[The Abrahamic Covenant
] [The Mosaic Covenant]
[The Land Covenant]
[The Davidic Covenant]
[The New Covenant]
The Abrahamic Covenant is recorded in Genesis 12:1-3, and outlined in Genesis 13:14-17, 15:1-7, 17:1-8, 18:21. Here YAHWEH produces the first of five Theocratic Covenants directly with a specific human of the tribe of Shemites (and it is inherited by all humanity - that means any one with a belly-button). This Covenant address' the evolving administration of all of humankind on this planet Earth. It works like this, Abraham's family will be specially Blessed by our CREATOR, through which, all the families of the Earth will be Blessed.
It is important to remember, that this promise to Abraham is unconditional, immutable and unchangeable (Gen.17:19), because it is the root of today’s problems in Israel. A Covenant once spoken by YAHWEH, and accepted, is an everlasting document. It is then recorded in the Throne Room of YAHWEH, witnessed by the Angels of Light, Satan and his angels of darkness. This is the First Covenant made with an individual human being, carrying over to his family, and his succeeding generations.
This first Theocratic Covenant is the foundation for the following Covenants. It promises a blessing in three areas, with both a personal and universal aspect.
[A] National: Abraham will father a great nation, and designates the land area that is the “promised land” for the Hebrew nation (Gen.17:8).
[B] Personal: To receive a personal blessing; and a blessing of personal honor and reputation; and to be a source of blessing to others. Those people who bless his name [Abraham and his descendants] will in turn be blessed. *WARNING to all: Those people who curse his name, Abraham and his descendants, will in turn be cursed.
[C] Universal: To be a source of universal blessing, by being a father of many nations. All the humans of the Earth will be blessed, because sometime in the future, through Abraham, the Messiah will be born and he will redeem the Earth from the powers of darkness (Gal.3:7-16).
Abraham had two sons, because his wife Sarai could not conceive, Ishmael was his first born son by his wife’s maidservant Hagar who was of Egyptian blood. About five years later YAHWEH promised Abraham that Sarai would bear him a son called Isaac. The name Sarai means my princess (or princess of a specific nation), now YAHWEH changed her name to Sarah, which means princess of the entire world or the universal princess (Gen.17:15).
YAHWEH promised HE would make both children into great strong nations, but HE noted in Genesis 17:21 that HE chose to continue the “Covenant” made with Abraham to be passed on to Isaac, and on through his descendants - the Hebrews - which would be Jacob, Moses, and the twelve tribes making up the nation of Israel.
Special blessing for the Arabs is given: “And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation,” Genesis 17:20.
The Arabians trace their roots to Ishmael.
The promise of the land (Gen.15:18) passing to Isaac is important to note, because it is a great point of contention today in Middle-Eastern politics, between the Jews and Arabs over the right to the land of Israel. Unfortunately, there has never been peace in the family. Resentment toward Isaac remained, and during the last 4,000 years, this grew into the mother of all family disputes, still raging on today between the Muslim Arabs and the Hebrew Judeans.
The Mosaic Covenant recorded in Exodus 19:5-8 announces the Second Covenant and is conditional (Lev.ch.26). The chosen people of YAHWEH were to receive HIS Laws. They believe in the power of YAHWEH, and now they will be given instruction on how to conduct themselves. This Covenant is the foundation of our “working relationship” with our CREATOR. As always YAHWEH cuts the Covenant, HE establishes its terms, and HE enforces it. All under the watchful eyes of the angels, the elders and the general audience of the Great White Throne Room.
This Covenant’s theme is a teaching / working relationship of a FATHER - who knows best - to HIS children, who must learn the higher order of life. The Covenant is not revoked if the children do not obey, the children understood they would be punished if they do not learn the lessons and obey (Lev.ch.26).
Because of this higher spiritual knowledge they would be blessed, above all people. But the condition is, the people must obey the higher Spiritual Laws, and live by example, to teach the rest of the world on how to have prosperity and have peace in the community. In that sense, the course of their history was predetermined or prophesied.
In simple terms, the idea is to become a better person today then you were yesterday, and when you have learned, then turn around and help the one behind you - no matter who it is.
[A] The Commandments governed their personal lives (Exo.20:1-26; Lev.19:18, ch.20).
[B] The Judgments are a legal system that governed their community life (Exo.ch.21).
[C] The Ordinances governed their spiritual life (Exo.24:12-18).
*WARNING: Lest ye forget! If you keep the contract I will multiply..., but if you do not, beware..., Deuteronomy 8:11-18.
Today, we are a product of the past - no one just beamed in! In our evolution of improving ourselves, we learn from history not to make the same mistakes which destroyed the ancient societies. YAHWEH used the Hebrews as an example of what sinful ways (or bad religion) do to a community, and the rest of the world should see it as an example. The lesson here is, how quickly the pendulum swings. After the people were lead to safety and freedom, Moses had to go up a mountain to receive some Divine dictation. Down below it didn't take long for the people to back slide into their evil ways. And as a result they had to suffer wandering in the wilderness for forty years, before settling into the promised land.
After the forty years of wandering in the desert, the Hebrew people were ready to enter the promised land (Num.ch.26-36). Under Moses, the Israelites were one people, subdivided into twelve tribes according to their fathers’ houses, originally conceived from the descendants of the twelve sons of Isaacs son Jacob (Gen.49:16, 28; Exo.24:4). Standing at the gates of the promised land, Moses hands over leadership to his faithful second in command, Joshua (Deu.34:9).
YAHWEH now makes another Covenant with the Hebrew people. Part of the Covenant would be conditional, if the Hebrew people lived in the land, they must obey, and as a reward they would be blessed and prosper. If they did not obey, they would be cursed and punished, they would be disbursed, destined to live in other lands running from place to place never having real peace (Deu.28:15-68). It is important to remember the Covenant is not cancelled and the people do not get thrown out of Heaven for disobedience; the people are "Divinely" chastised, punished, forgiven, and then returned to their land.
Unfortunately history tells us that the Hebrew people choose the latter option and suffered greatly throughout the centuries. But things are getting better. In spite of great hardships the Judeans - the Jewish people - kept their faith, and today, since 1948, they are living in the age of the regathering. The restoration of the first of Hebrew people, the Judeans, are returning back from over 108 different nations to their ancient homeland and they will not be removed again (Deu.30:10; Eze.37:11-14; Amo.9:13-15).
The Land Covenant recorded in Deuteronomy 29:10-15, 30:11-20. Reaffirms the land given in the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen.15:18). This Covenant and has two aspects.
[A] The Legal aspects that are immediate and conditional, if the children listen and obey (Deu.ch.30).
[B] The Grace aspects are in the future and are unconditional, YAHWEH will restore Israel (Deu.ch.30).
YAHWEH’S Covenants are not static. They are a series of evolutionary spiritual steps up the mountain of knowledge, and here, the very large spiritual step of “Grace” is introduced. Grace is the advanced virtue of mercy. To this day, this major evolutionary step, from living under the harshness of the letter of the Law, to living under “Grace,” is still a major stumbling block in many religious circles. The popular song “Amazing Grace” stems from this Covenant.
Joshua was a strong political leader, and generally speaking, the people did obey during his lifetime, and during the lifetime of the leaders which he had trained (Book of Joshua). After Joshua and his following leaders died, things began to go wrong. The Israelites began to drift from their righteous teachings, every man did what seemed right in his own mind. They started making idols, worshiping pagan gods, and transgressed the Laws given by YAHWEH.
In this time, the ancient Hebrews lived under a theocracy, meaning they were directly governed by our CREATOR according to the Order of Melchizedek. There was no centralized earthly authority. There were no men-in-black. There was no central high church, synagogue, or high priest, rendering moral decisions. And home worship was commonplace. The national leadership came from individuals called Judges, they were special people of the Jerusalem Church who were called out by YAHWEH to guide the people in HIS ways, feelings and opinions.
YAHWEH practices tough love, and uses the “three strikes you’re out, a-l-l the way out,” technique in disciplining HIS Children of Israel: First used is the love-oriented discipline - reasoning and removal of privileges. Two: The power-oriented discipline - hitting and yelling (lighting and thunder). Lastly: When the people did not respond to diplomacy, they suffered dreadfully and died - by disease, drought or at the hands of their enemies.
The Book of Judges, and the two Books of the Prophet Samuel, recount the Israelites up and down relationship with YAHWEH as their KING. These people through disobedience to YAHWEH would fall captive to surrounding kings. Then they would repent and cry out to YAHWEH for help and HE would raise up a leader to free them. After a time they would drift from the righteous path, then they were punished again and saved again, and punished and saved, again and again this process was repeated. Through a series of men and women Judges they received their guidance from YAHWEH, and they corrected the Israelites each time.
Even with all the problems these 450 years were probably the most peaceful years for the nation of Israel. Two great stories come out of this time, a story of a strong woman Judge named Deborah in Judges ch.4-5, and the great love story of Samson and Delilah in Judges ch.13-16.
The last person to rule as a Prophet was Samuel apx. 1025 B.C.E., as he grew older, the people no longer felt secure in their system of government and asked Samuel to appoint them a human king modeled after their pagan neighbors. Samuel was distraught, he felt the people had rejected him. “Liberty means responsibility, which is why people hate it.” YAHWEH reassured him, they have not rejected him (Samuel), but rather have rejected YAHWEH and HIS rule over them.
YAHWEH hears the people, so be it - they will have their king. But first HE instructed Samuel to warn the people as to what having a King would do to theirs or any society that chooses such a cultural system, 2Samuel 8:11-18.
In the previous governmental system YAHWEH granted rights directly to all the people equally. What GOD grants, no man can take away. Essentially what happened here is that the people choose to put a human king between them and their GOD. The spiritual character of this pagan system is that the king receives power from GOD and then the king grants rights to his people. The problem is, what the king gives, the king can take away, and this system of government will always take more then it gives in return. Not our CREATOR’S idea of an everlasting system, but so be it.
The Israelites heard the warning but they did not care. Because of pride (they wanted to be like their pagan neighbors’ nations), they soon found out that it was a mistake to reject YAHWEH’S will. HE gave the rebellious, ungrateful, and unfaithful people the king they cried for. The Israelites got their first human king who was called Saul, history records him as an inconsequential fool and a bungler, a poor substitute for the charismatic Judges of the past, a king befitting the people who demanded him.
This is the first Biblical lesson on government, the people will get the leaders they deserve. This lesson is still valid in today’s government and political leadership.
King David rises to power in approximately 1000 B.C.E., and he was one of the high points in the Israelites’ history. He even made the front page of the NY Times a few years ago when archeological discoveries proving his dynasty was found, until then King David was only considered to be some Jewish myth. After David defeated the giant Philistine Goliath, he becomes king (1Sam.ch.17). King David was a military genius who loved YAHWEH. He was not without sin, but every time he saw his sin he repented and turned from each transgression; he became “a man after YAHWEH’S own heart.”
King David set his sights on and defeated the land inhabited by the Jebusites, today it is known as Jerusalem. The area known today as Mount Moriah or the Temple mount, was a threshing floor and he purchased it from its Jebusite owner Araunah for the fair market value of fifty shekels of silver. He did not want blood spilt where he planned to build the Temple to YAHWEH (2Sam.24:16-24).
He planned a beautiful city there and called it the “City of David” and he moved the nation’s capital there from Hebron. King David was a sinner, and because he had blood on his hands YAHWEH would not let him build the First Temple, that project would fall to his son Solomon (2Sam.ch.11-12). He had great faith and wrote most of what some call the most important book in the Bible, the mystical Book of Psalms.
YAHWEH secures Israel’s spiritual development by making an unconditional and unbreakable Covenant with David, assuring that his dynasty, ruling over the Israelites, would continue unbroken forever. This would be the last Covenant made with the complete nation of Israel.
The Davidic Covenant recorded in 2Samuel 7:4-17. This Covenant shows that YAHWEH will use the Judeans to prepare the way for the Messiah. This Covenant has three very simple everlasting promises, disobedience does not cancel this Covenant, it is everlasting. Here YAHWEH also predicted King David’s son Solomon, would be his successor to the throne of Israel.
[A] A Land Forever (vs.10).
[B] An Unending Dynasty (vs.16).
[C] An Everlasting Kingdom (vs.13, 16).
King Solomon’s wisdom was unmatched in his time, and he built Israel into a mighty nation. As the rabbis say, he wrote the Song of Solomon when he was young and passionate; during his conservative middle age he wrote the Book of Proverbs; when he was old and rich he wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes. The theme of Ecclesiastes is "What makes Life Worthwhile," and it is still current today. In spite of all his wealth, (he was pulling in about 13 tons of gold per month for Israel), King Solomon knew that it was not the answer to the happiness of life. A lifetime of wealthy material accomplishment brought him no more than a handful of wind (Ecc.ch.2). Today’s "I want it all and I want it now" material world could learn a lot from his 3,000-year-old message.
Unfortunately, when King Solomon died the nation of Israel died with him. The leaders of Israel became busy building treasures for themselves. Huge armies, huge taxes, huge homes for the wealthy, and slave labor for stripping the Earth to support such efforts (see the Books of 1&2 Kings; 1&2 Chronicles). In addition to the corruption of the leadership, the people turned further and further away from YAHWEH’S teachings, while slipping deeper and deeper into sin.
In 931 B.C.E. the Israelites had a family feud, and the southern tribes broke from the northern tribes because of civil and religious differences, and an ever increasing tax burden. Ten Tribes made up the Israelites of the Northern Kingdom, and they built a new northern capital at Samaria. The Southern Kingdom of Judah was made up by the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi. (The tribe of Levi was not one of the twelve landholding tribes, they were the priestly tribe whose lives were dedicated to the work of the Tabernacle and Temple.)
The Northern Kingdom slipped into the ways of their pagan neighbors first. As a result of their national sin and rebellion, YAHWEH withdrew HIS Divine protection from Israel. The Northern Kingdom suffered a series of devastating attacks by the Assyrian Empire. Finally in 72l B.C.E. the House of Israel was conquered by Shalmaneser, the King of Assyria, the rod of YAHWEH’S anger.
The northern Israelites became the poster children for the symbol of the fleeting nature of power and riches. They suffered horribly, and they lost everything. It is a tragic story of slavery, executions, and through forced relocation their land was resettled by their pagan conquerors. The northern Israelites were moved out of their land of Samaria, north of Jerusalem, into an area to the south shore of the Caspian Sea (1Kgs.17:7-23). In time they mixed with the people living there, who were people of the Babylonianish religions. After 100 years the Israelites lost their religious heritage and they eventually migrated to other areas. They became known as the lost ten tribes of Israel.
Only the three tribes of the Southern Kingdom of Judea were collectively nicknamed Jews, short for Judeans or Judahites. The first time this is recorded in the Bible is in 2Kings 16:6. Judah, the southern kingdom, was able to maintain its relationship with GOD somewhat longer, perhaps due to the presence of the Temple. Eventually even the House of Judah drifted into idolatry.
Again YAHWEH sent more Prophets, but their pleading fell on deaf ears. There was a brief revival under King Josiah, but after his death the people continued their moral decline. Make no mistake, Israel was punished for neglecting the Sabbaths and Holy Days of YAHWEH. HE determined the length of her punishment by counting the neglected Sabbaths (2Chr.36:20-21). Seventy years is determined, until they will return.
The Prophets were special men called out by YAHWEH over the years to warn the kings of YAHWEH’S impending punishment if they did not repent of their sins. The Prophets were great teachers, they denounced the wicked rulers, advocated reforms, and called the people to return to GOD. The Prophets taught truth, compassion and justice. In YAHWEH’S manner they mostly taught in small voices, speaking quietly, changing lives by touching their heart and shaping their souls (1Kgs.12:1-14). Sadly, few people took them seriously, mostly they were rejected, resisted, ridiculed, thrown in jail and sometimes put to death (Books of Hosea, Amos, Joel, Micah, Nahum).
*WARNING: Prophets have to pass the sniff test. Even today we are admonished to "test everything . . ." (Act.17:11; 1Ths.5:21). Remember, people called to be Biblical Prophets, means a person who speaks by Divine inspiration, specifically YAHWEH’S inspiration. No Prophet of YAHWEH would dare change what is already known from the Scriptures - lest he dies!
For example: The Book of Isaiah is like a Bible in miniature, and YAHWEH’S great Heavenly master plan from chaos to eternity is outlined in it. True Prophets would only relay additional information dovetailing into what already is known. Their job description and a warning of false prophets are in Deu.18:14-22.
YAHWEH rose up a Prophet called Jeremiah to deliver the final warnings to Judah. Jeremiah was a heartbroken Prophet with a heart breaking message. He labored for more then forty years proclaiming his message to the “stiff-necked people of Judah.” Israel did not appreciate hearing about the doom and gloom Jeremiah was preaching about. The people despised and persecuted him. Amid all the judgments and condemnations Jeremiah was also chosen to deliver a wonderful and a very important promise from YAHWEH.
The New Covenant is recorded in Jeremiah 31:31-35, and is the final Covenant. In this next step of their spiritual evolution, the promise of the ministry of the Holy Spirit will become a major stumbling block in religious Judaism. Some call this the Christian Covenant, but remember it was made with the House of Judah, and it is inherited by the gentiles who come to believe in the Hebrew Messiah coming out of the House of Judah. Four provisions are made in this Covenant, then it is signed and dated:
[A] Regeneration: The old Law was written in stone by YAHWEH, now the new Law HE will write in their hearts and in their conscience.
[B] National Restoration: YAHWEH will be their GOD, and the nation will be HIS people.
[C] Promises the personal ministry of the "Ruach HaKodesh," the Sacred Hebrew Name for the Holy Spirit. *WARNING misuse of the Sacred Name applies.
[D] Full Justification, through the Messiah and the sins of the Earth will be cleansed.
*WARNING! Just-in-case you think YAHWEH is finished with Israel, at the end of this Covenant HE clearly challenges anyone, or anything, to step forward and tell HIM how HE hung the planets, and how HE set the Universe in motion, because that will be the day when Israel will cease to be a nation (Jer.31:35-36).
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