A covenant is a promise for one to do to another. It maybe conditional or unconditional, unilateral or bilateral; unidirectional or reciprocal. It can be between God and man or another like earth, as in Genesis 9:13. Covenants have been made since the beginning of man’s life on earth. But, was there a “covenant” before man’s creation?

Genesis Adam

The proximate Creator God, the El Shaddai/YHVH-Elohim/LOGOS promised, as planned, to make man “in our image, after our likeness” and so He did without any precondition, (Genesis 2:26-27). And, this was only a start for man in his destiny as the promise to have “dominion… over every creeping thing…on earth” (like disease-causing organism) which has not yet been achieved because it requires immortal bodies. As originally made , man was a “created template” that projects the promise into the future of in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit in his ongoing creation of His body, the church.

Covenant at time of Noah and on

While Noah followed the direction of God in building the ark, he was still a sinner (Romans 5:12-21) deserving death but he, and representative animals found grace to live without precondition, as in:

Genesis 6:5-8 “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Genesis 6:12-13 “And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth”.

With Noah, Genesis 9:11 states God’s promise:

“I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth“.

Instead of all life ending, some were saved based on grace. And, God decides who will be saved, when and how. This has no pre-condition and there is a sign/proof of covenant as in:Genesis 9:13,

“I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.“

Promised and covenanted preceded all

On reviewing verses with covenants, one sees the promise for one to do to another can be conditional, unconditional or general; unilateral or bilateral; unidirectional or reciprocal.

Moreover, for completion, these promises/covenants are prospective and ultimately referred towards one human, “the seed“, as in

Galatians 3:16 “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.“(NIV).

More importantly, as the covenants are prospective to man-Jesus(anthropos-Jesus), it retrospectively reverts to the same person with many descriptive names like Creator-God/El-Shaddai(Almighty God)/YHVH-Elohim(Lord God)/LOGOS, “before the beginning of time” as in:

2 Timothy 1:9-10 “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.“

Unwritten covenant between Father and Logos and How of salvation

While all covenants were between God and man(or earth), the “first unwritten covenant” was between the Father and Son “before the beginning of time. Consider this:

2 Timothy 1:9 “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,”

The preceding verse tells us that our salvation was not because of our “own works” (we were still sinners) but was purposely planned and by the grace of the Father. And, this “grace was given us, in Christ Jesus”, meaning because and through him. Moreover, this was and made it, an unwritten covenant between the Father and LOGOS(Jesus) “before the beginning of time“. Yes, before Genesis, prior to you and me, or anything else, were created,i.e., before sun, moon and stars (the universe). Yes, unwritten but covenanted and assured, nevertheless.

That said, the actual meaning/interpretation, the good news/gospel, was not revealed prior to Paul’s ministry until after Jesus was resurrected to life as proof of the Father delivering what was promised;

2 Timothy 1:10 “but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”

Salvation, a sine qua non to immortality, is the goal in the creation of the God-Kingdom. But, how did we get saved? And when did we get saved? Were we saved at the time when it was promised? And, when was this promised? Was it conditional or unconditional ? Was it written or unwritten? These are questions that eluded many prior to, but revealed through the ministry of Paul, whose knowledge was by the teaching of Jesus through the Holy Spirit in-dwelling in him.

As important as our faith (in) him is, of and by itself, it is nothing without the faith (of) Jesus in the Father. The Father has to promise, before faith is summoned in his ability to fulfill what was promised. Jesus’ faith in the Father started and initiated all that has been subsequently promised. His faith in the Father is absolute, having been the only one who was with him even before creation (John 1:1-3).

This is the faith-to-faith principle as in: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. – Romans 1:16-17

The so-called “father of the faithful” is Abraham (Gal. 3:6-8) as we are the children of Abraham. But, the faith of Abraham was in El Shadddai, YHVH Elohim, Jesus the Creator, the God that he knew, to deliver his promises. But before Abraham’s faith, his Creator/Jesus also has faith in the Father who no one has seen (but Jesus). Jesus’ faith preceded anyone’ faith. So from the faith originally (of) Jesus/Creator in his Father, it transcended from YHVH ELOHIM’s promise to Abraham and to others. Indeed, from faith to faith.

This faith (of) Jesus is based on a covenant. As there were covenants between Abraham and God, Israel and God, new Israel and God, all of these covenants were preceded by the unwritten covenant way before creation, between YHVH ELOHIM/Jesus and God the Father.

But, what was covenantly promised by the Father to Jesus, even before the creation of the worlds? This promise was not preached as a specific unwritten covenant and has not been understood as such until this time, in this generation. This covenant, way before all other covenants that followed, essentially is for:

1. YHVH ELOHIM to die (Rev. 13:8) as incarnate Jesus, as payment in full for the sins of YHVH’s creation(imputed to first Adam), to reconcile us to the Father.

2. In return, the Father would resurrect Jesus to receive the promise of the Spirit to dwell in the “fleshly tables” of our heart. not in “stony heart” . This will then transform us into the “body of Christ” as an eternal salvation, and be “higher than angels“(Heb.2:5-18). The Father is creating not a plant- kingdom, not an animal-kingdom and not even a human-kingdom, but a “God-kingdom”, all spiritually composed.

Historically and futuristically, all human kingdoms will be destroyed. There will be a fulfillment of the “dream of Nebuchadnezzar” (Daniel 2). It will no longer be “an image/template“, but a God-kingdom, a “new creation” within the “body/church of Christ“.

Jesus’ faith is in the Father whose promise is for mankind to be “in the body of Christ“. This will be fulfilled. His faith in the Father is on solid grounds, as our faith in Jesus is.

Summary

The unwritten covenant that trumps and preceded all covenants is between the Father and Jesus before the beginning of time. This was then re-promised by El Shaddai ( Almighty God) to Adam, Noah, Abraham and others. This is UNconditional as we were not yet in existence and definitive because he is assured that the Father will keep his promise that is faith-based on grace and love of God.

God bless 🙏😇

Original Post: June 16, 2019 .A hyperlink Father’s Day Dedication

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