New Covenant. Which was sealed with the Precious Blood of Jesus. Because of this, we are already in covenant with one another by virtue of what Jesus Christ has done at Calvary. The New Testament describes this as the New Covenant. And while there is no need for us to make another, more, limited covenant we need at times to underscore the importance and validity of this New Covenant that is in effect with all Believers. We enter the New Covenant automatically when we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, and as such we should live as a covenant community under Jesus Christ. We must be sincere in our relationship and look out for each other. We must be our brother’s [includes both male and female] keeper because of the finished work of Calvary and the ratification of the New Covenant.

Covenant, therefore, is the commitment that lies behind every successful relationship; it comprises the principles of integrity and fidelity that guarantee a relationship will be preserved and the purpose for that relationship will be realized.

Covenant is not a Christian cliché but it is a pivotal Kingdom characteristic that determines the quality of ones commitment to the Lord and to one another.

As we seek to fulfill the mandate that the Lord has entrusted us we must understand that it flows out of the New Covenant established in Christ and as such we must walk in integrity and commitment to one another. Every relationship into which we enter is a reflection of our commitment to an objective that is bigger than ourselves. What we at Dominion-Life International are called to do is much BIGGER than us and as such we need committed, faithful relationships walking in an understanding of what this New Covenant requires of us.

Relationship says – I cannot by myself achieve a mandate that exceeds me, but the mandate’s fulfillment will require the pooling of intelligence and resources, thereby out of many there is the creation of a corporate mind. From that perspective, no relationship can be considered mundane and casual, indented for the tickling of one’s emotion and for the breaking of personal loneliness. But relationship must be perceived as a primary currency of the Kingdom and as such a relevant understanding of the New Covenant cannot be ignored.