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FIVE GREAT BIBLE COVENANTS

TEXT: 1 Sam. 18:3

INTRODUCTION:

A.      WHAT IS A COVENANT?

          1.       An agreement between two people involving promises on the part of each.

          2.       beriyth,  “a compact,  confederacy,   covenant, league.”(Strong)

B.      THE OT CONTAINS MANY EXAMPLES OF COVENENANT BETWEEN MEN.

          1.       David and Jonathan (1 Sam. 18:3).

          2.       Both men kept this covenant to the best of their abilities. 

                   a.       When Saul tried to kill David, Jonathan defended and protected David.

                   b.       When Jonathan died, David cared for Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s lame son.

C.      GOD HAS COVENANTED WITH US.

          1.       Covenants between men are often entered into as equals.  They usually negotiate and

                   arrive at mutually agreeable terms. 

          2.       However, in a covenant between God and His people, God is the one who sets the

                   terms, and it's up to each individual as to whether he'll accept or reject them. 

          4.       It’s remarkable that God, has consented to enter a covenant with sinful mankind.

D.      IN THIS LESSON WE WILL EXAMINE FIVE GREAT BIBLE COVENANTS.

I.      WITH NOAH.

A.      Gen. 6:5-7.  THE WICKEDNESS OF THE WORLD IN NOAH’S DAY.

B.      vs. 8-9.  NOAH STOOD OUT IN CONTRAST AND GOD SAVED HIM (Heb. 11:7).

C.      AFTER THE FLOOD, GOD MADE A COVENANT WITH NOAH (Gen. 9:8-17).

          1.       The world would never be destroyed by flood.

          2.       The rainbow given as a token of the covenant (vs. 14-16).

          3.       A reminder of the future (2 Pet. 3:5-7,  9-10).

II.     WITH ABRAHAM.

A.      GOD’S 2 PART PROMISE TO ABRAHAM (Gen. 12:1-3).

          1.       The first part had to do with seed, a nation, and land.

          2.       The second part had to do with blessing all families of the earth, not just his.

B.      GOD REAFFIRMED THIS PROMISE WITH A COVENANT.

          1.       Gen. 15:7-21 (Heb. word "covenant" comes from root meaning "to cut," based upon the

                   ancient custom of two people passing through the cut bodies of slain animals after making

                   an agreement.).  

          2.       The promise was repeated to Isaac (Gen. 17:19, 26:4), and to Jacob (28:14).  

C.      GOD FULFILLED HIS PROMISE AND HIS COVENANT.

          1.       The nation promise fulfilled (Exodus 19:4-6).

          2.       The land given to his seed in the conquest (Josh. 21:43-45).

          3.       The 2nd part of the promise fulfilled in the justification of all in Christ (Gal. 3:8-9).

          4.       Jesus is the promised seed through whom blessing comes to all (Gal. 3:16).

          5.       If we are Christ’s, we as Abraham’s seed receive The Blessing (Gal. 3:26-29).

III.    WITH ISRAEL THROUGH MOSES.

A.      GOD MADE A COVENANT WITH ISRAEL, THE DESCENDENTS OF ABRAHAM

          (Ex. 19:5;  20:1-19;  Ex. 24:28).

          1.       Not the same as made with Abraham (Deut. 5:3) … Not the promise (Gal. 3:17).

          2.       Made with Israel alone and dedicated with blood (Ex. 24:6-8).

B.      THE INTENT WAS THAT THIS COVENANT SHOULD BE TEMPORARY.

          1.       The covenant made with Israel è The promise is for all (Gen. 12:3).

          2.       It predicted a new prophet (Deut. 18:18-19), and its own end (Jer. 31:31-34).

          3.       Replaced! By a better covenant (Heb. 8:6-8;  12-13).

IV.   WITH DAVID.

A.      GOD PROMISED DAVID THAT ONE OF HIS DESCENDANTS WOULD SIT ON HIS

          THRONE AND RULE FOREVER OVER GOD’S KINGDOM (2 Sam. 7:12-17).

B.      DAVID REFERRED TO THIS PROMISE AS A COVENANT (2 Sam. 23:1-5).

C.      THIS COVENANT FULFILLED IN DAVID’S OFFSPRING – JESUS (Acts 2:29-36).

V.    OF CHRIST.

A.      JESUS SPOKE OF THE NEW (kjv) COVENANT IN HIS BLOOD (Luke 22:20).

B.      HEBREWS GIVES US A PICTURE OF THE NEW (Heb. 8:6-13).

          1.       All are included in this covenant (Rom. 1:16).

          2.       Forgivenness is here (Heb. 8:12), not in the Old (Heb. 10:1-4).

C.      THIS NEW COVENANT IS EVERLASTING (Ezek. 37:26-27;  Heb. 13:20).

CONCLUSION:

A.      UNDER THE NEW COVENANT FLESHLY DISTINCTIONS ARE DONE AWAY.

B.      Gal. 3:26-27.  IN BAPTISM WE ENTER A COVENANT WITH GOD.

C.      THOSE WHO COME INTO THE COVENANT ARE CHRIST’S AND INHERIT

          ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE MADE TO ABRAHAM.