Question

define “covenant” and how the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic Covenants were used in the Old Testament/Tanakh; meaning, how is a covenant used and applied throughout the OT? (Note: do not forget about “Hittite Suzerain Treats”.)?

Answer 1

A covenant is a solemn and binding treaty or agreement. Covenants can be conditional/
bilateral or unconditional/unilateral. There are four main covenants in the Old Testament:
the Noahic, Abrahamic and Davidic, which are unconditional/unilateral; and the Mosaic,
which is conditional/bilateral. The Mosaic Covenant is key.
This covenant, made by God with Israel at Sinai (Exodus 19–24), forms the central and
defining theological affirmation of the Old Testament. In its broadest sweep, it affirms
that the God of all creation has made an abiding commitment of fidelity to a chosen
people, Israel: this commitment is grounded in divine resolve to be in the relationship;
through that enduring commitment of fidelity, Israel is marked for all time as the
elect people of God, and God is marked for all time as the God of Israel. This bilateral
commitment (of God to people, and people to God, with requirements to be adhered to)
asserts that the Bible is fundamentally about a God in relationship: not a God in isolated
splendour. This relatedness is both interesting and troublesome in the context of faith:
if God is specially related to one group of chosen people, what is God’s relationship to
other people, and indeed the universe? In addition to this bilateral covenant, God also
makes unilateral covenant commitments to Abraham, Noah and David: the bilateral and
the unilateral complement one another, and while the bilateral covenant is primary,
both types are essential to Israel’s concept of covenantal fidelity. The most authoritative
traditions in the Old Testament are focused on remembering the meeting at Sinai which
resulted in the coven.

Abrahmic covenant:

The abrahnic covenant is really the beginnings of the formal revelation of the covenant of grace, of God's decision to reach into humanity and specifically save people for Himself. It comes in the form of a promise to Abraham. Abraham, who's the son of an idolater, who did not know God. God takes the initiative with him, calls him into a relationship with Himself, and makes just unilaterally some promises to Abraham. He promises that Abraham is going to be a great nation, that he is going to be given a land, a place to live, and that through Him, all of the nations will be blessed.

Genesis 12

Now that promise that's given in genesis12 takes on a very formal, a covenantal form, later on in Genesis, in which God reaffirms the promises and takes an oath, basically makes a lasting promise to Abraham that He will not fail to come through on this.

Origins of Covenant

Normally, when a covenant was made in the ancient Near East, they would talk about the covenant being cut. The cutting of the covenant involved the sacrificing of animals. Animals would be literally cut in two. The person who had to keep the promises would walk through those animals, basically saying, "If I don't keep my end of the bargain, may be done to me what has been done to these animals." Typically, in a covenant, the great king would force the lesser party in the covenant to walk through those animals. It was up to the junior member of the party to keep the terms of the covenant.

Genesis 17

Later on, in genesis17, the promise is given a specific sign with the sign of circumcision. Abraham and his son, Ishmael, are circumcised, making clear that they and all of their household are set apart to the Lord. This covenant, this promise, of blessing to Abraham, to Abraham's seed, and then to the nations through Abraham really is the beginning of the covenant of grace that's going to find its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

3 Tenets of the Abrahamic Covenant

1. To make of Abraham a great nation and bless Abraham and make his name great so that he will be a blessing, to bless those who bless him and curse him who curses him and all peoples on earth would be blessed through Abraham.

2. To give Abraham's descendants all the land from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates.  Later, this land came to be referred to as the Promised Land or the Land of Israel.

3. To make Abraham the father of many nations and of many descendants and give "the whole land of Canaan" to his descendants. Circumcision is to be the permanent sign of this everlasting covenant with Abraham and his male descendants.

Mosiac covenant:

Moses is regarded as an important prophet in Judaism. Jews believe that he too made an important covenant with God. It is believed that Moses is the only person to have ever witnessed God face to face. Moses delivered the words of God and received miracles sent by God. Jews believe that God acted through Moses.

Freeing the Israelites from slavery

Many of the stories about Moses are important to the Jewish people, especially the story where he led the Israelites out of slavery to the promised land. This important story is concerned with a time when Jewish people were living in slavery in Egypt. God called Moses to rescue these people, but at first the pharaoh refused to let them leave Egypt. As a result, God sent ten plagues to the Egyptian people. Eventually the pharaoh let the Israelites go, but then sent his army after them. God parted the Red Sea to let the Jews through and help them escape, but then brought the sea back down on the Egyptian army. Jews celebrate this story each year during Pesach.

The commandments

It is also believed that after Moses had led the Israelites out of Egypt he took them through the desert and disappeared up a mountain. Jews believe that this is when God revealed to Moses the 613 commandments that Jews are expected to follow. They included the Ten Commandments. Many Jews also believe that Moses was given the Oral Torah, which was passed down by word of mouth to help people interpret the Written Torah.

Davidic covenant:

The Davidic Covenant refers to God’s promises to David through Nathan the prophet and is found in 2 Samuel and later summarized in 1 Chronicles 14 and 2 Chronicles 6:16. This is an unconditional covenant made between God and David through which God promises David and Israel that the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would come from the lineage of David and the tribe of Judah and would establish a kingdom that would endure forever. The Davidic Covenant is unconditional because God does not place any conditions of obedience upon its fulfillment. The surety of the promises made rests solely on God’s faithfulness and does not depend at all on David or Israel’s obedience.

The Davidic Covenant centers on several key promises that are made to David. First, God reaffirms the promise of the land that He made in the first two covenants with Israel (the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants). This promise is seen in 2 Samuel 7:10, “I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore.” God then promises that David’s son will succeed him as king of Israel and that this son (Solomon) would build the temple. This promise is seen in 2 Samuel 7:12–13, " I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name.”

But then the promise continues and expands: “I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (verse 13), and “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever” (verse 16). What began as a promise that David’s son Solomon would be blessed and build the temple turns into something different—the promise of an everlasting kingdom. Another Son of David would rule forever and build a lasting House. This is a reference to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, called the Son of David in Matthew 21:9.

The promise that David’s “house,” “kingdom,” and “throne” will be established forever is significant because it shows that the Messiah will come from the lineage of David and that He will establish a kingdom from which He will reign. The covenant is summarized by the words “house,” promising a dynasty in the lineage of David; “kingdom,” referring to a people who are governed by a king; “throne,” emphasizing the authority of the king’s rule; and “forever,” emphasizing the eternal and unconditional nature of this promise to David and Israel.