The Abrahamic covenant

Tag: bible

For the past while, I’ve been thinking through how the Old Testament fits with the New. That is, working backwards from the clearest part of the Christian faith - Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the apostolic teachings, how do Old Testament ideas fit in?

Nabeel Qureshi said this in No God But One, which has been really helpful in keeping me grounded in the certainty of Jesus as I plumb the depths of tying the Old and the New:

It should not be assumed that the Quran is the Islamic analogue of the Bible. It isn’t. For Muslims, the Quran…is the very proof they provide to demonstrate the truth of Islam. The best parallel in Christianity is Jesus himself, the Word made flesh, and his resurrection.

Here’s some of my questions, and the answers I have so far.

Why does Abraham matter to Christians?

28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. - Galatians 3:28-29 ESV

Verse 28 is clear to me. Central to the Christian faith is union with Christ. But why verse 29 and all the fuss about being an heir as Abraham’s offspring? After all, Noah was righteous through faith (Hebrews 11:7), yet he preceded Abraham. Likewise, Christians are righteous through faith in Jesus, and have an unmediated relationship with him.

Yet for whatever reason, throughout scripture God has chosen to relate to humanity, and achieve his purposes through covenants. You see this in Genesis, which records humanity spiralling downwards after creation and the fall, which is arrested with the Noahic covenant, followed by the Abrahamic covenant.

Covenants are the story arcs of the Bible, where each subsequent covenant builds upon and fulfills God’s promises to Abraham - eventually blessing us non-Jews, in Jesus (Ephesians 1).

What is the Abrahamic covenant?

It seems there are 4 parts to God’s covenant with Abraham:

When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” - Genesis 17:1-2 ESV

Genesis 22 is interesting because it appears to confirm God will keep his covenant, as Abraham has done his part.

And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” - Genesis 22:15-18 ESV

How many Abrahamic covenants are there?

Mark Word provides an excellent summary of both sides of the argument.

As summarised by Lionel Windsor, here is Paul Williamson’s view, who is the biggest proponent of 2 distinct covenants:

Williamson describes a narrative arc in Genesis 12–22 that begins with a twofold set of promises from God to Abram (Gen 12:1–3), includes the details of two related but distinct covenants based on these promises (Gen 15, 17), and concludes with a solemn oath of ratification (Gen 22:16–18). The two distinct promises (Gen 12:1–3) are, firstly, nationhood (Gen 12:1–2c), and secondly, international blessing (Gen 12:2d–3). The first promise is a geopolitical promise to Abram: a promise of land and descendants (together constituting nationhood) that will give Abram a great “name”. The second promise is a universal promise through Abram: that in him all the families of the earth will be blessed. The second promise is clearly based upon the first, but even so it is quite distinct.

However, the Bible does not refer to multiple Abrahamic covenants. Furthermore, Gentry and Wellum argue in God’s Kingdom through God’s Covenant that the terminology in Genesis 15:18, karat berit referring to cut/establish is different to Genesis 17:7, heqim berit referring to affirm/confirm.

I’m not sure what the answer is, but thinking it through has been helpful in clarifing the two aspects to the Abrahamic promise - nationalistic, and international blessing.

Is the Abrahamic covenant conditional or unconditional?

In Genesis 15, the promises relating to the nation of Israel are reaffirmed, and formally ratified in a covenant ritual. Animals are cut in half, and walking between the animals signifies the punishment for transgressing the covenant to be made like that of the animals cut in half. However, in 15:17, only God passes between the pieces, commonly understood as meaning this is an unconditional, certain promise.

But in Genesis 17, where the promises are again reaffirmed, and expanded with an international dimension, there is a condition:

1When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” - Genesis 17:1-2 ESV

Knowing the Abrahamic covenant is foundational in God’s dealings with humanity begs the question about its mechanics. Is it conditional, that is, dependent on walking before God and being blameless (17:1), or is it unconditional, because God alone passed between the halves of the animals in the covenant cutting ceremony (15:17)?

How God could leave his plans and purposes for sinful humans to fulfill?

The most satisfying answer is that he didn’t.

There is a good deal of confusion over this matter of whether the Abrahamic covenant is conditional or not. But the confusion is not necessary and arises from a false assumption, namely, that if a covenant is conditional it cannot be certain of fulfilment. Or to put it another way, if a person must meet certain conditions in order to benefit from God’s promises, then the fulfilment of those promises cannot be irrevocable and sure. But that is not true. It is a false assumption based squarely on the conviction that man is autonomous and self-determining. But if, as Ezekiel 36:27 says, God puts his Spirit in man and causes him to walk in his statutes (and thus fulfill the conditions of the covenant), then a promise can be both conditional and certain of fulfillment. If God commits himself to work so that Abraham fulfills the conditions of the covenant promises, then there is no inconsistency in saying that the promises are sure, steadfast, irrevocable, and conditional. - John Piper

“The traditional language describing covenants as being either unconditional or conditional is inadequate. We would argue that God guarantees the faithfulness of both partners in the Abraham covenant, but still requires faithful obedience on the part of Abraham to bring the blessing to the nations promised in the covenant.“ page 118, 254 God’s Kingdom Through God’s Covenant

Tangent: what about the other covenants? Are they conditional or unconditional?

To clarify, a covenant is conditional where there is room for human failure, not one absent of human obligation, since all the Biblical covenants have an aspect of covenental obligation.

When you trace the plot of the Bible, humanity is dependent on God’s grace, his unconditional covenants since we are without hope where there is room for human failure.

Adam’s covenant was conditional

There’s debate about whether there was a “covenant of works” with Adam. I’m not interested in delving into it, except to note that there was room for human failure, and the penalty for sin is death, which leads us to the storyline of redemption and restoration of relationship with our creator in the rest of the Bible.

15The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” - Genesis 2:15-17 NIV

Noah’s covenant was unconditional

I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” - Genesis 9:11 ESV

Though not without covenantal obligations:

And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.” - Genesis 9:7 ESV

God’s patience with humanity is unconditional.

Moses’ covenant was conditional

5Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” - Exodus 19:5-6 NIV

It seems this was partially fulfilled through a subset of faithful Israelites, enabled by God’s Spirit, but ultimately, because it was conditional, failed.

David’s covenant was unconditional

12When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. - 2 Samuel 7:12-13 ESV

It is through this unconditional covenant that we have king Jesus.

Though again, not without covenantal obligations:

14I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. - 2 Samuel 7:14-15 ESV

The new covenant is unconditional

33For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” - Jeremiah 31:33-34 ESV

Because God will enable it by writing the law on people’s hearts through his Spirit.

About the Westminster Confession

The Westminster Confession of Faith would categorise everything after the fall as under the covenant of grace - salvation by faith alone, including the Mosaic covenant.

Firstly, it’s helpful to note that when the WCF refers to Adam’s covenant as the covenant of works, it does not mean Adam and Eve were not reliant on God’s grace - our every breath is by the grace of God:

To speak of a covenant of ‘works’ in contrast with a covenant of ‘grace’ appears to suggest that grace was not operative in the covenant of works. As a matter of fact, the totality of God’s relationship with man is a matter of grace. Although ‘grace’ may not have been operative in the sense of a merciful relationship despite sin, the creation of bond between God and man indeed was gracious. - Robertson, Christ of the Covenants, 56

Secondly, when the WCF places the Mosaic covenant under the covenant of grace, it recognises that the law cannot accomplish anything in itself, only to point to the New Covenant in the failure of the Israelites:

This covenant was differently administered in the time of the law, and in the time of the gospel; under the law it was administered by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the paschal lamb, and other types and ordinances delivered to the people of the Jews, all foresignifying Christ to come, which were for that time sufficient and efficacious, through the operation of the spirit, to instruct and build up the elect in faith in the promised Messiah, by whom they had full remission of sins, and eternal salvation; and is called, the Old Testament. - WCF 7V

Finally, how do commands fit into the covenant of grace?

Reformed theology has traditionally appealed to a distinction between basis and administration. The mere presence of commands says nothing about the basis of a covenant itself. Circumcision (like baptism) identifies the members of the covenant, so if one is not circumcised, he is “cut off.” Nevertheless, one is not justified because he is circumcised, as Paul indicates in Romans 4:11. That would turn conditions into the basis rather than the administration of the covenant. Commands function in a law-covenant as the basis for blessing or curse: the swearer’s perfect, personal, perpetual obedience is the ground, ratified by a public assumption of the covenant obligations on one’s own head. In the covenant of grace, however, commands function as the “reasonable service” that we offer “in view of God’s mercies.” - Michael Horton