Covenants aren’t as common today. In the church, we often talk about covenants in the context of marriage. We know that they are far more serious than our everyday contracts; but because we don’t typically enter covenants anymore, we don’t understand them the same way they would have in the Old and New Testaments. But the truth is that understanding covenants is crucial to our faith. The word itself is mentioned over 300 times in Scripture. The Bible in its entirety is based upon the covenants between God and His people.

In the Abrahamic faith of Christianity a covenant is a formal agreement or contract between God and the people. A covenant is a way for God to establish a special relationship with his people, in which he makes promises and commitments to them, and they in turn make promises and commitments to him. The concept of covenant is central  as it is seen as the means by which God has chosen to reveal himself and interact with the human family.

The first reason God chose to communicate with humanity through the means of covenant is because it provides a clear and lasting way to demonstrate His love and commitment to us. Covenants are a solemn agreement between two or more parties, and they are often sealed with an oath or a sign. God has made a covenant with humanity that is everlasting and unbreakable. He made this covenant out of His love for us and His desire to establish a lasting bond between us. The second reason God chose the means of covenant to communicate with humanity is because it allows us to enter into a relationship with Him that is based on trust and obedience. Through covenant, God promises to be faithful to us and to provide all that we need to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Our part of the covenant is to accept His love and to obey His commands, which helps us to grow in our relationship with Him. The third reason God chose the means of covenant to communicate with humanity is because it provides a tangible way for us to experience His presence in our lives. Through covenant, God reveals Himself to us and shows us how much He cares for us. He also gives us specific instructions and guidance that helps to keep us on the right path.

The idea of covenant is rooted in the biblical story of God’s relationship with the people of Israel. According to the Hebrew Bible, God made a covenant with Abraham, in which he promised to make Abraham’s descendants a great nation and to give them the land of Canaan as their inheritance. God also made covenants with the prophets Moses and David, in which he made promises to protect and bless the people of Israel if they would follow his commands.

In Christianity, the concept of covenant is closely tied to the idea of salvation through Jesus Christ. Christians believe that God made a new covenant with humanity through Jesus, in which he offered forgiveness for sin and the gift of eternal life to all who believe in him. This covenant is made possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus, which is the means by which God reconciled the world to himself.

 Historians tell us that there were also numerous types of covenants throughout history, each with their own sets of requirements and consequences. Here are two examples found in Scripture:

 Suzerian-Vassal: Think of this one as a conditional treaty. Two parties, equally sharing with one another. “If you do this for me, I will do this for. If either of us fails to keep our end, there will be consequences.”

Grant Covenant: Think of this one as a free, unconditional gift. A greater king would offer a lesser king a provision of some kind with no strings attached. Two parties, one giver and one receiver. “I will do this for you because I want to.”

With one exception, every covenant in the Bible is a grant covenant. Noah was promised that God would never flood the earth again. David was told that He would have a descendant (Jesus) on his throne forever. Abraham was promised descendants as numerous as the stars in the heavens. These were free gifts. The New Covenant that Jesus established, A special covenant between Jesus Himself and His Father), is also a grant covenant – a gift that we didn’t earn. He willingly laid down His life to make a way for us to be a part of it.

 The one exception is often referred to as the “old covenant.” The Mosaic Covenant was unique in that it included the Law. If the Israelites obeyed, there were blessings. If they disobeyed, there were curses. (Leviticus 26) Every time the New Testament speaks of this old arrangement, we can clearly see that it was an inferior covenant.

He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life. The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. …If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever! – 2 Corinthians 3:6-7, 9-11 (NLT, emphasis added)

Jesus came to fulfill the Law, not to abolish it. And by fulfilling it, He made it possible for us to no longer be bound by it. In other words, it became obsolete.