Systematic Theology – Covenant

The Covenant

Professor: Dr. R.J. Rushdoony

Subject: Systematic Theology

Lesson: 1-22

Genre: Speech

Track: 01 of 22

Dictation Name: 01 The Covenant

Location/Venue:

Year:

Our Lord and our God we thank Thee that as we face the problems of this sin-ridden world we can face them in the confidence that Thou art the Lord. We pray our Father that we may stand boldly against the enemies in these days and that we may be more than conquerors. We pray for all those who are under attack that by Thy grace they may make a good stand and a faithful witness and triumph. Bless us as we give ourselves to the study of Thy word, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Tonight we begin the study of one of the most important doctrines in scripture: the doctrine of the covenant. We must say as we begin this study that there really is no understanding of the Bible without this doctrine. The bible is a covenant book. If we do not know what a covenant is, we will not understand the bible. Very briefly a covenant can be defined as a treaty, a contract, a legal relationship between two parties. Since the bible is God’s covenant book, His treaty with man, it is therefore a legal document. We miss the point of scripture if we fail to see it as a covenant book, therefore a legal document from one end to the other. I said that a covenant is a legal relationship between two parties. A very simple example of a covenant is marriage. Marriage is a form of covenant. It is a contract between a man and a woman, and the marriage vow does refer to that fact. I, John take thee Mary to be my lawfully wedded wife and I do promise and covenant to be thy loving and faithful husband and so on.

Covenant. We will return to this matter of the covenantal nature of marriage which interestingly enough we see in virtually every culture all over the world. Now there are two kinds of covenants. The first kind is between two who are relative equals, in such a covenant each can contribute something to the other. One can be more important than the other but they can each make a contribution to each other. This is marriage, for example. A husband and a wife can contribute to the welfare of one another and in fact that’s basic to marriage. There is thus an advantage to both parties in this first type of covenant. If there is no advantage in this type of covenant there is no marriage. As a result in the ancient world there were two kinds of marriages, a covenanted marriage which involved a dowry and concubinage, which was a marriage in which there was no dowry and in which the powers and rights, so to speak, of the concubine were severely limited, it was otherwise a marriage, but there was no covenant involved. The second type of covenant is the kind that we have in scripture between radically unequal partners. In such a covenant the greater is so great that there is no comparison between the two parties. In fact, in this type of covenant for the superior party to enter into a covenant with the other party is always an act of grace. Now this is God’s covenant with man, it is an act of grace. But the very word covenant means that it is a legal relationship, a covenant like a contract is a legal relationship. Thus, the covenant of God with man is at one and the same time a covenant of grace and a covenant of law.

It is impossible to separate the two. In this type of covenant it is important to recognize that blood must be shed if the one party is faithless to the other, it is a covenant unto death, because there is grace involved. Because the greater party does this out of pure grace there can be no exception to this covenant, no breaking of it. It is a covenant unto death. Now the bible specifies wherein a marriage can be dissolved by divorce or by death. Certain crimes against the covenant of marriage such as adultery are in scripture punishable by death because it is a covenant but for lighter offenses there is a dissolution. Not so in a covenant of grace. The law in a covenant of grace requires death for any violation or breaking of the covenant. The very fact of the grace, of one who is so far above to enter into a covenant with someone of no comparable status requires this fidelity. Covenants in the ancient world very commonly occurred between families, a kinsman redeemer had a duty in a covenant relationship to avenge his covenant members, to restore lost inheritance, to provide for the marriage for someone in the covenant family who needed a husband, all covenants established without question a family relationship between the two parties. That is why God calls us His children, because we have entered into a covenant relationship. It makes us of one blood. In a covenant relationship moreover each party had to be ready to put the other first, to do things for the welfare of the other, David and Jonathon.

David knew when he entered into that covenant that there was going to be a tremendous change in the kingdom, David was going to succeed and Jonathon was going to be set aside but Jonathan by entering into that covenant had to work therefore not for his succession to the throne but David’s. Now a covenant was not merely made, it was cut, it was cut, because a covenant required the shedding of blood. Unblemished animals had to be sacrificed in the bible to make the covenant to indicate that if need be God would provide unblemished innocent blood, Jesus Christ, to restore the covenant relationship. When two men entered into a covenant with each other they might cut their wrists or their thumbs just enough to make them bleed and then put them together to mingle their blood or put their wrists together to mingle their blood to indicate that they were now of one blood and if anyone of them violated the covenant their blood must be shed. At one time marriage was celebrated in many cultures with the mingling of blood, in some cultures with the actual drinking of blood. However, in other cultures the drinking of blood was replaced with the drinking of wine which symbolized blood. In the Jewish ceremony to this day bride and groom as a part of the service drink from the same cup of wine. In many, many cultures the drinking of wine by bride and groom is basic. Now, the covenant of God with man is a covenant of grace, the terms are set by the source of that grace which is God. Man cannot offer himself as the blood of the covenant, he is sinful, it would be an insult to God so when the covenant is made with God it is not man’s blood that is shed. It is the blood of an innocent animal that typifies Christ.

That blood, for example at Sinai, was scattered on the people and on the altar to signify that it was God who provided also the blood of the covenant. Man can never offer himself as the blood of the covenant to God, he is sinful and it would be an insult to God. Hence the blood of the animals could not be eaten or drunk, the life of the flesh is in the blood, says Leviticus 17:11. Not only the law of the covenant but the blood of the covenant is by grace. God provides it. Man cannot offer his blood in the making of the covenant. We read in Leviticus 17:14:

“For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.”

The only blood that is permitted in the covenant is symbolically the wine, both in the Old Testament and in the New, the cup of the covenant is wine and in the New Testament of course our Lord says this cup is the blood of the covenant, my blood shed for you, it is therefore a gift of life through the covenant. Now because all life is God’s creation and it exists at His will life cannot be taken nor blood shed except in terms of His law. The commandment Thou shalt not kill means that exactly. We cannot kill except on God’s terms. Therefore we can kill certain animals for food, we can kill people in time of war, we can kill people in defense of our home or in self-defense. We can only kill as God provides. Any violation of the covenant means a death sentence. Now I referred to the wedding cup of wine. Blood has historically played a very important part in wedding celebrations.

The wine is common to weddings in most cultures but in many blood must be shed before the wedding is consummated. We find this to be true in such diverse cultures as Arabia, Bosnia and Scotland. In Scotland until fairly recently the marriage was not complete until a rooster’s head was cut off and blood was shed. Now I said that a marriage was a covenant which could be resolved because it was a covenant in which there was a mutual advantage to each and certain liabilities for each. But in the covenant with God it is all of grace, man can contribute nothing, not even his own blood to the making of a covenant with God. The law of the covenant is God’s law, the blood of the covenant is provided by God and there can therefore be no dissolution by man. Men can be covenant breakers, that is, they can violate the law of the covenant, but they cannot dissolve the covenant with God. Every man living to the last day of creation will be under God’s judgment because if he is a sinner he is a covenant breaker, a violator of the covenant with Adam. As a result, all men are under curses or blessings in terms of their relationship to God and the covenant. In fact basic to the making of a covenant with God was the invoking of curses and blessings, Deuteronomy 27 and 28 give us that very, very clearly. The judgment of death of course pursued Israel and Judea, the fall of Jerusalem was a step in that, but scripture tells us God does not regard His covenant with Israel as ended, they will be cut off and put aside but the covenant will still have them in mind including their ultimate restoration by grace. The covenant with God is inescapable for all the sons of Adam. It will bring them either blessings or curses, they are judged by the covenant and by the law of the covenant and the covenant is the condition of all human life.

Are there any questions now about what we’ve just covered? Yes?

[Question Unintelligible]

[Rushdoony] All men are judged by God in terms of the covenant and the covenant is the condition of every man’s life.

[Question Unintelligible]

[Rushdoony] It means that what God has said in this book is a legal contract with mankind. All men ar going to be judged by it. God entered into a covenant with Adam before the fall, Adam fell, God develops the full terms of that covenant in this book, no man can walk away from that covenant, he is going to be judged by it. So all men are going to be judged by the contents of scripture. Yes?

[Question Unintelligible]

[Rushdoony] No, they are thinking humanistically which is of course religiously that their life is their own to do with as they please. Yes, was there another question over here?

[Question Unintelligible]

[Rushdoony] Well Israel was given particular covenant favors and grace and a privileged condition and because they violated it they were judged, judged above everyone else and we are told in the New Testament that judgment begins at the house of God, why? Because they not only have the covenant but special covenant favors. Yes?

[Question Unintelligible]

[Rushdoony] Yes you do find it but its also perverted, their understanding, it is very obvious they had some awareness…

[Question Unintelligible]

[Rushdoony] Yes. The original revelation to all mankind. For example, in every culture in the world you find the original covenant sign, circumcision. We don’t know of a culture which did not somehow in the background have it.

But they turned it into an empty rite instead of the covenant sign which it is in scripture. Any other questions? Yes?

[Question Unintelligible] you said that the Jews, um, were cut off but when the destruction of Jerusalem they were cut off, that was the completion, I mean the rejection, they rejected Him and they were cut off and the new body of Christ is composed of Jew and gentile, isn’t it? Yes, a combination. And so the Jews are no longer a promised people, the promise of the church now isn’t it, this the replacing, the Old Testament.

[Rushdoony] Yes.

[Question Unintelligible] But what you are saying, do you mean in there that the Jews eventually will…

[Rushdoony] Paul speaks of their restoration together with the salvation of all peoples. Yes?

[Question Unintelligible]

[Rushdoony] Well there are a number of statement sin the Old Testament and New Testament which indicate the restoration of Israel finally. But as long as they are outside of Christ they are under judgment but in the fullness of time all Israel shall be saved.

[Question Unintelligible]

[Rushdoony] Within the church.

[Question Unintelligible]

[Rushdoony] Yes. Today there is a very considerable movement of Jews into the church. Any other questions or comments?

[Question Unintelligible]

[Rushdoony] The commandment was thou shalt not kill, it does not say thou shalt not commit murder, it says thou shalt not kill, in other words, what God is saying you cannot take life except on my terms, all life is mine, I’ve created it. So you can kill for food because I say so. You can kill for defense or in war because I say so. In other words, God gives the conditions where we may kill. And it is only because He gives the conditions and the times and places that we have any right to kill anything. Yes?

[Question Unintelligible]

[Rushdoony] Well the martyrs couldn’t have done much to defend their lives they were in the midst of the Roman Empire and….

[Question Unintelligible]

[Rushdoony] What?

[Question Unintelligible]

[Rushdoony] If it had done any good but it wouldn’t have, it would have been a revolutionary act.

Any other questions?

[Question Unintelligible]

[Rushdoony] For them to take arms against the government of Rome, mhhmm. Any other questions?

Well let’s have a recess for about ten minutes.