3. The Covenants of God

 3 • The Covenants of God

God knew that mankind would fall into sin (1 Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8) and knew that people would not be able to live without His protection, provision and goodwill. Therefore, God made agreements (covenants or contracts) with several people throughout history—and especially with one nation in particular. The first covenant of grace God made with man was with Adam and Eve just after they had sinned. God promised that out of Adam’s descendents Someone would come to bruise (destroy) the head of the serpent (the devil) and God killed an animal (or animals) to make coats of skin for them to cover their nakedness and shame (Genesis 3:15; Genesis 3:21).

The second covenant of grace that God made with mankind was the covenant with Noah. Adam and Eve had produced children, and successive generations had populated the earth. Years after the fall, mankind became so wicked that God decided to destroy the world with a global flood (Genesis 6:5-7) ‘God saw that every imagination and thought of mankind’s heart was only evil continually.’ Noah found grace in God’s sight (Genesis 6:8) and God told Noah to build an Ark and then, just before the flood, God ordered Noah and his family into the Ark along with at least a pair of each of the animals. In this way God planned to repopulate the world after the flood (Genesis 6-8). After the flood and the destruction of all living things on earth, God then made a covenant with Noah and all living things. He said He would never destroy the world with water again (Genesis 8:21; Genesis 9:11). The covenant was instituted with the sacrifices of animals. God said: ‘I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth’ (Genesis 9:13).

God made His next covenant with Abraham. God chose Abraham and commanded him and his family to leave their country—in the region of the Middle East—about 4000 years ago. God told Abraham that through his offspring all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). God told Abraham that He would give him the Promised Land (in the vicinity of present-day Israel) as a lasting possession (Genesis 15:18). And so, God chose His special people (who eventually became the Israelites and Jews), and made agreements with them and gave them promises over the course of the next 2000 years. God told these people, the Jews, to serve Him as the true God for Him to bless them, which He did. Along with all these covenants, God always required the death of animals (Leviticus 3, 4). The blood that was shed was necessary for the institution of the agreements (covenants). The death of the animals made forgiveness of the Israelites’ sins possible (Hebrews 9:22 says without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins).

These sacrifices, as we will later see, were only types and shadows of the real sacrifice that would take away the sins of the world. Other important covenants which God made were with Moses on Mount Sinai about 3600 years ago (which we will discuss in chapter 4), and also with David (Psalm 89:3, 4) and Solomon, who were kings of the nation of Israel. The covenants God made with the human race and with the people of Israel had two sides. God committed Himself to His people and put His Name on them, but they had to keep the agreements and contracts (covenants) by obeying Him and living as His holy people. The covenant blessings of God could be cancelled by disobedience and rebellion by His people that would result in curses (Deuteronomy 27-28) although God’s Covenant of redemption (His purpose for Creation and Mankind) would come to completion regardless of man’s disobedience (Genesis 3:15; Revelation 13:8; 1 Peter 1:20; Psalm 89:34-37).

Reality to consider: God didn’t leave the world to rot and decay, but He chose the nation of Israel and the Jews, of whom Abraham was the father, to reveal His nature, covenants and care, with the purpose of eventually blessing all the nations of the world.

Read: 1 Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8; Genesis 3:15; Genesis 3:21; Genesis 6:5-7; Genesis 6-8; Genesis 8:21; Genesis 9:11; Genesis 9:13; Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 15:18; Hebrews 9:22; Leviticus 4, 5; Psalm 89:3, 4; Deuteronomy 27, 28; Psalm 89:34-37.

2. Fall of Mankind

 2 • Mankind’s Fall into Sin

Have you ever wondered where death, sickness and suffering come from? When God finished making the heavens and the earth and everything in it, He saw that ‘it was very good’ (Genesis 1:31). When God created the world there was no death, sickness or sin (bad thoughts, deeds and words) in it. God made the first two people on earth. He created them man and female (Genesis 1:27). They were called Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:20). Eve was also called the mother of all living human beings (Genesis 3:20). When God made the human race, He made them in His own image (Genesis 1:27). God made man from the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7). Adam and Eve had open communication with God; they were innocent and united with God. God gave them the authority to rule over the land and the sea as well as all the animals and sea creatures He had made (Genesis 1:28).

God is holy, pure and just, and there is no darkness, wrong or malicious motivation in Him (1 John 1:5). God is good (Psalm 145:9). He created the world not out of His need (Acts 17:25), but for His own purposes and glory (Psalm 19:1; Romans 11:36). In the beginning God made human beings with a free will and put them in the Garden in Eden (Genesis 2:8). God’s people believe that this garden was in the vicinity of present-day Iraq. Because God is a God of love (1 John 4:8), He gave Adam and Eve the choice of loving and obeying Him or not loving and disobeying Him.  Adam and Eve were neither automatons nor robots. God gave Adam and Eve a free will in order to test their love for Him (Genesis 2:16, 17).

God made a tree in the middle of the Garden in Eden. He named the tree the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:9) and told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of it. God warned Adam that if they ate of it, they would surely die (Genesis 2:17). Tragically Adam and Eve ate the fruit from this tree, a deed instigated by the devil (the fallen angel, Lucifer). The devil and the fallen angels had rebelled against God before this event and God had chased them out of His heaven because of their pride and sin (Revelation 12:7-9; Ezekiel 28:13-17). The Bible does not tell us exactly when this event happened. All we know is that it happened after creation and before the fall of mankind. The devil deceived Eve and told her she would be like God, knowing good and evil, if she ate the fruit of the tree (Genesis 3:4, 5). Eve ate the forbidden fruit and so did Adam. They believed the devil rather than God; they disobeyed God, they sinned. Because of this, God cursed the devil, the earth, and Adam and Eve. They became aware that they were guilty, sinful and naked before God. They realised that they now had to die because of their sin.

God pronounced that from then on mankind would both physically die and be spiritually separated from Him (spiritual death). All of creation was affected by their sin, even the land animals, the sea creatures and birds (Genesis 3:17-19). That is the reason why things decay and die and why there is sickness and suffering in the world. Since that tragic day, every human is born sinful (Psalm 51:5). In Adam, we have all died (1 Corinthians 15:22). That means, because the first man, Adam, was the father of the human race and the representative of mankind, the whole human race became subjected to death, sickness, sin and suffering (Romans 5:12, 16; Romans 8:20, 21). You and I would probably have chosen to eat of that tree as well if we had been the first people on earth.

Reality to consider: All humans are strangers to God because of their sinful nature. None has the close union and fellowship Adam and Eve had with God in the beginning – all are separated from God’s wonderful nature. We are born sinful, dead spiritually, and our ongoing sin, in essence, cuts us off from life with God.

Read: Genesis 1:27-31; Genesis 2:7,8; Genesis 3:20; 1 John 1:5; Psalm 145:9; Acts 17:25; Psalm 19:1; Romans 11:36; 1 John 4:18; Genesis 2:16,17; Genesis 2:9; Genesis 2:17; Revelation 12:7-9; Ezekiel 28:13-17; Genesis 3:4,5; Genesis 3:17-19; Psalm 51:5; 1 Corinthians 15:22; Romans 5:12-16; Romans 8:20,21.

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

  • Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
  • Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

  • Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
  • What topics do you think you’ll write about?
  • Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
  • If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

  • Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
  • Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

  • Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
  • What topics do you think you’ll write about?
  • Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
  • If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

  • Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
  • Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

  • Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
  • What topics do you think you’ll write about?
  • Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
  • If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.