C
Catholic Crusader
Guest
The biblical Covenants are:
Adamic (the covenant God made with Adam),
Noahite (the covenant God made with Noah),
Abrahamic (the covenant God made with Abraham),
Mosaic (the covenant God made with Moses),
Davidic (the covenant God made with David),
and New (the covenant God in the person of Jesus made with the world)
What is the Hebrew understanding of "Covenant"? It is the entrance into a family: an exchange of persons. Their understanding is how we should view "covenant" if we are to understand it in the context of the authors of the Bible.
When an ancient Hebrew brought an outsider into their family, this event would entail swearing an oath, and sharing a meal. Often outsiders were brought into various tribes.
What does a covenant with God mean though? It means being brought into His family - the Trinitarian life - and becoming adopted sons of God. From the very beginnig after the fall of man, God sought to slowly bring more and more of the human race back into His friendship - His family. Notice how each successive covenant mentioned above encompasses a larger and larger group of people: Two (Adam and Eve), then a family (Noah), a nation, a kingdom, then on and on up to the whole wolrld. This is Gods plan, from the very beginning, of bringing more and more of the world back into his family. Thats what a covenant is: An entrance into a family.
Each successive covenant has a different sign, such as Noah's rainbow, then so on up to circumcision, then finally baptism. And the sacred meal, such as the passover, or the Lord's Supper which we celebrate now.
This is why we are all brothers and sisters, why God is "Our Father" - this is why the Church on earth should resemble a "family" - sisters, brothers, fathers, mothers.
How do you think the "covenant" family of God should be reflected by those of us here on earth?
Adamic (the covenant God made with Adam),
Noahite (the covenant God made with Noah),
Abrahamic (the covenant God made with Abraham),
Mosaic (the covenant God made with Moses),
Davidic (the covenant God made with David),
and New (the covenant God in the person of Jesus made with the world)
What is the Hebrew understanding of "Covenant"? It is the entrance into a family: an exchange of persons. Their understanding is how we should view "covenant" if we are to understand it in the context of the authors of the Bible.
When an ancient Hebrew brought an outsider into their family, this event would entail swearing an oath, and sharing a meal. Often outsiders were brought into various tribes.
What does a covenant with God mean though? It means being brought into His family - the Trinitarian life - and becoming adopted sons of God. From the very beginnig after the fall of man, God sought to slowly bring more and more of the human race back into His friendship - His family. Notice how each successive covenant mentioned above encompasses a larger and larger group of people: Two (Adam and Eve), then a family (Noah), a nation, a kingdom, then on and on up to the whole wolrld. This is Gods plan, from the very beginning, of bringing more and more of the world back into his family. Thats what a covenant is: An entrance into a family.
Each successive covenant has a different sign, such as Noah's rainbow, then so on up to circumcision, then finally baptism. And the sacred meal, such as the passover, or the Lord's Supper which we celebrate now.
This is why we are all brothers and sisters, why God is "Our Father" - this is why the Church on earth should resemble a "family" - sisters, brothers, fathers, mothers.
How do you think the "covenant" family of God should be reflected by those of us here on earth?