Covenants hold great biblical significance. A covenant is an arrangement between two parties—sometimes bilateral, as two parties agree to certain terms, and other times unilateral (grant covenant), with one party making a promise to another party. While there are covenantal agreements between men in the Bible (1 Kings 15:19), the major focus is on covenants between God and men.
Noahic Covenant
The word covenant first appears in Genesis 6:18. God promised Noah that He would save his family from the coming global flood. After the flood, God established the covenant with Noah and his descendants (all mankind since then, 9:9). This covenant is God’s unilateral promise to never again destroy the earth with a flood of waters (v. 11). God provided the rainbow in the sky as a permanent sign of His promise, an everlasting covenant He will never cancel (vv. 13–16).
Abrahamic Covenant
God promised Abram (later Abraham) that if he went to the land that God gave him, the Lord would make him a great nation, his name would become great, and he would be a blessing to all the families of the earth (12:1–3). Additionally, God would bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him. God gave the land of Canaan (future Israel) to Abram, and significantly, to his descendants (13:14–17).
Thus, the Jewish people have a God-given right to their ancient homeland in the Middle East.
God formalized the promises with a unilateral covenant ceremony while Abram slept (15:12–17). Although individuals under the covenant can remove themselves from its blessings, they cannot destroy or annul the entire covenant promise. Land boundaries from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates River are part of this covenant ratification (vv. 18–20). The sign for this everlasting covenant promised to Abraham and his descendants is male circumcision (17:7–11). Thus, the Jewish people have a God-given right to their ancient homeland in the Middle East.
Abraham became a blessing to all families when Messiah Jesus came to the world through Abraham’s Hebrew family. Jesus was the One who came to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
Mosaic Covenant
The Mosaic Covenant is God’s agreement with Moses and the children of Israel, initially made at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:5) and reiterated several times as the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. The covenant is with the entire nation of Israel, not just with Moses: “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.’” (34:27).
The Mosaic Covenant is a bilateral contract between God and Israel, unlike the unilateral Abrahamic Covenant. The children of Israel responded and accepted the covenant: “All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient” (24:7). Its stipulations are the Ten Commandments (chapter 20) and the following regulations throughout the Pentateuch. These rules for life involve all aspects of Israelite experience, including the keeping of the festivals, the building of the Tabernacle with its worship plan, and the establishment of a priesthood. Later in Israel’s history, the Tabernacle was replaced by the stationary Temple on Mount Zion. The Mosaic Covenant’s laws do not constitute a rule of life for Christians today (e.g., we do not present sacrifices or keep Saturday Sabbath). However, these teachings provide wisdom for Christians to apply to their own lives.
This covenant is not everlasting as with Abraham. The New Covenant made the Old Covenant (Mosaic Covenant) “obsolete … ready to vanish away” (Hebrews 8:13). Thus, God’s intention was for the Mosaic Covenant, as important as it is, to be only a temporary arrangement.
Land Covenant
The LORD announced a covenant with the children of Israel in the land of Moab. The language of the verse is debated. The Bible describes this covenant as “besides the covenant which He made with them in Horeb [Sinai]” (Deuteronomy 29:1). The word besides can easily be understood as making this covenant a special arrangement in addition to the Mosaic Covenant. Others take this as a reiteration of the Abrahamic Covenant while the Israelites live under the Mosaic Covenant. After all, they were receiving final instructions from Moses as they were about to enter the Promised Land. Whether this is an entirely separate covenant or a reinforcement of prior land promises, Deuteronomy 29—32 gives the Israelites hope. Concerning blessings and cursings (chapter 28), Moses told them that disobeying the Mosaic Covenant could lead to the Israelites being removed from the land of promise. However, Moses confirmed that this removal would only be temporary. God would bring them back to the land one day. This has happened twice in history. Israel came back into the land after the Babylonian Captivity, and the nation was reborn as the State of Israel in 1948. One day, Israel will be fully and firmly in the land, never removed again (Amos 9:15).
Davidic Covenant
God issued a special promise to King David that includes two basic ideas (2 Samuel 7:12–17): (1) There will always be descendants of David and, consequently, (2) the throne of David will be established forever. Therefore, David’s descendants will always have the right to rule over Israel. God will not remove the kingdom from David’s line as he did from King Saul (v. 15). Moreover, this promise is eternal: “Your kingdom shall be established forever” (v. 16). God’s favor for David is described as a covenant (Psalm 89:3, 28), and He promised a Davidic heir will always have a right to the throne over Israel (vv. 4, 29).
Ultimately, Jesus, the Messianic King from David’s line (Matthew 1:1), will rule on the throne of David from Jerusalem forever.
This promise is eternal, just as it was stated in 2 Samuel 7 (cf. Psalm 89:36–37). God will never go back on His pledge to David, even when David’s kingly descendants did not follow the Lord (vv. 30–33). God swore by His own holiness that He will not lie to David nor break the covenant (vv. 34–35). Ultimately, Jesus, the Messianic King from David’s line (Matthew 1:1), will rule on the throne of David from Jerusalem forever. This promise is unconditional and everlasting.
New Covenant
The New Covenant is promised to Israel as a future blessing: “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31). This covenant is designed for the nation of Israel, as the verse refers literally to Israel and Judah. It is unlike the Mosaic Covenant, which the Israelites broke (v. 32).
The New Covenant entails God putting the law in their minds and on their hearts, His presence as their God with universal acceptance of Him, and forgiveness of sins (vv. 33–34). God promised that Israel will always exist as a nation in its land (vv. 35–40). Other passages add the presence of the Holy Spirit upon them for divine enablement (Ezekiel 36:26–27). This promise is unconditional and something that God will carry out for Israel at the Second Coming of Christ when He establishes His earthly Kingdom centered in Israel.
It is much debated whether this New Covenant for Israel is applicable to the church. While the church is not a legal party to the covenant of Jeremiah 31, the New Testament seems to apply the spiritual dimensions of this covenant (forgiveness and Holy Spirit) to the church today (Luke 22:20; Acts 1—2; Hebrews 8—10). It is God’s sovereign intention for Christians today to experience a small foretaste of what Israel will experience at the Lord’s return.
Throughout all of these biblical covenants, we see the unchanging character of God: He never breaks His promises. Although humans may fail to keep their word, God never will. We can rest assured that the God of the Bible is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), so we can stand firmly on His promises as we wait for His return.
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This article provides a clear and insightful overview of the biblical covenants, making their complexities accessible. I appreciate how it highlights Gods faithfulness and the enduring promises made to Israel and the Church. A helpful resource for understanding Gods plan.