An Expanding Horizon

by HYDON, G.M. | Category: Bible Covenants | Nov 2007

Progressive unfolding of divine purposes

Introduction

One of the thrills of boyhood was to walk up the coastal hills in Wales. From the base the summit appeared quite attainable, but on reaching that first visible level the young climber found there was higher ground beyond, so the upward journey continued. Reaching that next level there was the joy of looking down over ground already covered, and the new delight of the bright blue water in the lake at this higher level, previously hidden from view below. But a higher range now also appeared in view, and on reaching that another one emerged! Each time the experience enabled a broader view with more to look at and enjoy; a cascade of beauty. What seemed at first as though it would be a short walk turned into more than could be accomplished in a single day.

But this is only an illustration. God is very gracious to mankind. He allows us to gain experience of Himself and His purposes gradually, ever leading us higher to see more. Someone has accurately said that the Faith was delivered once for all (Jude 3), but it was not delivered all at once!

The Bible covenants that are the subject of this series represent God's communication to people in an unfolding way, not all at once. As we look at them consecutively we find increasing detail and complexity until we are stretched beyond our abilities to take in all that is conveyed.

Early expressions to individuals

The simplest and earliest feature of God's covenants is a promise. Of course, every word that God says can be looked upon in that way, for He cannot lie and what He says He will most definitely do. But a covenant takes that general fact and inserts a special aspect to it. In His covenants, God is speaking His desires and expectations about His relationships. Each creative commanding word from God, tersely presented in Genesis 1 & 2, was absolutely fulfilled. However, surprisingly within this creation, creatures were not only given the capability to obey but temporarily to disobey the Creator�s commands. God�s special promises, covenants, contain statements about positive results when God�s word is obeyed, and the consequences of failure to obey. God evidently wanted Man to appreciate the lasting value of covenants of this embryonic nature. He taught Adam about such covenants through bringing about a marriage, which has been a model for every subsequent marriage (Mat.19:4-6; Eph.5:22-33); each one a human covenant (Mal.2:14), providing a prospect of blessing for obedience. Many in the world today want marriage without a covenant, or breach the covenant flippantly, and the consequences are always less than and often the opposite of what God intended. They will repeat the perilous situation of the time of Noah (Mat.24:37-39), carrying on as though everything is normal, marrying and giving in marriage on their terms.

The divine covenant statement to Noah was basically a promise to him, and to every living thing (Gen.9:8-12). In preparation for this disclosure of His purpose, God gave grace to Noah so that he might be seen among his failing generation as exceptional, righteous (Gen.6:8,9). God then began to reveal His purposes to Noah and used him to have the ark built. Not by accident extra animals that were fit for sacrifice were taken in to the ark; they would be needed, for this early covenant was to be associated with a sacrifice. And it would include a statement of blessing and a token to remind people of God's word. It is noticeable that these early features are expanded in later covenants. But there was nothing for Noah about God's choice of a specific race of people or statements about a priesthood or a kingdom. Nor were specific expectations placed on Noah as conditions of God's promise. What Noah heard must have been a wonderful experience for him, but fuller revelation of God's intentions lay ahead. The summit had not been reached.

Like Noah, Abraham as an individual received covenant promises, of land, descendants and extended blessings to mankind through his progeny: 'seed' (Gen.12,15,17). If Noah found grace as a prerequisite to covenant blessing, then Abraham provides the early picture of the necessity of faith. The element of faith is the overwhelming feature of Abraham�s response to God's covenant; it was counted to him for righteousness (Gen.15:6). But we need to pursue enquiries in the New Testament to get a fuller picture. The promise through Abraham�s Seed referred fully to Christ (Gal.3:16). This was revealed to Paul, who was caused by the Holy Spirit to write to a church of God and teach them about it. And so we can benefit from the expanding horizon that Paul�s Spirit-guided teaching brought to this ancient Abrahamic covenant.

Expansion to an earthly people

A high plateau is reached when God speaks to Moses and describes the children of Israel as God's people, a royal priesthood (Ex.19:6 in the Greek version of the Old Testament), and a holy nation (compare 1 Pet.2:9). No longer was the covenant expressed only through an individual, here God's choice was to make His covenant with a people as a whole, and they all bound themselves individually and collectively to meet God's requirements expressed in a yet to be detailed Law (Ex.19:8). We might wonder if they failed in this within hours, but certainly within days there was no doubt about it. The associated covenant of a priesthood (Mal.2:4-8) was therefore so essential to a failing people, and constant sacrifices would be needed to bring atonement. We should nevertheless not minimize the developing significance of what was happening in the days of Moses. God was revealing how He would live among His people in an earthly sanctuary and receive their worship.

In a glorious wide-ranging sweep of human history, John sums up the event as �the Law was given through Moses�, and this was the order in which God would deal with people for centuries. We call it a 'dispensation', which is a term used in the Revised Version Bible in Ephesians (1:10; 3:2; 3:9), Colossians (1:25) and 1 Timothy (1:4). In the original language of these letters the word is 'oikonomia', from which we derive our familiar word 'economy' - literally meaning management of a house. Thus, a dispensation is a term describing not just a period of time, but the way in which things are managed. God's covenant with Israel through Moses established how God would manage His relationships with people on earth until the momentous fulfillment of the second part of John's statement: �grace and truth came through Jesus Christ� (John 1:17), a new dispensation again marked by a new covenant. The book of Hebrews can hardly be understood unless we first have a knowledge of God's covenant through Moses. But the whole message of Hebrews is that the dispensation of the Law pales in comparison with the tremendous revelation of the new covenant mediated by Christ.

The heavenly horizon

The mountain climbing analogy provides a worthwhile lesson. The best way to describe the grandeur of the experience was from the summit, looking over all that led up to it. If we want to better understand what God's early covenant-making was all about we are better to look back on it from the perspective of the supreme conclusion, the eternal covenant. Because it is described as eternal (Heb.13:20) it must be dependent on an eternal God, not on wavering human beings. So the Son of God had to become a man, that through His death the blood necessary to give effect to this eternal covenant would be provided in the heavenly sanctuary upon His resurrection and ascension. The offering of Himself to God was through �the eternal Spirit�, or �His eternal spirit� (NASB margin), the former usual translation of Hebrews 9:14 emphasizing the involvement of the trinity and the latter the unique nature of the Son's once-for-all concluding sacrifice. Sacrifices under former covenants had been offered up through the flames of an altar. The answer to the fire may then be seen in the sacrifice of Christ, the vehicle for His rendering wholly of Himself to the Father, with eternal effect. We do well to consider this in relation to the Holy Spirit's presence and work in us, who appeared at Pentecost in tongues of fire. The effect of this covenant sacrifice extends to the consciences of the beneficiaries, again evidencing in Romans 8 fashion the outworking of the One who even searches the deep things of God (1 Cor.2:10). Likewise, those who through grace and faith gain inheritances under this covenant find them to be eternal (Heb.9:15), not limited in time or place to this transient earthly sphere.

Those to whom the better covenant is addressed are just as incapable in the flesh of keeping God's law as Moses' generation was. However, He who is the mediator of a new and eternal covenant is its Surety too.

As we look at all the covenants that have gone before we praise the One whose covenant with us is better in every way (Heb.7:19-25).

HYDON, G.M. | Nov 2007
Bible Covenants