NEW THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE, DEHRADUN

Seminar paper on
Covenant.

Submitted to;

Rev. Mahiban M. Melif

In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the course

The Old Testament Theology

Date of submission;

22nd, September, 2022

Submitted By;

Bro. Gokul Prasad Sen and E. Sudheer Christopher

BY; GOKUL & SUDHEER/COVENANT-O.T.THEOLOGY/NTC-2022-23/TO; MAHIBAN MELIF SIR 1

No. Table of Contents Page no.
Introduction 3.
1. Covenant: Definition 3.
2. Covenant: Etymology 3.
3. Scholarly Debate about the Etymology of “Berit”- 3-4
4. Use of Berit in Old Testament 4.
5. Background of the Covenant Idea 5.
6. Development of the O. T. Covenant 6.
6.1 The Covenant with Noah 6.
6.2 The Covenant with Abraham 6.
6.3 The Sinaitic/ Mosaic Covenant 6.
6.4 The Covenant with David 6.
6.5 The New Covenant 7.
7. Nature of Old Testament Covenant 7.
8. Recent trends in the study of Covenant 7-9.
8.1 Julius Wellhausen 8.
8.2 F. Giesebrecht 8.
8.3 Walther Eichrodt 8.
8.4 W. F. Albright 9.
9. Theological implication of the Covenant 9-10.
9.1 Covenant is a Metaphor for a Relationship, Not the Name of a Unique 9.
Metaphysical Object

9.2 The richness of scripture derives from the diversity of the its images of the 9.
relationship between God, Society and the World

9.3 Covenant implies divine favour, collective human responsibility and vocation 9.
9.4 Covenant implies mission 10.
9.5 Covenant defines Spiritual identity 10.
9.6 Covenant has an eschatological dimension- 10.
10. Covenant: Present Implication 10-11.
Conclusion 11.
Bibliography 12.
Journals articles 12.
Webliography 12.

BY; GOKUL & SUDHEER/COVENANT-O.T.THEOLOGY/NTC-2022-23/TO; MAHIBAN MELIF SIR 2

Introduction- Every society has some kinds of obligation, agreement or contract, as agreement between
husband and wife is called marriage and so on. But in the Bible, we see this as Covenant. In the Bible God
is presented as Covenant keeper, who made different covenant with His people time to time. All these
covenants have important significance within it. So, in this paper, the scriptwriters are trying to bring some
focus on the Covenant in the Old Testament as its definition, etymology, scholars debate on etymology,
use of berit on the Old Testament, Background of the covenant idea, Development of the covenant in
Old Testament, nature of the covenant, recent trend is the study of covenant by different scholars
and concludes with theological and present implication of covenant. To achieve these goal writers have
taken the help of library research method and internet as well.

1. Covenant: Definition- A covenant is a formal, binding agreement or pledge between two parties.
It is like a contract, but while a contract is a legal agreement involving specific terms and
requirements, a covenant is a "life agreement" in which the parties pledge themselves to one
another. In the case of God's covenant with His people, it is His pledge to be their God and for them
to reserve themselves as His people. The covenant is based on God's laws and promises for the
people and on the people's faithfulness and obedience to God. As long as the people abided by their
"life agreement" with God, they would enjoy a special relationship with Him and experience the
life and purpose He intended for them.1
2. Etymology- The word covenant is a translation of the Hebrew word berith and has the morphology:
‫ ברית‬or berit in Hebrew; διαθηκη or diatheke in Greek; and fœdus or pactum in Latin. It is
colloquially thought to refer to a mutual agreement often incorporating some form of pledge or
promise for the future. The Pontifical Biblical Commission observes that: the word berît, generally
translated as “covenant”, appears in different biblical traditions, in particular those of Noah,
Abraham, David, Levi and [the]Levitical priesthood; it is regularly used in Deuteronomy and in the
Deuteronomic History. In each context, the word has different nuances of meaning. The usual
translation of berît as “covenant” is often inappropriate. For the word can also mean more generally
“promise”, which is also a parallel with “oath” to express a solemn pledge. An expanded definition
would be that it 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 advance.”2
3. Scholarly Debate about the Etymology of “Berit”- Since 1944 a debate developed among the
Old Testament scholars about the meaning of the word běrit "covenant." In 1944, Joachim Begrich
published an article in which he argued that berit referred “to a relationship between two unequal
partners whereby the stronger gave to the weaker the assurance of friendly behaviour and
protection. Only the stronger was bound by the covenant. The weaker remained completely
passive.” He believed God's covenant with Israel was originally a covenant of promise and
assurance. Only after Israel settled in Canaan and adopted Canaanite conceptions of law was the
donor běrît changed into a contractual běrît with obligations on both sides.3

1 Donald C. Stamps, Fire Bible Student Edition: New International Version (Springfield: Life Publishers
International,1984), 268.
2 http://www.academia.edu/1574012/The_Covenants_in_the_Old_Testament (Accessed on 28/08/2022 at 12:35 AM).
3 Ralph L. Smith, Old Testament Theology: Its History, Method, and Message (Nashville: Broadman & Holman

Publishers, 1993), 146.

BY; GOKUL & SUDHEER/COVENANT-O.T.THEOLOGY/NTC-2022-23/TO; MAHIBAN MELIF SIR 3
 Alfred Jepsen in his book “Ein Beitrag zur Theologie der Exilszeit” agreed that běrit
carried the idea of assurance from the stronger to the weaker party. But insisted that the covenant
between God and Israel was never understood in legal or contractual terms. No obligation was ever
imposed on Israel except that of renouncing the worship of other gods. This was a "moral
obligation," not a law.4
Ernst Kutsch conducted a thorough study of the contexts of the various uses of the word
berit in the Old Testament. He concluded that the primary meaning of the word běrît was obligation.
It never means a relationship, an alliance, or a covenant, but always an obligation.5 In 1986, E.W.
Nicholson published two important works on Covenant and he traced the history of covenant
studies and argued that the covenant is still considered the central theme of the Old Testament.
Covenant makes Old Testament religion unique and distinctive not because other religions did not
use the idea of covenant, but because Israel's idea was not based on nature or necessity. God chose
Israel freely for no expressed reason, and Israel responded freely to God's offer.6
In 1991, Christoph Barth claimed that "making a covenant" has a legal background. When
God chose Abraham, God did not show him an isolated kindness which He might withdraw at His
pleasure. He entered into a "lasting and regulated" relationship that could be understood only in
legal terms because it was founded on God's justice.7
Scholars are still debating the meaning of the term běrit. Four theories of the etymology of
berit among recent scholars are that it comes: (1) from the Akkadian word biritu, "clasp," "bind,"
or "fetter"; (2) from the Akkadian word birit, "between"; (3) from a Hebrew root brh "to eat"; or
(4) from another Hebrew root brh "to see, search out, select.”
James Barr argued that none of these theories is completely satisfying because scholars
make too much of etymology. Barr focused his study not on etymology but on the peculiar uses of
the word. He discovered an unusual group of four features about the grammatical behaviour of
běrît: (1) its opacity, (2) its idiomaticity, (3) its nonpluralization, and (4) the peculiar shape of its
semantic field.
According to Barr, A final peculiarity of the use of the word "covenant" in the Old
Testament is that its semantic range seems to be very wide from one perspective, yet very restricted
from another. For example, in English a variety of different words such as agreement, treaty,
contract, promise, obligation have been used to translate the Hebrew word berit. Indeed, all of these
ideas seem to be included in this one Hebrew word.8
4. Use of Berit in Old Testament- The word běrit " covenant " is used in the Old Testament in a
secular sense of agreements between individuals (Gen. 21: 22 24; 26: 23-33; 47:29; 1 Sam. 18: 3;
23:18); between states and their representatives (1 Kings 5: 1-12; 15:19; 20:34); between kings and
their subjects (2 Sam. 5: 3; 2 Kings 11:17); and between husband and wife (Ezek. 16: 8; Mal. 2:14;
Prov. 2:17). It is also used in the figurative sense of a covenant between people and animals (Job
5:23; 41: 1-4), people and stones (Job 5:23), A person and his eyes (Job 31:1), and between a person
and death (Isa. 28: 15-18).

4 Ralph L. Smith, Old Testament Theology: Its History, Method, and Message, 147.
5 Ralph L. Smith, Old Testament Theology: Its History, Method, and Message,147.
6 Ralph L. Smith, Old Testament Theology: Its History, Method, and Message, 149-150.
7 Ralph L. Smith, Old Testament Theology: Its History, Method, and Message, 150.
8 Ralph L. Smith, Old Testament Theology: Its History, Method, and Message, 148-149.
BY; GOKUL & SUDHEER/COVENANT-O.T.THEOLOGY/NTC-2022-23/TO; MAHIBAN MELIF SIR 4
 "Covenant," berit, occurs approximately 275 times in the Old Testament and is found in
every book of the Old Testament in one or another way. It appears in the Pentateuch about eighty
time, seventy times in the Former Prophets, seventy-five times in the latter Prophets, and sixty
times in the Writings.9
5. Background of the Covenant Idea-
E. Bikerman was the first scholar to notice a possible similarity between the treaties of the
Hittite kings and their vassals and the covenant relationship between Yahweh and Israel. Later
George Mendenhall took his suggestion and argued that the Hittite treaty form was an early source
of the Old Testament's idea of covenant. And, argued that the tribes of Israel were not bound
together by blood-ties but by a covenant based on religion and modelled after the suzerainty treaty
by which the great Hittite king bound his vassals to faithfulness and obedience to himself.
Mendenhall believed that this type of international treaty or covenant came only from the Hittite
Empire (1450-1200 B.C.) At the approximate time of the beginning of the people of Israel. This
made the covenant form in the Old Testament date from the Mosaic period.
Whereas J.J. Roberts argues that, “Although the Hittites used the suzerainty treaty form,
they probably did not originate it. It seems to have been the common property of a number of states
and people in the second millennium B.C. and was known and used by much later peoples.
The primary purpose of the suzerainty treaty was to establish a firm relationship between
the suzerain and his vassal, including military support from the suzerain. However, the interests of
the suzerain were primary. Its form was unilateral. The stipulations were binding only on the vassal,
although a prologue often related the suzerain's benevolent deeds in behalf of the vassal.
When empires again arose, notably Assyria, the structure of the treaty or covenant by which
they bound their vassals was entirely different. Even in Israel, the older form of the covenant was
no longer widely known after the united monarchy. Therefore, Mendenhall ends up by saying that
the idea of covenant in Israel must have been old.10
Mendenhall notes six elements in the Hittite covenants which have parallels in the Sinai
covenant form in the Old Testament. Those six elements are: (1) a preamble, the identification of
the great king (As Exo. 20: "I am Yahweh your God"); (2) the historical prologue; (3) the
stipulations (As the "ten words"); (4) depositing a copy of the treaty in the temple of the suzerain
and of the vassal; (5) the list of gods as witnesses; and (6) the curses and blessings (As in Deut.
28). The motivation for the vassal's obedience is not the gods. power of the king but the curses and
blessings enforced by the Gods.11
The clans that came out of Egypt were of diverse background, including a mixed multitude.
At Sinai they were formed into a new community by covenant. The text of that covenant was the
Decalogue (Exo. 34:28; Deut. 4:13; 9: 9). Israel did not bind herself to Moses, but to Yahweh.
Moses was the mediator of the covenant. Mendenhall believed the covenant was the factor that
unified the tribes of Israel when they took the land from the Canaanite kings.
In 1963 Dennis J. McCarthy published his "Treaty and Covenant: A Study in Form in the
Ancient Oriental Documents and in the Old Testament." McCarthy translated many Hittite and
Assyrian treaties and compared them with some Old Testament passages. McCarthy concluded in
1963 that the Israelite covenant form resembled that of the Hittite treaty form; but he also said we

9 Ralph L. Smith, Old Testament Theology: Its History, Method, and Message, 146-147.
10 Ralph L. Smith, Old Testament Theology: Its History, Method, and Message, 140-41.
11 William Dyrness, Themes in the Old Testament Theology (Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1977), 114-15

BY; GOKUL & SUDHEER/COVENANT-O.T.THEOLOGY/NTC-2022-23/TO; MAHIBAN MELIF SIR 5

 cannot be sure that the form in Israel goes back to the second millennium. “We simply do not know
what might have been practiced in the way of treaties from c. 1200-850 B.C."12

6. Development of the O. T. Covenant – God has made several Covenants with people over the
years. In these covenants, God promised to bless the people as long as they would do what He
asked them to do. But again and again, people broke the covenant. Therefore, they were punished.13
So, in below the development of Old Testament will be given briefly-
6.1 The Covenant with Noah – Biblical tradition mentions two covenants contracted between
God and Noah (Gen. 6:18; Gen. 9: 8-17). It is clearly called covenant, with a certain obligation
on Noah and certain promises from the Lord. This is a prelude to biblical covenants where the
promise plays an important role.14.
6.2 The Covenant with Abraham- The Abrahamic Covenant is a personal and family covenant
that forms the historical foundation for God’s dealings with mankind. Through this covenant
God promised Abraham and his descendants land, seed, and blessing. The Abrahamic
Covenant delineates the unique role that Abraham’s seed will have in God’s plan for the world
and paves the way for Israel’s prominent role in that plan.15
6.3 The Sinaitic/Mosaic Covenant- The Mosaic covenant is also known as the Sinaitic covenant
or covenant with Israel (Exod. 19, 20; Deut. 4:13). God declared to them his covenant, the Ten
Commandments or Decalogue. The covenant with Abraham emphasizes the grace of God while
the Sinaitic emphasizes the requirements of God. However, they are the same covenant. The
Mosaic covenant reveals more of the grace of God seen in the deliverance of Israel from the
hands of the Egyptians.16 The covenant established between God and Israel at Mt. Sinai is the
focal point of the covenant tradition in the O. T. It was anticipated in the covenant of Abraham
and lay behind the covenant of David and the proclamation of the prophets. It was central to
OT religion, laying down the foundations of Judaism which continue into the modern world.
The Sinai covenant was the formal institution of a relationship between God and His chosen
people, Israel.17
6.4 The Covenant with David- As Israel’s entered into the Promised Land, they were tempted by
Baal worship and entered into frequent apostasy for four centuries. Then in the middle of
David’s reign God entered into a covenant with David (2 Sam. 7:12–16). David had built a
beautiful house for himself but was upset that the ark was still in a tent. So, David planned to
build a temple to house the ark but the prophet of God told David that he would not be the one
responsible for its construction. But during this same message God entered into a covenant
with David and promised him a throne that would last forever and eventually be occupied by
the Messiah. Salvation for humanity would come through the line of David (2 Sam 7:16, 19).
The Mosaic covenant becomes the foundation for this covenant even though there is more of a
Messianic element in these later renewals of the covenant. With the Davidic covenant the

12 Ralph L. Smith, Old Testament Theology: Its History, Method, and Message, 142-43.
13 http://www.academia.edu/1040857/seven_covenants_in_the_bible (Accessed on 29/08/2022 at 05:00 PM).
14 J. D. Douglas, New Bible Dictionary, 2nd ed. (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press,1988) 241.
15 Michael A. Grisanti, “The Davidic Covenant” Tell Me the Story of Jesus: The Master’s Seminary Journal 10/2 (Fall-

1999); 235.
16 David E. Graves, Key Themes of the Old Testament: A survey of Major Theological Themes (Canada: Moncton

Publishers, 2014), 500.

17 Peter C. Craigie, “Covenant,” in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, vol. 1, edited by Walter A. Elwell (Grand Rapids,

Michigan: Baker Book House, 1988); 533.

BY; GOKUL & SUDHEER/COVENANT-O.T.THEOLOGY/NTC-2022-23/TO; MAHIBAN MELIF SIR 6
 Messiah is promised from the Davidic line and as one who comes as a King to everlastingly
occupy David’s throne (1 Chr 16:15–18; 2 Sam 7:12– 17; 23:5; Ps 89:3, 4, 26).18
6.5 The New Covenant- Just as the old covenant at Mount Sinai was purely the initiative of God,
so also the new covenant was proclaimed by the prophets. This new covenant is part of the
restoration of the people of God. He will purify his people and will give them new heart and
new spirit (Eze. 36:26). He will separate them from the sinners and make them to preserve
humility and sanctity (Isa 10: 20f; Zeph. 3:13). The new covenant will be inscribed upon the
hearts of the people and they will know God and there is no need of any intermediary to teach
about the Lord to his people. The new covenant will shower the gift of forgiveness upon the
people and their past will no more be remembered (Jere. 31:31; Eze. 37:26). This people of the
new covenant will be holy (Isa 62:12) and they will be the flock of God (Jere. 31:10) and the
spouse (Hos. 2:21) of God.19
7. Nature of Old Testament Covenant- God's relationship with his people is described throughout
the Bible in terms of “covenant "-a binding agreement that contained specific promises and
obligations. The word first occurs in Ge 6:18 and extends into the NT where God made a new
promise and agreement with humankind through Jesus Christ. By understanding God's covenant
with the patriarchs- the original ancestors or founding fathers of God's chosen nation - we leam
how God wants us to live in covenant with him.20
(1) God's special Covenant name revealed in the Bible is Yahweh which is translated LORD.
This name means "He is" and is the third-person form of "I am,” the name by which God
referred to Himself in Exo. 3:14. This title not only implies God's authority and leadership, it
also reflects His lovingkindness, His personal provision, His intention to restore humanity's
purpose, His faithful presence with His people and His desire to have a personal relationship
with those who trust Him.21
(2) The primary promise of the covenant is the Lord's promise “to be your God and the God of
your descendants after you.” All other aspects of the covenant promises are dependent on that
promise. It means that God commits and even obligates Himself to His faithful people by
promising to be their God and to give them grace, protection and blessing because he loves
them (cf. Jere 11: 4; 24: 7; 30:22; 32:38; Eze 11:20; 36:28; Zec 8: 8).22
(3) The ultimate goal of God's covenant with humankind is to bring salvation, not just to one
nation (Israel), but to the entire human race. God had already promised that he would bless "all
peoples on earth through Abraham” (Gen. 12: 3, 18:18; 22:18; cf. 26: 4). God's covenant was
given and extended through the nation of Israel so that they might be " a light for the Gentiles,"
an example of God's grace and purpose for all nations (Isa 49: 6; cf. 42: 6). This covenant was
ultimately fulfilled through Jesus Christ, as his followers began to spread the good news about
him throughout the world.23
(4) In all the covenant arrangements God made with people as recorded throughout his Word,
two principles are evident: (a) God alone established the promises and obligations of his

18 David E. Graves, Key Themes of the Old Testament: A survey of Major Theological Themes, 501.
19
David Stanly Kumar, “Synodality: An Old Testament Perspective,” Word and Worship, 54/4 (October-December,
2021); 291.
20 Donald C. Stamps, Fire Bible Student Edition: New International Version, 64.
21 Donald C. Stamps, Fire Bible Student Edition: New International Version, 64.
22 Donald C. Stamps, Fire Bible Student Edition: New International Version, 64.
23 Donald C. Stamps, Fire Bible Student Edition: New International Version, 64.
BY; GOKUL & SUDHEER/COVENANT-O.T.THEOLOGY/NTC-2022-23/TO; MAHIBAN MELIF SIR 7
 covenant and (b) He expected people to accept them in obedient faith. God often outlined ahead
of time all of the promises and responsibilities for both parties. However, people were never in
a situation where they could bargain with God about the terms of the Covenant.24
8. Recent trends in the study of Covenant- Although covenant had been an important topic in
Christian theology for centuries, the most important reflections on the theme in modern biblical
studies started only in the 1930s. This was partly due to the view of Julius Wellhausen that
‘covenant’ was not of central importance and was introduced late in the history of the Israelite
religion, when the Assyrian threat induced a development in which the “natural bond” between
YHWH and Israel was exchanged for a relation defined by “conditions of a moral character.”25 So,
in below recent studies about the covenant will be given-
8.1 Julius Wellhausen- Earlier Old Testament scholars such as Oehler and Wellhausen discussed
the covenant, but they did not make it central in their presentation of the Old Testament
materials. In fact, Wellhausen taught that;
The covenant in early Israel was a "natural bond" between Israel and Yahweh,
like that of a son and father. It did not rest on the observance of the conditions of a pact. It
meant " help " from God to Israel, often in times of war. The name Israel means "El does
battle.”
The idea of the early covenant was a "help" from God on all occasions, "not ‘salvation’ in
the theological sense. The forgiveness of sins was a matter of subordinate importance.”
Wellhausen could say this because he did not believe that the priestly legislation that dealt with
the sin problem was Mosaic. The priestly Torah did not arise until after Ezra's time.
However, the eighth - century prophets, with their emphasis on God's righteousness and
His demand for social justice, caused Wellhausen to see a shift from a covenant as a natural
bond to one of a pact or treaty. Commandments were under stood as demands or conditions on
which Yahweh's continued relation to Israel depended. The natural bond between Yahweh and
Israel was severed.26
8.2 F. Giesebrecht- F. Giesebrecht published his influential monograph Die Geschichtlichkeit des
Sinaibundes, in which he challenged Wellhausen's early "natural bond" theory of the covenant.
Giesebrecht argued that Israel's relationship with Yahweh was historically founded and did not
emerge, as in the case of the so - called "natural" religions.27
8.3 Walther Eichrodt- Walther Eichrodt was the first Old Testament scholar to write an Old
Testament theology around the central theme of the covenant. Eichrodt said:
“The concept of the covenant was given this central position in the religious
thinking of the OT so that, by working outward from it, the structural unity of the OT
message might be made more readily visible .... For the concept of the covenant enshrines
Israel's most fundamental conviction, namely its sense of a unique relationship with God.
The crucial point is not as an all too naive criticism sometimes seems to think the
occurrence or absence of the Hebrew word berit, but the fact that all the crucial statements
of faith in the OT rest on the assumption, explicit or not, that a free act of God in history

24 Donald C. Stamps, Fire Bible Student Edition: New International Version, 64.
25 http://www.academia.edu/42500254/Biblical_Covenants_in_their_Acient_Near_Eastern_Context (Accessed on
01/09/2011 at 04:30 PM).
26 Ralph L. Smith, Old Testament Theology: Its History, Method, and Message, 138-39.
27 Ralph L. Smith, Old Testament Theology: Its History, Method, and Message, 139.

BY; GOKUL & SUDHEER/COVENANT-O.T.THEOLOGY/NTC-2022-23/TO; MAHIBAN MELIF SIR 8

 raised Israel to the unique dignity of the People of God, in whom his nature and purpose
were to be made manifest. The actual term " covenant " is, therefore, so to speak, only the
code word for a much more far-reaching certainty, which formed the very deepest layer of
the foundations of Israel's faith, and without which indeed Israel would not have been
Israel at all. As epitomizing God's action in history "covenant" is not a dogmatic concept
with the help of which a "corpus of doctrine" can be evolved, but the typical description of
a living process, which began at a particular time and place, and which was designed to
make manifest a divine reality quite unique in the whole history of religion. The references
to this living process in every single chapter of this work will not escape the attentive
reader.”28
8.4 W. F. Albright- W. F. Albright agreed that the idea of the covenant dominates the entire
religious life of Israel and that the idea is present often when the term běrit does not occur. In
the Preface to the second edition of From the Stone Age to Christianity, Albright said that;
“The concept of covenant dominates the entire religious life of Israel to such an extent that
W. Eichrodt's apparently extreme position is fully justified. We cannot understand Israelite
religion, political organization, or the institution of the Prophets without recognizing the
importance of the " Covenant." The word itself appears as a Semitic loan- word in the
fifteenth - twelfth centuries in Syria and Egypt and clearly goes to the earliest times in
Israel.”29
9. Theological implication of the Covenant- Here is some theological implication-
9.1 Covenant is a Metaphor for a Relationship, Not the Name of a Unique Metaphysical
Object- The Biblical Hebrew term berit "covenant," or "contract," covers a range of
agreements among people or between God and a person or group of persons. Among the
covenants with God, we find many covenants and the culmination of this in the person of Jesus
Christ. However, what contemporary Christians should note is that the laws of the covenants
stand in their own right as God's gracious gift for our benefit. That God has favoured us with a
covenant is an additional blessing, a sign of his love; but what really matters is His guidance
as expressed in the law. Perhaps rather than reading the laws as small print of the covenant we
should regard the covenant as an addendum to the laws. Therefore, Christians are urged back
to the adoption of the covenants as a metaphor for a serious relationship with God.30
9.2 The richness of scripture derives from the diversity of the its images of the relationship
between God, Society and the World- A striking feature in the analogies of the Biblical
covenant is lurked in its employ of diversity of images to convey the message of relationship
between God, the society and the world. Contemporary Christians ought to extract these
symbolic qualities, making conscious effort to assimilate the lessons of these great covenants
in their lives and actions. There is always that tendency of alienation of God from the world
and society which amounts to significant deism in the modern man's mode of worship. The
richness of the scripture in providing us with these varieties of lessons helps calls the modern
man back to the originality of worship and God's interest in the world.31

28 Ralph L. Smith, Old Testament Theology: Its History, Method, and Message. 139-40.
29 Ralph L. Smith, Old Testament Theology: Its History, Method, and Message, 140.
30 Patrick Eluke and Celestine Imade Harry, “The Implication and Application of Covenant in Contemporary

Christianity,” Journal of Resourcefulness and Ditinction, 9/1 (December, 2014); 8.

31 Patrick Eluke and Celestine Imade Harry, “The Implication and Application of Covenant in Contemporary

Christianity,” Journal of Resourcefulness and Ditinction, 9/1 (December, 2014); 8.

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 9.3 Covenant implies divine favour, collective human responsibility and vocation- The Old
and New Testament covenants in their cursory analysis reveal a conundrum of divine favour,
collective responsibility and vocation: 1. Favour—they express God's love and faithfulness. 2.
Responsibility—they place a collective responsibility on all persons to be faithful to God's
commandments. 3. Vocation—they serve the aim of promulgating God's "design" for the world
by establishing a model society based on faith in him. With different shades of emphasis, these
three parameters have constituted Jewish and Christian understanding of "election!' to God's
service.32
9.4 Covenant implies mission- Christians, Jews, Muslims seek the kingdom of God through
prayer, action, and hope. They do this together, in community, for it is on the community that
the experience of revelation primarily rests. Hence covenant embodies within its periscope the
idea of mission. The New covenant of Christ is a mandate faced to every Christian to live it out
in its corresponding law of love. Christians living in this world now have the mandate to carry
out and proclaim to others the universal good news of salvation thus bearing witness with their
lives and actions the implicit virtues and values of the covenant of God.33
9.5 Covenant defines spiritual identity- Christians ought to realize that the Biblical covenants in
their respective meanings are all powerful affirmation of the bond between God and his people
. . . It is that transcendent thrust which the Covenant conveys . . . which provides much of the
reason of faith as Christians. Because of the fact that Christians are a chosen people of God in
the new covenant. It defines our spiritual identity as children of covenant bonded in the sign of
his blood. We are thus empowered to live out the mandate of the covenant as children of the
light and heirs of the kingdom.34
9.6 Covenant has an eschatological dimension- Another relevant point to note on this issue of
the influence of covenant on contemporary Christians is the fact that covenant has a visionary
dimension cum eschatological implication. This is implicit in the fact that the Biblical
covenants all join to inform the modern Christian who is well removed years from the
happening of these events that the faith and belief which founds the bedrock of Christianity is
visionary and. eschatological/ Our relationship with God is something that has just begun with
God's divine intervention in human history in the enactment of the Biblical covenants and
which is yet to be completed in the final days of his reign. Therefore, the modern Christian is
rejuvenated that our faith in this world is a pointer to the assured belief that we have a
dimension to which we all aspire to possess. Hence Christians no longer should live hopeless
but hopeful that we have a mission with a mission couched in a hopeful glorious eschatology.35
10. Covenant: Present Implication- A cursory look through the Biblical covenants reveals that there
is a purpose and sequential prefigurement of these covenants which culminated in the Calvary
sacrifice and death of our lord Jesus Christ. These covenants bear relevance in our time today
because the ultimate covenant enacted in the blood of Christ was intended for all. In the Great

32 Patrick Eluke and Celestine Imade Harry, “The Implication and Application of Covenant in Contemporary

Christianity,” Journal of Resourcefulness and Ditinction, 9/1 (December, 2014); 8.

33 Patrick Eluke and Celestine Imade Harry, “The Implication and Application of Covenant in Contemporary

Christianity,” Journal of Resourcefulness and Ditinction, 9/1 (December, 2014); 9.

34 Patrick Eluke and Celestine Imade Harry, “The Implication and Application of Covenant in Contemporary

Christianity,” Journal of Resourcefulness and Ditinction, 9/1 (December, 2014); 9.

35 Patrick Eluke and Celestine Imade Harry, “The Implication and Application of Covenant in Contemporary

Christianity,” Journal of Resourcefulness and Ditinction, 9/1 (December, 2014); 9.

BY; GOKUL & SUDHEER/COVENANT-O.T.THEOLOGY/NTC-2022-23/TO; MAHIBAN MELIF SIR 10
 Commission Jesus sent His apostles into the entire world so they could tell the story of the cross
(Luke 24:46-47; Matt. 28:18-20). The gospel call extends to every man and woman today.36

The NT (New Testament, which means New Covenant) is God's new life agreement with us,
established through the personal sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. By sacrificing his own life to
pay the penalty for our sin, Jesus provided a way for us to receive forgiveness and a new life through
a personal relationship with God. We remember this covenant as we read and study his written
Word the Bible with all its promises and condition, and as we hear it being accurately taught and
preached. The Lord Jesus himself also passed on to us specific instructions for remembering all
that he had done for us as we participate in the Lord's Supper, i.e., communion (I Cori. 11: 17 30),
which commemorates the sacrifice He made for us. Through the Lord's Supper, we also renew our
commitment to love the Lord and to serve him sincerely, with everything in us.37

Conclusion- Through presenting this paper we could understand that Covenant is the supreme theme of the
Old Testament which we can find in all the books of the Old Testament in one or another way. It was the
bedrock for the people of God in the Old Testament which used to give them hope in hopeless condition,
courage in discouragement situation. It was motivating factor for the Israelites for their better tomorrow.
Though many scholars have different ideas or viewpoint about this thing but we too agree that covenant is
the supreme theme of the Old Testament.

Today, the Old Testament God’s covenant and promises of all the covenants is available through Jesus
Christ for His people. Though nowadays the people of God are facing many kinds of challenges but through
the OT Covenants and its promises they get encouragement, sustaining hope of prosperous in new world, a
world that will be different from what they see today, a world which will be ruled by God in justice, peace
and love.

Questions and comments;

36 Patrick Eluke and Celestine Imade Harry, “The Implication and Application of Covenant in Contemporary

Christianity,” Journal of Resourcefulness and Ditinction, 9/1 (December, 2014); 7.

37 Donald C. Stamps, Fire Bible Student Edition: New International Version, 268.

BY; GOKUL & SUDHEER/COVENANT-O.T.THEOLOGY/NTC-2022-23/TO; MAHIBAN MELIF SIR 11

Bibliography

Craigie, Peter C. “Covenant,” In Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 1, Edited by Walter A.
Elwell (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1988); 530-536.

Douglas, J. D. New Bible Dictionary, 2nd ed. Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press,1988.

Dyrness, William. Themes in Old Testament Theology. Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1977.

Graves, David E. Key Themes of the Old Testament: A survey of Major Theological Themes.
Canada: Moncton Publishers, 2014.

Stamps, Donald. Ed. Fire Bible Student edition: New International Version. Springfield: Life
Publishers International, 1984.

Smith, Ralph L. Old Testament Theology: Its History, Method and Message. Nashville: Broadman &
Holman Publishers, 1973.

Journals articles-

Eluke, Patrick and Celestine Imade Harry, “The Implication and Application of Covenant in
Contemporary Christianity,” Journal of Resourcefulness and Ditinction, 9/1 (December, 2014);
1-11.

Grisanti, Michael A. “The Davidic Covenant” Tell Me the Story of Jesus: The Master’s Seminary
Journal 10/2 (Fall- 1999); 233-250.

Kumar, David Stanly. “Synodality: An Old Testament Perspective,” Word and Worship, 54/4 (October-
December, 2021); 287-302.

Webliography

http://www.academia.edu/1574012/The_Covenants_in_the_Old_Testament(Accessed on 28/08/2022 at
12:35 AM).

http://www.academia.edu/1040857/seven_covenants_in_the_bible (Accessed on 29/08/2022 at 05:00 PM).

http://www.academia.edu/42500254/Biblical_Covenants_in_their_Acient_Near_Eastern_Context
(Accessed on 01/09/2011 at 04:30PM).

BY; GOKUL & SUDHEER/COVENANT-O.T.THEOLOGY/NTC-2022-23/TO; MAHIBAN MELIF SIR 12