by Dr. Gerald Stanton (1918-2010)
Much of the Bible is about the nation Israel: her history, present purpose, and future destiny. While Abram was still in Ur of the Chaldees, God selected him as a man of faith to leave his home, country, and culture and to travel to a land of promise where he would be the progenitor of a mighty nation. He would become the forefather of a people through whom God would reveal Himself to all mankind. Jehovah would be their God, and they would be His chosen people. They would be appointed as a “light of the Gentiles,” and through them would come One anointed to bring salvation to all mankind (Gen. 12:1-2; Isa. 42:6).
THREE GREAT UNCONDITIONAL COVENANTS
It is impossible to understand God’s program and purpose for the nation Israel without being fully aware of what He has promised. A covenant is a solemn promise, and when made between God and man it is a clear declaration of God’s future purpose for the human race. However, there are two kinds of covenants: those that are conditional and those that are unconditional.
A conditional covenant is a solemn promise of God’s presence and blessing upon those who will agree to the terms of the covenant. It is a promise of blessing only when certain conditions are fulfilled. Proverbs 3:5-6 is an excellent example of a conditional covenant: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Three clear responsibilities are set forth which, if met, will result in divine guidance through the pathways of life. The promised blessing is obviously conditional.
But there is also an unconditional covenant, setting forth what God intends to accomplish by His power and authority, with or without human obedience. Prophetic in nature, it is based upon the unchanging purpose and faithfulness of God and declares what God will sovereignly perform. Both kinds of covenants may be found in God’s dealing with Israel, but underlying their relationship with Jehovah are three great and majestic unconditional covenants. These must be studied and well understood because of their strategic importance.
THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT
God’s covenant with Abraham is first set forth in Genesis 12:1-3, but it is reiterated and enlarged in Genesis 13:14-17; 15:18-21; and 17:7-8. Having instructed Abram to leave the city of Ur and journey with his family to a land which God would show him, God’s covenant unfolds with a three-fold promise.
There are personal promises given to Abram: “I will bless thee and make thy name great” (Gen. 12:2). This was fulfilled in God’s sovereign choice of Abram to be the head of a nation that would reveal Jehovah and His salvation to all mankind. It was fulfilled also in the granting of family, flocks, and herds, for “Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold” (Gen. 13:2). He was rich in divine care and abundant blessing throughout life. Also, his name has become great, for even in our day it is highly honored by the world’s three great monotheistic religions: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.
There are national promises, to be fulfilled in Israel alone. Jehovah promised that they should be a nation forever and possess a land for an everlasting possession. The nation and the land forever—these are the two primary national promises of the Abrahamic Covenant. Moreover, God’s blessing shall rest upon the friends of Israel and His curse upon theirenemies. Such promises from God are absolutely unprecedented in the history of nations.
There is also a universal promise: “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” This can best be understood by examining Israel’s great contributions to the world in the realm of science, music, medicine, and other important disciplines. Names come to mind such as Albert Einstein, Felix Mendelssohn, and Jonas Salk and many other notable Jews down through the centuries. However, of far greater blessing to the world is the fact that through Israel the Word of God was given, and through Israel Christ came, the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world, “who is over all, God blessed forever” (Rom. 9:5). In Him the worldhas been most greatly blessed.
Other passages enlarge and clarify the Abrahamic Covenant. Indeed, the rest of Genesis is devoted to God’s dealings with His servant Abraham and his immediate descendants. Genesis 13:14-17 spells out the extent of the Promised Land and the innumerable size of Abram’s promised seed:
And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
God’s covenant to give Israel possession of the land forever amounts to a title deed to the land. Theologian William Shedd comments: “To hold land ‘forever’ is to hold it as long as grass grows and water runs—that is, as long as this world, or aeon endures” (William G. T. Shedd, The Doctrine of Endless Punishment, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1886, 86).
Genesis 15:18-21 clarifies the ultimate extent of the land: “from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates” (cf. Josh. 1:4). This is evidently yet to be fulfilled in response to a greatly increased Jewish population during the coming millennial kingdom.
Genesis 17:4-8 promises “all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession.” These are all significant promises which need fresh scrutiny in a day when Israel is greatly pressured to sacrifice “land for peace.” Is it right or honorable for nations to coerce Israel to give up any portion of a land granted by an eternal covenant of Jehovah? And is it not historically true that blessing has fallen upon nations that bless Israel and judgment upon those who curse Israel (Gen. 12:3)?
In Genesis 17, with the revelation of God as El Shaddai, God Almighty, Abram’s name was changed to Abraham (17:5), which means the “father of many nations.” And twice God reaffirms His special relationship to Abraham and to his seed after him. It will be observed throughout these important Scriptures that for Israel, the nation and the land are the two key issues of the Abrahamic Covenant, which was an unconditional covenant intended to last forever.
In Genesis 26:1-4, the covenant God made with Abraham is now confirmed with Isaac, the Lord specifically promising: “I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father.” Again the primary issues are the continuance of the seed sojourning in the land, with the extended promise: “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.”
Yet again in Genesis 28:13-16 the identical covenant and the bloodline, which would ultimately produce the Messiah, was passed on to Jacob. From Jacob the Messianic line would pass through Judah … and several lesser known men until it reached Boaz and Ruth, then Obed, Jesse, and David the king.
Now these men were not without blame or blemish, but the covenant continued—for it was based on God’s faithfulness rather than upon human behavior. This bloodline ultimately brought forth the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ. It is no wonder that the introduction of Christ in the opening words of the New Testament declares: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matt. 1:1). Such an ancestry was an essential part of the credentials of the coming King.
The twelve tribes of Israel: The dying blessing bestowed by Jacob upon his twelve sons is noteworthy, for it is prophetic of the characteristics of the future tribes of Israel (Gen. 49:1-28). Reuben, his firstborn, shall be known for honor and strength but, because of instability and indecency, shall not excel. Simeon and Levi were known for anger and cruelty. They would be scattered throughout the land and would not prosper. Judah, though not the firstborn, would be as strong as a lion and win the praise of his brethren. Through him Messiah would come, and hence He would be called the “Lion of the tribe of Juda” (Rev. 5:5). Messiah is spoken of here as “Shiloh” (Gen. 49:10), evidently speaking of the tranquility and rest of His promised reign. As we have seen, Messiah must come before the scepter (governmental authority), and the function of law-giver would pass from Judah, which ultimately occurred in AD 70 with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman Titus.
Zebulun would benefit from a seaborne trade. Issachar shall be strong but assume the role of a servant. Dan shall be a liability to his brethren, like a serpent which bites the heel of a horse and endangers its rider. Gad shall overcome those that attack him. Asher shall provide bread and rich dainties for his brethren, possibly a reference to his fertile fields. Naphtali, settled in the hills northwest of Galilee, is pictured as a deer set free. Joseph would be attacked by many enemies but would be made strong by the mighty God of Jacob and, like a fruitful vine, be blessed with children and an abundance of riches. Benjamin, destined to produce a race of warriors, is here described as a powerful and ravenous wolf. After this fashion Jacob foretold something of the future of his sons, including features both good and bad, many of which were later seen in the history of the twelve tribes.
THE DAVIDIC COVENANT
God’s covenant with Israel’s greatest king is set forth in 2 Samuel 7:12-16, which promises that the house, the throne, and the kingdom of David shall be established forever. Iniquity shall be met with punishment, but God’s mercy will not depart from David as it did from Saul. God has made an unconditional promise that Israel shall have a Davidic king, a throne, and a kingdom forever.
These three national promises, together with the nation and land of the Abrahamic Covenant, are sometimes referred to as the “five points of Judaism.” They are the basis of Israel’s lasting relationship with Jehovah and are the final grounds for her promised inheritance.
There are other passages which restate and affirm God’s covenant with David (1 Chron. 17:7-15; 2 Chron. 6:15-17; Psa. 89:3-37). Among them, Psalm 89 is unique because it so strongly declares that in spite of Israel’s sin, the covenant is everlasting. Indeed, it may be called the Psalm of the Davidic Covenant. Verses 3-4 and 29-37 make it clear that God’s promise to David was indeed a covenant, built upon and just as secure as the earlier promise of “a seed that would endure forever.”
From a theological viewpoint, this psalm contains clear and convincing evidence that the amillennialist is wrong when he declares that God’s promise of a Davidic Kingdom was conditional and canceled because of the unbelief of Israel. In answer to the question “Will God revoke His covenant if Israel forsakes God’s judgments and commandments?” we are told that, while this particular sinful generation would receive punishment, God would in no wise cancel His covenant made with the entire nation (vv. 30-32).
Nevertheless My lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer My faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips. Once have I sworn by My holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and His throne as the sun before Me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah (Psa. 89:33-37).
How more clearly can the Scriptures declare that this covenant is not based upon human obedience but upon the power and purpose of Almighty God?
The words of the angelic messenger spoken to Mary prior to the birth of Jesus confirm and carry over the Davidic Covenant into the New Testament:
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end (Lk. 1:30-33).
All past aspects of these covenants have been fulfilled literally, which sets a clear pattern for covenant promises not yet fulfilled. Israel has a mighty future, for the church is not Israel, nor is this age the promised kingdom, nor have God’s covenants been canceled. There is coming a Messianic kingdom with Christ as King, and the final and complete fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant awaits the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
THE NEW COVENANT
This third great unconditional covenant is a promise to Israel of national redemption, the fulfillment of which is yet future. The covenant is stated most clearly in Jeremiah 31:31-37, and its New Testament guarantee is recorded in Romans 11:26-27:
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more (Jer. 31:33-34).
And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is My covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins (Rom. 11:26-27).
The covenant was “new” in contrast with the conditional Mosaic covenant which had become “old,” for it was a covenant repeatedly broken by Israel. In contrast, the day will come when the Law of God shall be written upon their hearts, and they shall all know the Lord from the greatest of them to the least. For, declares Jehovah, I “will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Even more, the iniquities of the nation shall be forgiven, forgotten forever: “For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jer. 31:33-34).
The covenant is repeated and enlarged in Jeremiah 32:37-42, which adds a promise of regathering and safety in their land. As part of this “everlasting covenant,” the nation shall then experience “one heart and one way.” They shall know and reverence the Lord and will not again depart from Him. ‘’Yea,” Jehovah declares, “I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly, with My whole heart and with My whole soul” (Jer. 32:41).
Then in Ezekiel 37:26-28 it is referred to as a “covenant of peace,” with God’s sanctuary set in the midst of them—evidently a prophetic glimpse forward into the millennial kingdom. On the basis of this covenant, Jehovah again affirms: “I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” And once more, the covenant is set forth as “everlasting.”
God will never forget His solemn promise to bless and ultimately redeem His people. Indeed, centuries later the author of Hebrews repeats the covenant and in great detail reaffirms all that the prophets have spoken:
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in My covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more (Heb. 8:8-12).
These, then, are the three great unconditional covenants made by Jehovah in behalf of the nation Israel. They leave no doubt concerning God’s eternal purpose to sustain and redeem His chosen people, to plant them permanently upon their land, and to provide them some day with a Davidic King who shall rule the world in the promised kingdom. That King is Christ, and these covenants are the very bedrock upon which rest God’s present and future program for the Jewish people.
— Dr. Gerald Stanton (1918-2010) served the Lord throughout his life as a pastor and Bible teacher in various churches and Christian educational institutions.
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