In this Post we are going to take a look at God’s covenants as recorded in the Bible, Old and New Testaments.

Also for comparison we shall contrast how covenants are handled by the Quran. It’s giving no secrets away that the Quran does not cover itself in glory on the subject. 

So to the first question: “What are the covenants in the Bible?”

□ Answer: The Bible speaks of seven different covenants as follows:

1). The Adamic Covenant

2). The Abrahamic Covenant

3). The Palestinian (also known as the Land Covenant)

4). The Mosaic Covenant

5). The Noahic Covenant

6). The Davidic Covenant

7). The New Covenant

□ Four of the above (Abrahamic, Palestinian or Land covenant, Mosaic, Davidic) God made with the nation of Israel. Of those four, three are unconditional in nature; that is, regardless of Israel’s obedience or disobedience, God still will fulfill these covenants with Israel. One of the covenants, the Mosaic Covenant, is conditional in nature. That is, this covenant will bring either blessings or curses depending on Israel’s obedience or disobedience.

□”Three of the covenants (Adamic, Noahic, New) are made between God and mankind in general, and are not limited to the nation of Israel.

□ The Adamic Covenant can be thought of in two parts: the Edenic Covenant (innocence) and the Adamic Covenant (grace) (Genesis 3:16-19). The Edenic Covenant is found in Genesis 1:26-30; 2:16-17. The Edenic Covenant outlined man’s responsibility toward creation and God’s directive regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Adamic Covenant included the curses pronounced against mankind for the sin of Adam and Eve, as well as God’s provision for that sin (Genesis 3:15).

The Adamic covenant is the covenant between God and Adam (and Eve) where Adam was to tend the garden (Genesis 1:27-28) and refrain from eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:16-17). As long as he obeyed the covenant requirements, he would live. But if he were to disobey the covenant requirements, he would die.

Genesis 1:27–28, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””Genesis 2:16–17, “The LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.'”

The word “covenant” is not used until Genesis 6:18 when God establishes a covenant with Noah and the word first occurs. Nevertheless, a covenant is a pact or an agreement between two or more parties. Covenants have conditions and stipulations with consequences for breaking the stipulations.  In the case of the Adamic covenant, eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was the condition and breaking it would bring death.  Keeping the covenant would mean living forever. Therefore, we can establish the Adamic covenant.  Furthermore, covenants have signs in biblical theology. The covenant sign between God and Adam was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

The Adamic covenant is sometimes called the covenant of nature, the covenant of creation, and the covenant of works because the blessings of the covenant depended, in part, upon the works of Adam and Eve in the Garden.

In the Adamic covenant, Adam represented all people. The phrase “in Adam” is a term of federal headship which designates that he was our representative. This is why the Bible says that sin entered the world through one man (Romans 5:12). Furthermore, the Bible tells us that “in Adam all die…” (1 Corinthians 15:22). Therefore, the Adamic covenant was not just with Adam, but is also representative of those who were in him, his descendants.

The Adamic Covenant was established between God and Adam that required obedience to the commandment of God, to result in eternal life (Genesis 2:16–17; Leviticus 18:5; Romans 5:12–20). The covenant signs were the trees of life and of knowledge.” (Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms). Another evidence that the covenant relationship with God in the garden included a promise of eternal life if Adam and Eve had perfectly obeyed is the fact that even in the New Testament Paul speaks as though perfect obedience, if it were possible, would actually lead to life. He speaks of a “commandment which promised life” (Romans 7: 10; lit., “the commandment unto life”) and, in order to demonstrate that the law does not rest on faith, he quotes Leviticus 18: 5 to say, about the provisions of the law, “He who does them shall live by them” (Galatians 3: 12; cf. Romans 10:5).”

After Adam failed to keep the covenant, God instituted the covenant of grace which was the covenant of redemption found in Christ Jesus.

□ The Noahic Covenant was an unconditional covenant between God and Noah (specifically) and humanity (generally). After the Flood, God promised humanity that He would never again destroy all life on earth with a Flood (see Genesis chapter 9). God gave the rainbow as the sign of the covenant, a promise that the entire earth would never again flood and a reminder that God can and will judge sin (2 Peter 2:5).

□ The Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3, 6-7; 13:14-17; 15; 17:1-14; 22:15-18). In this covenant, God promised many things to Abraham. He personally promised that He would make Abraham’s name great (Genesis 12:2), that Abraham would have numerous physical descendants (Genesis 13:16), and that he would be the father of a multitude of nations (Genesis 17:4-5). God also made promises regarding a nation called Israel. In fact, the geographical boundaries of the Abrahamic Covenant are laid out on more than one occasion in the book of Genesis (12:7; 13:14-15; 15:18-21). Another provision in the Abrahamic Covenant is that the families of the world will be blessed through the physical line of Abraham (Genesis 12:3; 22:18). This is a reference to the Messiah, who would come from the line of Abraham.

□ Palestinian Covenant (Deuteronomy 30:1-10). The Palestinian Covenant, or, as more accurately described as the Land Covenant, amplifies the land aspect that was detailed in the Abrahamic Covenant. According to the terms of this covenant, if the people disobeyed, God would cause them to be scattered around the world (Deuteronomy 30:3-4), but He would eventually restore the nation (verse 5). When the nation is restored, then they will obey Him perfectly (verse 8), and God will cause them to prosper (verse 9).

□ Mosaic Covenant (Deuteronomy 11; et al.). The Mosaic Covenant was a conditional covenant that either brought God’s direct blessing for obedience or God’s direct cursing for disobedience upon the nation of Israel. Part of the Mosaic Covenant was the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) and the rest of the Law, which contained over 600 commands—roughly 300 positive and 300 negative. The history books of the Old Testament (Joshua–Esther) detail how Israel succeeded at obeying the Law or how Israel failed miserably at obeying the Law. Deuteronomy 11:26-28 details the blessing/cursing motif.

□ Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:8-16). The Davidic Covenant amplifies the “seed” aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant. The promises to David in this passage are significant. God promised that David’s lineage would last forever and that his kingdom would never pass away permanently (verse 16). Obviously, the Davidic throne has not been in place at all times. There will be a time, however, when someone from the line of David will again sit on the throne and rule as king. This future king is Jesus (Luke 1:32-33).

□ New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34). The New Covenant is a covenant made first with the nation of Israel and, ultimately, with all mankind. In the New Covenant, God promises to forgive sin, and there will be a universal knowledge of the Lord. Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law of Moses (Matthew 5:17) and create a new covenant between God and His people. Now that we are under the New Covenant (Matthew 26:28), both Jews and Gentiles can be free from the penalty and the curse of the Law. We are now given the opportunity to receive salvation as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9).

DISCUSSION

Within the discussion of the biblical covenants, there are a few issues that Christians are not agreed upon. First, some Christians think that all of the covenants are conditional in scope. If the covenants are conditional, then Israel failed miserably at fulfilling them. Others believe that the unconditional covenants have yet to be totally fulfilled and, regardless of Israel’s disobedience, will come to fruition sometime in the future. Second, how does the church of Jesus Christ relate to the covenants? Some believe that the church fulfills the covenants and God will never deal with Israel again. This is called replacement theology and has little scriptural evidence. Others believe that the church initially or partially will fulfill these covenants. While many of the promises towards Israel are still in the future, many believe that the church shares in the covenants in some way. Others believe that the covenants are for Israel and for Israel alone, and that the church has no part in these covenants. But for the purposes of this Post nothing turns on these differing interpretations.

□ The Quran’s Position

The Quran actually teaches that the Promised Land which Israel was to inherit was Egypt! Before presenting the evidence for this we need to first mention that the words ‘Canaan’, ‘Israel’ (the land, not the people), ‘Judea’ or ‘Jerusalem’ never appear in the Quran, which is truly bewildering and astonishing to say the least.

When the Quran does speak of Israel’s inheritance it simply refers to the land or city which God gave them. For instance:

“And (remember) when Moses said unto his people: O my people! Remember Allah’s favour unto you, how He placed among you prophets, and He made you kings, and gave you that (which) He gave not to any (other) of (His) creatures. O my people! Go into the holy land which Allah hath ordained for you. Turn not in flight, for surely ye turn back as losers: They said: O Moses! Lo! a giant people (dwell) therein and lo! we go not in till they go forth from thence. When they go forth from thence, then we will enter (not till then). Then out spake two of those who feared (their Lord, men) unto whom Allah had been gracious: Enter in upon them by the gate, for if ye enter by it, lo! ye will be victorious. So put your trust (in Allah) if ye are indeed believers. They said: O Moses! We will never enter (the land) while they are in it. So go thou and thy Lord and fight! We will sit here. He said: My Lord! I have control of none but myself and my brother, so distinguish between us and the wrong-doing folk. (Their Lord) said: For this the land will surely be forbidden them for forty years that they will wander in the earth, bewildered. So grieve not over the wrongdoing folk.” (Surah  5:20-26 Pickthall)

The text doesn’t identify exactly where this holy land was situated, who these giants were, or which two men feared their Lord. So much for an all sufficient book.The only way to know the answers is to go outside of the Quran and consult the Bible. (See Numbers 13:1-3 & 17-33) 

As an aside the Quran in Surah 5:20 contains a gross error since it has Moses speaking of Israel’s kings when in fact Israel had no kings until centuries later during the time of Samuel.

Sticking strictly with the Quran itself and taking into consideration all the references to the Exodus of Israel then it becomes apparent that the author(s) thought that the land given to Israel wasn’t Jerusalem or Canaan but Egypt!

“And WE revealed to Moses, directing him, ‘Take away MY servants by night, you will surely be pursued.’ And Pharaoh sent summoners into the cities, announcing, ‘These are a small party, Yet they have offended us; And we are a multitude fully prepared and vigilant.’ So WE turned them out of gardens and springs, And treasures and an abode of honour. Thus it was; and WE gave them as heritage to the children of Israel.” (Surah 26:52-59 Sher Ali)

The foregoing verses indicate that the Israelites were made the inheritors of Egypt right after the destruction of Pharaoh and his armies in the sea. The Egyptians were “turned out” and their gardens were given to the children of Israel. The inext citations support this position:

“They said: We have been persecuted before you came to us and since you have come to us. He said: It may be that your Lord will destroy your enemy and make you rulers in the land, then He will see how you act. And certainly We overtook Firon’s people with droughts and diminution of fruits that they may be mindful.” (Surah 7:129-130 Shakir)

“Therefore We inflicted retribution on them and drowned them in the sea because they rejected Our signs and were heedless of them. And We made the people who were deemed weak to inherit the eastern land and the western ones which We had blessed; and the good word of your Lord was fulfilled in the children of Israel because they bore up (sufferings) patiently; and We utterly destroyed what Firon and his people had wrought and what they built.” (Surah 7:136-137)

When taking these passages together as a unit (which we must seeing that they are all part of the same context) then the conclusion is that Israel was given the eastern and western parts of Egypt and became rulers of it. 

Probably the most damning passage which links Egypt with the Promised Land is Surah 2:61: (caps for emphasis)

“And when you said, ‘Moses, we will not endure one sort of food; pray to thy Lord for us, that He may bring forth for us of that the earth produces-green herbs, cucumbers, corn, lentils, onions.’ He said, ‘Would you have in exchange what is meaner for what is better? Get you down to EGYPT (misra); you shall have there that you demanded.’ And abasement and poverty were pitched upon them, and they were laden with the burden of God’s anger; that, because they had disbelieved the signs of God and slain the Prophets unrightfully; that, because they disobeyed, and were transgressors.” (Surah 2:61 Arberry)

Other translations of 2.61 give a variety of alternatives for ‘misr’ (obscuring the plain fact that the Quranic term for Egypt is ‘misra’):

“Recall that you said, “O Moses, we can no longer tolerate one kind of food. Call upon your Lord to produce for us such earthly crops as beans, cucumbers, garlic, lentils, and onions.” He said, “Do you wish to substitute that which is inferior for that which is good? Go down to EGYPT, where you can find what you asked for.” They have incurred condemnation, humiliation, and disgrace, and brought upon themselves wrath from GOD. This is because they rejected GOD’s revelations, and killed the prophets unjustly. This is because they disobeyed and transgressed.” (Khalifa)

“And when ye said: O Moses! We are weary of one kind of food; so call upon thy Lord for us that He bring forth for us of that which the earth groweth – of its herbs and its cucumbers and its corn and its lentils and its onions. He said: Would ye exchange that which is higher for that which is lower ? Go down to SETTLED COUNTY, thus ye shall get that which ye demand. And humiliation and wretchedness were stamped upon them and they were visited with wrath from Allah. That was because they disbelieved in Allah’s revelations and slew the prophets wrongfully. That was for their disobedience and transgression.” (Pickthall)

“And when you said: O Musa! we cannot bear with one food, therefore pray Lord on our behalf to bring forth for us out of what the earth grows, of its herbs and its cucumbers and its garlic and its lentils and its onions. He said: Will you exchange that which is better for that which is worse? Enter A CITY, so you will have what you ask for. And abasement and humiliation were brought down upon them, and they became deserving of Allah’s wrath; this was so because they disbelieved in the communications of Allah and killed the prophets unjustly; this was so because they disobeyed and exceeded the limits.” (Shakir)

“And remember when you said, O Moses, surely we will not remain content with one kind of food; pray, then, to thy Lord for us that HE may bring forth for us of what the earth grows – of its herbs and its cucumbers and its wheat and its lentils and its onions.’ He said, `Would you take in exchange that which is worse for that which is better ? Go down to SOME TOWN and there is for you what you ask.’ And they were smitten with abasement and destitution, and they incurred the wrath of ALLAH; that was because they rejected the Signs of ALLAH and sought to slay the Prophets unjustly; this was because they rebelled and transgressed.” (Sherali)

“And remember ye said: “O Moses! we cannot endure one kind of food (always); so beseech thy Lord for us to produce for us of what the earth groweth, -its pot-herbs, and cucumbers, Its garlic, lentils, and onions.” He said: “Will ye exchange the better for the worse? Go ye down to ANY TOWN, and ye shall find what ye want!” They were covered with humiliation and misery; they drew on themselves the wrath of God. This because they went on rejecting the Signs of God and slaying His Messengers without just cause. This because they rebelled and went on transgressing.” (Yusuf Ali) □ The major errors and contradictions — historical, logical, and theological