The Covenants

Reflect

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. God could rule the world all by himself, but he desires to share his rule and partner with humanity. What does this tell us about his character?
2. How would your group begin to describe the purpose and definition of a covenant?
3. As a group, summarize the four covenants God makes in the Hebrew Bible. What promises are made, and what commitments are required in each agreement? Review the video or dive deeper by reading Genesis 9:8-17, Genesis 17:1-22, Exodus 34, as well as 2 Samuel 7:12-17.
4. Describe one way Jesus’ new covenant relates to and completes the four old covenants (e.g. Luke 1:31-33, John 3:16-18, Colossians 2:10-12, as well as 2 Corinthians 3:4-18).
5. Take time to discuss other themes, questions, or key takeaways from what you learned together.

Learn More

Is God our father? Our king? Or something else?

Scripture uses all sorts of imagery to talk about God’s relationship to humans—father, mother, teacher, king. And these are all true, but there is another aspect of our relationship with God that is often overlooked. Humans were created to be partners with God.

In the very beginning of the Bible, this is the relationship we see. God creates humans to rule creation alongside him. But we failed to live up to this calling. But God is on a mission to restore humans to this role.

Jesus is the new, unbreakable covenant.

Jesus invited people to follow him and join in a new partnership with God. Despite our failures, we are able to enter into this new covenant because Jesus already fulfilled our end of the deal. Through his perfect keeping of the new covenant, we too are now able to enjoy a renewed partnership with God.

At the end of the Bible, we see John describing a new and perfect partnership where humans work with God to once again spread goodness and perfection throughout the world. God’s ideal role for humanity is made right once again through Jesus.