The Concept of Covenant in the Old Testament
Covenant is the coming together and the making of an agreement, by parties previously apart from each other. It is the making of peace and the restoration of order (Baly, 131). The idea of covenant is an ancient idea that goes all the way back to when God made a covenant with Adam and Eve, promising divine favor in return for obedience (Drummond). At the time when man began to communicate and cooperate and needed some form of agreement to entrust cooperation, covenant was made.
Covenants are made with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. All four of these covenants share similar and distinctive features. One similarity that they are all promises from God; all covenants include promises. They differ in the fact that they can be unilateral or bilateral. The covenants of Noah, Abraham, and David are unilateral in which only one side obligates itself to the benefit of the other side. On the other hand, the Mosaic covenant is bilateral, which is when the two sides participate equally; they obligate themselves equally to maintain the agreement (Kaiser, 53).
The covenant with Noah happened after God was displeased with the creation of human beings because they were not being faithful stewards of the world. In result God put a flood in place for 40 days to put an end to all things except for Noah, his family and everything on the ark. God covenanted with Noah that there would never again be such a flood to destroy all of humanity (Gen. 9:11-15). God uses a rainbow after the rain as a reminder to Himself of the promise He has made (Freedman, 1190).
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