Great Doctrines of the Bible
Special English Version

Lesson 33
GOD’S PLAN FOR THE AGES
The Major and Minor Covenants

INTRODUCTION
A covenant is an agreement God makes with man. The Bible tells us about eight covenants. Some depend on man to do certain things. Others depend only on God. Some are made with one person, like Adam. Some are made with an entire nation, like Israel. Four of the covenants are minor and four are major. Some covenants are short-lived – others are forever. These are never changed.

The covenants show us God’s plan for the ages. They cover all the years of history from the creation of Adam to the time God will make the new heavens and earth. Christians who love the Bible should learn about these covenants. In this lesson we will show you what the Bible teaches about God’s plan. We want to give you a wide view of God’s eternal and glorious plan.

IMPORTANCE OF THIS LESSON

• The most important part of this lesson is the fact that we must know about the covenants God made with man. To understand the Bible well, a person must know about the covenants. We must see these covenants in the dispensation in which God made them.
• The word “testament” also means covenant. Therefore our Bible contains the Old and New Testaments or the old and new covenants. God gave His revelation one bit at a time. He unfolded His plan a little bit at a time.
• It is important to understand this so we know which covenants ended and which covenants are forever. May God give you much joy as you come to understand His covenants and plan for the ages.

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THE LESSON

THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE COVENANTS TO THE DISPENSATIONS
(Learn the names of these covenants and their relationships to the dispensations.)

THE EDENIC COVENANT

I. GOD MADE THIS COVENANT WITH MAN DURING THE DISPENSATION OF INNOCENCY. (Before Adam committed sin)

II. THIS COVENANT SET THE LENGTH OF A PERSON’S LIFE ON THE EARTH DURING THE TIME OF INNOCENCY.

III. THIS COVENANT ENDED WHEN GOD EXPELLED ADAM AND EVE OUT OF THE GARDEN
OF EDEN. (Genesis 3:24). Scriptures: From Genesis 1:26-3:6. Key verses 1:28 and 2:15-17.

IV. THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS:

1. Man must multiply and “fill” the earth (Genesis 1:28).
2. Man must overpower the earth for himself (Genesis 1: 28).
3. Man must rule over the animals (Genesis 1:28).
4. Man must take care of the Garden of Eden and eat the fruit from it (Genesis 2:15-16).
5. One simple test: Man must not eat from the tree of “The Knowledge of Good and Evil” (Genesis 2:17).
6. Note Genesis 3:11-17. Man failed completely (Genesis 3:6). Eve transgressed (1 Timothy 2:14).
7. This shows us what sin does (Genesis 3:6-9). Sin enters into the world at this time (Romans 5:12).
8. This dispensation ends when God expelled Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:24, 14-24).
9. We see Christ as the Second Man – the Last Adam. Christ wins back everything the first Adam lost (1Corinthians 15:44-49; also verses 20-22; Colossians 2:10, Romans 5:17-19).
   1. Adam was disobedient. Christ was obedient (1 Corinthians 15:22; John 4:34; 17:3; Philippians 2:8-9).
   2. Adam obeyed Satan. Christ won over Satan (Matthew 4:10-11).
   3. Adam rejected God’s truth and goodness. Christ shows us God’s truth and goodness (John 1:17).
   4. Adam lost the presence of God. Christ brings the presence of God back (Ephesians 2:13).
   5. Adam lost the fellowship of God. Christ restored fellowship with God (1 John 1:3-7).
   6. Adam lost his position and power. Through Christ we have a position and power (Romans 8:16-17; Revelation 5:10; 2 Timothy 2:12).
   7. Christ Himself took part in all of Adam’s fall; thorns, sorrow, sweat, dust, curse.
10. God finds a wonderful way to fix man’s failure (Genesis 3:21).

THE ADAMIC COVENANT

I. GOD MADE THIS COVENANT WITH MAN DURING THE DISPENSATION OF CONSCIENCE.

II. IT SET CONDITIONS FOR THE LIFE OF SINFUL MAN AND PROMISED A REDEEMER. It will continue until the Kingdom Age (Romans 8:21).

III. SCRIPTURES: Genesis 3:14-19

IV. THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS:
God gave man work to do and responsibility for his behavior.

1. God cursed the Serpent (Genesis 3:14; compare 2 Corinthians 11:3; Revelation 12:9). For the connection between Christ and the Serpent see Numbers 21:5-9 and John 3:14-15.
2. The first promise of a Redeemer (Genesis 3:15). The Seed line begins.
   • Here the conflict of the ages began.
3. God changes woman’s condition (Genesis 3:16).
   1. She will bear many children.
   2. She will have pain in child bearing.
   3. The man will have authority over her.
      • Sin requires that God will do things in a new way (Ephesians 5:22-25; 1 Timothy 2:11-14).
4. Easy work in Eden (Genesis 2:15) changed to difficult work (Genesis 3:18-19) because of the curse on the earth (Genesis 3:17).
5. Sorrow came into their lives (Genesis 3:17).
6. Life will be short – death will be sure (James 1:15; Romans 6:23).
7. The name for Christ is “The Seed of the Woman” (Galatians 4:4-5; Revelation 12:1-5).

THE NOAHIC COVENANT
“ God in the Rainbow”

I. WHERE CAN WE FIND THIS COVENANT IN THE BIBLE? Genesis 9:1-17, 29.

II. WHEN DID GOD GIVE IT? God gave it after the flood. God gave it after man failed to do his part under the dispensation of conscience and responsibility for behavior. It started the dispensation of Human Government.

III. ITS MOST IMPORTANT PURPOSE: It brought in the rule of Human Government to control sin.

IV. WITH WHOM DID GOD MAKE THIS COVENANT? It was an agreement God made with the whole human race (mankind) (Genesis 9:9).

V. ITS MOST IMPORTANT PARTS:

1. God gives the duty to government to punish by death. The highest duty of government is to protect the human life because it is sacred! God gives man the responsibility to govern the world. Man must protect the sacredness of human life by good laws. God gives the government permission to take a life for a life (Genesis 9:5-6).
   1. Before this time God did not allow man to take another man’s life (Genesis 4:10-15,23).
   2. This is the first time God gives some of His authority to man.
   3. Man now has two things that hold him back from doing evil. First of all his conscience holds him back and secondly the government holds him back from evil.
   4. Now man must obey his fellowman.
2. God puts no additional curse on the ground (Genesis 8:21).
3. God says he will never cause a flood over the whole earth again (Genesis 9:10-16).
4. God sets the pattern in nature (Genesis 8:22-9:2).
5. God allowed man now to eat the flesh of animals but he may not eat the blood (Genesis 9:3-4). Before this man only ate vegetables.
6. God made some prophecies:
   1. God says that one of Ham’s sons, Canaan, and his descendants, will be servants to their brothers (Genesis 9:25-26).
   2. God said that Shem would have a special connection to the Lord (Genesis 9:26-27). All revelation from God has come to us through the children of Shem. Shem is also the ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ.
   3. God said that more people will come from the family of Japheth (Genesis 9:27). Almost all development of government, science, and art are from the family of Japeth.
   4. History records the exact fulfillment of these prophecies.

VI. WHAT IS THIS COVENANT LIKE?

1. Other characteristics of this covenant are everlasting and unconditional (man does not have to do anything).
   Examples of this are:
   1. The rainbow is God’s promise that He will never destroy the world by a flood again (Genesis 9:14-16).
   2. “…Seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22).
2. Bible scholars who believe in dispensations in the Bible (dispensationalists) do not consider the Noahic covenant as a MAJOR covenant. The reason for this is that all four MAJOR covenants are eternal and unconditional (man does not have to do anything), but the Noahic covenant is only for a certain length of time. Examples of this are:
   1. Government by man will stop.
   2. Christ will reign over the whole earth (Isaiah 11:1-10).

VII. WHAT IS THE PROMISE IN THIS COVENANT? The Rainbow! (Genesis 9:12-17).

VIII. WHAT WAS MAN’S FAILURE IN THIS COVENANT? Man did not rule in the right way. Babel was the result (Genesis 11:9). God confused their languages. They could no longer understand each other. Separate nations began at that time.

IX. HOW CAN WE SEE CHRIST IN THIS COVENANT? The greatest son of Shem is Christ (Colossians 2:9; Note Colossians 2:3; John 1:17). Christ descended from Shem (Genesis 9:26-27).

THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT
“ Abraham and the Land God Promised to him”

I. WHEN DID GOD GIVE IT? God gave it after man failed at Babel at the end of the dispensation of Human Government. It brought the dispensation of Promise.

II. WHERE DO WE FIND THIS IN THE BIBLE? Genesis 12:1-3,6,7; 13:14-17; 15:1-21; 17:1-14; 22:15-18.

III. WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THIS COVENANT? This covenant founded the nation of Israel. This covenant also established the promise that God will redeem man. This covenant shows God’s plans for Israel. God will fulfill this plan through Abraham. God promises to provide a Savior for all men through Jesus Christ.

IV. WITH WHOM DID GOD MAKE THIS COVENANT? God made this covenant mainly with Abraham, but it also reaches the whole nation of Israel, the Gentiles and the Church. God repeated it to both Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 17:19; 28:12-13).

V. KEY ASPECTS:

1. Land (Genesis 13:15-17; 15:7; 21:18) – God gave Abraham the borders of the land He would give to him. These borders are set forever. The borders are developed fully in the Palestinian Covenant.
2. Seed (Genesis 13:15; 15:5) – This covenant is for the natural physical descendants of Abraham. This covenant is also for Christ who is the spiritual seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16). Last of all this covenant is for every believer (Romans 4:13-16; Galatians 3:6-9). God fulfilled this covenant in the Davidic Covenant.
3. Blessing – The blessings of this covenant came true in many ways. The blessings will all come true under the New Covenant.

VI. WHAT IS THIS COVENANT LIKE? This covenant is forever. It does not depend on man for its fulfillment (it is unconditional)
(Genesis 12:2; 17:7- 8).

1. All the Major Covenants are forever and do not depend on man for their fulfillment.
2. God did not limit this covenant to the Jews. (Compare Genesis 17:9-10 with Romans 4:9-12.)
3. God gave the promise of this covenant before He established circumcision.
4. The New Testament says that God will never change this covenant (Hebrews 6:13-18).
5. A literal interpretation of the Bible concerning Israel requires that this covenant is unconditional.
6. God has already literally fulfilled a part of this covenant, therefore it is reasonable to believe that God will fulfill the rest of the covenant in the same way.

VII. WHAT PEOPLE SAY WHO ARE AGAINST THIS VIEW.

1. They say that God already fulfilled this covenant in history. This is not true.
2. God may have made conditions for this covenant without stating them openly. This is building your argument on silence.
3. Circumcision is a requirement for the fulfillment of this covenant. This is not true.
4. Obedience is always a condition of blessing. This is not true.
5. God fulfilled it in Christ. God did not fulfill it completely in Christ. The promises of the land were not fulfilled.

VIII. WHAT THIS COVENANT GUARANTEES.

1. This covenant guarantees that God will establish and protect a great nation (Genesis 12:2).
   1. This covenant was fulfilled mainly in the nation of Israel. God promised the land to Israel forever (Genesis 17:8).
   2. It promises that Israel will exist permanently.
   3. This covenant gives Israel the ownership of the land forever (note what is happening today).
   4. God said that Abraham would be the Father of many nations (Genesis 17:4). God fulfilled this promise mainly in Isaac, but also in Ishmael and Esau.
2. God gives several personal promises to Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3).
   1. Abraham will be the Father of many descendants (Genesis 17:16).
   2. Abraham will receive personal blessing. God said, “I will bless you.”
      1. Through Israel.
      2. Through Abraham’s example (Romans 4:19-25).
      3. Through Christ (Galatians 3:16).
   3. God makes certain promises to the Gentiles (Genesis 12:3).
      1. God said to Abraham, “I will bless them that bless you.”
      2. God also said to Abraham, “I will curse them that curse you.” This has been true through history. We will continue to see this come true. Note: Joel 3:1-8; Zechariah 14:1-3; Matthew 25:33-46.
      3. God said to Abraham, “I will bless all the families of the earth in you.” This is the great gospel promise that was fulfilled in and through Christ. We see that this covenant has a great effect on the doctrine of salvation. (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6-9,14,16,29; 4:22-31).

IX. THIS COVENANT SUGGESTS SOME THINGS THAT WILL COME TRUE IN THE FUTURE.
If this covenant is literal and eternal:

1. Then God will preserve Israel, Israel will change its mind concerning the Messiah, and God will bring Israel back to the land of Palestine. God has already promised that she will exist as a nation in the future.
2. Then God promised ownership of the land of Palestine to Israel.
   • God develops this truth more completely in the Palestinian Covenant.
3. Then, God does not fulfill these promises in or by the CHURCH.
   1. The Bible speaks of Israel as a nation AFTER God establishes the CHURCH.
   2. The term “JEW” continues, and it is different from the CHURCH.
   3. The natural “SEED” will possess the land of Palestine in the future.
   4. The New Testament shows us that natural Israel is different from the CHURCH. (Romans 11:1-25; 1 Corinthians 10:32). The Church does not take the place of Israel in God’s Covenant program.
   5. The Church receives blessings because it is “in Christ” who is the SEED (Galatians 3:16; 6-9).

Praise God for Abraham’s example of faith!
Praise God for the Promise of Righteousness! (Romans 3:22; 4:11)

THE MOSAIC COVENANT
“ Thunder From Sinai”

I. WHERE IN THE BIBLE CAN WE FIND THIS COVENANT? Exodus 19:5-31:18. (Note 19:16 and 20:18.)

II. WHEN DID GOD GIVE THIS COVENANT?

1. God gave this covenant after Israel failed under the dispensation of promise (Israel in Egypt).
2. God gave this covenant after He delivered Israel from Egypt through the Red Sea.
3. God gave this covenant at the beginning of the dispensation of Law.

III. WITH WHOM DID GOD MAKE THIS COVENANT? God made this covenant with the Nation of Israel (Exodus 19:6).

IV. WHAT IS THIS COVENANT LIKE?

1. This covenant depended on what the people did. This means it was conditional (Exodus 19:5), “If you will do.”
2. Compare this covenant with the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:2-3). In the Abrahamic covenant God says, “I will do.”
3. Under this covenant the requirement comes before the promise. Under the Abrahamic covenant the promise comes before the requirement.

V. WHAT IS THE SIGN OF THIS COVENANT?
The Sabbath is the sign of this covenant (Exodus 31:12-17). The Sabbath reminded Israel of God’s promise all the time. The Sabbath reminded Israel of their responsibility and of the rest from their burdens. God secured these promises for them.

VI. THIS COVENANT WAS MADE UP OF THREE SECTIONS.

1. The COMMANDMENTS (Exodus 20:1-26). These told about the RIGHTEOUS WILL of God.
2. The JUDGMENTS (Exodus 21:1-24:11). These controlled the SOCIAL life of Israel (Living together as one people).
3. The ORDINANCES (Exodus 24:12-31:18). These controlled the RELIGIOUS life of Israel.
4. These three sections make up what we usually call THE LAW (Matthew 5:17 -18).

VII. ITS GREATEST REQUIREMENT: Obedience (Exodus 19:5).

VIII. ISRAEL’S FAILURE AND GOD’S JUDGMENT. Israel’s failure is found in 2 Kings 17:7, Deuteronomy 28:63 (note also, 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 and
Acts 7:41-42).

IX. DID ISRAEL’S FAILURE CANCEL THE PROMISES GOD MADE TO ABRAHAM? Not at all (Galatians 3:17-18).

X. HOW LONG DID THIS COVENANT LAST? This covenant lasted until Christ came into the world!
A. Matthew 5:17 – “To fulfill the law”
B. Galatians 3:24 – “Unto Christ”
C. Romans 10:4 – “Christ is the end”
D. Galatians 3:19 – “God added it until the seed should come”

XI. WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THIS COVENANT? It had both a POSITIVE and a NEGATIVE purpose.
POSITIVE:

1. God wanted to teach and correct Israel through this covenant.
   1. This teaching and correction was for their good (Deuteronomy 6:24).
   2. This acted as a schoolteacher until Christ came (Galatians 3:24).
2. God gave this covenant as a rule for living to a people who were already under the promise God had given to Abraham. God had already covered these people by the blood sacrifice. Note the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:13).
3. God gave this covenant to show how the people He chose could live separated lives (Exodus 19:5-6).
4. Through the ORDINANCES God gave Israel a High Priest who was their representative before God. God gave them a way to cover their sins (atonement) by making sacrifices (Leviticus 16:6 and 17:11).
5. The sacrifices, the Tabernacle and the High Priest all looked forward to Christ and the Cross (Hebrews 9:6-14).

NEGATIVE:

1. God added this covenant because of sin (Galatians 3:19; Romans 7:7; 3:20).
2. God gave this covenant that every mouth will be silent (Romans 3:19).
3. This covenant brought judgment for sin (2 Corinthians 3:7-9).
4. God did not give this covenant as a way to make people right with God (Galatians 2:16, 21).

XII. THE CHRISTIAN AND THE MOSAIC COVENANT.

1. Christians are definitely NOT under LAW.
   1. “But under grace” (Romans 6:14).
   2. Apart from the law (Romans 3:21-22).
   3. Christ ENDED the law (Romans 10:4).
   4. Being right with God does not come from following the law (Philippians 3:9).
   5. The Christian is under the NEW covenant of grace (Hebrews 10:11-17).
2. Law and Grace:
   
   

   Under Law	Under Grace
   Sheep dies for the shepherd	Shepherd dies for the sheep
   All die	All are alive
   God says, “You shall not do”	God says, “I will do”
   All are condemned	Believers not condemned
   Is conditional	Is unconditional
   God requires righteousness	God gives righteousness
   It is for a short time	It is everlasting

   
   
3. The Jews failed to understand the purpose of the law. They tried to make themselves right with God by their works (compare 1 Timothy 1:8-9 and Romans 9:31-10:4). Many people are making this same mistake today.

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