God’s Covenant with Adam – Part One

God’s Covenant with Adam – Part One

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Hebrews 7:22 (NKJV): “by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.”

God relates to us through covenants.  In fact, scripture is divided into the “Old Covenant” and the “New Covenant.”  The covenant we have in Jesus Christ renews and strengthens that first covenant that God made with Adam.  

   

God set down the conditions for covenant before He created man.  “Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." (Genesis 1:26 NKJV)

The first condition was that mankind was to be created in the image of God.  God is a spirit.  Therefore, our essential being is spiritual rather than physical.  My former pastor used to say, “I am a spirit.  I live in a body and I own a mind.”

The second condition is that mankind, created to receive the blessing of God, was to reproduce and fill the earth.  God also gave man dominion over the earth.  “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1:27-28 NKJV)

Covenants are sealed with a meal signifying provision.  God needed no provision from Adam, but He promised to provide for mankind. “And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food"; and it was so.” (Genesis 1-29-30 NKJV) 

We go on to the second chapter of Genesis for more details in the creation epic. “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.  And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. ” (Genesis 2:7-9 NKJV) 

The Hebrew word translated as “garden” means an enclosed or protected place.  Eden represents the protection that comes from close fellowship with the Father.

God did not create a couple of puppets.  He created living, intelligent creatures and blessed us with free will.  He also gave instructions to aid mankind in making decisions that would result in abundant living. ^“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17 NKJV)

Eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would lead to death. The Hebrew word translated as “Knowledge” comes from a root word that means to know by seeing; by using the senses:  touching, hearing, etc.  This knowledge is the disciple Thomas doubting until he can put his hand into the wounds in Jesus’ side. It is walking by experience rather than by faith in the word of God. 

In disobeying God, Adam and Eve gave up their connection to God's supporting power and began their physical decline which eventually results in death.

Remember Jesus’ admonition in John 10:10(NKJV):  “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Genesis 3 introduces us to the thief.  “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"
^“And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' "(Genesis 3:1-3 NKJV) 

The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” 1 Corinthians 6:12 (NKJV)

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.” (1 Corinthians 10:23 NKJV)

The woman “saw” that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was good, pleasant and would make one wise. The serpent’s words had caused her to doubt God.  Therefore, she saw the tree through the eyes of doubt and unbelief. She had to experience it to believe it. 

When Adam ate the fruit, he sealed covenant with the enemy.

Paul cautioned, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NKJV) 

Remember, a covenant is the bond in which those involved in the transaction each say, “Everything I have is yours.”All the dominion that Adam had was transferred to satan.  Because satan is cursed, that transfer of power brought a curse on the earth. Because our bodies are created from the earth, the curse is upon our physical bodies as well.

Adam’s covenant with satan brought disease, famine and hardship. But that’s not the end of the story.  Man broke his covenant with God, but God has not broken His covenant with man. God’s plans may be delayed, but never thwarted.  God’s plan is to restore us in covenant.  Covenant Christianity is a relationship with God whose Spirit indwells us.