Making or Breaking a Covenant by Tim Parkinson
Making a covenant is a serious thing and not to be made lightly, since covenants are are meant to be for life. We see that God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants in which both sides agreed to have codes of conduct for their mutual benefit. Abraham was faithful to keep His covenant with Almighty God and trained his sons to so also. This doesn’t mean his seed would be automatically in covenant, but that God promised He would renew His covenant with Abraham’s descendants. Each generation made their own commitment or covenant with God. We need understanding on this subject.
A Question Arises
This question arises, can a covenant be renewed, after it has been broken? Is either party required or even expected to be involved with the other, legally or morally after their covenant has been broken? Unless we understand these agreements and the seriousness of taking part in them, we cannot fully appreciate our position and relationships in them. For man to be able to come into a covenant with Almighty God is almost as unheard of as cats making covenant with dogs. Our earthly nature is opposite God’s heavenly nature. Our fleshly opposite His spiritual.
Instead of seeking to understand why God would do this, let’s first see through the scriptures how these covenants were made. If we can learn about being in covenant with God, we can learn how to stay in covenant and obtaining it’s benefits.
Gen 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Gen 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
This was a promise made by God, not a covenant made. God looks after His word to perform it. It’s a sure thing. Money in the bank. Later, God expands on His promise
Gen 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
Gen 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
The actual ceremony is described in Gen 15:9-17. That is another topic.
Gen 15:18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
Then God described which lands and the peoples who currently occupied the land.
The natural man will say, “God took the land from one and gave it to another.” This is human logic and a surface conclusion. The land belongs to God and He gave it to faithful Abraham. God didn’t eradicate the homesteaders so Abraham could take possession, but rather initiated the process where the occupiers could move or be displaced.
Sign Here
God has now made a commitment with a mortal man which is, in a sense, a contract which both are signing or attesting to. This is a magnanimous act which rivals the creation of mankind, in Adam, in scope. God creation after failing on his own, becoming a “business partner” to bring about a nation that serves God, so that He can commune with them.
This is only superseded in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, where God is reconciled to man by his substitutional sacrifice. God, in Jesus was reinstating humanity to the same position of sinlessness that Adam had lost. Before His fulfilling such a glorious feat, Jesus made a covenant with His disciples.
Mat 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
Mat 26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
Mat 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Mat 26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
Hebrew Word translated Testament
diathēkē dee-ath-ay’-kay
From G1303; properly a disposition, that is, (specifically) a contract (especially a devisory will): – covenant, testament.
Jesus as our Passover sacrifice, protects us from God’s wrath which will be poured out on His enemies. Jesus’ New Covenant commits His and our futures to be lived out being pledged in service to one another. Similar to a husband and wife declaring their fidelity to each other, Jesus makes the same commitment to all who will believe on Him. No wonder He is worthy of all blessing, glory and honor for eternity!
Returning to our topic, we need to find answers to our questions in scripture, that we may have faith in God and to understand righteousness.
How long?
God promised Abram (pre-covenant)
Gen 12:7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
And as they covenanted
Gen 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him,
Gen 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
This is explained by the Apostle Paul in the Book to the Galations
Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
So God made a covenant with Abraham and His seed (Jesus) that couldn’t be broken as long as Jesus lives. When Jesus rose after being sacrificed, the new covenant was in force to all who believe in Him, with the accompanying provisions. Thus we have an eternal, unbreakable covenant with Jesus, if we believe in Him.
If we could stop believing in Him, then the covenant is not in force and we are then enemies of God and subject to His wrath, having no covenant protections.
The Marriange Covenant
We see in scripture that God honors the marriage covenant made between man and his wife:
Mal 2:13 And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.
Mal 2:14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
God won’t have anything to do with covenant breakers. Why is that?
Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Jesus & His Church = Man & Wife
The human marriage covenant mirrors the New Covenant that Jesus made with all believers. Like marriage, the commitment lasts as long as the both shall live. The only grounds for divorce or separation is unfaithfulness (adultery). The only exception in a human covenant is the death of one of the parties. On God and Jesus’ side, their covenants are eternal. Once man breaks it, they are divorced from God. There is no recourse except death.
Sinning or falling short does not break a covenant. There is always forgiveness for those who ask for it. The covenant stays intact. Willful unbelief or turning away from Jesus and from His covenant means complete divorce from God.
Covenant Breakers are Against God
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Heb 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
We find in the Bible, once broken, covenants cannot be renewed or repaired. They cannot even be changed, once agreed to.
When God wanted to expand His covenant with man, He created a new covenant with new promises. On God’s side the old promises were still to be enforced, but now a newer one addressed more covenant needs.
Many times, we find God delivering the nation of Israel by grace, after remembering His past covenants with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob which He still honored. There was always a righteous remnant of the Jewish people who were staying in covenant with God.
Looking Deeper
The Bible is filled with peoples making covenants, as well as God. It is a fascinating study to discover, for oneself, the covenant lifestyle of God, our part in it and the role Jesus played to bring it to pass. Faith grows as we get a revelation of what God has promised and done for us. It empowers us to boldly enter into covenants with others, knowing that the God we serve is a covenant keeper and we can be, too.
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