Better Covenant with Better Promises: Understanding Biblical Covenants

In this foundational episode, Liam and Dean introduce the crucial topic of biblical covenant theology, demonstrating how understanding God's covenant relationships with humanity provides the proper framework for interpreting Scripture. Through careful examination of Hebrews 8, they explore the five major biblical covenants and reveal why the new covenant established through Christ offers superior promises compared to the law-based Mosaic covenant. The discussion addresses common misconceptions about the relationship between Old and New Testament revelation, demonstrating how Jesus serves as the central figure of Scripture rather than merely another character in the story. This episode provides essential theological foundation for understanding how believers relate to God through the better covenant established in Christ's blood.

The episode establishes that understanding biblical covenants provides essential framework for proper Scripture interpretation, revealing how God relates to humanity across different dispensations. Without covenant understanding, believers cannot properly interpret biblical passages or understand God's character as revealed through different covenant relationships.

The hosts demonstrate that the new covenant represents a fundamental shift from performance-based relationship with God to grace-based relationship rooted in Christ's finished work. Unlike the Mosaic covenant with its blessings and curses based on human performance, the new covenant contains only blessings secured through Jesus' perfect obedience.

The discussion reveals that Jesus serves as the central figure of all Scripture rather than merely another character in the biblical narrative. All previous covenants find their fulfilment in Christ, who embodies God's ultimate revelation to humanity and establishes the superior covenant relationship available to believers.

The new covenant exists between Father and Son, with believers grafted into this relationship through faith in Christ. This understanding eliminates performance anxiety and establishes believers' security in the love relationship that exists eternally between Father and Son.

Digging Deeper Biblical Foundation

Primary Scriptures Referenced:

• Hebrews 8:6-13 - Superior ministry and better covenant enacted on better promises

• Jeremiah 31:31-34 - New covenant prophecy with God's laws written on hearts

• Matthew 24 - Jesus prophesying temple destruction and covenant transition

• Hebrews 1:1-3 - Jesus as exact representation of God's nature and final revelation

• John 14:9 - "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father"

Supporting Biblical Connections:

• Genesis 9:8-17 - Rainbow sign and covenant

• Genesis 15:1-21 - Abrahamic covenant and circumcision sign

• Exodus 19-24 - Mosaic covenant and law given at Sinai

• 2 Samuel 7:8-16 - Davidic covenant and eternal kingdom promises

• Galatians 3:19-25 - Law as tutor until Christ came

• Ephesians 2:11-22 - Gentiles brought near through Christ's blood

Transformational Insights

Dean (on covenant relationship): "The Bible is the way God relates to humanity through his covenant relationship with his people. He loves his people even when they're doing dumb stuff. Understanding covenants gives you such an amazing understanding of God, and you actually can't understand the scriptures properly unless you understand covenants."

Liam (on Jesus as central figure): "Jesus isn't a better Moses. He's not just another part of the story. He is the story. He is the central piece of this whole thing. Jesus didn't change God's idea about you. Jesus changed your idea about God by dying on the cross."

Dean (on new covenant security): "We've been brought into the relationship that God the Father has with God the Son, and the Holy Spirit brings us into that. You can rest in that revelation. You think about the father and the son - they're one. You have that same relationship. You've got that same covenant whether you know it or you don't."

Liam (on covenant transition): "When he said a new covenant, he's made the first obsolete. That's talking about the Mosaic law. Whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear - that's talking about the destruction of the temple because they still were sacrificing animals."

Discussion Questions from the Episode

The hosts posed several direct questions for listener consideration:

• What is a biblical covenant and how does it differ from human agreements?

• Why does God appear different in the Old Testament compared to New Testament revelation? How does understanding that Jesus fulfilled rather than abolished the law change our approach to Old Testament passages?

• What does it mean practically that the new covenant exists between Father and Son with believers grafted in?

Extended Reflection Questions

• How does understanding the five biblical covenants change your reading of Scripture and interpretation of difficult Old Testament passages?

• In what ways might viewing God through the lens of different covenant relationships rather than as inconsistent help resolve theological questions about God's character?

• What would change in your daily relationship with God if you truly grasped that you participate in the same covenant relationship that exists between Father and Son?

• How does understanding that the new covenant contains only blessings (no curses) affect your approach to spiritual challenges and personal failures?

• Consider areas where you may still be operating under law-based thinking rather than grace-based covenant relationship - how would shifting to new covenant understanding transform these areas?

• What does it mean practically that Jesus is the story rather than just part of the story?

  
  

Implementation Steps

Begin studying Scripture with covenant framework in mind, recognising that God's character remains consistent while His covenant relationships with humanity progress toward ultimate fulfilment in Christ. When encountering difficult Old Testament passages, interpret them through the lens of their specific covenant context.

Practice

Approaching God with confidence rooted in your participation in the Father-Son covenant relationship rather than performance-based anxiety about meeting religious requirements. When facing spiritual challenges, remember that the new covenant contains only blessings secured through Christ's perfect obedience rather than conditional blessings based on your performance.

Weekly Challenge

Approach your relationship with God from the understanding that you participate in the same covenant love that exists between Father and Son. Notice how this security transforms your prayer life, Bible reading, and responses to daily challenges.

Father, thank You for bringing me into the better covenant enacted on better promises through the blood of Jesus.

Trinity help me to understand my position in the covenant relationship that exists between the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit - One entwined together. Lord, Remove any veils from my heart that prevents me from seeing clearly the nature of the new covenant.

Today may I have full rest in the You Jesus Christ that comes from participating in Your eternal love relationship rather than striving to earn Your favour through performance or actions.

Amen.

Episode Timestamps

Internal Links: This episode builds upon previous discussions of identity and sanctification while providing foundation for future exploration of specific covenant applications. Upcoming content will address Matthew 24 prophecy and practical implications of covenant theology for daily Christian living.

External Authority Links: Connect with established theological resources on covenant theology, biblical interpretation frameworks, and historical context of first-century Judaism from recognised biblical institutions and systematic theology references.

Continue growing in covenant understanding by studying the biblical passages discussed in this episode and examining how different covenant contexts affect interpretation of Scripture. Apply covenant theology to your daily relationship with God by resting in the security of your participation in the Father-Son covenant relationship. Share this content with others struggling to understand the relationship between Old and New Testament revelation or experiencing anxiety about their standing with God.

Introduction to Covenant Theology

Liam and Dean transition from their previous series on Christian identity to explore the foundational topic of biblical covenant theology. They establish that understanding how God relates to humanity through covenant relationships provides essential framework for proper Scripture interpretation and eliminates confusion about God's character across different biblical periods.

The hosts acknowledge that covenant theology represents a vast topic requiring multiple episodes to address adequately. They commit to providing broad overview before drilling down into specific applications that transform practical Christian living.

Hebrews 8 and the Better Covenant

Dean reads Hebrews 8:6-13, highlighting the writer's emphasis on Jesus' superior ministry as mediator of a better covenant established on better promises. The passage quotes extensively from Jeremiah 31, demonstrating that God always intended to replace the law-based Mosaic covenant with a grace-based relationship written on believers' hearts.

The discussion addresses the significance of declaring the first covenant "obsolete," recognising that this refers specifically to the Mosaic law rather than all previous covenant relationships. The writer of Hebrews addresses Jewish believers tempted to return to temple sacrifice and law-keeping rather than trusting in Christ's superior provision.

The phrase "will soon disappear" connects to the historical destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 AD, which ended the sacrificial system and Levitical priesthood permanently. This event represented the final removal of the old covenant infrastructure that had governed Jewish religious life for centuries.

Overview of Biblical Covenants

Dean provides systematic overview of the five major biblical covenants, distinguishing between unconditional covenants based on God's grace and the conditional Mosaic covenant based on human performance. The Noahic covenant established God's commitment never to destroy the earth by flood again, demonstrated through the rainbow sign.

The Abrahamic covenant promised that Abraham would become father of many nations through faith rather than works, with circumcision serving as the covenant sign. This covenant operates by grace, with God's promises remaining intact despite Abraham's periodic failures and moral lapses.

The Mosaic covenant introduced a fundamentally different dynamic based on performance, with specific blessings promised for obedience and curses threatened for disobedience. This covenant served as tutor to reveal humanity's inability to achieve righteousness through law-keeping rather than providing permanent solution for sin.

The Davidic covenant promised an eternal kingdom through David's lineage, finding ultimate fulfilment in Christ as the eternal king. This covenant operates by grace, with God's promises secured by His character rather than David's performance.

Jesus as Central Figure Rather Than Additional Character

The conversation emphasises that Jesus represents the culmination and fulfilment of all previous covenants rather than merely another figure in biblical history. The writer of Hebrews systematically demonstrates Jesus' superiority to angels, Moses, Aaron, and the entire Old Testament system of worship and sacrifice.

Liam stresses that Jesus serves as "the story" rather than part of the story, representing God's ultimate and final revelation to humanity. This understanding prevents treating Jesus as merely an improved version of previous biblical figures and establishes His unique role as God incarnate.

The hosts address common confusion about whether Jesus fulfilled or abolished the law, explaining that He fulfilled its righteous requirements perfectly while abolishing its power to condemn believers. The law remains holy and good as divine standard while losing its function as the basis for relationship with God.

Covenant Context and God's Character

The discussion demonstrates how understanding covenant context resolves apparent inconsistencies in God's character between Old and New Testament revelation. God's actions under the Mosaic covenant reflect His role as covenant enforcer dealing with violations of agreed-upon terms rather than revealing fundamental aspects of His nature.

Dean explains that covenant relationships involve agreed-upon blessings for compliance and consequences for violation, with both parties understanding these terms beforehand. When God exercises judgment under the law, He acts consistently with the covenant structure His people chose rather than revealing vindictive character traits.

The new covenant eliminates this dynamic by securing all blessings through Christ's perfect obedience while removing all curses through His substitutionary death. Believers participate in covenant relationship based entirely on Jesus' performance rather than their own compliance with legal requirements.

Historical Context and Covenant Transition

The hosts address the forty-year transition period between Jesus' death and resurrection around 30 AD and the temple destruction in 70 AD. During this time, both new covenant believers and traditional Jews who continued temple sacrifice coexisted, creating tension addressed throughout Paul's epistles.

Paul's persecution by "the circumcised" reflects Jewish leaders' recognition that the gospel message undermined the entire temple-based system they had built their identity upon. Paul, as former Pharisee and expert in Jewish law, represented particular threat to established religious authority.

The phrase about thorns in Paul's flesh refers to this ongoing persecution from Jewish opponents rather than physical illness, consistent with Old Testament usage of similar terminology to describe hostile individuals or people groups. Paul's request for relief addressed his desire for freedom from constant persecution rather than healing from disease.

New Covenant Security and Relationship

The episode concludes by establishing that the new covenant exists fundamentally between Father and Son, with believers grafted into this eternal love relationship through faith in Christ. This understanding provides absolute security because the covenant's stability depends on the unchanging relationship between divine persons rather than human performance.

Liam emphasises that Jesus did not change God's attitude toward humanity but rather changed humanity's understanding of God's character through the cross. The revelation of divine love expressed through sacrificial death transforms human perception while revealing what had always been true about God's heart.

The Holy Spirit serves as the agent bringing believers into participation in the Father-Son relationship, enabling them to experience the same love, acceptance, and security that characterises the eternal divine relationship. This participation occurs by grace through faith rather than through religious performance or moral achievement.

Practical Implications for Daily Living

The conversation addresses practical implications of covenant theology for daily Christian experience, particularly the elimination of performance-based anxiety about maintaining God's favour. Understanding participation in the Father-Son covenant relationship provides foundation for confident approach to God regardless of personal failures or spiritual struggles.

The hosts emphasise that believers can rest in covenant security because their standing depends on Christ's perfect covenant compliance rather than their own spiritual performance. This understanding transforms prayer, Bible reading, and response to spiritual challenges from anxiety-producing obligation to relationship-building privilege.

The better covenant enacted on better promises means that believers participate in covenant relationship that contains only blessings secured through Christ's obedience rather than conditional benefits dependent on personal compliance with religious requirements. This security enables genuine spiritual growth rooted in love rather than fear.

Prayer by Dean: "Well, Father, we just we I ask I I pray the Ephesians 1 prayer that that our hearts would be enlightened to know the hope that you've called us into and that we are seated with you in heavenly places far above any principality, any power and that you would you would give us a greater revelation of that truth of we are in this beautiful thing called the better covenant enacted on better promises. And we just thank you, Father, where any old mindsets of veiled hearts, you know, veiled, you know, veiledness just lies over our hearts, we just pray that be gone and there'd be a clear seeing as in a mirror. In Jesus name. Amen."