The Covenant People

The early Christian community regarded themselves as a community bound together by covenant, through the death of Christ, in line with God's covenant people throughout their Scriptures (ie our Old Testament). The life of the Christian community was characterized by an atmosphere of love that spilled over into the world around, as they lived in the power of the Spirit, celebrating the Lord's supper, praying together and baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They proclaimed the good news that God had come in Jesus Christ, into our world; that He had taken the initiative in human history and by Christ's death and resurrection had established the basis for a new relationship with him for all of the human race. Those who recognize and accept this call from God in Christ are included in those who form the people of the covenant.

In the world, however, the covenant people are called to live their lives in relationship to this God who comes and who cares. Their mission is that of Christ, the mission of the kingdom of God. In Jesus' message and ministry the fulfilment of the reign of God has already begun. The covenant people are to live as sons and daughters of the King. They are to live for the kingdom, the power and the glory of God.

When we look at our church family we often only see glimpses of this glorious living and we are led to ask many questions. The people of the covenant live in the world and exist for the world... Yet in so many places they fail to fulfil the mission of the kingdom. In some of the older churches there is a weariness with life, a lack of vitality and joy in sharing the good news. It is almost as if the light has gone out. In some of the younger churches the light shines brightly. Others see it and are being called by God into communion with him and his people.

Divisiveness is a failing that we are all aware of, even where there are uniting churches. We claim to be "one in Christ", but we fight each other. We may even go about evangelizing other Christian groups according to our own light. Often we commit the sin of mistaking our human divisions for the diversity that is given by the Spirit. Within Christian unity there will always be diversity - a diversity that must enrich the unity; a diversity that means the variety of the gifts of the Holy Spirit spread amongst the members of the body of Christ.

The unity of the people of the covenant is already a reality with its foundation in the Trinity. From the recognition of this unity comes the possibility for the confession, " Jesus is Lord". When we raise questions about Christian unity we may be recognizing that such unity should become visible. "St Paul insists that the body of Christ is made up of the vast variety of mankind who have been made one. Jews and Greeks, male and female, circumcised and uncircumcised, Barbarian and Scythian, bond and free, united by their common baptism into Christ's death and resurrection (Col 2.12-3.11 and Gal 3.28). This fellowship in the Spirit given by Christ precedes all else."



Christian unity is a relationship. The covenant is a relationship - a partnership between God and the people. Our common calling as Christians is to serve, to mission. As Christ was sent by the Father so He sent his disciples to participate in the mission of the kingdom. So He sends the people of the covenant still, into the contemporary world. We have need for a strong emphasis on the proclamation of the word of God, the good news, the victory over sin and death. A living church is always a mission church, because it is the mission of the kingdom that determines the existence of the people of the covenant.

We must ask ourselves the question - are we prepared to make the sacrifice, to put ourselves out, for the gospel? In other words, how far are we willing to put ourselves into this relationship with the living God? "Human beings have only two possible modes of existence: to be a slave to sin or to be a slave to God. There is no possibility for a person not to be enslaved to sin unless he presents himself to God. For the people of the covenant, obedience to God is the only criterion for claiming their relation to God as the Lord and their covenant relationship with him. Paul stresses the obedient life of the believer to the degree that the believer is called to be the slave of 'obedience'. The truth is that the significance of the believer's participation in the death of Christ lies in their obedience to the reign of God in Christ. Thus, the obedience of the believer can never be maintained in a submissive attitude, but must be extremely radical: the kingdom of God is credible only in the confrontation of this world with the gospel of the crucified Lord. In other words, in striving to be loyal to the reign of God in Christ, the Christian community must confront the values, structures, ideologies and practices of the society in which it is a part.”.

Here is the difficulty for many of the covenant people. Our church communities have become too conformed to society, too much part of the political system, too respectable, and it is too comfortable for them to retain the status quo. We are challenged to mission, responsibility and growth and we often prefer to remain static and without vision, because we sill not face the issues in our world. We are exploited and 'we exploit; we weep and cause others to weep; we are not exempt from the ambiguous existence of sinners even though we are the people of the covenant. We must recognize the sin in ourselves and in our society and face up to it in the power of the Risen Christ with the promise of victory over evil.

There is poverty, oppression and injustice rampant in the world - eg among Palestinians, South Africans and in countries where Christians are being persecuted because of their belief. It is futile for wealthy churches in wealthy nations to speak about the Lordship of Jesus Christ without changing their way of life.
Members of our section felt that there was too little time spent on being practical. The best way to be practical, however, is to start from a good theory. We would, therefore, strongly urge our member churches to ask themselves what they can and ought to do about sharing amongst themselves, with other Christian groups and with the world. We ask them to see how they can receive and live the message and the realities of the kingdom

The New Covenant

The new covenant is spoken about first in the book of Jeremiah. The old covenant that God had established with His people required obedience to the Old Testament Mosaic law. Because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), the law required that people perform rituals and sacrifices in order to please God and remain in His grace. The prophet Jeremiah predicted that there would be a time when God would make a new covenant with the nation of Israel.

"'The day will come,' says the Lord, 'when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. . . . But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,' says the Lord. 'I will put my law in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people'" (Jeremiah 31:31, 33). Jesus Christ came to fulfill the law of Moses (Matthew 5:17) and create a new covenant between God and His people. The old covenant was written in stone, but the new covenant is written on our hearts, made possible only by faith in Christ, who shed His own blood to atone for the sins of the world. Luke 22:20 says, "After supper, [Jesus] took another cup of wine and said, 'This wine is the token of God's new covenant to save you – an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you.'"

Now that we are under the new covenant, we are not under the penalty of the law. We are now given the opportunity to receive salvation as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). Through the life-giving Holy Spirit who lives in all believers (Romans 8:9-11), we can now share in the inheritance of Christ and enjoy a permanent, unbroken relationship with God. Hebrews 9:15 declares, “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”

Provision of the new covenant
1-The new covenant is an unconditional, grace covenant resting on the “I will” of God (jer 31:31-34, Ezek16:60-62

2-The new covenant is an everlasting covenant (Isa 61:2, Ezek 37:26, Jer 31:35-37
3-The new covenant promises a renewed mind and heart (Isa 59:21, Jer 31:33)
4-The new covenant provides for restoration to the favor and blessing of God ( hos 2:19-20 , Isa 61:9 )
5-Forgiveness of sin is also included in the covenant ( jer 31:34)
6-The indwelling of the holy spirit is the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:33, Ezekiel 36:27)
7-The teaching ministry of the holy Sprit will be manifested, and the will of God will be known by obedient hearts (Jer 31:34 )
6-Israel will be in the land of be materially blessed Jer 32:41, Isa 61:8. Ezek 34:25-27)
7-The sanctuary will be rebuilt in Jerusalem , Ezek 37:26-27
8-War shall cease and peace shall reign according to hosea 2:18, Isa 2:4
9-The blood of jesus is the foundation of the new covenant
The foundation of the new covenant was the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross
The fulfillment of the covenant will be when Israel accepts , Jesus as the messiah till then the churh reaps the blessing due Israel, but the “Time of the Gentiles is limited till Israel relationship with god is restored

When the relationship is restored we can except the completion of god’s new covenant

The Davidic covenant

The Davidic covenant was established when the prophet Nathan delivered to David a message form God after David was forbidden to build the Temple. The Davidic Covenant refers to God’s promises to David through Nathan the prophet and is found in 2 Samuel 7 and later summarized in 1 Chronicles 17:11-14 and 2 Chronicles 6:16. This is an unconditional covenant made between God and David through which God promises David and Israel that the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would come from the lineage of David and the tribe of Judah and would establish a kingdom that would endure forever (2 Samuel 7:10-13). The Davidic Covenant is unconditional because God does not place any conditions of obedience upon its fulfillment. The surety of the promises made rests solely on God’s faithfulness and does not depend at all on David or Israel’s obedience.
The Davidic Covenant centers on several key promises that are made to David. 1) God reaffirms the promise of the land that He made in the first two covenants with Israel (the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants). This promise is seen in 2 Samuel 7:10, “Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously.” 2) God promises that David’s descendant or “seed” will succeed him as king of Israel and that David’s throne will be established forever. This promise is seen in 2 Samuel 7:12-13, "I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” This is a reference to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Provisions of Davidic covenant
1 David is to have a child , yet to be born who shall succeed him and establish his kingdom.
2 this son (Solomon ) shall build the temple instead of david
3.the throne will not be taken away from him (Solomon)even though his sins justify chastisement
4 david’s house, throne and kingdome shall be established forever

The provisions of the covenant are summarized in 2 Samuel 7:16, “And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” The promise that David’s “house,” “kingdom” and “throne” will be established forever is significant because it shows that the Messiah will come from the lineage of David and that He will establish a kingdom from which He will reign. The covenant is summarized by the words “house,” promising a dynasty in the lineage of David; “kingdom,” referring to a people who are governed by a king; “throne,” emphasizing the authority of the king’s rule; and “forever,” emphasizing the eternal and unconditional nature of this promise to David and Israel.

The Davidic covenant was unconditional because it was established forever.the Davidic covenant is and can only be fulfilled with a literal Israel, the descendents of Abraham , Isaac and Jacob would be citizens of a literal Israel
The throne was over the house of Israel, one of David’s descendents would rule over the physical children of Jacob. Who would have the physical land of Abraham David’s house throne and Kingdome were established forever .
David saw himself as a subject of his future descendent , jesus relates the dilemma to the Pharisees and asks the question

Jesus was a descendent from david thru mary his mother as recoded in luke 321-31. He spoke of his literal reign over the house of lsrael in a future earthly kingdom. Though jesus is rejected as messiah by the descendents of Jacob , he would be accepted as messiah by a future generation of Jacob’s descendents
In Zechariah 12:10 we see the nation of Israel ultimately accept the rejected messiah as their lord, but in order for this to happen their must be a literal Israel in existence
It is important to distinguish between the throne Jesus currently sits on as the throne of the father the future throne he will sit on as the throne of the Israel , The throne of Israel will be completed when Israel accepts Jesus as their Messiah in the future even in the future Kingdome the of David will rule over the whole earth

The Palestinian Covenant

The Palestinian Covenant is recorded in Deuteronomy 29:1-29 and Deuteronomy 30:1-10 and was made between God and Israel right before Moses died and Israel entered the Promised Land. This covenant came after the Mosaic Covenant and after Israel had wandered in the wilderness for forty years until the generation that had refused to enter the Promised Land had passed away. God made this covenant with Israel while they were in Moab waiting to go into the Promised Land, and the covenant would serve this new generation of Israelites as a reminder of their special covenant relationship with God.

The Palestinian Covenant has many similarities to the Mosaic Covenant made at Mount Sinai but is a separate and distinct covenant as clearly seen in Deuteronomy 29:1. “These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He made with them in Horeb.” Before making this covenant with Israel, God reminded them that if they obeyed the Mosaic Law, He would bless the nation abundantly and warned them that disobedience to the Law would result in His cursing the nation (Deuteronomy 28:1-68).

Provisions of Palestinian covenant
1-The nation will plucked off the land of unfaithfulness (Deut 28:63-68, Deut 30:1-3)
2-There will be a future repentance of Israel (Deut. 28:63-68; 30:1-3)
3 -their messiah will return (Deut 30:3-6)
4- Israel will be restored to the land (Deut. 30:5)
5-Israel will be converted as a nation (Deut 30:4-8; Romans 11:26-27)
6-Israel enemies will be judged (Deut 30:7)
7 -The nation will then receive her full blessing ( Deut 30:9)

The provisions of the covenant are fulfilled in a literal Israel not in a spiritual Israel. Therefore in order for the covenant to be fulfilled Israel would be required to one day take control of the land of promise.
The conditional aspects of this agreement are a result of obedience. Israel is blessed if they obey and curse if they disobey. The promise of blessing and cursing has been fulfilled in the history of Israel twice.
First 722 BC, 605-587 BC they were scattered by the Assyrians and Babylonians .They were then gathered into the land after Cyrus of Persia.
The second time was in the period of 70-135 Ad by the Roman empire and they were gathered and are being gathered back in the land during the last 150 years.

Besides the promises that God would bless them if they obeyed His commandments and curse them if they disobeyed, the Palestinian Covenant also contains some special promises to Israel that many believe will not be completely fulfilled until the millennial reign of Christ.

Abrahamic Covenant

Covenant
A covenant is c contract or agreement between two prates to complete a task in the old testament the Hebrew word Beriyth is translated covenant ,Beriyth is derived from the rood which means ‘to cut’ and hence a covenant is a cutting with reference to the cutting or dividing of animals into two parts.
There are two types of covenants: conditional and unconditional. A conditional or bilateral covenant is an agreement that is binding on both parties for its fulfillment. Both parties agree to fulfill certain conditions. If either party fails to meet their responsibilities, the covenant is broken and neither party has to fulfill the expectations of the covenant. An unconditional or unilateral covenant is an agreement between two parties, but only one of the two parties has to do something. Nothing is required of the other party.
There are 4 unconditional covenants in the bible that god established and will be fulfilled regardless of mans ability

1) the Abrahamic
2) the Palestinian/ Canaan
3) The Davidic
4) The new covenant
Within these convents are conditional blessing and curses but the ultimate fulfillment is promised by God himself.We will examine each of them individually over the days.

1-The Abrahamic Covenant
The abrahamic covenant was between God and man called Abraham. God made his declaration to Abraham in Genesis 12.1-3,6-7

There are three main features to the Abrahamic Covenant:

1. The promise of land (Genesis 12:1). God called Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees to a land that He would give him (Genesis 12:1). This promise is reiterated in Genesis 13:14–18 where it is confirmed by a shoe covenant; its dimensions are given in Genesis 15:18–21 (precluding any notion of this being fulfilled in heaven). The land aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant is also expanded in Deuteronomy 30:1–10, which is the Palestinian Covenant.

2. The promise of descendants (Genesis 12:2). God promised Abraham that He would make a great nation out of him. Abraham, who was 75 years old and childless (Genesis 12:4), was promised many descendants. This promise is amplified in Genesis 17:6 where God promised that nations and kings would descend from the aged patriarch. This promise (which is expanded in the Davidic Covenant of 2 Samuel 7:12–16) would eventuate in the Davidic throne with Messiah’s kingdom rule over the Hebrew people.

3. The promise of blessing and redemption (Genesis 12:3). God promised to bless Abraham and the families of the earth through him. This promise is amplified in the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34; cf. Hebrews 8:6–13) and has to do with “Israel’s spiritual blessing and redemption.” Jeremiah 31:34 anticipates the forgiveness of sin. The unconditional and eternal nature of the covenant is seen in that the covenant is reaffirmed to Isaac (Genesis 21:12; 26:3–4). The “I will” promises suggest the unconditional aspect of the covenant. The covenant is further confirmed to Jacob (Genesis 28:14–15). It is noteworthy that God reaffirmed these promises amid the sins of the patriarchs, which fact further emphasizes the unconditional nature of the Abrahamic Covenant.

Provisions of the Abrahamic covenant
1-Abraham would be a great nation
2-Abraham name would be great
3-Blessing to those who bless Abrahams descendents
4-Curses to those who curse Abraham’s descendents
5-Land of moriah promised to abrahm’s descendents
6-All families of earth blessed in abrahm
7-Abraham father of many nations
8-Everlasting covenant with Isaac , and his descendents
9-Covenant descendents will posses the gates of their enemies

These provision of the covenant would be the foundation of God’s future relationship with man. After the fall of man god foretold the coming of the ‘seed’ of the woman one who would crush the serpents head, This person would come thru the line of Abraham.Thru Abraham’s family line God would redeem mankind from the fall
Thru the covenant God established with Abraham would all the nations of the earth be blessed.The covenant come to Abraham because he believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness (Romans4 ) Abraham would be a father of all those who would trust God by faith . The covenant was an everlasting covenant meaning its fulfillment was unconditional.
The covenant contained physical provisions involving both a land and a people.The land of promise Moriah , was given by God to Abraham and his descendents thru Jacob.The physical land and Abrahams descendents would play a vital role in the completion of the covenant. Today the land of the promise is one of the most contentious issues that trouble the earth.Over half of the earth population has some sort of spiritual connection to the promise land of Abrahm