The covenant nature of God
When we understand that the heart of covenant is relationship, we will easily comprehend the covenant nature of the triune God. God exists in a covenantal relationship with himself as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – a sacred society – a divine community – a covenant unity. I see covenant is an integral part of the very nature of God. Therefore he is also a covenant-making God, for what he does is consistent with who he is.
Everything he does is an expression of himself. He exists in a covenantal relationship and is making covenant with creation, mankind and individuals. He is a faithful God of covenant keeping. He is also a covenant enabling God, – one who through his mercy empowers people to fulfil their obligations of the covenant. This finds its final fulfilment in the new covenant in Jesus Christ which is written in our heart, – in our very nature as new creations in Christ.

By creating as an expression of covenant, he commits himself to bring it to full completion according to his ultimate intention. Therefore we see in the Scripture that neither the fall, the ugly sin that has polluted mankind or the devil can alter God’s commitment to covenant keeping. Even when we are unfaithful, he is faithful, because he cannot deny his very covenant nature. The Fall could not change the covenant commitment of God, nor his eternal purpose and intention.
The very covenant nature of God is the source of the redemptive covenants of the Old Testament culminating in the new covenant through the blood of Jesus Christ. Through this new covenant God is faithfully bringing his eternal purpose to full completion.

Lateral covenants in the Bible
It is very interesting that we find numerous descriptions of events of lateral covenant making in the Bible, but we don’t find a single command to make such covenants mentioned at all. Neither do we find any prohibition to the making of lateral covenants. The reason is a simple one: Man is created in the image of God as a social being. Therefore the making of lateral covenants is the most right thing and natural thing for man to do. We find covenant making practices in all cultures of the world!
These are some of reasons we find in the Bible for making lateral covenants:
 As a seal and extension of friendship (David and Jonathan)
 As an expression of brotherhood (Solomon and Hiram)
 To establish or maintain security (Jacob and Laban)
 To facilitate or accomplish a purpose (Jews against Paul)

Examples of lateral covenants:
 Abraham and Abimelech Genesis 21:22-34
 Isaac and Abimelech Genesis 26:18-30
 Jacob and Laban Genesis 31:22-55
 Joshua and the Gibeonites Joshua 9; 2 Samuel 21
 David and Jonathan 1 Samuel 18:1-3; 20:17,23,42; 23:15-18
 David and Abner 2 Samuel 2-3
 Solomon and Hiram 1 Kings 5:1-12; Amos 1:9
 Jehoiada and the captains
 Jehoiada and all the people and the king
 Judas and the chief priests Luke 22:4-6
 The Jews against Paul Acts 23:12-13

Covenant as the key in understanding Paul’s theology
Covenant is the underlying concept in the gospel of Paul or the key to understand Paul’s theology. Covenant language and terms permeate his entire vocabulary. We clearly see this in the writings of Paul to the covenant communities he is working with. In all his letters we find that his thinking is dominated by this central conviction: In Christ God has brought into being a new covenant community incorporating both Jew and Gentile. We find the same thing with all the apostles. The emphasis on community shows that the gospel was not understood in individualistic terms, as seems to be the main case today. To become a believer was to be added to the new covenant community, to be joined with other believers. “To embrace the gospel is to enter community.”
In the letter to the Romans, covenant is the overall perspective to give us a proper understanding of Paul’s theology:
Romans 1:1-7 we find his introduction to his gospel and understanding of covenant
Romans 1:18-3:20 shows that Jews and Gentiles are alike in covenant breaking
Romans 3:21-4:25 shows us the one new covenant for Jews and gentiles
Romans 5 speaks of the new covenant as grace and peace for all
Romans 6-7 he answers some of the objections of his opponents
Romans 8 is all about the new covenant, new life and the Spirit
Romans 9-11 shows us that the new covenant doesn’t nullify the old
Romans 12:1-15:13 gives admonitions to the new covenant community
Romans 15:14-16:27 contains future plans and final greetings.
In his admonitions we find that to Paul there is one absolute value: the maintenance of the one new covenant community. For the unity of the covenant community, rather than doctrinal opinions, he is a tenacious advocate. He lays down these principles:
1. Freedom is held within the context of responsibility.
2. Concern for the other takes precedence over concern for one self and for the exercise of one’s own freedom.
3. Diversity within the covenant community is to be accepted as a manifestation of the Spirit, who gives various gifts for the benefit of the whole.
4. The unity of the covenant community, which is also the body of Christ, is not to be destroyed by jealousy or disputation.
5. The upbuilding of that one new covenant community ought to be the primary motivation and desire of all as we relate to each other.
6. Love is the binding instrument within the covenant community.
7. The example of Jesus Christ “who did not please himself” is the image all of us should hold before our eyes.
The final greetings in Romans 16 is of particular interest for us today. In this chapter Paul shows us that within the covenant community there exists specific covenantal relationships between the members of the community. These relationships are exclusive in the way that they only encompass certain people, but they are not divisive in any way!
We find in Romans 16 and in the records in Acts and in the other epistles of Paul that he has a lot of covenant friends and co-workers. They were his own, the people he was joined to in the Lord. He was faithful to them and they were faithful to him, helping him and looking after his needs, as he himself had been doing (Acts 20:34-35; 27:3; Philippians 4:-18). He is also using expressions like these: my loyal yoke fellow, my true companion, which describe the covenant bond between them.
In Acts 4:23 we read that Peter and John, after their release from prison, went to their own companions, their covenant friends. Later we discover that they are the people that used to meet in Mary’s house (Acts 12:12). We always turn to our closest friends in the covenant community for prayer and help, and also to share joys, victories, or even defeats.

Lateral covenants today
The question as whether it is right for God-fearing people to make lateral covenants, is off cause never raised in the Bible. To question the practice of lateral covenants even today, is in reality only a proof of ignorance of the overwhelming accounts recorded in the Bible of such practices and also a lack in the understanding of the covenant nature of God himself.
The church is supposed to be a community of covenant friends, it is the perfect environment of covenant making and living. He has brought us into a covenantal relationship with himself, and likewise we will make covenant with each other as he did to us! In the new covenant in Jesus Christ it is the most natural thing to make covenant with people of kindred spirit. Love always leads to expressions of covenant. The local church is supposed to be a garden of friendship, heaven on earth where we may enjoy the fruits of covenant.

The covenant meal is a demonstration of covenant relationships
 By the breaking of bread we visualise our covenant together, being many – yet one
 By sharing the meal we participate in friendship and fellowship in the body of Christ
 The blood is the source of life, and signifies our union with Christ
 The bread speaks of daily nourishment, the peace and friendship within the covenant community
 By calling one another brothers we confirm the covenant of brotherhood

A covenant person will do acts of covenants by:
 giving a promise
 making a specific commitment
 keeping a word
 speaking the truth in love
 forgivingly confront and correct
 giving a gentle touch
 bringing encouragement
 expressions of appreciation and recognition
 being a peacemaker and conflict-solver

Covenant expressions in the Bible
 Karat berit (3722) to cut a covenant, initiating or making covenant
 Qum berit (6965) to rise, arise, stand: confirming or establishing covenant
 Bo berit (935) enter into or bring into a covenant (2 Chronicles 15:12; Ezekiel 16:8; 20:37)
 Sawa berit (6680) to command a covenant into being (Joshua 7:11; Psalm 105:8; 111:9)
 Zakar berit (2142) to remember covenant; to be mindful of, to think about, meditate upon, pay attention to, or to recollect, mention, declare, recite, proclaim, invoke – the covenant that is already made (Genesis 9:15; Exodus 2:24; Psalms 111:5)
 Nasar berit (5341) to watch, guard, keep, protect the covenant (Deut.33:9; 32:10; Ps.25:10)
 Shamar berit (8104) to keep, guard, observe, give heed to covenant (Genesis 17:9-10; 18:19)
 Ba’al berit (1167) to possess, to be the owner of covenant (Genesis 14:13 – Mamre and Eschol were allied with Abram NIV – literally: were possessors of the covenant with Abram) To have a covenant together, is to be the owner of a great value!
 Habar (2278) being joined together, coupled, have fellowship with, be united to, be a companion – by covenant love (Malachi 2:14)
 Nagad (5046) to tell, make known, declare covenant. The word is used both of God’s and man’s revealings. These declarations are of divine origin and carry divine authority, – because they are covenantal revelations (Deut. 4:13)
 Hazaq (2388) be(come) strong, strengthen, prevail, harden – (take hold of the covenant KJV – hold fast to covenant NIV) Isaiah 56:4,6
 Aman (539) to confirm, support, uphold, be established in, be faithful to covenant (Psalm 78:37)
 Hasid (2623) from hesed, in my Norwegian Bible translated: those who are true or faithful to the covenant (Psalm 89:19) In English versions it is normally translated: the godly ones
 Abar berit (5674) alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress, or violate covenant (Deut. 17:2) (this word can also be used of entering into a covenant Deut. 29:12; the basic meaning of the word is that of movement, into or out of covenant)
 Azab berit (5800) leave, depart, forsake, reject, abandon – covenant (Deut. 29:25; 1 Kings 19:10,14)
 Shakah berit (7911) to forget or ignore covenant (Deut. 4:23)
 Na’ar berit (5010) to abhor, spurn, renounce covenant (Psalm 89:39) (make void KJV)
 Halal berit (2490) profane, defile, pollute, desecrate covenant (Psalm 89:31,34; 55:21 –violate covenant NIV) This word is used for any action that is against the order of God.
 Parar berit (6565) to break covenant, to destroy, frustrate, invalidate (the opposite of Qum – to rise – validate, endorse) There is a moral overtone to this word to break in the sense of violating or reneging on revealed truth.
 Hanep berit (2610) to defiled, polluted, profaned, corrupt (Dan.11,32) In Aramaic the root means “to act falsely toward,” “act with hypocrisy”.
 Shahat berit (7843) to destroy or corrupt (Malachi 2:8)
 Shaqar berit (8266) deal falsely, be false. The word is used of the breaking of a promise, being false to a treaty or commitment, hence an empty promise. (Psalm 44:17; 89:33)

It is interesting to note that Paul in his description of sinful corruption and denegration that is taken place end with this: they are senseless, faithless (covenant-breakers KJV), heartless, ruthless (Romans 1:31NIV). The word that is translated covenant-breakers, faithless, or untrustworthy, is the Greek asunthetos – Vine tells us that it “signifies “not covenant-keeping” i.e., refusing to abide by “covenants” made, “covenant-breaking,” faithless.”
It is also interesting that Paul in his description of the terrible condition of people in the last days includes “implacable” (KJV) or “unforgiving” (NIV). Vine is telling us that the Greek word for implacable or irreconcilable is “aspondes” – a person that cannot be persuaded to enter into covenant, – unwilling to make covenant. These people want to be independent, and satisfy their own cravings. Their pride tells them that they manage best on their own, therefore they are not willing to enter into a covenantal relationship.
The very fact that Paul is using these expressions, tells me that he expects people to make covenant with one another and to abide by the covenants made. It is also interesting to note that all the sinful behaviour he is describing, is contrary to everything we associate with covenant living!

Practical outworking of covenant in difficult situations
Case one
You are part of an apostolic team and also enjoy covenant relationships with people in another apostolic team. Two of the persons with whom you have entered into a covenant with, are having a conflict, they disagree and leave one another. Person A is the leader of the other apostolic team. He gives you his version of what happened, and makes it very clear that he expects you to trust him, and not to make any contact with person B. If you do contact person B, person A will feel that you are violating the covenant you have with him.
What do you do?
Case two
Your covenant brother, Demas, goes astray doctrinally, he is taking on board false teaching, or he could fall morally. As a result he is being divorced.
Do you still have any responsibility towards his family? What kind of action will you take?
How long does a covenant last towards a brother falling in sin, a brother that continue to practice sin, or who are preaching false doctrine? Correction does not function, he does not listen, what do you do?
Case three
Your daughter enters into a covenant with another girl. You feel that this relationship is not healthy, for whatever reason, and that her commitment is too much for her to carry out.
What can you as parent do about the covenant she has entered into? Can you cancel the covenant? Substantiate your answer. How would you proceed in solving the issue?
Case four
Your wife makes a covenant with another woman. You dislike the thing she has done. Can you as her husband cancel her covenant? At any time or in whatever way you desire?

Define covenant breaking – violating
Use the biblical expressions as a starting point, to define in practical, modern expression how covenant could be broken, violated, mishandled etc.
Give relevant examples and how to deal with it.

Biblical expressions

 Abar berit (5674) alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress, or violate covenant (Deut. 17:2) (this word can also be used of entering into a covenant Deut. 29:12; the basic meaning of the word is that of movement, into or out of covenant)
 Azab berit (5800) leave, depart, forsake, reject, abandon – covenant (Deut. 29:25; 1 Kings 19:10,14)
 Shakar berit (7911) to forget or ignore covenant (Deut. 4:23)
 Na’ar berit (5010) to abhor, spurn, renounce covenant (Psalm 89:39)
 Halal berit (2490) profane, defile, pollute, desecrate covenant (Psalm 89:31,34; 55:21 –violate covenant NIV) This word is used for any action that is against the order of God.
 Parar berit (6565) to break covenant, to destroy, frustrate, invalidate (the opposite of Qum – to rise – validate, endorse) There is a moral overtone to this word to break in the sense of violating or reneging on revealed truth.
 Hanep berit (2610) to defiled, polluted, profaned, corrupt (Dan.11,32) In Aramaic the root means “to act falsely toward,” “act with hypocrisy”.
 Shahat berit (7843) to destroy or corrupt (Malachi 2:8)
 Shaqar berit (8266) deal falsely, be false. The word is used of the breaking of a promise, being false to a treaty or commitment, hence an empty promise. (Psalm 44:17; 89:33)