Covenant Knowledge

By Psy Tloubatla

The author uses the Word of God to help readers to understand the personal relationship they have with God, by tracing this relationship from creation to the present. We normally experience challenges in our lives, and we have no idea where to find solutions. The solutions are with God and we don’t have to look in other places.

About the Author

Psy Tloubatla is a teacher by profession. Besides teaching, he also lectured at teacher training colleges for many years and worked at the Department of Education as a curriculum specialist. He subsequently left Education and has been a successful businessman for many years. He studied ministry at the Rhema Bible College.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Psy Tloubatla
• Release date: Jul 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005941857

Book preview

COVENANT

KNOWLEDGE

Featuring 2 Books in 1

Understanding

Your Personal

Relationship with

God

The

Original

Plan

(From Eden to Eden)

Psy Tloubatla

Copyright © 2020 Psy Tloubatla

Published by Psy Tloubatla Publishing at Smashwords

First edition 2020

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

The Author has made every effort to trace and acknowledge sources/resources/individuals. In the event that any images/information have been incorrectly attributed or credited, the Author will be pleased to rectify these omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Published by Psy Tloubatla using Reach Publishers’ services,

Edited by Laura Grey for Reach Publishers

Cover designed by Reach Publishers

P O Box 1384, Wandsbeck, South Africa, 3631

Website: www.reachpublishers.org

E-mail: [e-mail]

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked (AMPC) are taken from the Amplified Bible Classic Edition.

Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version Bible.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the New Living Translation Version Bible

Table of Contents

Introduction

Covenants of the Old Testament

Part 2: When the Law Was Given

The New Covenant

Conclusion

Chapter One

Introduction

A covenant is a binding agreement based on obligations, usually between God and His people. Something like, I will bless you if you obey my commandments. God is always the initiator and the keeper of the covenant. The Hebrew word berit means covenant or treaty. Hebrew is the original language of the Old Testament. The Greek word diatheke means covenant, testament or will. Greek is the original language of the New Testament. Some authors refer to a covenant as a contract or a promise. God always enters into a covenant (relationship) with His people, promising to bless them if they obey and follow Him (Genesis 22:15-18). It is very important for us to have an understanding of the relationship we have with God. God reveals himself through His Word (Bible).

The Hebrew word da’at means knowledge. God is the only one who has all knowledge, and no one is able to teach Him anything (Job 21:22; Isaiah 40:14; Psalms 94:10). The Greek word gnosis means knowledge. Romans 11:33 tells us that knowledge begins with God, and that knowledge contains deep riches. God is therefore the true source of all knowledge, a storehouse of wisdom and understanding to those who fear Him (Isaiah 44:25; 47:10). Our knowledge of God results from God’s own self-revelation. Colossians 2:3 tells us that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Jesus. In Philippians 3:8 Apostle Paul considers the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus as the most important thing in the world to him. The word knowledge is particularly emphasised in the wisdom literature (Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes). It is closely linked with words such as wisdom, discipline, understanding, prudence and discretion. These words describe the wise person in contrast to the fool. True knowledge is the possession of those who fear and obey the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:2). Proverbs 1:7 tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Such knowledge, which is of highest value (Proverbs 20:15), brings honour (14:18), strength (24:4-5), success (22:12) and protection (Ecclesiastes 7:12).

Our relationship with God can be located in the scriptures. The Bible is alive and powerful, and should be easily understandable. And God uses us to share that knowledge with others as we spread His Word abroad (2 Corinthians 2:14).

Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.

Our relationship with God started when He chose us before He formed the earth. He knew us before the earth was formed. When He formed the earth, He had us in his mind. Apostle Paul declares that we were chosen before the foundation of the world to be adopted as sons of God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in love. God loved us first before we were born.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Apostle Paul wrote this letter while he was in a Roman prison. He was writing the letter to Timothy who was his student and delegate. He wanted Timothy to continue with the good work of preaching the Gospel after his death. He encouraged Timothy to study the Word of God so that he would be able to do so competently. (This instruction also applies to us today). During the Timothy era, there were many false teachers (pastors or prophets) who were wrongly interpreting the Word of God. The Timothy era that Apostle Paul was addressing still faces us today. We need to read and understand what the Word of God says about our relationship with Him and then apply the truth in our daily lives. So, we must correctly handle the Word of truth. Verse 19 tells us that God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with that inscription. The Lord knows those who are His, and all who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.

Isaiah 5:13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

Prophet Isaiah was comparing Israel to a vineyard established, planted and protected at great cost by its owner. Not unreasonably, he expected the vineyard to produce good grapes but in the end, all that he got for his labour was bad fruit. The story is a parable of Israel, which God called into being, loved and tended. He expected Israel to be righteous and obedient but found only bloodshed and distress. Lack of knowledge in understanding the relationship that we have with God will result in us being controlled by Satan. Satan is always looking for the slightest opportunity to lead us away from the truth. We should know who God is as a starting point, know who we are in Him, and what He expects from us.

In this book, we will look at the covenants that God made with His people in the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament will be divided into Part 1 (Before the law) and Part 2 (When the law was given). The New Testament will focus on the covenants before the cross and after the cross to the present. An understanding of the covenants will help us to avoid confusion of the requirements of the different covenants. We should ask ourselves questions. When was the covenant made? With whom was it made? Why was it made? What were the requirements of the covenant? Finally, we should find out if the covenant is still applicable today. The Word of God is very clear about the requirements of the covenants. The new covenant that affects us today is much better than the old covenants. Apostle Paul claims that God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). We can avoid being misled by the Devil. His evil goal is to create confusion and doubt in us about the Word of God.

Chapter Two

Covenants of the Old Testament

Part 1: Before the law

The Covenant in the Garden of Eden

Genesis 1:26-30 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them,