What Is Covenant?
Covenant is one of the backbone concepts of the Bible: a formal, ceremonially established relationship of mutual commitment between God and people. In the ancient world covenants bound the parties with obligations and were sealed by oath; the Bible uses this familiar form as the language of God binding himself to humanity. The covenants with Noah, with Abraham, with Israel at Sinai and with David are the main stations along this line. The prophet Jeremiah promises a 'new covenant' to be written on hearts, and the New Testament writings announce that this promise was realized in Jesus' death and resurrection. Indeed the two main parts of the Bible take their names from this idea: the Old Testament (Covenant) and the New Testament. The concept underlines that God's relationship is not arbitrary but rests on his word and is trustworthy; faithfulness is its key term.