Our study of covenants is helped by a glossary of terms. The following notes are designed to walk you from God as Creator and Owner through personal power to a binding covenant. Enjoy.
Stewardship We know that God created the heavens and the earth and that the earth is the Lord’s. Psalm 24:1
Sovereignty God the Creator is owner of all and has power and authority over His creation. Isaiah 45:18
Transfer of Power God, through covenants, begins a transfer of some of His power and authority to human beings. Genesis 1:26; 2:19,20
In transferring power and authority to humans, God was, in essence, limiting His power and authority. Why would anyone limit his or her power and authority?
One limits her or his power and authority if and when a covenant properly regulates the use of the bestowed power and authority.
Requirements According to Daniel Elazar, Jewish Covenant scholar, every Biblical covenant requires harkening and observing.
Harkening – hearing, responding, consenting – Deuteronomy 6:4
Observing – taking action – Deuteronomy 6:25
Partnership Harkening and observing the covenant creates a special relationship between the covenant author and the covenant recipient: covenant partners. Proverbs 8:32
Special Relationship It is a covenant that makes one partners with God (covenant partners) and it is Hesed that makes the partnership work.
Hesed really means the obligation of a partner to a covenant to go beyond the narrowly construed contractual demands of the partnership in order to make the relationship between them a truly viable one. http://www.jcpa.org/dje/books/kincon-ch1.htm
Binding Agreement A covenant is a binding agreement intended to be perpetual. It is binding because of the bond between covenant partners. Deuteronomy 11:18, 19
What’s the Big Deal? Christians have a binding covenant with God, making us His covenant partners. He has limited His power and authority in our lives so that we will use our bestowed power and authority to fulfill the covenant agreements. Harkening and observing are the Big Deals.