God originally established a loving relationship with humanity’s parents, Adam and Eve. God now seeks to reestablish that loving relationship with us by means of a new covenant: a covenant that signifies a committed relationship between God and humankind that is centered on the plan of salvation.
Part II: Commentary
The true meaning of grace is brought out in the concept of the covenant. The term covenant, from the Hebrew word berith, also emphasizes God’s free initiative in saving humankind. A covenant, therefore, is a divine constitutional agreement, given to humans, in order that they might serve only Yahweh. By the covenant of grace, Christ offers Himself in a special relationship with humankind. He promises to be our covenant God and our redemptive Emancipator (see Matt. 1:21).
Covenant Basics
Scripture depicts three distinctive meanings to grace. Grace means loving acts of God toward undeserving sinners; grace points to the wonderful char- acter of God; and grace points to God giving us the strength to overcome. In the New Testament, the equivalent of the Hebrew term grace (chen) is the Greek idiom (diatheke), which refers to a will, or gift. In common with the covenant, the will (a legal document) is a free gift to a party that has no legal claim to it. Thus, a will also is a fitting model of God’s grace.
Covenant With Noah
The concept of covenant appears in Genesis 6:18. “ ‘But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you’ ” (NKJV). Here, right from the start, we can see the idea of a covenant relationship between humanity, in this case, Noah and God.
“The speaker is God, and Noah is the one addressed. . . .
“So God, in fulfilling His divine purpose, made a covenant as an expression of His relationship with Noah. . . .
“The divine, redemptive . . . covenant relationship that had been in operation since the Fall (Genesis 3:15) is . . . renewed by God’s taking the initiative.”—Gerhard F. Hasel and Michael G. Hasel, The Promise: God’s Everlasting Covenant, (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press® Publishing Association, 2002), pp. 18, 19. “And Noah found grace in the eyes of Jehovah.”—Jay P. Green, Sr., gen. ed. and trans., The Interlinear Hebrew/Greek English Bible (LaFayette, IN: Associated Publishers and Authors, 1979), vol. 1, p. 14. (See Gen. 6:8.)
The Covenant With Abram
For Abram, a promise of protection and reward increase was embedded in the workings of this covenant. “God spread His covenant-making with Abraham over various periods of time. In Genesis 12:1–3 (RSV) we find a fivefold ‘I will’ on the part of God, revealing the intensity and greatness of God’s commitment to Abraham.”—Gerhard F. Hasel and Michael G. Hasel, The Promise: God’s Everlasting Covenant, p. 19.
Christ presented Himself to Abraham, not as God, a class, or status, name, but as Yahweh, His personal name. He identified Himself as Yahweh, “I AM,” a name that expressed His very essence as a God who is self-existent, who has a will, who has a purpose. Yahweh is the covenant name of the sovereign Jehovah, the name He assumes when He reveals Himself in the most personal way. We see here, too, that the covenant is one of grace: “The Abrahamic covenant is the covenant of grace.”—Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1092.
The Covenant With Moses
“And God spoke to Moses and said to him, I (am) Jehovah; and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, and (by) My name Jehovah I never made Myself known to them. And I also established My covenant with them, to give to them the land of Canaan, the land of their travels, (in) which they traveled. And I also have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, whom the Egyptians are enslaving; and I have remembered My covenant.”—The Interlinear Hebrew/Greek English Old Testament, vol. 1, p. 153. (See Exod. 6:1–5.)
A broad-based biblical unfurling of God’s unknown name is relevant in this discussion with Moses: “Yahweh [is] the proper name of the God of Israel. . . . Many recent scholars explain [Yahweh] as . . . (the one bringing into being, life giver) . . . (giver of existence, creator,) . . . (he who brings to pass, . . . performer of his promises) . . . (the one who is . . . the absolute and unchangeable one,) . . . (the existing, ever-living, as self-consistent and unchangeable,) . . . (the one ever coming into manifestation as the God of redemption,) . . . he will be it, . . . (he will approve himself [give evidence of being, assert his being]).”—Francis Brown, The New Brown- Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1983), pp. 217, 218.
Yahweh is “the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb, and is explained [as] . . . I shall be the one who will be it . . . He who will be it . . . I am he who I am, i.e. it is no concern of yours . . . I am (this is my name), inasmuch as I am . . . I am who I am, he who is essentially unnameable, inexplicable.”—Francis Brown, The New Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew-English Lexicon, p. 218.
“ ‘Jesus said to her, I AM’ (John 4:26); . . . ‘But He said to them I AM! Do not fear’ (John 6:20); . . . ‘For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins’ (John 8:24); . . . ‘Then Jesus said to them . . . you will know that I AM’ (John 8:28); . . . ‘Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, . . . Before Abraham came into being, I AM’ (vs. 58); . . . ‘From this time I tell you, before it happens . . . I AM’ (John 13:19); . . . ‘Jesus said to them, I AM!’ (John 18:5). . . . ‘Jesus answered, I told you that I AM. Then if you seek Me, allow these to depart—that the word might be fulfilled’ (vs. 8).”—The Interlinear Hebrew-Greek-English Bible, vol. 4, pp. 258–307.
The covenant that God desired for Israel was for them to know that divine love had no cloaked motive, and all that God sought from His people was a genuine love response, a response that would, indeed, be made manifest by their works.
The New Covenant
“In Jeremiah 31:31–34 we find the Bible’s most profound and exciting promise of the new covenant. . . .
“Few people realize that the New Testament received its name from this particular passage. Since the Latin word for covenant is testament, Origen, the famous church father (ca. a.d. 185–254) called the twenty-seven books of the Bible . . . the New Testament.”—Gerhard F. Hasel and Michael G. Hasel, The Promise: God’s Everlasting Covenant, pp. 21, 22.
Part III: Life Application
For Reflection: Before World War II, a woman was traveling through Georgia on her way to Moscow. She happened to meet an elderly woman living in a cottage. When the old woman learned that the traveler was headed for Moscow, she inquired, “Would you deliver a box of home- made toffee to my son?” Her son was Joseph Stalin. To the rest of the world, however, he was the dictator of Russia. But what others thought of him made no difference to his mother.
1. God’sloveislikethatofStalin’smother.Itdoesnotmatterhowbad we look in the eyes of others; God will continue to love us. Consider how this kind of love directs Him to offer us a covenant relationship.
2. What role does our faith play when we understand that God takes the first step toward reconciliation? When we exercise our faith, how does God’s first step affect our everyday deeds and actions? Give an example of the dangers we face if we put works before faith.
3. A covenant is a relationship entered into between two people, a bargain for mutual profit, an engagement for mutual friend- ship. In the Bible, we repeatedly see God taking the first step to initiate a covenant relationship. If it is mutually beneficial to both parties, why is it that we wait for God to come to us? What does God’s persistence in pursuing lost humanity say to the universe?
4. The lesson compares our covenant relationship with God to mar- riage. A good marriage lasts not because of obligation but because of love. Based on this comparison, describe the “ideal” covenant relationship between God and you.
5. In a marriage, love increases in proportion to the amount of quality time put into the relationship. Think of ways in which you can improve the quality of time you spend with God in prayer and meditation. Consider having a “spiritual-growth partner” who will encourage you and remind you to periodically reassess the time you spend with God.
6. The Bible speaks of several covenants, concluding with the new covenant. Are they in reality distinct from one another, or are they really the same covenant expressed in different ways? Is it possible for God to make more than one covenant?
7. Why do you think it was necessary for God to reiterate His cove- nants with His people? Did His people forget, or might there have been points that God needed to stress more strongly at one time or another?
8. By definition, a covenant is an agreement between or among two or more parties. Usually, these are parties who exist at some level of equality with one another. The relationship between Creator and creation would not typically be considered an example of this; yet, God feels the need to enter into an agreement with His crea- tion. Why?
9. What does the statement that God’s law will be written in our hearts mean? (See Rom. 2:15.)
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Study Focus: Exodus 19:5
Part I: Overview
God originally established a loving relationship with humanity’s parents, Adam and Eve. God now seeks to reestablish that loving relationship with us by means of a new covenant: a covenant that signifies a committed relationship between God and humankind that is centered on the plan of salvation.
Part II: Commentary
The true meaning of grace is brought out in the concept of the covenant. The term covenant, from the Hebrew word berith, also emphasizes God’s free initiative in saving humankind. A covenant, therefore, is a divine constitutional agreement, given to humans, in order that they might serve only Yahweh. By the covenant of grace, Christ offers Himself in a special relationship with humankind. He promises to be our covenant God and our redemptive Emancipator (see Matt. 1:21).
Covenant Basics
Scripture depicts three distinctive meanings to grace. Grace means loving acts of God toward undeserving sinners; grace points to the wonderful char- acter of God; and grace points to God giving us the strength to overcome. In the New Testament, the equivalent of the Hebrew term grace (chen) is the Greek idiom (diatheke), which refers to a will, or gift. In common with the covenant, the will (a legal document) is a free gift to a party that has no legal claim to it. Thus, a will also is a fitting model of God’s grace.
Covenant With Noah
The concept of covenant appears in Genesis 6:18. “ ‘But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you’ ” (NKJV). Here, right from the start, we can see the idea of a covenant relationship between humanity, in this case, Noah and God.
“The speaker is God, and Noah is the one addressed. . . .
“So God, in fulfilling His divine purpose, made a covenant as an expression of His relationship with Noah. . . .
“The divine, redemptive . . . covenant relationship that had been in operation since the Fall (Genesis 3:15) is . . . renewed by God’s taking the initiative.”—Gerhard F. Hasel and Michael G. Hasel, The Promise: God’s Everlasting Covenant, (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press® Publishing Association, 2002), pp. 18, 19. “And Noah found grace in the eyes of Jehovah.”—Jay P. Green, Sr., gen. ed. and trans., The Interlinear Hebrew/Greek English Bible (LaFayette, IN: Associated Publishers and Authors, 1979), vol. 1, p. 14. (See Gen. 6:8.)
The Covenant With Abram
For Abram, a promise of protection and reward increase was embedded in the workings of this covenant. “God spread His covenant-making with Abraham over various periods of time. In Genesis 12:1–3 (RSV) we find a fivefold ‘I will’ on the part of God, revealing the intensity and greatness of God’s commitment to Abraham.”—Gerhard F. Hasel and Michael G. Hasel, The Promise: God’s Everlasting Covenant, p. 19.
Christ presented Himself to Abraham, not as God, a class, or status, name, but as Yahweh, His personal name. He identified Himself as Yahweh, “I AM,” a name that expressed His very essence as a God who is self-existent, who has a will, who has a purpose. Yahweh is the covenant name of the sovereign Jehovah, the name He assumes when He reveals Himself in the most personal way. We see here, too, that the covenant is one of grace: “The Abrahamic covenant is the covenant of grace.”—Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1092.
The Covenant With Moses
“And God spoke to Moses and said to him, I (am) Jehovah; and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, and (by) My name Jehovah I never made Myself known to them. And I also established My covenant with them, to give to them the land of Canaan, the land of their travels, (in) which they traveled. And I also have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, whom the Egyptians are enslaving; and I have remembered My covenant.”—The Interlinear Hebrew/Greek English Old Testament, vol. 1, p. 153. (See Exod. 6:1–5.)
A broad-based biblical unfurling of God’s unknown name is relevant in this discussion with Moses: “Yahweh [is] the proper name of the God of Israel. . . . Many recent scholars explain [Yahweh] as . . . (the one bringing into being, life giver) . . . (giver of existence, creator,) . . . (he who brings to pass, . . . performer of his promises) . . . (the one who is . . . the absolute and unchangeable one,) . . . (the existing, ever-living, as self-consistent and unchangeable,) . . . (the one ever coming into manifestation as the God of redemption,) . . . he will be it, . . . (he will approve himself [give evidence of being, assert his being]).”—Francis Brown, The New Brown- Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1983), pp. 217, 218.
Yahweh is “the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb, and is explained [as] . . . I shall be the one who will be it . . . He who will be it . . . I am he who I am, i.e. it is no concern of yours . . . I am (this is my name), inasmuch as I am . . . I am who I am, he who is essentially unnameable, inexplicable.”—Francis Brown, The New Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew-English Lexicon, p. 218.
“ ‘Jesus said to her, I AM’ (John 4:26); . . . ‘But He said to them I AM! Do not fear’ (John 6:20); . . . ‘For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins’ (John 8:24); . . . ‘Then Jesus said to them . . . you will know that I AM’ (John 8:28); . . . ‘Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, . . . Before Abraham came into being, I AM’ (vs. 58); . . . ‘From this time I tell you, before it happens . . . I AM’ (John 13:19); . . . ‘Jesus said to them, I AM!’ (John 18:5). . . . ‘Jesus answered, I told you that I AM. Then if you seek Me, allow these to depart—that the word might be fulfilled’ (vs. 8).”—The Interlinear Hebrew-Greek-English Bible, vol. 4, pp. 258–307.
The covenant that God desired for Israel was for them to know that divine love had no cloaked motive, and all that God sought from His people was a genuine love response, a response that would, indeed, be made manifest by their works.
The New Covenant
“In Jeremiah 31:31–34 we find the Bible’s most profound and exciting promise of the new covenant. . . .
“Few people realize that the New Testament received its name from this particular passage. Since the Latin word for covenant is testament, Origen, the famous church father (ca. a.d. 185–254) called the twenty-seven books of the Bible . . . the New Testament.”—Gerhard F. Hasel and Michael G. Hasel, The Promise: God’s Everlasting Covenant, pp. 21, 22.
Part III: Life Application
For Reflection: Before World War II, a woman was traveling through Georgia on her way to Moscow. She happened to meet an elderly woman living in a cottage. When the old woman learned that the traveler was headed for Moscow, she inquired, “Would you deliver a box of home- made toffee to my son?” Her son was Joseph Stalin. To the rest of the world, however, he was the dictator of Russia. But what others thought of him made no difference to his mother.
1. God’sloveislikethatofStalin’smother.Itdoesnotmatterhowbad we look in the eyes of others; God will continue to love us. Consider how this kind of love directs Him to offer us a covenant relationship.
2. What role does our faith play when we understand that God takes the first step toward reconciliation? When we exercise our faith, how does God’s first step affect our everyday deeds and actions? Give an example of the dangers we face if we put works before faith.
3. A covenant is a relationship entered into between two people, a bargain for mutual profit, an engagement for mutual friend- ship. In the Bible, we repeatedly see God taking the first step to initiate a covenant relationship. If it is mutually beneficial to both parties, why is it that we wait for God to come to us? What does God’s persistence in pursuing lost humanity say to the universe?
4. The lesson compares our covenant relationship with God to mar- riage. A good marriage lasts not because of obligation but because of love. Based on this comparison, describe the “ideal” covenant relationship between God and you.
5. In a marriage, love increases in proportion to the amount of quality time put into the relationship. Think of ways in which you can improve the quality of time you spend with God in prayer and meditation. Consider having a “spiritual-growth partner” who will encourage you and remind you to periodically reassess the time you spend with God.
6. The Bible speaks of several covenants, concluding with the new covenant. Are they in reality distinct from one another, or are they really the same covenant expressed in different ways? Is it possible for God to make more than one covenant?
7. Why do you think it was necessary for God to reiterate His cove- nants with His people? Did His people forget, or might there have been points that God needed to stress more strongly at one time or another?
8. By definition, a covenant is an agreement between or among two or more parties. Usually, these are parties who exist at some level of equality with one another. The relationship between Creator and creation would not typically be considered an example of this; yet, God feels the need to enter into an agreement with His crea- tion. Why?
9. What does the statement that God’s law will be written in our hearts mean? (See Rom. 2:15.)