Covenant

>berit (Hebrew)

>diatheke (Greek)

>both = "covenant"

>testament (English)

Biblical Timeline

• Adam
• Abraham
• Noah
• Moses
• David

Theology --> 5 Covenants

• Adam/Eve - Eden
• Noah - Flood
• Abe - Decedents/Canaan
• Moses/Israel - Mt Sinai
• David - Dynasty

Understanding Covenant

• Remember: the more closely related the greater the responsibility
• To create responsibility with non-kin --> make them kin
• "Fictive Kinship"
• Think: marriage or adoption today

Understanding Covenant

• Remember: the more closely related the greater the responsibility
• To create responsibility with non-kin --> make them kin
• "Fictive Kinship"
• Think: marriage or adoption today

Covenant Types

• 1) Parity: Equals
• 2) Suzerain/Vassal

Parity Treaty

• usually re: military
• all for one/one for all
• defend one another
• no infringment on personal rights
• parties referred to as "brothers"
• behave "as though" brothers

Suzerain/Vasssal

• One party subserviant
• Strong demands submission
• Father and son
• Suzerain and vassal

Non-Parity Treaties

• Suzerain owned vassal but granted land to vassal
• Vassal paid tribute to suzerain
• Vassal under suzerain's military protection
• If treaty broken, vassal forfiets everything

HESED
total vassal loyalty
treaties w/ no other
covenant faithfulness

Covenant Example

• Joshua and Gibeonites
• Joshua 9:1-10:15
• 9:11 "cut a berit"
• These covenants were "ubiquitous" in Israel's world

Oaths and Ceremony

• ratified covenant
• AND
• communicated consequences of breach

"The head is not the head of a spring lamb, it is the head of Matiilu, his sons.... If Matiilu [breaks] this treaty, so may, just as the head of this spring lamb is cut off.... the head of Matiilu be cut off, and his sons..."
(18th century BC Assyrian oath)

Genesis 15

Form of the Berit

• Preamble/Title
• Historical Prologue
• Stipulations/Obligations
• Periodic Public Reading
• List of Witnesses
• Curses and Blessings

Mt. Sinai Berit

PREAMBLE/TITLE

"I am Yahweh your God..."

PROLOGUE
"...[R]edemptive history is that we obey because we have been loved."

"We do not obey in order to win his grace; we obey because we have received his grace."

STIPULATIONS

"You shall have no other gods before me."

COPIES/READING

-- two tablets
--read law every 7 yrs

LIST OF WITNESSES

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today.."

CURSES/BLESSINGS

Deut 27:11 - 28:68

OATH/RATIFICATION

Read Ex 24:5-8

Ratification of the New Covenant

Eden