Page 15 - Biblical Theology Textbook - masters

We will see that God made covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, and others in the Old
Testament. There is a significant difference between some covenants and contracts. A contract is
always an agreement between two parties that each will perform certain tasks to fulfill the terms of the
contract. With a covenant, one party declares he will do something on behalf of the second party, and
often there is no requirements to the second party to do anything, similar to a testament. This is called
an unconditional covenant. Sometimes, however, the first party asks that the second party fulfill
certain conditions. This is called a conditional covenant. For the second party to receive the promises
of the covenant, he must meet certain conditions connected with the covenant.

The major differences between a contract and a covenant is that in a covenant the first party is
promising to do certain things for the second party, but payment from the second party to the first is
not required. With a contract, both parties agree to certain terms, and generally the second party must
pay the price of the contract. With both the contract and a covenant, there generally is some sort of
valid and legal document which is drawn up and signed by both parties. The document is a validation of
the contract or covenant if either party does not perform.

Here is a good definition of a covenant:

A solemn agreement or promise, sometimes confirmed by sacrifice or by sharing in
a meal, by which two or more parties commit themselves to the rights and
responsibilities demanded by their relationship and their agreed course of action

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and accept the serious consequences of breaking faith.

Years ago, two person could agree to terms based on their “word.” They considered that their word was
valid enough, since both parties were people of integrity. They would shake each other’s hands to make
an agreement. But as our societies have degenerated, most people’s words cannot be trusted, thus the
creation of a legal document. In similar ways, covenanting parties in the Old Testament relied on some
sort of validation or confirmation other than their word.

We also need to note some very specific differences of covenants compared to contracts or testaments.
A covenant does not dissolve. It is an everlasting relationship that is created. Even the covenants
between men span multiple generations. We will see later that it is clear in scripture that the condition
of the covenant is still kept after the death of one of the contracting parties. Never in the Scripture do
we read of a covenant being dissolved.

In our modern times, one of the distinctions between a contract and a covenant is the seal that is placed
upon a covenant. In history, this seal was the signet ring of the contracting parties. Today we see this
seal still being used by government to promulgate new laws and to sign apostille documents, which are
the result of documents produced under the Apostille treaty. In Scripture, we find a good example of the
irreversibility of a sealed document in the book of Esther.

Esther 3:8-10Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and
dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of
every other people, and they do not keep the king's laws, so that it is not to the king's profit to tolerate

6 Manser, M. H. (1999). Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies.
London: Martin Manser.

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