The Covenant Promise
God’s “I will” shows His sovereign initiative in our redemption. We do not seek Him; He seeks us. His “I will” promise to come near—to dwell among us—persistently progresses from Genesis to Revelation. It is the thread that holds it all together.
I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you (Gen. 17:7).
I will make my dwelling among you, . . . And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people (Lev. 26:11-12).
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people (Jer. 31:33; cf. Heb. 8:10).
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us) (Matt. 1:23 cf. Isa. 7:14).
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth... And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Rev. 21:1-3).
The covenant promise is historical. It begins in eternity past, when the Father chose us in Christ, and it extends to eternity future, when all His children will be gathered to Him.
The covenant promise is personal. At a time and place in history, God opens the minds of His chosen ones to understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:45), and His Holy Spirit replaces our heart of stone with a heart of flesh that responds to Jesus in repentance and faith (Ezek. 36:26-28).
The covenant promise is local. Our family, local church, and community are where we live out the realities of the covenant.
The covenant promise is global. God’s Church is made up of people from every tribe, tongue, and nation.
Covenant is not just a theological concept; it is thoroughly practical. The covenant is a way of life that flows out of a promise of life.
The word "covenant" is mentioned almost 300 times in the Bible. The various covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David are a progressive revelation of the Covenant of Grace. Each reveals another truth while history steadily moved toward the grand and glorious time when “the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4-5).
Jesus fulfilled every Old Testament type and image. All those visible illustrations are consummated in Him. When He shouted from the cross, “It is finished!” it was a cry of victory. Every covenant requirement had been met, not by the covenant-breakers but by the spotless Lamb who is our Substitute. He paid the redemption price for those the Father chose before the creation of the world, and on the basis of His righteousness we are declared holy and blameless.
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
When we look at the cross, we see the Seed who was promised, the Ark, who saves from judgment, the Lamb who took Isaac’s place, the Law that was kept, and the King who rules and reigns in the hearts of His people because He did not remain in the tomb. He rose in victory from the grave and ascended in triumph to the throne. And one glorious day He will return to establish His kingdom on earth.
PRAYER
Make me to know Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation . . . (Ps. 25:4-5).
Susan Hunt with Stephen Estock and Karen Hodge, Heirs of the Covenant: A Framework for Discipleship in the Church
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.