The Old Testament: The Five Covenants

The word ‘covenant’ is, in the Old Testament, it is the Hebrew word ‘berith’ and is used

many times in different texts. Some scholars my say that the word covenants is hard to find a true meaning. You will hear the word covenant throughout the Old Testament. I think sometimes when we hear the word covenant only one or two covenants come to mind. There are many covenants throughout the Bible. I will attempt to define and explain five covenants. These five covenants are: Noahic Covenant, Abrahamic Covenant, Mosaic Covenant, Davidic Covenant and the Fifth Covenant or the (New Covenant). In these particular covenants we will find the promises God made with his people. In this paper I will attempted to answer questions which of these covenants are unconditional and which covenant explicitly depends on the fidelity of the human partner? I will try to describe and explain the Fifth Covenant, and its importance to the New Testament Theology.

The first covenant that I will begin with is the Noahic Covenant. The Noahic Covenant is one that many people may have heard of, because of the story of Noah and the Ark. Stephen Harris and Robert Platzner stated in The Old Testament An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible that in the Noachan Covenant that “ God encompass all forms of life as equally scared, emphasizing the interrelatedness of humans, animals, and birds, and the earth itself (16). Harris and Platzner give us the definition of the Noahic Covenant, as “A bond between God and every living creature, this covenant is universal and everlasting”(16). The New King James Version of The Holy Bible explains how and why the Noahic Covenant came about. It says in Genesis 9:11-13 states, “I establish My covenant with you: Never ag...

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...nt has a special meaning to it but one thing for sure is seems as if God was the one who made the covenant and he wanted man to hold up our end of the covenant.

Works Cited

Enns, Paul P.: The Moody Handbook of Theology. Chicago, III. : Moody Press, 1997, c1989

Harris, Stephen L., Platzner Robert L.: The Old Testament An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible New York, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2003. 137-139

The Holy Bible: New King James Version.

Nelson, Thomas.: The Holy Bible New King James Version , Nashville, Thomas Nelson, 1982.

Gordon, David: The Law is Not of Faith: Essays on Works and Grace in the Mosaic Covenant, Abraham and

Sinai Contrasted in Galatians ed Bryan Estelle, J.V. Fesko, and David VanDrunen (P&R, 2009,pp.240-58.)

Deffinbaugh, Bob: Bible.org. The Noahic Covenant—A New Beginning.