What’s a Covenant?

The Bible contains 66 books written by 40+ authors who were divinely inspired in their writing. It is “God-breathed.”

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”
2 Timothy 3:16

“No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation… men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
2 Peter 1:20-21

The Bible consists of two main sections called the Old and New Testaments. There are 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. The Old Testament is filled with prophecies that are fulfilled in the New Testament.

“Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
Luke 24:44

In the Bible, we learn that God created numerous agreements or treaties with different men and nations. These treaties are called covenants, and they’re similar to suzerain-vassal treaties, wherein a sovereign (like God) sets terms for subjects (humanity).

Covenants include several key elements, reflecting ancient treaties, including preambles, stipulations (laws or commands), blessings for obedience, and curses for disobedience. Leviticus 26 and Deut. 28 provide detailed examples.

In the Old Testament, God created several covenants with certain men and nations. These include covenants with Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses, and David. These covenants focused primarily on the nation or bloodline of Israel.

Adam	Genesis 1:28-30, Hosea 6:7
Noah	Genesis 9:8-9
Abraham	Genesis 15:18
Moses	Exodus 19:5-6
David	2 Samuel 7:12-16

In the New Testament, God created a new covenant. This covenant focuses primarily on the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, providing salvation to Jews and Gentiles alike.

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood…”
Luke 22:20

“But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people…”
Hebrews 8:6-13

“The gospel… is the power of God… first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”
Romans 1:16

While covenants in the Old Testament seem to apply only to certain individuals of a particular nation, the new covenant transcends national and ethnic boundaries and applies to people from all nations who believe in Christ.

“I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.”
Acts 10:34-35

“There is neither Jew nor Greek… for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:28

Therefore remember that previously you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called ‘Uncircumcision’ by the so-called ‘Circumcision’ which is performed in the flesh by human hands—remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the people of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace; and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the hostility. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:11-22

Old covenants reveal much about the nature of God and that of mankind. They also represent shadows or precursors that point to the new covenant. In fact, Hebrews 8-10 describes the old covenant as a shadow of the better covenant that was to come, and this “better” new covenant was foretold in Jeremiah 31:31 and fulfilled in Luke 22:20. 

“But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, to the extent that He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been free of fault, no circumstances would have been sought for a second.”
Hebrews 8:6-7

“‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,’ declares the LORD. ‘For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ declares the LORD: ‘I will put My law within them and write it on their heart; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.'”
Jeremiah 31:31-33

“And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in My blood.'”
Luke 22:20