What is a Covenant and why are they so important in the Bible?

Quick Bible trivia, what do Noah, Abraham, Moses, the nation of Israel, and King David all have in common? Answer: They all at times made Covenants between themselves and God. If you have spent any time reading the Bible, and especially the Old Testament, you would have bumped into this idea of covenant, sometimes without even knowing it! While we don’t typically use the language and concept of covenants, they are incredibly important to understanding, not just the story of the Bible but the Ancient world that encapsulates the Bible story. It is crucial to understand covenant culture in order to understand the Bible.

What is a covenant?

A Covenant is “an agreement enacted between two parties in which one or both make promises under oath to perform or refrain from certain actions stipulated in advanced” (George Mendenhall, Gary A Herion, “Covenant,” ABD, 1:1178)

To put it a little more simply, a covenant is an agreement to be faithful. This makes sense when you think about the covenant that many of us are familiar with in our culture: Marriage. In the Scriptures, covenants are how lasting relationships are established. There were 2 main types of covenants in the Ancient Near East and the Israelites participated in both.

Types of Covenants found in the Bible

Parity covenant

is a covenant between equals, multiple are allowed and they are typical for trade, travel, and war (Laban and Jacob - Genesis 31: 44-50).

Suzerain covenant

is a covenant between a lesser and greater power, only one is allowed, typical for protection and provision. (Mosaic Covenant)

The Suzerain covenant is particularly important for us to understand what we see in the Old Testament. This type of covenant is between a Lord and a servant. It is usually initiated via a land grant and loyalty pledge. The lesser party is bound to the superior party. A king would make a promise to his subjects, or a treaty between kings. Both depended on obedience to specific agreed-upon terms. You can think of this covenant as a conditional promise.

In order to fully appreciate what we read in the Torah and the Prophets, we need to recognize that the Israelite’s entered into a Suzerain Covenant with God at Mt. Sinai. They knew the terms of the covenant and agreed to them. You can read some of it here - Exodus 19:8; 24:7 and Deuteronomy 26:16-30:20

Throughout all of Scripture, covenants are central to what it means to be a part of God’s family. The entire Bible is structured around covenants made to Adam, Noah, Moses, David, and us.

Want to learn more - Register for our Old Testament Foundations Course - https://emmausbibleministries.org/foundations