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Administration Of Covenant Grace In Old Testament

The administration of covenant grace in the Old Testament refers to how God's gracious covenant with humanity was revealed and applied before the coming of Jesus Christ. The concept of "covenant" (Hebrew: berith) fundamentally means a contract or agreement between two parties, often involving a "cutting" ceremony where animals were divided, and the parties passed between the parts [2, 3]. This imagery is seen in Genesis 15 and Jeremiah 34:18-19 [2, 3]. In the New Testament, the corresponding Greek word is diatheke, frequently translated as "testament" [2, 3].

The Westminster Confession of Faith describes the covenant as a "voluntary condescension on God’s part," necessary due to the vast "distance between God and the creature" [8]. While the first covenant with humanity was a "covenant of works" made with Adam, promising life upon perfect obedience, this was superseded by the covenant of grace [1, 8]. This covenant of grace is called "new" because it succeeds the "old broken covenant of works" [1].

Even in the Old Testament, God established covenants that demonstrated His grace. For instance, God covenanted with Noah after the flood, promising that such a judgment would not be repeated [2]. He also established His covenant with Abraham, promising to be his God and the God of his descendants, a covenant described as "everlasting" in its evangelical sense [13]. This covenant was not just with Abraham but "with his seed after him," encompassing both his physical and spiritual offspring [13].

A significant administration of this covenant grace occurred with Israel at Sinai, often referred to as the Mosaic Covenant. This covenant involved sacrifices and was renewed in the plains of Moab, including blessings and curses [6]. While this covenant had conditions, such as keeping God's precepts (Psalm 103:18) [5], it was still an administration of grace, providing a divine constitution with promises [6]. John Gill notes that the Mosaic covenant, while distinct from the covenant of works, also differed from the pure covenant of grace as administered under the Gospel [12]. He explains that the Mosaic covenant was not "faultless" and that God found fault with both the covenant and the people who did not remain faithful to it [15].

The prophets also spoke of an "everlasting covenant" of peace that God would make with His people, promising to multiply them and set His sanctuary in their midst forever (Ezekiel 37:26) [4]. This prophetic anticipation points towards a future, more complete administration of the covenant.

The New Testament highlights that Jesus is the mediator of a "better covenant, which on better promises has been given as law" (Hebrews 8:6) [7]. This "new covenant" is not merely a new agreement but a new dispensation or administration of the covenant of grace, ratified by Christ's blood [9, 1]. John Gill clarifies that the covenant of grace is properly a covenant to Christ and a testament to His people, founded in God's good will and confirmed by Christ's death [10, 11]. The declaration of a "new covenant" in Jeremiah 31:31, cited in Hebrews 8:8, implies that the first covenant "has been made old" [14, 15]. This "old" covenant is not old in terms of its date but in its "faultiness and deficiency, its weakness, and unprofitableness," and its eventual antiquation [14].

Thus, the Old Testament administrations of covenant grace, though containing elements that would later be superseded, were integral to God's unfolding plan of salvation, preparing the way for the full revelation of the new covenant in Christ.

Sources

  1. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: New Testament — (Luke 22:20), rather "New Covenant," in contrast to the old covenant of works, which is superseded. "The covenant of grace is called new; it succeeds to the old broken covenant of works. It is ever fresh, flourishing, and excellent; and under the gospel it is dispensed in a more clear, spiritual, extensive, and powerful manner than of old" (Brown of Haddington). Hence is derived the name given to the latter portion of the Bible. (See [438]TESTAMENT.)”
  2. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Covenant — The Heb. berith means primarily "a cutting," with reference to the custom of cutting or dividing animals in two and passing between the parts in ratifying a covenant. (Genesis 15; Jeremiah 34:18,19) In the New Testament the corresponding word is diathece (diatheke), which is frequently translated testament in the Authorized Version. In its biblical meaning two parties the word is used-- + Of a covenant between God and man; e.g. God covenanted with Noah, after the flood, that a like judgment should not be repeated. It is not precisely like a covenant between”
  3. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Covenant — A contract or agreement between two parties. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word berith is always thus translated. Berith is derived from a root which means "to cut," and hence a covenant is a "cutting," with reference to the cutting or dividing of animals into two parts, and the contracting parties passing between them, in making a covenant (Gen. 15; Jer. 34:18, 19). The corresponding word in the New Testament Greek is diatheke, which is, however, rendered "testament" generally in the Authorized Version. It ought to be rendered, just as the word berith o”
  4. Ezekiel “Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forever more. -- Ezekiel 37:26”
  5. Psalms “to those who keep his covenant, to those who remember to obey his precepts. -- Psalms 103:18”
  6. Brown-Driver-Briggs “[BDB H1285] berith (part 3/6) — with Israel at Sinai = Horeb, with a covenant sacrifice Exod 19:5; 24:7-8, (E) 34:10, 27, 28 (J) 31:16; Lev 2:13 (P) 24:8; 26:9, 15, 25, 44, 45 (H) Deut 4:13; renewed in plains of Moab Deuteronomy 28:69; with blessings and curses 29:20; frequently referred to in other books 2Chr 34:32; Psa 25:10; 44:18; 50:5; 50:16; 74:20; 78:10; 78:37; 103:18; 106:45; 111:5; 111:9; Isa 56:4, 6; Jer 1:2-3, 6, 8, 10; 14:21; 22:9; 31:32; Ezek 16:8, 59, 60; 44:7; Dan 9:4; 11:28, 30, 32; Hosea 6:7; 8:1; Zech 9:11; 11:10; a divine constitution given to Israel with promises on conditi”
  7. Hebrews “But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, by so much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which on better promises has been given as law. -- Hebrews 8:6”
  8. Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed) “Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed, 1646), CHAPTER 7: CHAPTER 7 Of God’s Covenant with Man 1. The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition of him as their blessedness and reward, but by some voluntary condescension on God’s part, which he hath been pleased to express by way of covenant. 2. The first covenant made with man was a covenant of works, wherein life was promised to Adam; and in him to his posterity, upon condition of perfect and personal obedience. 3.”
  9. Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 26:27: For this is my blood of the New Testament,.... That is, the red wine in the cup, was an emblem and representation of his precious blood, whereby was exhibited a new dispensation, or administration of the covenant of grace; and by which it was ratified and confirmed; and whereby all the blessings of it, such as peace, pardon, righteousness, and eternal life, come to the people of God: the allusion is to the first covenant, and the book of it being sprinkled with the blood of bulls, and therefore called the blood of the covenant, Exo 24:8. But the second covenant, or ”
  10. Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 9:16: For where a testament is,.... The covenant of grace, as administered under the Gospel dispensation, is a testament or will. The Jews have adopted the Greek word, here used, into their language, and pronounce it and by it understand a dying man's last will and testament (d). Some of them make it to be of Hebrew derivation; as if it was said, , "this shall be to confirm" (e), or this shall be stable and firm; though others own it to be the same with this Greek word (f). The covenant of grace, is properly a covenant to Christ, and a testament or will to his people: it i”
  11. Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 7:21: By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. Or "covenant", for the word signifies both; and what is intended may be called both a testament and a covenant; a testament, because it is founded in the good will and pleasure of God, and respects an inheritance bequeathed by God the Father to his children, which was confirmed and comes to them by the death of Christ the testator; and a covenant, it being a compact or agreement made by the Father with Christ, as the representative of all the elect; in which promises and blessings of all sorts are provided and”
  12. Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 8:7: For if that first covenant had been faultless,.... Not the covenant of works; that was made in paradise, this on Mount Sinai; that was made with Adam and his posterity, this with the Jews only; that had no mediator, this had one, Moses; that was not dedicated with blood, this was; that had no forgiveness of sin in it, this had; under that saints are not, but they were under this; to be under that was no privilege, but to be under this it was, as to the Israelites, who on this account were preferable to all other nations: nor is the pure covenant of grace as administer”
  13. Genesis (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Genesis 17:7: Here is, I. The continuance of the covenant, intimated in three things: - 1. It is established; not to be altered nor revoked. It is fixed, it is ratified, it is made as firm as the divine power and truth can make it. 2. It is entailed; it is a covenant, not with Abraham only (then it would die with him), but with his seed after him, not only his seed after the flesh, but his spiritual seed. 3. It is everlasting in the evangelical sense and meaning of it. The covenant of grace is everlasting. It is from everlasting in the counsels of it, and to everlasting in the”
  14. Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 8:13: In that he saith a new covenant,.... In the above prophecy, Heb 8:8 he hath made the first old; this naturally follows from hence; if the second is new, the first must be old; which is called so, not on account of its date and duration; for the covenant of grace itself is older than this mode of administration of it, and the manifestation of that to the patriarchs was before this covenant, and so was the covenant of works before it; but on the account of its faultiness and deficiency, its weakness, and unprofitableness, and especially its being antiquated, and made ”
  15. Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 8:8: For finding fault with them,.... Both with the covenant, which had its faults, and with the people who continued not in it, and were therefore disregarded by the Lord, Heb 8:9 he saith, behold, the days come (saith the Lord) when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah; the words are cited from Jer 31:31 in which God promises a "new covenant"; so called, not because newly made; for with respect to its original constitution, it was made from eternity; Christ the Mediator of it, and with whom it was made, was set up from everlas”
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