The Covenant
with Noah in Contemporary Context
(The Covenant of Grace Revisited I)
Introduction
Especially in Reformed
churches a lot has been written about “the covenant”. One central thought was
usually the conviction that there is just one
covenant and just one covenant history
and that we ought not to see in Scripture a number of more or less separate
covenants.
In the recent
decennia, however, there has been less study and discussion on this topic. One
reason is that, trying to come to a clear and comprehensive covenant theology
had caused some serious disagreements and even several schisms. The churches
that came from the Dutch “Liberation” of 1944 did continue to stress the
importance of the topic, even if there may not have been too many new insights
or developments. Often the whole Bible had to be read from a ‘covenant
perspective’, where this was often linked with the comfort that was found in it
for church members and their children. Some preachers used “covenant language”
as a kind of shibboleth for the true preaching. (Today, however, we find in
many places a shift in focus from pure doctrine to harmony and unity among
churches.)
Nevertheless, I have
decided not to let fear stop me from researching the topic of “the covenant”.
Some twenty years ago I set out to compare my Reformed upbringing with what the
Bible says. Most of what I learned in my mother church I kept, yet there were
teachings I have found wanting.
One early observation
at the time was an apparent discrepancy of focus. While our preachers talked a
whole lot about the covenant and little about ‘the Kingdom of God’, yet I found
that Jesus rarely use the word covenant, while he talked about ‘the Kingdom’ all the time.
Hm… that made me
suspicious: Did we have a different agenda than our Lord’s?
Did He not fulfil the
old covenant, as:
· the one who crushed the head of the serpent?
· the promised Son of Abraham, through whom all
nations are blessed?
· the promised Son of David, whose kingdom will
never end?
· the ultimate high priest, who offered himself
as the only perfect sacrifice?
· the Lamb of God, who came to take away the sins
of the world?
· etc…
Sure, the Covenant of
Grace was and is the way in which God accomplishes his Kingdom restoration
project. With Christ’s coming, his death and resurrection; his departure and
return with his Spirit, we are now in the final stage of the covenant history.
The Church of Christ has a powerful weapon, so equipped with the Holy Spirit we
are to present the Promise to all people groups everywhere. With Pentecost God
has initiated the great counteroffensive, which will culminate in His Kingdom,
perfectly restored.
What is a “covenant”?
There have been many
different definitions and descriptions for this as there are different aspects
and variations. Generally, however, a covenant is an agreement between two persons
and/or people groups. It sets the rules for a particular relationship. Often
such a relationship is not perfectly symmetric: each person or party has its
own specific promises and obligations. In the ANE (Ancient Near East) it was
the custom that a conquering king made a covenant with the subjugated king and
his people. The latter promised to offer part of the harvest or other treasures
as well as political faithfulness in return for peace and protection against
mutual enemies.
In Hebrew, the term covenant
is associated with words, such as ‘cutting’, ‘knife’, ‘blood’, but also with
everlasting faithfulness, service, and protection. A typical ceremony for
establishing (‘cutting’) a covenant was the mutual walk of the path of blood. We read also about this practice in the Bible[1].
The two parties of the covenant (or their representatives) were to walk between
the cut-up carcasses of animals to signify their commitment to uphold their
obligations. It symbolized their sincere commitment: ‘If I were to break the
covenant (stipulations), then my body may be cut up like these animals’.
God also makes a
covenant, but it is a covenant of grace.
The general rule is still: ‘Obedience will yield protection and blessing;
disobedience will bring the curse’ (Deuteronomy 28). Yet, there are some major
differences. First is God’s ‘hesed’: his longsuffering, patient love. Second is
his gracious provision by which ultimately He Himself pays the price of our
obedience. Even if all people are covenant breakers, God always intervenes by
securing a ‘righteous remnant’ with and through whom He does restore His
Kingdom.
This is beautifully
illustrated when Abraham is not
required to join the LORD through the path of blood[2].
God knew that Abraham and his seed could never keep their side of the covenant,
yet in his grace He walks the path Himself (apparently in two persons as a
smoking oven and a fiery torch). Later we see how Abraham does not have to sacrifice
his beloved son Isaac, for God Himself provides the Lamb that takes away the
sin[3].
Ultimately, he did this through the crucifixion of God’s own beloved Son[4],
perhaps at the same location.
The Rainbow: God’s Covenant with Noah
A Biblical Pattern
When I wrote a Bible
study series on Genesis, I characterized this Bible book as ‘The Book of
Beginnings’. We can find a repetitive pattern throughout its narrative, that
looks like this:
1.
God makes
something new, something beautiful.
2.
Humans, in
league with the Enemy respond by vandalizing God’s workmanship.
3.
God brings
punishment, judgment.
4.
In His
mercy, God (sometimes with a remnant) makes a new beginning.
This pattern shows up
in the following:
1.
Creation
> Fall > Curse and Promise of restoration
2.
Offering
sacrifices of thanksgiving > offering grudgingly > murder of Abel >
Caïn’s curse and a new hope with Enosh
3.
Population
Growth > Violent selfishness in Lamech > Destruction by the Flood > A
New Creation from a remnant
[1] 18 Those who have violated my covenant and have not
fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat like the
calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces. 19 The leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court
officials, the priests and all the people of the land who walked between
the pieces of the calf, 20 I will deliver into
the hands of their enemies who want to kill them. Their dead bodies will become
food for the birds and the wild animals. (Jer.34)
[2] 17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a
smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the
pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant
with Abram…
[3] 9 When they reached the place God had
told him about, Abraham built an altarthere and arranged the wood on
it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took
the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from
heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to
him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me
your son, your only son.”
13 Abraham looked up and there in a
thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went
over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place
The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain
of the Lord it will be provided.” (Ge.22)
[4] 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his
one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his
Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through
him. (Jo.3)
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