COVENANT THEOLOGY AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY (GENESIS 9:1,2)

From the Board of Elders

Dear Members in Christ,

Blessed Chinese New Year

“Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.” Psalms 96:3

The Board of Elders wishes all of you a “Blessed Chinese New Year”. May you have a blessed time with your loved ones and friends. May the message of the “Love of God and the Gospel of Salvation” (cf. John 3:16) be shared. This will be the greatest gift that the unbelievers will ever receive this festive occasion. God bless.

In Christ,

Eld. Choe Tong Seng

 Covenant Theology and our responsibility (Gen 9:1, 2)

As Bible-Presbyterians, we adhere to the Reformed and Calvinistic theology, which is also called Covenant Theology. When a person is in a covenantal relationship with God, scripture teaches us that it is also a blessing to his family members. In several Old Testament accounts, when God makes a covenant with an individual, the consequence is that his household, his family members, and his charges are also blessed by the gracious hand of God.

What are these biblical instances which show that when God makes a covenant with the head of the family, and the blessings are also extended to his descendants? Many examples abound, such as the example of the offspring of Adam, the families of Noah, and the descendants of Abraham. In this article, we shall study one example; that of God’s covenant with Abraham. In Genesis 18:17-19, it is recorded that God was about to reveal to Abraham that He was going to execute judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Bible records this narrative:   

“And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”  (Genesis 18:17-19)

We will notice from the above passage that the words re-echo the original covenant God had made with Abraham in Genesis chapter 12:2, where God had told Abraham, “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.” Two observations arise from these verses cited. Firstly, God’s Covenant with Abraham was meant to extend to his descendants, in this case, a great nation which shall be generations to follow, of the seed of Abraham. Secondly, the narrative in Genesis 18:17-19 seems to point to a desirable trait of Abraham which is pleasing in God’s sight. This is Abraham’s dutiful teaching and commanding of his children and his household after him.

A. God’s familial covenant with Abraham extends to his children  

When God made His covenant with Abraham, God had promised that His blessings will extend to Abraham’s children. Of this nation and the land promised to them, God had later revealed to Abraham that He will continue to watch over the welfare of his descendants. God had said to Abraham in an encounter in Genesis 15 that, “… in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” Genesis 15:16.

An individual who enters into a covenant relationship with God must know that the covenant blessings extend to his family members. Not only that but, the covenantal responsibilities also apply. In the case of Israel, God had promised Abraham that his descendants will eventually come to inherit the land God had given to him. As we read the chapters in the Books of Exodus and Deuteronomy, we find that the prophet Moses reminds them frequently of God’s covenant with “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” This is to bring them to mind that they inherit the land and the blessings which God had promised in a covenant to their patriarchal ancestors.    

Let us be thankful and mindful of God’s grace and mercy. When God shows His grace to an individual, the children and their offspring too are blessed. This is one of the reasons why we conduct infant baptism. It is scriptural teaching that children of believing parents are also under the Covenant of Grace, therefore they are God’s children. But are there responsibilities to be fulfilled in this covenantal promise? Yes, indeed there is a duty and responsibility every Christian parent has to fulfill.

B. Covenantal responsibilities of Christian parents     

What lesson can we learn and apply from the biblical account of God’s covenant with Abraham? Firstly, those who of us we are parents or grandparents must remember to bring up our children in the knowledge of God. While the Sunday school teachers try their utmost to share the gospel message with the children as soon as they are old enough to understand the message of salvation, parents ought to be reminded of their covenant duty to lead their children to the knowledge of salvation. We exhort parents to take the lead in teaching the bible to their children at home.

Parents can also encourage their children to attend the many fellowship groups within the church. If our youths and young adults do not fellowship with like-minded Christians, the only other alternative is not desirable. The bible teaches us to train up a child in the way which he or she should go. If parents were to neglect this duty, the child will very quickly learn the ways of the world.

During his sojourn, Abraham worshipped God by building an altar, such as at Bethel (Gen 12:7,8) or Hebron (Gen 13:8). This example of the patriarch Abraham teaches us that making time for family worship or family devotion is important. We hope and pray that families and households will make time to gather for prayer and home devotion. Amid this very busy life we all live, let us remember our covenantal relationship with God. Whether they are our children, or nephews or nieces, let us fulfill our duty in bringing the knowledge of God to those that He has placed in our household. That truly our homes may be called a “Household of faith.” May God bless and guide us along life’s journey.    

In Christ,
Dn. Lim Seh Beng