COVERED BY THE BLOOD

        GOD’S EVERLASTING COVENANT

REV. FR. ROBERT W. WILLS Th.D.

157 McCrary Road

Molena, GA  30258

(706)647-3288

CONTENTS

CHAPTER                                                                             PAGES

                1              THE LEGAL BASIS FOR GOD’S KINGDOM                              3-14

                2              THE GOD OF THE COVENANT REVEALED                               15-33

                3              THE BLOOD SPEAKS                                                                      34-48

                4              THE COVENANT YEAR:                                                  49-60

                                                THE FEASTS OF THE LORD

                5.             THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT OF

BLESSING                                                                           61-70

                6.             THE MOSAIC COVENANT OF THE LAW                   71-85

                7.             THE DAVIDIC COVENANT OF AUTHORITY                             86-101

                8.             THE PRIESTLY COVENANT OF WORSHIP                               102-114

                9.             BREAKING COVENANT                                                  115-134

                10.          THE NEW COVENANT                                                                     135-145

                11.          THE NEW COVENANT AND LITURGICAL                 146-164

                                                OR SACRAMENTAL WORSHIP

12.          THE NEW COVENANT AND THE DEVELOPMENT    165-181

OF THE ONE HOLY CHURCH

                13.          TEAM MINISTRY UNDER COVENANT AUTHORITY              182-207

                14.          THE PARITY COVENANTS RECOGNIZED BY GOD                208-218                

                15.          THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF                                          219-224

                                COVENANT IN INTERPERSONAL                              

                                RELATIONSHIPS: C.A.D.R.                                                           

                **           APPENDIX:  A MARRIAGE COVENANT                     225-229

CHAPTER 1

THE LEGAL BASIS FOR GOD’S KINGDOM

INCARNATIONAL REALITY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

                The Kingdom of God refers to the spheres of God’s direct rule. Although God is Sovereign and has authority over the entire universe, He has chosen two realms to make up his particular kingdom. In the earthly sphere and in the heavenly sphere, God has established rules of operation, personal interaction, and specific plans, which he will carry out. God exercises direct authority over both the spheres of his kingdom.

                Authority is the concept of rightful power. It is used in the Bible with a good deal of elasticity. The word translated as authority in the New Testament is usually the Greek word exousia. The assumption is that God alone is the ultimate authority and he alone the ultimate source of authority for others. The recognition of God’s authority is dependent upon an understanding of who God is. Those who reject God’s authority, either do not really know God (as covenant maker and redeemer), or are in rebellion against God.

                God’s sovereign, universal, and eternal rule over the entire universe gives evidence of his authority. His authority over man is compared to that of a potter over his clay (Romans 9:20-23). So ultimate is God's authority that all authority among humans comes from God alone (Romans 13:1). God's authority includes not only the authority of providence and history, but also the demand for submission and accountability from man. Inherent in God’s authority is the awesome power to judge and punish those who reject his rule (Luke 12:5) and the glorious power to forgive sins and declare righteous those in Christ (Romans 3:21-26).

                The authority of God is exercised in the Old Testament not only by various direct means but also through those to whom he gave authority to act in his behalf priests, prophets, judges, and kings. In the New Testament the authority of the Father and especially of Jesus Christ is expressed in a unique way through the apostles, prophets, teachers, elders and bishops who are the direct and personal ambassadors of Jesus Christ.

                The apostles claimed to speak for Christ and under the Spirit’s direction in terms of both content and form of expression (1 Corinthians 2:10-13; 1 Thessalonians 2:13). They left behind the permanent norm for Christian faith (Galatians 1:8) and conduct (1 Corinthians 11:2; 2 Thessalonians 3:4, 6, 14). They established the order or government of the church so that a shared rule by a group of men, often designated as bishops or elders, is universal in the New Testament period. The authority given by God to the apostles, prophets, teachers, bishops, presbyters, and deacons came from God--the supreme King. The  Kingdom of God, through His      COVENANT, is the extension of God’s rule and dominion in  the earth  and the universe. It  is wherever  JESUS of Nazareth is LORD and KING. It is the PURPOSE and  the  WILL (desire, pleasure) of God--the extension of God's rule. The leaders of the early church saw it as a THEOCRACY, a government that  is GOD-RULED; in other words, a DIVINE GOVERNMENT. Above all, the Kingdom of God was to the early church, and is today, a PRESENT REALITY.

                For  Israel, not only was the Kingdom of God seen as a present reality, but there was a consciousness of having been chosen by  God as  his  “son” (Hosea 11:1; Isaiah 1:2; Jeremiah 3:19). Their ideas laid the basis for later New Testament era usage of adoption imagery. The early church saw Christians as adopted “sons of God.” That is why the early Church Fathers wrote so frequently about a heavenly citizenship. The terms of heavenly citizenship were determined by God’s Eternal Covenant.      

                In the New Testament, the term “adoption” (huiothesia) occurs in Romans 8:15, 23; 9:4;  Galatians 4:5; and Ephesians 1:5. While John and Peter prefer the picture of regeneration  to portray  the  Christian sonship, Paul has characteristically  chosen  a  legal image (as in justification), perhaps due to his contact with the legal conscious Roman world. Through “adoption” we become citizens of God’s Kingdom.

                In  Greek and Roman society adoption was, at least among the upper classes,  a relatively common practice. Unlike the oriental cultures in which slaves  were sometimes  adopted, these people normally limited adoption to  free  citizens. But, at least in Roman law, the citizen so adopted became a virtual slave, for he  came  under the paternal authority of his adoptive father.  Adoption  conferred rights, but it came with a list of duties as well. This was a practical concept that most people in the ancient world could understand.

        Paul  combines several of these pictures in his thought. While chapter 4 of Galatians begins with a picture of the law enslaving the heirs until a given date (e.g., majority  or  the death of the father), there is a shift in vs. 4 to  the  adoption image in which one who was truly a slave (not a minor as in verses 1-3)  becomes a son and thus an heir through redemption. The former slave, empowered by  the Spirit, now uses the address of a son, “Abba! Father!” 

                The  reason for adoption is given in Ephesians 1:5: God’s love. It was not  due  to his  nature or merit that the Christian was adopted and  thus  received  the Spirit and the inheritance, Ephesians 1:14-15. This adoption was due to God’s will being enacted through Christ.  Adoption  was seen as a free grant to undeserving people  solely  from  God’s grace.

                As  in Galatians and Ephesians, adoption was connected to the Spirit in  Romans as  well. It was seen that those who are “led by the Spirit” are sons, who  have  received the “spirit of sonship,” not that of slavery (Romans 8:14-15). Again  the Spirit  produced the cry “Abba!” and indicated the reality of the coming inheritance, by calling on God the Father of Christians.          Adoption, then, was deliverance from the past and a way of life in the  present (walking by the Spirit and sanctification), and a hope for the future (salvation and resurrection).  It  described, for early church leaders, the process of becoming a son of God  (John 1:12; 1 John 3:1-2) and of receiving an inheritance from God. It was, in effect the basis of their authority and power in the church and in the world. God’s eternal covenant provides the legal framework for our adoption into the Kingdom of God as joint-heirs with Christ the Everlasting King.

In the Kingdom of God, as in any endeavor, five issues must be permanently addressed.

1.        Who makes the rules?  This addresses the Transcendence of God.

2.        Who enforces the rules? This relates to the concept of Hierarchy.

3.        What are the rules? This is an issue of ETHICS and RESPONSIBILITY.

4.        What are the consequences of obedience and of disobedience? This has to do with SANCTIONS, referred to in the Bible as blessings and curses.

5.        How are these other four aspects of God’s Covenant going to be passed on to the next generation? This addresses the issue of CONTINUITY.

                Because God is a God of order, not confusion, it was necessary that the ordinances and statutes of his covenant be taught to the new Christian community of the fledgling church, just as the Law had to be set up to instruct ancient Israel. Apostolic Ministry Teams carried with them the authority to instruct and admonish believers in God’s distinctive moral and spiritual standards. This same authority was given to the presbyter/elder/priests and bishops of the Early Church to enforce adherence to the standards of  God’s covenant. They did this with love and compassion, but also with diligence and integrity. Their authority was seen as an extension of God’s Covenant.

                In the third chapter of the Gospel of John Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be “born again” of the water and spirit to be a part of the Kingdom of God. This remains true today, and that is why water baptism and the baptism of the Holy Spirit are associated with entrance into covenant with God. The true church has always viewed baptism as the entrance into the Everlasting Covenant, which  provides the mechanism to run God’s Kingdom.

THE CONSTITUTION OF GOD’S KINGDOM

The legal basis for the operation of God’s Kingdom lies in God’s Covenant. A covenant is a compact or agreement between two parties binding them mutually to  undertakings  on  each other's behalf. Theologically  (used  of  relations between God and man) it denotes a gracious undertaking entered into by God for the  benefit and blessing of man, and specifically of those men who  by  faith receive  the  promises  and commit themselves to the  obligations  which  this undertakes involves. 

In the Old Testament the word used to express the covenant concept is the Hebrew  berit. The  original  meaning  of this word was probably “fetter”  or “obligation,” coming  from  a root bara, “to bind.” This root does not occur as  a  verb in Hebrew,  but  it does occur in Akkadian as baru, “to bind,” and appears  as  a noun  in  the Akkadian biritu, which means “bond” or “fetter.”  Thus  a “berit” could originally signify a relationship between two parties wherein each bound himself to perform a certain service or duty for the other.

                The Hebrew word berith, which is translated as “covenant.” is derived from a root which means “to cut.” Hence a covenant is  a “cutting,”  with  reference  to the cutting or dividing of  animals  into  two parts, and the contracting parties passing between them, in making a  covenant (Gen.  15; Jer. 34:18, 19). The corresponding word in the New Testament  Greek is diatheke, which is, however, rendered “testament” generally in the  Authorized  Version.  It ought to be rendered, just as the word berith  of  the  Old Testament, “covenant.”                 The Hebrew word Berith is used in three ways. (1) This word is used of a covenant or compact  between man  and man (Gen. 21: 32), or between tribes or nations (1 Sam.  11:1;  Josh. 9:6,  15). This type of covenant is a covenant of parity, between equals. It binds them to mutual friendship, or at least to mutual respect for each other’s interests. Participants are bound together in peace and for mutual benefit. In  entering into a covenant, Jehovah was solemnly called on to  witness  the transaction (Gen. 31:50), and hence it was called a “covenant of the Lord”  (1 Sam. 20:8). The marriage compact, which is another covenant of parity, is called “the covenant of God” (Prov. 2:17), because  it  was made in God's name.

                This type of covenant was used in alliances between people. for example, covenants of parity were made between Abraham  and  the Amorites (Genesis 14:13), Joshua and the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:6), Israel and the Canaanites (Exodus 23:32), Solomon and Hiram (1 Kings 5:2-6). The good relations between the Omrides and the Phoenicians were built on this treaty. The marriage between Jezebel and Ahab must be understood as a partial fulfillment of the conditions of the treaty. Vestiges of a parity treaty between the Israelites and the Midianites (Exod. 18) are discernible, although many unsolved problems existed, e.g. the relationship between Midianites and Kenites and the later hostility between Midianites and Israelites.

                We also have the record of such a Parity Treaty between Hattusilis III (Hittite) and Rameses II (Egyptian). We know that the parity treaty between Hattusilis III and Rameses II was concluded with a marriage between the daughter of Hattusilis and Rameses. The stipulations are the prohibition of any relationship with a country outside the Hittite sphere; prohibition of hostility to other Hittite vassals; immediate help to the great king in times of war; the vassal must not listen to any slandering of the great king but immediately report it to the king; the vassal must not hide deserting slaves or refugees; the vassal must appear once a year before the king to pay his taxes and to renew the treaty. The stipulations are followed by the compulsion on the vassal to deposit the written treaty in the temple and to read it occasionally. This is followed by a list of gods as witnesses, in which the gods of the great king are prominently placed. Even certain natural phenomena such as heaven and earth, mountains, sea, rivers, etc., are called in as witnesses.

                The Hebrew word berith is also used  (2) with reference to God's revelation of himself in the way of promise or of favor to men. Thus God's promise to Noah after the Flood is called a covenant (Gen.  9; Jer. l 33:20, “my covenant”). This type of Covenant was often presented in the form of a Royal Grant, by which a sovereign granted land or benefits to loyal servants for faithful or exceptional service. The faithful servant had to be in right relationship (the state of righteousness) in the mind of the Sovereign King.  Since Noah had served God as a “preacher of righteousness,” and since he had faithfully obeyed God’s commandment to build the Ark, God  (the Sovereign King), granted certain promises to him. This Royal Grant was also for Noah’s descendants. Part of this covenant included an unconditional promise that God would never destroy all earthly life with a natural catastrophe, such as the Flood.

                A similar Royal Grant Covenant was made with Abraham in Genesis 15, as an unconditional promise to fulfill a grant of land to Abraham’s descendants. It should be noted that Abraham was declared to be righteous, and that God saw him as a faithful servant. As in the cases of these covenants with Noah and Abraham, the Royal Grant was always unconditional and normally perpetual. It was bestowed as an award for faithfulness, and was available to the person’s heirs, so long as they continued their father’s loyalty and service to their Sovereign King-- the Lord God of Heaven and Earth.

                We  also have another account of God's covenant with Abraham (Gen. 17) which, along with the covenant of Sinai (Exod. 34:27, 28; Lev. 26:15), became known as the Old Covenant. The Abrahamic and Sinatic covenants were afterwards  renewed  at different times in the history of  Israel  (Deut.  29; Josh.  24; 2 Chr. 15; 23; 29; 34; Ezra 10; Neh. 9). These covenants (3) were conditional, and required future (as well as past) service to the Sovereign King of the Universe. These were God’s conditional pledges to be the guarantor and Protector of Israel’s destiny. The conditions were that the people would (a) be consecrated to God as a holy people, (b) submit to God’s rule and authority, and (c) serve God’s purposes in history.

                These  covenants are not contracts or mere human agreements. They are more than that. They are declarations by a sovereign God as to the principles by which his kingdom will operate. It is an assurance that God is faithful to sustain his creation, and is an opportunity for his children to have a viable and vibrant relationship with their Father. God’s  covenants  are modeled upon a form that was adapted  from  the ancient Suzerainty Treaties of the Hittites and Mesopotamians.  A Suzerainty Treaty has always been a covenant regulating the relationship between a great king and one of his subject kings. The great king claimed absolute right of sovereignty over all the vassal king possessed. The great king demanded total loyalty and service. The vassal had to “love” his suzerain and pledged whatever service the suzerain demanded. Participants called each other “lord” and “servant,” or “father” and “son.” The great king pledged to protect the vassal’s realm and dynasty, so long as the vassal continued to offer loyal service to the suzerain. Examples of this type of relationship can be seen in Joshua 9:6-8, Ezra 17:13-18, and Hosea 12:1.

                The idea of making a Suzerainty Treaty pervades almost the whole history of the ancient Near East. It is only by chance that we are well informed on the Near Eastern treaties of Esarhaddon with the Hittites, and the Aramaean Treaty of Sefire. A close study of, the Mari Tablets and those of Amarna shows that a treaty background existed between the various nations and groups mentioned. Curses and blessings conclude the vassal treaty. Certain curses will come into effect when the treaty is broken. These curses are of a wide variety and it is clear that certain of them are reserved for the divine sphere and the army of the great king could execute others. When the treaty is kept, certain blessings will accrue to the vassal, e.g. the eternal reign of his descendants. Variations on this theme occur in later vassal treaties, such as the treaties of Esarhaddon heavy emphasis is laid on the curse motif.

                The best example of a Suzerainty Treaty in the Old Testament is the one contracted between the Israelites and Gibeonites (Jos. 9-10). The vassal character of the treaty is evident in the terminology. The Gibeonites came to the Israelites and told them that they wanted to become their slaves. The treaty was contracted and then a covenantal peace between the two parties existed. It is thus abundantly clear that the Israelites were well aware of various forms of treaties as they were applied elsewhere in the ancient Near East.

                Suzerainty Treaties are the highest forms of covenant. They are binding relationships that are perpetuated from one generation to the next for as long as the vassal is faithful to the Sovereign King. This type of Covenant forms the framework for what we call the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, although, in both of these, there is also the element of a Royal Grant. The major covenants recorded in scripture tend to be Suzerainty Treaties with embedded Royal Grants. When the Suzerainty Treaty is combined with the Royal Grant we can see the operation of works of faith working hand in hand with salvation by grace. The Lord’s Table is based upon the form of covenant relationship between God, and us where God is the Sovereign King and we are His vassals.  He gives us a royal grant of unconditional salvation, healing and deliverance (righteousness or right standing with God).

                A  general characteristic of the Old Testament covenant (berit) is its unalterable and  permanently binding character. The parties to a covenant obligated themselves to carry out their  respective commitments under the penalty of divine  retribution  should they  later  attempt  to avoid them. Usually, although  not  necessarily,  the promise of each was supported by some sort of legal consideration or quid  pro quo.  But where the one party to the agreement was greatly  superior  to  the other  in power or authority, the situation was a bit different: the ruler  or man  of  authority  would in the enactment of the berit  simply  announce  his governmental decree or constitution which he thought best to impose upon those under him, and they for their part expressed their acceptance and readiness to conform  to what he had ordained. Doubtless it was true, even in this  type  of covenant, that  the ruler implicitly committed himself to rule  for  the  best interests of his people and to contrive for their protection against enemies.

                In  the  case of the promulgation of a covenant by God  with  his  chosen people, this one-sided aspect of the transaction was even more apparent, since the contracting parties stood upon entirely different levels. In this case the covenant  constituted a divine announcement of God's holy will to  extend  the benefits  of his unmerited grace to men who were willing by faith  to  receive them,  and who by entering into a personal commitment to God bound  themselves to  him by ties of absolute obligation. The characteristic statement  of  this relationship  occurs in the formula "I will be their God and they shall be  my people" (cf. Jer. 11:4; 24:7; 30:22; 32:38; Ezek. 11:20; 14:11; 36:28;  37:23; Zech.  8:8; etc.). This signifies that God unreservedly gives himself  to  his people  and that they in turn give themselves to him and belong to  him.  Thus they are his "peculiar treasure" (segulla, Exod. 19:5; Deut. 7:6; 14:2; 26:18; Ps.  135:4; Mal. 3:17). His motive in adopting them as his own covenant children is stated to be "lovingkindness" or "covenant-love" (hesed), a term  with which  berit  is  often associated (cf. Deut. 7:9; I Kings  8:23;  Dan.  9:4). In 1 Samuel 20:8, Jonathan is said to exercise hesed  when  he enters into a covenant relationship with David. This concept of covenant-love presents a  remarkable contrast to the motivation attributed by the heathen Semites to  their  gods, who  were  uniformly depicted as entering into covenant relations  with  their devotees  for  the purpose of extracting service and  nourishment  from  their altars, more or less like the feudal lords of human society who extract their support from the labor of their vassals.

                    One very important element in God's covenant relations with Israel lay in the dual aspect of conditionality and unconditionality. Were his solemn  promises, which  partook of the nature of a binding oath (Deut. 7:8), to  be  understood  as capable of nonfulfillment, in case of the failure of man to live  up to  his obligations toward God? Or was there a sense in which  God's  covenant undertakings  were absolutely sure of fulfillment, regardless of the  unfaithfulness of man? The answer to this much-debated question seems to be: (1) that the promises made by Jehovah in the covenant of grace represent decrees  which he will surely bring to pass, when conditions are ripe for their  fulfillment; (2) that the personal benefit, and especially the spiritual and eternal  benefit, of the divine promise will accrue only to those individuals of the  covenant  people  of God who manifest a true and living faith (demonstrated  by  a godly  life). Thus the first aspect is brought out by the initial form of  the covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3; there is no shadow of doubt but what God will  truly make of Abram a great nation, and make his name great,  and  shall bless all the nations of earth through him and his posterity (Gal. 3:8).

                This  is set forth as God's plan from the very beginning; nothing shall  frustrate it. On the other hand, the individual children of Abraham are to receive personal  benefit  only as they manifest the faith and obedience  of  Abraham. Thus  Exodus 19:5 says “Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep  my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me....And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”.

                In other words, God will see to it that his plan of redemption will be carried out  in history, but he will also see to it that none partake of  the  eternal benefits of the covenant in violation of the demands of holiness. No  covenant child who has a faithless and insincere heart is included in its blessings.  The redemptive elements of God’s Everlasting Covenant (elements of  both the Old and New Covenants) are sometimes referred to as a “Covenant of Grace.

                The redemptive qualities of the covenant of grace are especially set forth, by the prophets, in the form of the “New Covenant.” In the classic  passage  on this theme (Jer. 31:31-37) the earliest phase of the  covenant  (that was effected at Sinai) is shown to have been temporary and provisional because of  the flagrant violation of it by the Israelite nation as a whole,  and  because  of their failure to know or acknowledge God as their personal Lord  and Savior.  But there is a time coming, says Jehovah, when he will put  his  holy law into their very hearts, so that their cordial inclination and desire  will be to live according to his holy standard. Moreover he shall beget within them a  sense of sonship toward himself, so that they shall have a personal  knowledge and love of him that will not require artificial human teaching. Furthermore the carrying out of this redeeming purpose is stated to be as sure as the continued existence of sun, and stars, or even of the foundations of heaven.

                In the New Testament, the term for covenant employed is diatheke, the word used constantly in the Septuigint for berit. Since the ordinary Greek word for  “contract” or  “compact” (syntheke) implied equality on the part of the contracting  parties, the Greek-speaking Jews preferred diatheke (coming from diatithemai, “to make a disposition of one's own property”) in the sense of a unilateral enactment or  “unilateral agreement.” Suntheke, on the other hand usually means “bilateral agreement.” This term would suggest a treaty rather  than a unilateral covenant in which God dictated all terms.

                In secular Greek the word diatheke usually meant “will” or “testament,” but even classical  authors  like Aristophanes occasionally used  it  of  a covenant  wherein one of the two parties had an overwhelming superiority  over the other and could dictate his own terms. Hence the New Testament Greek word  diatheke signified  (more specifically than the Hebrew word berit) an arrangement made by  one party  with  plenary  power, which the other party may accept  or  reject  but cannot alter. Johannes Behm (TDNT, II, 137) defines it as “the decree” of God, the powerful disclosure of the sovereign will of God in  history, whereby  he constitutes the relationship, the authoritative  divine  ordinance (institution),  which introduces a corresponding “order of affairs.”

                We enter into a conditional relationship with God where we agree to unconditionally obey His commandments. We agree to live consecrated and holy lives before God, to submit to His authority (direct and delegated), and to serve His purposes in the earth. God becomes our Lord and Father, and we become his servants and sons. The principles of Fatherhood and of Inheritance are inherent in these covenantal relationships.

THE PRINCIPLE OF FATHERHOOD

Abba is an alternate Aramaic term for "father." It is the word that Jesus used  to  address  God in Mark 14:36. Paul pairs the word with the  Greek  word  for  "father" in Rom. 8:15 and Gal. 4:6. The  aleph that terminates the form abba functions as both a  demonstrative and  a  vocative particle in Aramaic. In the time of Jesus the  word  connoted both the emphatic concept, "the father," and the more intimate "my father, our father."

                While  the  word was the common form of address for children,  there  is  much evidence that in the time of Jesus the practice was not limited only to  children.  The childish character of the word ("daddy") thus proceeded, and  abba  acquired  the warm, familiar ring which we may feel in such an  expression  as  "dear father." The name Abba connotes the fatherhood of God. This is affirmed by the accompanying  translation ho pater ("father") which occurs in each usage of the  name  in  Mark 14:36; Rom. 8:15; and Gal. 4:6. The  use  of  this name as Jesus' mode of address to God in Mark  14:36  is  a unique expression of Jesus' relationship to the Father. The believer sustains the same relationship with God. It is only because of  the  believer’s relationship with God, established by the Holy Spirit, that he can address God with this name that depicts a relationship of warmth and love. In a sense  the relationship designated by this name is the fulfillment of the ancient promise given  to  Abraham's offspring that the Lord will be their God, and  they  his people.

                It was the person and teaching of Jesus that played the formative role in the New Testament’s language about God as ’Father.’ For Jesus, ’Father’ was the principal and most frequent designation for God. He used not only the common Jewish ’our [or your] Father’ (Matt. 5:45; 6:9), but also the intimate family word for ’father’ in his native Aramaic language, abba, which was also appropriated in the later liturgical practice of the church (Mark 14:36; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). Not only did the concept of God as ’Father’ express the personal relationship to God affirmed by Jesus and the church (Matt. 11:25-27), but in that cultural setting the term included especially the connotations of obedience, agency, and inheritance. Those who address God as ‘Father’ acknowledge God as the one to whom absolute obedience is due (Matt. 7:21; 26:42) and themselves as the agents who represent God and through whom God works (Matt. 11:25-27; John 10:32) and as God’s heirs (Rom. 8:16-17).

                The God of the Fathers’ is an Old Testament title for God, as well as the more particular phrase of the same meaning, ’the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,’ is found in the New Testament only in two Gospels (Mark 12:26; Matt. 22:32) and in the book of Acts. As in the Old Testament, it emphasizes the continuity of Israel and the church’s faith, that the God of present experience is the same as the God revealed to the ancient patriarchs. Luke-Acts, which is especially interested in pointing out this continuity, thus uses the title four times (Acts 3:13; 5:30; 7:32; 22:14). In Paul and the literature dependent upon him, this title is replaced by “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 15:6; 2 Cor. 11:31; Eph. 1:3, 17; Col. 1:3).

                In the Suzerainty Treaty, the King (i.e. God) adopts a paternal relationship with his subject princes (we who are kings and priests under the Sovereign God). The King (God) is the Patriarch who assigns both benefits (Royal Grants) and responsibilities (Commandments) to his children, who are expected to rule as his representative authority.

INHERITANCE

                Covenant also involves a heritage or inheritance. A Suzerainty Treaty or Royal Grant was often “inherited” by the next generation. If the next generation refused to abide by the agreements of the previous generation, war and subjugation (judgment) usually resulted. The Hebrew Bible has no exclusive term for "inheritance." The words often translated "inherit" mean more generally "take possession." Only in context can they be taken to mean "inheritance." The Greek word in the New Testament does refer to the disposition of property after death, but its use in the New Testament often reflects the Old Testament background more than normal Greek usage.

                 In ancient Israel possessions were passed on to the living sons of a father, but the eldest son received a double portion (Deut. 21:17). Rueben lost preeminence because of incest with Bilhah (Gen. 35:22; 49:4; 1 Chron. 5:1), and Esau surrendered his birthright to Jacob (Gen. 25:29-34). These examples show that possession of this double portion was not absolute. Sons of concubines did not inherit unless adopted. Jacob's sons by the maidservants Bilhah and Zilpah (Gen. 30:3-13) inherited (Gen. 49) because those offspring were adopted by Rachel and Leah. Sarai promised to adopt the offspring of her maid Hagar when she gave Hagar to Abram (Gen. 16:2) but went back on that promise after Isaac's birth (Gen. 21:10).

                 Because the Hebrew scriptures concerning inheritance do not necessarily presuppose a death, they could be used in reference to God’s Royal Grant of the land to Israel (Josh. 1:15; Num. 36:2-4). Levites had no share of the land, and the Lord Himself was their "inheritance" (Num. 18:20-24; Deut. 10:9; 18:2; Josh. 13:33). Jeremiah used the concept of "inheritance" to refer to the restoration of Israel to the land from "the north" after the time of punishment (Jer. 3:18-19).

                Anything given by God can be called an “inheritance.” In Psalm 16:5 the pleasant conditions of the psalmist's life were his “inheritance” because he had chosen the Lord as his lot. In Psalm 119:111 God’s testimonies are an “inheritance.” In Job 27:13 “heritage” refers to God’s punishment of the wicked; those who refused to acknowledge God’s covenant.

                In the New Testament “inheritance” can refer to property (Luke 12:13), but it most often refers to the rewards of discipleship: eternal life (Matt. 5:5; 19:29; Mark 10:29-30 and parallels; Titus 3:7), the kingdom (Matt. 25:34; Jas. 2:5; negatively 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 15:50), generally (Acts 20:32; Eph. 1:14,18; Rev. 21:7). Christ is the proto-typical Heir (Matt. 21:38), and through Christ Christians can be heirs of God (Rom. 8:17; Eph. 3:6). In Hebrews  9:15-17, the more usual secular significance of  “will”  or “testament”  appears along with the Old Testament covenantal idea. Only Hebrews makes explicit use of the idea of “inheritance” as requiring the death of the testator, Christ. A will, which is a form of covenant, requires a death of the testator to take effect, so the death of Christ brings the new covenant/will into effect (Heb. 9:16-17). This concept was present in the enactment of the Mosaic covenant, where there was slain a sacrificial animal, representing the later atonement of Christ.

God’s covenant both defines our inheritance and is our inheritance. As such, a covenant—even a promised covenant is permanent and cannot be annulled. The Apostle Paul affirms this principle in Galatians 3:17-18.  “And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.” This reminds us of the words of Isaiah (Isa 14:27)  “For the LORD of hosts has purposed, And who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, And who will turn it back?” Our inheritance under God’s covenant is sure, because His covenant is irrevocable.

The parts of a covenant

                We are not well informed on the specific covenant rites of Mesopotamian Suzerainty Treaties, because of lack of material. There are, however, a few vestiges of these rites left in available material. The slaughtering of an animal (sheep, donkey, bull, etc.) is described in the Mari texts and other ancient texts. This reminds us of Christ, who was the ultimate sacrifice, and through whose blood (represented by the wine in Communion) we become heirs to God’s Covenant. It was the custom to cut the animal in two or three parts. In order to fulfill this aspect of covenant, Christ broke bread and gave it to his disciples. Part of it was burnt in honor of the god and part of it was eaten at a covenantal meal. The Lord’s Supper in the New Testament is such a covenant meal.

                In Genesis 15 and Exodus 24, such a rite is described. In the same rite is mentioned. In certain ancient Near Eastern Suzerainty Treaties it is stated that the vassal is compelled to visit the great king annually to renew the treaty. The Israelites gathered together three times per year for certain festivals (Passover, Weeks, and Tabernacles) to renew the covenant.

                Although parity covenants were often used between people in the ancient world, the idea of a covenant relationship between a god and a king or a king’s people is well attested through the history of the ancient Near East. It occurs in various forms with a great diversity of material. This is not always expressly stated, but can be deduced from terminology used. The idea of such a covenant was thus not at all foreign to the Israelites. At the same time the treaty relationship was well known to them, as we have seen above. It is thus not surprising that God used this form of relationship to give expression to his relation with his people. This could have started early, because such an idea was well known in the ancient Near East from well back in the 3rd millennium before Christ.

                Suzerainty Treaties  were legal documents  recognized  by all ancient peoples of the Middle  East. These treaties can be amended, much like the United States Constitution, and the amendments become a part of the original covenant. As a rule, these  ancient covenants and Biblical covenants have ten distinct parts. In the Bible all of these parts are present but may not be explicitly stated.

1.  The Preamble tells who is making the covenant.

2.  A Historical Prologue gives a brief historical overview of the relationships involving the covenant makers.

3.  Demands or stipulations are the obligations a ruler imposes upon vassals.

4.  Provisions for deposit of the text and for periodic reading and renewal of the covenant in order to keep it before the people.

5.  Witnesses attest to the validity of the covenant.

6.  Blessings and curses are included as consequences of keeping or breaking the covenant.

7.  A Formal Oath or confession of faith is made giving allegiance to the Sovereign (to God).

8.  A Solemn Ceremony of celebration and validation of the covenant also takes place.

9.  There is an exchange of Tokens by both parties to seal the Covenant.

10. A reality of the presence of God is always manifested in and through the covenant.

                These ten parts of Suzerainty Treaties effectively dealt with the issues that were referred to above: Who makes the rules? Who enforces the rules? What are the rules? What are the consequences of obedience and of disobedience? How are these four things going to be passed on to the next generation?

                As the sovereign Lord of the Suzerainty Treaty, God makes and enforces the rules that operate His Kingdom. He requires submission and obedience to his divine will, and His will is clearly seen and understood primarily through the Eternal Covenant.

                God’s covenant is confirmed with an oath (Deut. 4:31; Ps. 89:3), and to be accompanied by a sign (Gen. 9; 17). Hence the covenant is called God's  “commandment,”  “counsel,”  “oath,”  or “promise” (Ps. 89:3, 4; 105:8-11; Heb. 6:13-20; Luke 1:68-75). God's  covenant consists wholly in the bestowal of blessing (Isa. 59:21; Jer. 31:33, 34).  The term  covenant  is also used to designate the regular succession  of  day  and night (Jer. 33:20), the Sabbath (Exod. 31:16), circumcision (Gen. 17:9, 10), and in general any ordinance of God (Jer. 34:13, 14). A "covenant of salt" is an example of a an everlasting covenant, signified in the sealing or ratifying of which salt, as an emblem of perpetuity, is used (Num. 18:19; Lev. 2:13; 2 Chr. 13:5).

AN EXAMPLE OF A COVENANT: GOD’S COVENANT WITH  JOSHUA

                Joshua was the successor to Moses (Num. 27:18-23; Deut. 31:7-29), whose leadership of Israel in the conquest of Canaan is recounted in the Book of Joshua. In ancient Israel, not only possessions, but covenant blessings were passed on to the living sons of a father. Usually the eldest son received a double portion (Deut. 21:17). The right to administer God’s covenant to the people of Israel was passed on from Moses to Joshua.  This can be seen in Deuteronomy 31:7-8, 14, and 23. “Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. And the LORD, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” (Deut. 31:14) Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, the days approach when you must die; call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of meeting, that I may inaugurate him." So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tabernacle of meeting. (Deut. 31:23)  Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, "Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you."

 Joshua’s name, sometimes spelled Hoshea (compare Num. 13:8, 16), means "Yahweh is salvation." In many ways, the Old Testament writers present Joshua as a prophet, priest, and king. As prophet, Joshua had a "spirit of wisdom" like Moses (Deut. 34:9; see  Ecclus. 46:1   of  the  Apocrypha,  where  he  is  called  "successor  of   Moses   in prophesying").  As priest, like Moses, he called upon the people to sanctify themselves and commanded the priests in the movements of the Ark of the Covenant  (Josh.  3:5-6).  As a strong leader, like Moses, he led Israel in the definitive covenant ceremony at Shechem (Josh. 24:1-28). From beginning to end, however, Joshua is preeminently a military figure. He first  appears  as the  leader  of Israel's war against Amalek (Exod. 17:8-16).  With  Caleb,  he spied  out  the land of Canaan (Num. 13:16-29) and  correctly  argued,  though failed  to convince, that it should be taken (14:6-10). After  Moses' death at the border of the Promised Land, Joshua led the  attack on  Canaan, beginning with the crossing of the Jordan (Josh. 3:7- 4:24), and the  destruction  of Jericho (Josh. 6). The main thrust of his  conquest,  and that  best  supported by archaeological evidence, must have  been  toward  the southern foothills and the Negev (10:28-43), with one major incursion into the north  against Hazor (11:1-15). Joshua is reported to have died at the age of 110, was buried at Timnath-serah in central Palestine  (Josh. 24:29-30).

                The Book of Joshua needs to be read and understood in the context of the Covenant that God had made with Israel at Sinai. The structure of the book of Joshua may be analyzed as follows: (a) Israel crosses the Jordan River and sacks Jericho, chapters 1 - 6; (b) the capture of Ai, chapters 7 - 8; (c) the alliance with Gibeon, chapter 9;  (d) the conquest of the south, chapter 10; (e) the triumph in the north,  chapter 11; (f) a summary of Joshua's victories, chapter 12; (g) division of the land, chapters 13 - 22; (h) Joshua's farewell address, chapter 23; the  covenant ceremony at Shechem, chapter 24.

                About a decade or so before 1200 BC an aging Joshua called the elders, judges, and officers of the tribes to the city of Shechem. That city, built in a pass between two lofty hills and looking out upon a fertile valley, is nowhere claimed to have been conquered by the Israelites and may have been a Hebrew enclave all through the centuries of the enslavement in Egypt.  The words of Jacob in Genesis 48:21-  "...which I wrested from the Amorites with my sword and bow"... are possibly an echo of a Hebrew conquest in the region of Shechem during the patriarchal period.

                Carefully read Joshua 24:1-27 and try to identify the nine different parts of the Covenant God made with Joshua. You should note that these nine parts of a covenant are not necessarily in any particular order in any scriptural covenants, but all can be clearly identified in this passage. In the last chapter of the Book of Joshua, a grateful leader and his people will now covenant with their God who fulfilled His promise to give them the land of Canaan. The covenant takes the form of a suzerainty treaty, with an embedded Royal Grant. It affirms the Mosaic covenant and amends it, adding certain new elements to it.

SPECIFICS OF GOD’S COVENANT WITH JOSHUA

THE PREAMBLE

"Thus speaks the Lord, the God of Israel."

HISTORICAL PROLOGUE

" In olden times, your forefathers... lived beyond the Euphrates an worshipped other gods. I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout all the land of Canaan... And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt...  And I brought your fathers out of Egypt... And I gave you a land whereon you had not labored, and cities which you had built...” No mention was made of the patriarchs in the Mosaic covenant, for that covenant was directed solely at those who had undergone the slave experience.

                Here  at Shechem the entire people were being fused together-- those  who  had remained  in  Canaan and possessed strong memories of the  patriarchal  traditions,  and those who ancestors had once been slaves and who now brought  with them  tales of Egypt, memories of Moses and a long wandering,  and  wilderness traditions.

DEMANDS OR STIPULATIONS

"  Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in  truth;  and put  away  the  gods which your fathers served beyond the  Euphrates,  and  in Egypt;  and  serve the Lord..." Only YHWH was God. Other gods had no  role  to play  in  the cosmos; they were, bits of wood and stone. Pagans who did not worship Yaweh Elohim found utterly incomprehensible the Israelite faith in an image-less, transcendent God who participated  in  human events and had chosen a small, helpless,  and  not  particularly worthy people to be His instrument in an unfolding purposeful history directed by  Him and Him alone. It seemed that there could be no common meeting ground  between these two views of the world.

DEPOSIT OF THE TEXT, PUBLIC READING, AND RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT FOR CONTINUITY

We  are told in the twenty-fourth chapter of the Book of Joshua, in which  the final  literary version of the making of this covenant is found,  that  Joshua "wrote these words in the book of the law of God." The contents of this book-- its additional covenant stipulations and laws-- are unknown. Scholars  believe that  it was kept at the sanctuary in Shechem and read periodically as a  part of a religious ceremony.

THE DIVINE WITNESS

" And Joshua said to the people: `You are witnesses against yourself that  you have  chosen  the Lord, to serve Him.' And they said: `We  are  witnesses...'"  This  is  a  curiously innovative move in a monotheistic  situation  where  no divine  witnesses  are possible. Joshua also constructed a stone to  serve  as witness,  "and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of  the Lord.  And Joshua said to all the people: `Behold, this stone shall be a  witness against us; for it has heard all the words of the Lord...'"

BLESSINGS AND CURSES

"If you forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then He will turn and do you evil and consume you..."

THE FORMAL OATH

"And the people said `to His voice will we hearken.'"

THE SOLEMN CEREMONY

None is recorded, but sacrifices were made. Then the people went away,  "every man  to his inheritance." The response to the events of the conquest  was  the Joshua covenant.

GOD'S TOKEN

God destroyed Jericho as a sign.

MAN'S TOKEN

The people were expected to conquer Canaan in obedience to God’s commandments.

GOD’S PRESENCE

God was present and actually spoke to Joshua. His presence was felt by the congregation and acknowledged in the sacrifices and responses that the people made. Sacrifices were made and there was a covenant meal.

                                                                                                             CHAPTER 2

THE GOD OF COVENANT REVEALED

GOD’S CHARACTER

                God is an invisible, personal, and living Spirit, distinguished from all other spirits by several kinds of attributes. God is self-existent, eternal, and unchanging. Intellectually God is omniscient, faithful, and wise. Ethically God is just, merciful, and loving. Emotionally God detests evil, is long-suffering, and is compassionate. God is free, authentic, and omnipotent. He is transcendent in being immanent universally in providential activity, and immanent with his people in redemptive activity.

                Biblical revelation teaches the reality not only of physical entities, but also of spiritual beings: angels, demons, Satan, and the triune God. The Bible also reveals information concerning attributes or characteristics of both material and spiritual realities. The attributes of God are essential characteristics of the divine being. Without these qualities God would not be God.

                God Is an Invisible, Personal, Living, and Active Spirit. Jesus explained to the Samaritian woman why she should worship God in spirit and in truth. God is spirit (John 4:24). The noun pneuma occurs first in the sentence for emphasis. Although some theologies consider         "spirit" an attribute, grammatically in Jesus' statement it is a substantive. In the first century world of the biblical authors, spirits were not dismissed with our modern skepticism.

                As spirit, God is invisible. A spirit does not have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39). As spirit, furthermore, God is personal. Although some thinkers use “spirit” to designate impersonal principles or an impersonal absolute, in the biblical context the divine Spirit has personal capacities of intelligence, emotion, and volition. It is important to deny of the personal in God any vestiges of the physical and moral evil associated with fallen human persons.

                In view of the indivisibility of the divine Spirit, how than are the attributes related to the divine being? The divine attributes are not separate from each other within  the divine being so that they could conflict with each other. The attributes all equally qualify the entirety of the divine being and each other . Preserving the divine simplicity or indivisibility, God's love is always holy love, and God's holiness is always loving holiness. Hence it is futile to argue for the superiority of one divine attribute over another. Every attribute is essential; one cannot be more essential than another in a simple, nonextended being.

                God as spirit, furthermore, is living and active. The invisible God is revealed and embodied through his covenant; the legal basis of all relationship between the visible world and the invisible spirit world. In contrast to the passive ultimates of Greek philosophies the God of the Bible actively creates, sustains, covenants with his people, preserves Israel and the Messiah's line of descent, calls prophet after prophet, send his Son into the world, provides the atoning sacrifice to satisfy his own righteousness, raises Christ from the dead, builds the church, and judges all justly. Far from a passive entity like a warm house, the God of the Bible is an active architect, builder, freedom fighter, and advocate of the poor and oppressed, just judge, empathetic counselor suffering servant, and triumphant deliverer.

                The Scriptures do not endorse worship of an unknown God but make God known. The attributes are inseparable from the being of God, and the divine spirit does not relate or act apart from the essential divine characteristics. In knowing the attributes, then, we know God as he has revealed himself to be in himself. We may be far from fully comprehending divine holiness and divine love, but insofar as our assertions about God coherently convey relevant conceptually revealed meanings they are true of God and conform in part to God’s understanding.

                Writers of theology, to help in relating and remembering them have differently classified the divine attributes. Each classification has its strengths and weaknesses. We may distinguish those attributes that are absolute and immanent (Strong), incommunicable or communicable (Berkhof), metaphysical or moral (Gill), absolute, relative, and moral (Wiley), or personal and constitutional (Chafer). Advantages and disadvantages of  these groupings can be seen in those respective theologies. It is perhaps clearer and more meaningful to distinguish God's characteristics in terms of how they are manifested or revealed to us.

                As God the Father is not seen or felt, there are several incommunicable attributes of God that are most demonstrated by the Father. That they are incommunicable means that these attributes cannot be comprehended with the human senses or reason. These attributes must be accepted by faith, and can be conceptualized, but not explained. God is Spiritual, Infinite, Eternal, Immense, Immutable, Perfect, and Sovereign. Even though we cannot see or feel these attributes, they are real attributes of God.

                As the Holy Spirit’s presence can be felt, although He cannot be seen, God has certain relative attributes which we can sense but not see. God clearly exhibits the qualities of Omnipresence, Omniscience, Omnipotence, Wisdom, Forbearance, Grace, and Sinlessness (Goodness).  These attributes of God lie outside the realm of human experience, but within our ability to understand and benefit from them.

                The Son can be both seen in Christ and felt in his present ministry to believers. He frequently and clearly demonstrates the moral attributes of God. These moral attributes include Holiness, Love, Justice, Righteousness, Long-suffering, Mercy (compassion and kindness), and Peace.  All of these attributes can be seen and felt by those with whom God interacts through the work of Christ and the Holy Spirit. God’s Relative and Moral Attributes are communicable in that they can be felt or seen, as well as comprehended through the human senses. These attributes are communicated to us in the Everlasting Covenant, through God’s Word, through Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Spirit.

                First, God and His covenant are self-existent. All other spirits are created and so have a beginning. They owe their existence to another. God does not depend upon the world or anyone in it for his existence. The world depends on God for its existence. Contrary to those theologians who say we cannot know anything about God in himself, Jesus revealed that God has life in himself (John 5:26). The ground of God's being is not in others, for there is nothing more ultimate than him. God is uncaused, the one who always is (Exod. 3:14). To ask who caused God is to as        self-contradictory question in terms of Jesus' view of God. Another term conveying the concept of God's self-existence is "aseity." It comes from the Latin a, meaning from, and se, meaning oneself. God is underived, necessary, nondependent existence. Understanding this allows us to understand how God is unlimited by anything, or infinite, free, self-determined, and not determined by anything other than him contrary to his own sovereign purposes.

                God and His covenant is eternal and omnipresent (ubiquitous). God's life is from within himself, not anything that had a beginning in the space-time world. God has no beginning, period of growth, old age, or end. The Lord is enthroned as King forever (Ps. 29:10). This God is our God forever and forever (Ps. 48:14). Although space or time, or the succession of events in time does not limit God, he created the world with space and time. God sustains the changing realm of succeeding events and is conscious of every movement in history. The observable, changing world is not unimportant or unreal (the idea of maya in Hinduism) to the omnipresent Lord of all. No tribe, nation, city, family, or personal life is valueless, however brief or apparently insignificant. God's eternal nature is not totally other than time or totally removed from everything in time and space. The space-time world is not foreign or unknown to God. History is the product of God's eternally wise planning, creative purpose, providential preservation, and common grace. God fills space and time with his presence, sustains it, and gives it purpose and value. The omnipresent and ubiquitous One is Lord of time and history, not vice versa. God does not negate time but fulfills it. In it his purposes are accomplished.

                Like God, the covenant is unchanging in nature, desire, and purpose. To say that God is immutable is not to contradict the previous truth that God is living and active. It is to say that all the uses of divine power are consistent with his relative and moral attributes such as wisdom, justice, and love. God's acts are never merely arbitrary, although some may be for reasons wholly within himself rather than conditioned upon human response. Underlying each judgment of the wicked and each pardon of the repentant is his changeless purpose concerning sin and conversion. Unlike the Stoic's concept of divine immutability, God is not indifferent to human activity and need. We can always count upon God's concern for the welfare of His children.

                The immutability of God's character means that God never loses his own integrity or lets others down. With God is no variableness or shadow of turning (James 1:17). God's unshakable nature and word provide the strongest ground of faith and bring strong consolation (Heb. 6: 17-18). God is not a man that he should lie (Num. 23:19) or repent (I Sam. 15:29). The counsel of the Lord stands forever (Ps. 33:11). Though heaven and earth pass away, God's words will not fail (Matt. 5:18; 24:35).

                God is omniscient. God knows all things (I John 3:20). Nothing in all creation is  hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the one to whom we must give account (Heb. 4:13), and God’s covenant covers every possible eventuality. Isaiah distinguished the Lord of all from idols by the Lord's ability to predict the future (Isa. 44:7-8, 25-28). Clearly the Lord's knowledge of the future was communicable in human concepts and words. In the context Isaiah made predictions concerning Jerusalem, Judah, Cyrus, and the temple. These concepts were inspired in the original language and are translatable in the languages of the world.

                The human mind has been created in the divine image to think God's thoughts after him, or to receive through both general and special revelation truth from God. Although the fall has affected the human mind, this has not been eradicated. The new birth involves the Holy Spirit's renewal of the person in knowledge after the image of the Creator (Col. 3:10). Contextually, the knowledge possible to the regenerate includes the present position and nature of the exalted Christ (Col. 1:15-20) and knowledge of God's will (Col. 1:9). With this knowledge Christians can avoid being deceived by mere fine-sounding arguments (Col. 2:4). They are to strengthen the faith they were taught in concepts and words (Col. 2:7). And the content of the word of Christ can inform their teaching and worship (Col. 3:16).

                God knows everything that bears upon the truth concerning any person or event. Our judgments are true insofar as they conform to God's by being coherent or faithful to all the relevant evidence. Because God is faithful and true (Rev. 19:11), his judgments (Rev. 19:2) and his words in human language are faithful and true (Rev. 21:5; 22:6). There is no lack of fidelity in God's person, thought, or promise. God is not hypocritical and inconsistent. We may hold to our hope because he who promised is faithful (Heb. 10:23), He is faithful to forgive our sins (1 John 1:9), sanctify believers, strengthen and protect from the evil one (II Thess. 3:3), and not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear (1 Cor. 10:13). Even if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself (2 Tim. 2:13).

                God is not only omniscient and consistent in person and word, but also perfectly wise, and that wisdom is reflected in God’s covenants. We may not always be able to see that events in our lives work together for a wise purpose, but we know that God chooses from among all the possible alternatives the best ends and means for achieving them. God not only chooses the right ends but also for the right reasons, the good of his creatures and thus his glory.  Although we may not fully understand divine wisdom, we have good reason to trust it. After writing of God’s gift of the righteousness, Paul exclaims, "To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen." (Rom. 16:27).

                The interrelation of the attributes is already evident as the divine omniscience is aware not only of what is but also of what ought to be (morally); divine faithfulness and consistency involve moral integrity and no hypocrisy; and wisdom makes decisions for action toward certain ends and means in terms of the highest values. It is not so strange then when we read that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Prov. 1:7).

                Holiness is not solely the product of God's will, but a changeless characteristic of his eternal nature. God always wills in accord with his nature consistently. He wills the good because he is good. And because God is holy, he consistently hates sin and is repulsed by all evil without respect of persons. The Holy Spirit is called holy because he shares the holiness of the divine nature, and because the Spirit's distinctive function is to produce holy love in God's redeemed people. We are to seek to be morally spotless in character and action, upright, and righteous like the God we worship.

                God is just or righteous, and the covenant focuses that righteousness upon the human situation. God's justice or righteousness is revealed in his moral law, which proceeds from the covenant. Moral law expresses God’s moral nature and in his judgment, granting to all, in matters of merit, exactly what they deserve. His judgment is not arbitrary or capricious, but principled and without respect of persons. Old Testament writers frequently protest the injustice experienced by the poor, widows, orphans, strangers, and the godly. God, in contrast, has pity on the poor and needy (Ps. 72:12-14). He answers, delivers, revives, acquits, and grants them the justice that is their due. In righteousness God delivers the needy from injustice and persecution.

                God’s covenants always contain curses for disobedience, as divine wrath is revealed to sinners who suppress his truth (Rom. 1:18-32), In the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed; a righteousness that is by faith from first to last (Rom. 1:17; 3:21).  Believers are justified freely by God's grace that came by Jesus Christ, who provided the sacrifice of atonement (Rom. 3:24). Hence like  Abraham, those who are fully persuaded that God can do what he has promised (Rom. 4:21) find their faith credited to them for righteousness (Rom. 4:3, 24). God in his justice graciously provides for the just status of believers in Christ. Righteousness in God is not unrelated to mercy, grace, and love.

                In mercy God withholds or modifies deserved judgment, and in grace God freely gives undeserved benefits to whom he chooses. All of these moral characteristics flow from God's great love. In contrast to his transcendent self-existence is his gracious self-giving, agape love. He who lives forever as holy, high, and lofty also lives with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit (Isa. 57:15). God desires to give of himself for the well being of those loved, in spite of the fact that they are unlovely and undeserving. This kind of love involves commitment for the well being of others, a faithful commitment, it is not primarily emotional. Love is settled purpose of will involving the whole person in seeking the well being of others.

                God not only loves but also is in himself love (1 John 4:8). His love is like that of a husband toward his wife, a father toward his son, and a mother toward her unweaned baby. In love God chose Israel (Deut. 7:7) and predestined believing members of the church to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:4-5). God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

                God desires that we not despair as one after another of our finite friends, family members, and spiritual leaders let us down. His covenant never lets us down. It is something that can always be counted upon. As God exists, his covenant exists. As we worship Him, we find that He is able and willing to meet our needs.

                God is above all else and is the creator of the universe. This creative propensity has to be ranked as one of his greatest attributes. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). He did it by fiat, without any preexisting material; his resolve that things should exist (“Let there be . . .”) called them into being and formed them in order with an existence that depended on his will yet was distinct from his own. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were involved together (Gen. 1:2; Pss. 33:6, 9; 148:5; John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-16; Heb. 1:2; 11:3). The act of creation is mystery to us. We cannot create out of nothing, and we do not know how God could. To say that he created “out of nothing” is to confess the mystery, not explain it. In particular, we cannot conceive how dependent existence can be distinct existence, nor how angels and human beings in their dependent existence can be not robots but creatures capable of free decisions for which they are morally accountable to their Maker. Yet Scripture everywhere teaches us that this is the way it is. We can choose to obey or to disobey God and His covenant.

                 Space and time are dimensions of the created order; God is not “in” either; nor is he bound by either as we are. As the world order is not self-created, so it is not self-sustaining, as God is. The stability of the universe depends on constant divine upholding; this is a specific ministry of the divine Son (Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3), and without it every creature of every kind, ourselves included, would cease to be. As Paul told the Athenians, “he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. . . . In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:25, 28).

                 The possibility of creative intrusions (miracles of creative power, reorienting human hearts and redirecting human desires and energies in regeneration) is as old as the cosmos itself. How far God in his upholding activity actually continues to create new things that cannot be explained in terms of anything that went before, it is beyond our power to know; but certainly his world remains open to his creative power at every point. Knowing that God created the world, and created us as part of it, is basic to true religion. God is to be praised as Creator, by reason of the marvelous order, variety, and beauty of his works.

                God has not only the strength to effect all his purposes in the way in which he purposes them, but also the authority in the entire realm of his kingdom to do what he will. God is not a subject of another's dominion, but is King or Lord of all. By virtue of all his other attributes, his wisdom, justice, and love, for example, God is fit for the ruling of all that he created and sustains. God is a wise, holy, and sovereign. He can defeat the nations and demonic hosts that oppose him. He did so at Calvary. No one can exist independent God’s sovereignty. The attempt to live independent of God is sinful insolence on the part of creatures who in him live and move and have their being. Only a fool could say that there is no God. God even gives breath to the atheist who uses it to deny divine dominion over him.

                The various attributes of God always work together in harmony. God is patient and long-suffering, for example. He is concerned for the well being  of the objects of his love, and becomes angry at injustice done to them. God is also long-suffering with evildoers. Without condoning their sin, God graciously provides them with undeserved temporal and spiritual benefits. God promised the land to Abraham, but the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full (Gen. 15:16). After over four hundred years of long-suffering restraint God in the fullness of  time allowed the armies of Israel to bring just judgment upon the Amorites' wickedness. Later Israel worshipped the golden calf and deserved divine judgment like other idolaters. But God revealed himself at the second giving of the law as "the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Exod. 34:6). The Psalmist could write, "But Thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Ps. 86:15). However, the day of God's grace has an end. Eventually, without respect of persons, God's just judgment fell upon Israel for its pervasive evils, primarily the breaking of the Covenant. God's long-suffering is a remarkable virtue, but it does not exclude or contradict God's justice. 

THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY

                Although not a biblical term, "the Trinity" is convenient designation for the one God self-revealed in Scripture as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It signifies that within the one essence of the Godhead we have to distinguish three "persons" who are neither three gods on the one side, nor three parts or modes of God on the other, but coequally and coeternally God.

Many apologists have found Trinitarian analogies both in nature generally and in the constitution of man. We are spirit (pneuma), soul (psuche), and body (soma). God is Holy Spirit (Pneuma Hagion), Father (the possessor of a mind, will and emotions-- a psuche), and Jesus Christ (the physical presence-- the soma). God can be compared to steam (Father), water (spirit), and ice (Son). All three forms of water are one in essence with the same chemical composition, and all can be present at the same time under certain conditions. This reminds us of the single essence and three persons of the Godhead or Trinity.

                God uses the symbolism of three things throughout scripture. God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Man is body, soul, and spirit. There are three parts  of the Tabernacle and Temple; the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies). There are three Levitical convocations; Passover, Pentecost (Weeks), and Tabernacles. There are three primary Christian observances; Easter, Pentecost, and Advent. And there are three primary stages in the development of God’s Everlasting Covenant; the Adamic (Edenic) Covenant, the Old (Hebrew) Covenant, and the New (Christ’s) Covenant.

                A proper biblical view of the Trinity balances the concepts of unity and distinctiveness. Two errors that appear in the history of the consideration of the doctrine are tritheism and Unitarianism. In tritheism, error is made in emphasizing the distinctiveness of the Godhead to the point that the Trinity is seen as three separate Gods, or a Christian polytheism. On the other hand, Unitarianism excludes the concept of distinctiveness while focusing solely on the aspect of God the Father. In this way, Christ and the Holy Spirit are placed in lower categories and made less than divine. Both errors compromise the effectiveness and contribution of the activity of God in redemptive history.

                Old Testament doctrine emphasizes the unity of God. God is not himself a plurality, nor is he one among many others. He is single and unique: "The Lord our God is one Lord" (Duet.  6:4), and he demands the exclusion of all pretended rivals (Deut. 5:7-11). Hence there can be no question of tritheism. In the Old Testament there are clear intimations of the Trinity. The frequent mention of the Spirit of God (Gen. 1:2) may be noted, as also, perhaps, the angel of the Lord in Exod. 23:23. Again, the plural in Gen. 1:26 and 11:7 is to be noted, as also the plural form of the divine name and the nature of the divine appearance to Abraham in Gen. 18. The importance of the word (Ps. 33:6), and especially the wisdom, of God (Prov. 8:12ff.) is a further pointer, and in a mysterious verse like Isa. 48:16, in a strongly monotheistic context, we have a very close approach to Trinitarian formulation.

                In the New Testament there is no explicit statement of the doctrine (apart from the 1 John 5:7), but the Trinitarian evidence is overwhelming. God is still preached as the one God (Gal. 3:20). Yet Jesus proclaims his own deity (John 8:58) and evokes and accepts the faith and worship of his disciples (Matt. 16:16; John 20:28). As the Son or Word, he can thus be equated with God (John 1:1) and associated with the Father, e.g., in the Pauline salutations (1 Cor. 1:3, etc.). But the Spirit or Comforter is also brought into the same interrelationship (cf. John 14-16). It is not surprising, therefore, that while we have no dogmatic statement, there are clear references to the three persons of the Godhead in the New Testament. All three are mentioned at the baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3:16-17). The disciples are to baptize in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Matt. 28:19). The developed Pauline blessing includes the grace of the Son, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost (2 Cor. 13:14). Reference is made to the election of  the Father, the sanctification of the Spirit, and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:2) in relation to the salvation of believers.

                It is remarkable that New Testament writers present the Trinity in such a manner that it does not violate the Old Testament concept of the oneness of God. In fact, they unanimously affirm the Hebrew monotheistic faith, but they extend it to include the coming of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The early Christian church experienced the God of Abraham in a new and dramatic way without abandoning the oneness of God that permeates the Old Testament. As a fresh expression of God, the concept of the Trinity--rooted in the God of the past and consistent with the God of the past--absorbs the idea of the God of the past, but goes beyond the God of the past in a more personal encounter.

                The New Testament evidence for the Trinity can be grouped into four types of passages. The first is the Trinitarian formula of Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2; Revelation 1:4. In each passage a Trinitarian formula, repeated in summation fashion, registers a distinctive contribution of each person of the Godhead. Matthew 28:19, for example, follows the triple formula of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that distinguishes Christian baptism. The risen Lord commissioned the disciples to baptize converts with a Trinitarian emphasis that carries the distinctiveness of each person of the Godhead while associating their inner relationship. This passage is the clearest scriptural reference to a systematic presentation of this doctrine.

                Paul, in 2 Corinthians 13:14, finalized his thoughts to the Corinthian church with a pastoral appeal that is grounded in "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit" (NIV). The formulation is designed to have the practical impact of bringing that divided church together through their personal experience of the Trinity in their daily lives. Significantly, in the Trinitarian order Christ is mentioned first. This reflects the actual process of Christian salvation, since Christ is the key to opening insight into the work of the Godhead. Paul was calling attention to the Trinitarian consciousness, not in the initial work of salvation which has already been accomplished at Corinth, but in the sustaining work that enables divisive Christians to achieve unity.

                John addressed the readers of Revelation with an expanded Trinitarian formula that includes references to the persons of the Godhead (Rev. 1:4-6). The focus on the triumph of Christianity crystallizes the Trinitarian greeting into a doxology that acknowledges the accomplished work and the future return of Christ. This elongated presentation serves as an encouragement to churches facing persecution.

                A second type of New Testament passage is the triadic form. Two passages cast in this structure are Ephesians 4:4-6 and 1 Corinthians 12:3-6. Both passages refer to the three Persons, but not in the definitive formula of the previous passage. Each Scripture balances the unity of the church. Emphasis is placed on the administration of gifts by the Godhead.

                A third category of passages mentions the three persons of the Godhead, but without a clear triadic structure. In the accounts of the baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3:3-17; Mark 1:9-11; and Luke 3:21-22), the three synoptic writers recorded the presence of the Trinity when the Son was baptized, the Spirit descended, and the Father spoke with approval. Paul, in Galatians 4:4-6, outlined the work of the Trinity in the aspect of the sending Father. Other representative passages in this category (2 Thess. 2:13-15; Titus 3:4-6; and Jude 20-21) portray each member of the Trinity in relation to a particular redemptive function.

                The fourth category of Trinitarian passages includes those presented in the farewell discourse of Jesus to His disciples (John 14:16; 15:26; 16:13-15). In the context of these passages, Jesus expounded the work and ministry of the third person of the Godhead as the Agent of God in the continuing ministry of the Son. The Spirit is a Teacher who facilitates understanding on the disciples' part and, in being sent from the Father and the Son, is one in nature with the other Persons of the Trinity. He makes known the Son and "at the same time makes known the Father who is revealed in the Son" (16:15). The discourse emphasizes the interrelatedness of the Trinity in equality and operational significance.

                All of these passages are efforts by the early church to express its awareness of the Trinity. The New Testament is Christological in its approach, but it involves the fullness of God being made available to the individual believer through Jesus and by the Spirit. The consistent Trinitarian expression is not a formulation of the doctrine, as such, but reveals an experiencing of God's persistent self-revelation.

God Revealed Through His COVENANT Names 

JEHOVAH ELOHIM

                Throughout the course of Biblical history, God revealed Himself and  His nature  through His intervention into the affairs of His people; and  He would often reveal Himself within the revelation of a particular name  that  reflected some special attribute of His nature.

                In the first verse of the first book of the Bible (Genesis), God reveals  Himself as "Elohim"-- which expresses the general idea of greatness and  glory and  of  creative power, of omnipotence and sovereignty. The name  of  God  as  Elohim appears 32 times in the first chapter of Genesis, and 2,570 times in the  Bible.  The  name  is taken from a word that is plural--and  therefore  also  reveals that God is revealing Himself as a God of plural being or  plural existence--a reference to the Trinity of the God-head (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

                In the second chapter of Genesis, God reveals Himself as "Jehovah"-- the Being who is absolutely self-existent, the One who in Himself possesses essential life, permanent existence. This name is used 6,823 times.

                God  is a God of justice and mercy, exercising moral governance and  authority over  the world and demanding righteousness from people. The  Shema--"Hear,  O Israel:  The Lord our God is one Lord" (Deut. 6:4)--Judaism's  famous  confession,  likely  dating to Josiah's reform (about 622 BC), conveys  an  understanding of the God’s sovereign authority.

                In  the 17th chapter of Genesis, God reveals Himself as  "El  Shaddai"--the One mighty to nourish, satisfy, supply; the all-sufficient, all bountiful; the  God who blesses with all manner of blessings. It was as El  Shaddai  that God revealed Himself to Abraham and created the promises and provisions to the covenant between God and man.

                The personality of God is also expressed by a variety of names, which  in ancient Near Eastern tradition signified a range of character and  function. Thus he was worshipped by Melchizedek as the Most High God  (Gen. 14:18), while other titles included God Almighty (Exod. 6:3), "a God who sees" (Gen. 16:13), "God is the God of Israel" (Gen. 33:20), and the redemptive name YHWH ("I am who I am" or "I will be what I will  be"). This name, often transliterated Jehovah or Yahweh, establishes God's existence beyond question and identifies him as the only true an living God (Isa. 45:5). It was this act that gave Israel its uniqueness in human society and made it the vehicle of subsequent revelation.

                The  common Semitic designation for "God" or "a god," is El. This term  shares the same ambiguity of other languages, ancient and modern, to refer  indifferently  to  a deity real or alleged or to the recognized Deity of  national  or personal  veneration. Thus, the term El can refer to a false god or  the  true God. It is an interesting fact that the common Hebrew word for "God," Elohim, is  a plural  form, though grammatically it is treated as a singular and  used  with singular  verbs and adjectives.

                In  the Ugaritic literature that testifies to a Canaanite religion of  a  time  prior  to  the formation of the Israelite traditions, El is  the  supreme  and still  active deity in the pantheon, though there are some indications of  its senescence. This picture lends truth probability to the Israelite  patriarchal  accounts in Genesis that envisage pre-Israelite Canaan and in which the  local deities  are invariably designated by the name El, never by that of  Baal.  On the contrary, traditions relating to the Israelite conquest, the period of the Judges,  and the subsequent mutualism of Israelite and Canaanite societies  in Palestine,  universally  refer to the native Canaanite deity as  BAAL  (Lord). This,  too, corresponds with history: Baal, the son (or nephew?) of El,  later supplanted  the  latter as the "active" deity for  Canaanites,  Arameans,  and others of the Near East, even as in Greek mythology Zeus supplanted his father Chronos.  The change in acceptance by the Canaanites from El to Baal  probably  took place during the time that the people of Israel were in Egyptian bondage.  As  a  designation for the primary cultural "god," however, as  distinct  from  that  of a god separate from others, El remained in all the Semitic  languages as a most used element of proper names.

                Speaking just prior to the Babylonian takeover of Jerusalem (587 BC),  Jeremiah emphasizes the impotence of gods (like Baals) that are mere idols. "The instruction of idols  is  but wood!" he says sarcastically (Jer. 10:8). "False  gods"  cannot bring  rain  (14:22). As the product of human craft, these gods "who  did  not make the heavens and the earth shall perish" (10:11). Jerusalem's  destruction cannot be averted by "the gods to whom they burn incense" (11:12). Such  gods, whom the people "have not known" (7:9; 19:4), are unreal (16:20). Their  nothingness is further asserted by Isaiah who refers to them as mere fragments  of wood  and  metal  (Isa. 40:19-20; 46:6-7), these pagan deities  are  no  match whatever  for Yahweh, the Creator and Sovereign of the universe, who  is  "the first" and "the last" (44:6).

                The  plural  form Elohim is commonly used in all parts of the  Bible,  and  is translated "God" in English. The Hebrew word Yahweh or Yehoveh (YHVH or YHWH when transliterated from Hebrew), is the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being. This Hebrew term is uniformly rendered  in the Authorized Version by "LORD," printed in small capitals.

                In  ancient  cultures names were very important. In the Bible,  names  usually denote something about the character of the person. When a person's  character changed,  his  name often changed. Abram’s name was changed, for  example,  to Abraham.  A name change usually indicated a change of nature in  the  person. The change of name from Jacob to Israel illustrates this point.

                Elohim  is the designated covenant title of God. Variations of this  name  are used  whenever God made a covenant with anyone. God's Covenant Names  describe the righteous and sovereign nature of God. They tell us who God is based  upon two things; His Character and His works. Elohim is distinguished from the gods of  the world in that He is of superior character and of superior  power.  All authority is in Him, and this authority is reflected in His names. His authority  is based upon who God is; i.e. His character. Anyone who exercises  great authority  must  first  have impeccable character. Mankind  can  obtain  godly character  only  through a covenant relationship with Elohim--  the  sovereign creator.

                El has the same general range of meaning as Elohim. It is apparently the  root on which the plural form has been constructed. It differs in usage from Elohim only in its use in theophoric names and to serve to contrast the human and the divine.  Sometimes  it is combined with yah to become Elyah. Elohim  is  often used  with  Jehovah (Yawed), and the King James Version of the  Bible  denotes this combination as LORD God.

                ELOHIM literally means the Mighty One with plural natures (Father, Son, Holy Ghost)  which  is used 2570 times in the Bible. The root El is often  used  in combination with other titles to give the reader a more clear understanding of the God of the Covenant. Some of these terms follow.

1. EL ROT-- "God who sees" (Gen. 16:13) is typical of this type of name.

2. EL OLAM-- "God eternal"; Gen. 21:33).

3. EL-OAH-- Almighty God the Everlasting One (Gen. 21:33)

4. EL-ELYON-- Almighty God the Highest, possessor of heaven and earth  (Genesis14:18-22; Psalms