The Book of the Covenant
The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to His people.
The Westminster Larger Catechism:
Q. 4. How doth it appear that the Scriptures are of the word of God?
A. The Scriptures manifest themselves to be the word of God, by their majesty and purity, by the consent of all the parts, and the scope of the whole, which is to give all glory to God . . .
The first time I read this, I gasped. Everything in the Bible agrees with everything else because it all gives glory to God.
Imagine looking at 1000 puzzle pieces scattered on a table, and you’ve never seen the box with the picture. That’s how it can feel reading the Bible. Until we see the whole scope, it is difficult to understand how all the pieces fit together.
The first three chapters of Genesis give us the box-top picture—five foundational principles that form a cohesive, comprehensive framework for understanding the Bible, the world, and our lives.
Principle #1: God is our reference point.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1).
God was there in the beginning, so He was there before the beginning. He is the Creator and Sovereign over it all. Unless we start with Him, nothing makes sense.
Principle #2: God’s Word is our authority.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good (Gen. 1:3-4).
God spoke and light obeyed. Light fulfilled, and continues to fulfill, God’s purpose. It was good because God is good.
Principle #3: God’s glory is our purpose.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26).
Only humans are created Imago Dei, in the image of God, for the purpose of imaging His glorious goodness.
Principle #4: Gender distinctiveness is God’s plan.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27).
The man and woman were equally in God’s image; they shared the same authority and purpose, but they were different by God’s design.
Principle #5: The covenant of grace is a promise of His presence, and His presence is the power that transforms us into His image.
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel (Gen. 3:15).
After Adam and Eve disobeyed God, He revealed His covenant promise that One would come who would defeat sin and death, so we could once again live in His presence.
These foundational principles equip God’s people to think biblically and live covenantally in a fallen world. A biblical worldview begins to take shape. The gospel moves from our heads to our hearts and hands as we grow in our desire to proclaim the majesty of the sovereign King and to glorify God in every situation and relationship.
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
(as written by Karen Hodge)
Raising a family in a corrosive culture necessitates non-negotiables that provide a covenantal framework to ground and guide us in the truth. These covenantal non-negotiables help us think biblically about life's biggest questions.
What is my reference point when making decisions? Either "He" or “we” will be the starting point for determining the trajectory of our lives.
What authority or influence is controlling my life? Either the Word or the world will be our authority.
What is my purpose? God’s glory or my glory?
Does gender distinctiveness matter? Gender distinctiveness is God's “very good” plan to fulfill His mission and put His glory on display.
Am I loved, and do I belong? “I will be Your God, you will be my people, and I will live among You” is God's good and comforting answer to these nagging questions.1
PRAYER
Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law . . . Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in Your ways . . . You are good and do good; teach me Your statutes (Ps. 119:18, 37, 68).
1) Susan Hunt with Stephen Estock and Karen Hodge. Heirs of the Covenant: A Framework for Discipleship in the Church. (Committee on Discipleship Ministries, 2025), 72-73.
Additional resource: Heirs of the Covenant Hub
Susan Hunt is the widow of PCA pastor Gene Hunt, a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She is the former PCA Coordinator for Women’s Ministry and author of several books, including Heirs of the Covenant and TRUE, the discipleship curriculum series on biblical womanhood for teen girls. She co-authored Transformed: Life-taker to Life-giver and Life-giving Leadership with Karen Hodge, as well as Aging with Grace with Sharon Betters. She has also written several books for children.
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Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.