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A covenant is a bond between two parties, a binding of them together. There are different types of covenants, but in the covenants that God makes with people, He is always the one who establishes the covenant and brings people into it. There can be stipulations that must be kept by both parties that keep the covenant in force, or in effect. God always sets the conditions and issues the promises, and fulfills the promises, provided the conditions are kept. If God so chooses, He can bring people into a separate kind of covenant whereby He issues and fulfills promises, but does not place any conditions of the other parties. This is called a unilateral covenant.
One thing that is important to note is that it is through covenant that God establishes and maintains a personal relationship with those in the covenant. A binding us to Him, and Him to us. It would take a book to cover all aspects of biblical covenants, and there have been books written. Here I will cover the difference between the Mosaic covenant made with Israel and the new covenant, as it has been shown that many run all things together without making a distinction. The new covenant, brielly is the bringing to fruition all that was foreshadowed and promised both in the Mosaic covenant, often referred to as the Law, the covenant made with Abraham and in the prophets.
There were things in the Mosaic covenant that God promised Israel. That He would be their God, He would protect and provide for them, He would have an intimate personal and active relationship with them. He would give them the land of Canaan and drive out all their enemies. It can be said, that it was a land grant covenant, much as a real estate transaction today, as much of it pertained to Israel keeping the land and being safe in it. In this covenant God established laws concerning all aspects of their lives, including their worship of Him. These were the conditions they must meet. If they failed to do so, the promises were null and void, unless they repented and turned to Him again.
In every law and stipulation, God was revealing His moral character. His holiness, His mercy, His longsuffering, His justice, His righteousness, His wrath. He was showing us how we are to imitate Him in our relationships with one another, and our responsibility to Him as Creator King. Showing us what it means to be His image bearers. It is a mirroring of the covenant relationship with the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. In the sabbaths and festivals that were required under the Mosaic covenant, we see the foreshadowing of all that Christ has accomplished. (see thread "Observance of Sabbaths and Festivals Put to Rest in Christ.") As well it foreshadowed how this is to be accomplished in fullness in Christ, who would be the final sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.
The new covenant, ratified by the sacrifice of Jesus and the shedding of His blood, approved by His resurrection and ascension, is unilateral and a person is brought into this covenant through faith. (Eph 2:4-9) It is the fulfillment of the covenant with Abraham that was through faith, in which God promised that through the Seed of Abraham all nations would be blessed. In the person and work of Jesus is all the law and the prophets fulfilled. The faith that is required, is trusting that this substitutionary work of Christ is true, that it is sufficient, that the promises of the new covenant, present and future are yes and amen. With this faith, comes obedience, and sanctification. For scriptural evidence, read the book of Romans. It is the most comprehensive in presenting the gospel of all the letters, and periodically it should be read as a letter is read. Front to back, rather than pulling a passage from here or there expecting to get the full impact.
One thing that is important to note is that it is through covenant that God establishes and maintains a personal relationship with those in the covenant. A binding us to Him, and Him to us. It would take a book to cover all aspects of biblical covenants, and there have been books written. Here I will cover the difference between the Mosaic covenant made with Israel and the new covenant, as it has been shown that many run all things together without making a distinction. The new covenant, brielly is the bringing to fruition all that was foreshadowed and promised both in the Mosaic covenant, often referred to as the Law, the covenant made with Abraham and in the prophets.
There were things in the Mosaic covenant that God promised Israel. That He would be their God, He would protect and provide for them, He would have an intimate personal and active relationship with them. He would give them the land of Canaan and drive out all their enemies. It can be said, that it was a land grant covenant, much as a real estate transaction today, as much of it pertained to Israel keeping the land and being safe in it. In this covenant God established laws concerning all aspects of their lives, including their worship of Him. These were the conditions they must meet. If they failed to do so, the promises were null and void, unless they repented and turned to Him again.
In every law and stipulation, God was revealing His moral character. His holiness, His mercy, His longsuffering, His justice, His righteousness, His wrath. He was showing us how we are to imitate Him in our relationships with one another, and our responsibility to Him as Creator King. Showing us what it means to be His image bearers. It is a mirroring of the covenant relationship with the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. In the sabbaths and festivals that were required under the Mosaic covenant, we see the foreshadowing of all that Christ has accomplished. (see thread "Observance of Sabbaths and Festivals Put to Rest in Christ.") As well it foreshadowed how this is to be accomplished in fullness in Christ, who would be the final sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.
The new covenant, ratified by the sacrifice of Jesus and the shedding of His blood, approved by His resurrection and ascension, is unilateral and a person is brought into this covenant through faith. (Eph 2:4-9) It is the fulfillment of the covenant with Abraham that was through faith, in which God promised that through the Seed of Abraham all nations would be blessed. In the person and work of Jesus is all the law and the prophets fulfilled. The faith that is required, is trusting that this substitutionary work of Christ is true, that it is sufficient, that the promises of the new covenant, present and future are yes and amen. With this faith, comes obedience, and sanctification. For scriptural evidence, read the book of Romans. It is the most comprehensive in presenting the gospel of all the letters, and periodically it should be read as a letter is read. Front to back, rather than pulling a passage from here or there expecting to get the full impact.