* The Everlasting Covenants of God *
"I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you." (Genesis 17:7)
The phrase "everlasting covenant" (or "perpetual covenant") is used no less than 16 times in the Old Testament, plus once in the New Testament.
It always refers to a covenant promise of God to man, made in grace, for only He can make an everlasting promise.
The first everlasting covenant was made with Noah-
"Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." (Genesis 9:16)
A promise never to send a worldwide flood again, sealed with the sign of the rainbow.
The second is recorded in today's verse and was God's promise to Abraham and his descendants.
The promise was to give them-
"The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God." (Genesis 17:8)
And the seal was to be the rite of circumcision.
Many of the "everlasting covenant" promises have to do with Israel.
Some were stated unconditionally, but others were "broken" because of man's rebellion against God's covenant terms.
One of the latter was the covenant of the Sabbath.
"The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed." (Exodus 31:16-17)
The last reference is the most important of all:
"Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:20-21)
Passages of Scripture are from the New International Version Bible (NIV).........................
"I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you." (Genesis 17:7)
The phrase "everlasting covenant" (or "perpetual covenant") is used no less than 16 times in the Old Testament, plus once in the New Testament.
It always refers to a covenant promise of God to man, made in grace, for only He can make an everlasting promise.
The first everlasting covenant was made with Noah-
"Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." (Genesis 9:16)
A promise never to send a worldwide flood again, sealed with the sign of the rainbow.
The second is recorded in today's verse and was God's promise to Abraham and his descendants.
The promise was to give them-
"The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God." (Genesis 17:8)
And the seal was to be the rite of circumcision.
Many of the "everlasting covenant" promises have to do with Israel.
Some were stated unconditionally, but others were "broken" because of man's rebellion against God's covenant terms.
One of the latter was the covenant of the Sabbath.
"The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed." (Exodus 31:16-17)
The last reference is the most important of all:
"Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:20-21)
Passages of Scripture are from the New International Version Bible (NIV).........................
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