I am SO excited about this new unit of lessons.  We will be looking at the covenants God made in scripture.  In His wonderful plan of salvation, God was knowing what would happen throughout history from the beginning of it to the end of it.  God has never NOT existed. Before the beginning of time as we know it and after the end of time as it one day will be realized, God has been working on behalf of His creation, both man and universe. 

I can remember in 1985 when I was introduced to the inductive method of Bible study.  The very first topic we studied was covenants in scripture.  At the time, I was a seminary student.  Blessed to be raised in a family that loved the Lord and His Word, I had been a student of the Bible most of my life.  I love deep study of scripture.  This inductive bible study about the covenants God made with man brought all of scripture into clear focus for me.  I have never been the same!  The “thread of covenant” is seen throughout scripture.  Jesus stands as the crowning glory of the covenants of God. 

God loves us and wants what is best for us.  His covenants prove this.  His way is best.  His plans are good.  These covenants are designed to provide for us while setting parameters for us.  Covenants outline joys of obedience as well as the consequences of disobedience to “guard” us and “shepherd” us toward the ways of the Lord.  God is a Promise Maker.  God is a Promise Keeper.  God knew we would be promise-breakers.  He made a way for us in the establishment of covenant. 

Scripture is divided into two books called the Old Covenant (testament) and the New Covenant (testament).  The Bible begins with the grand story of creation.  God made everything. He provided everything man would need and THEN He made man.  He provided the place for man to live.  He provided the food that man would need for nourishment.  God desired to walk with His creation in relationship. 

In our lesson for this week, we are looking at the covenant God made with Adam. More than just the name of a particular person, Adam means both mankind in general and this first man in particular.  In Genesis 2:7, scripture tells us that God formed (like pottery) man from the dust of the earth. God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. What a holy moment!  In Genesis 2:22, God fashioned (built) woman from the rib of the man. 

During the creation days numbered one through six as recorded in Genesis 1, God spoke the world into existence.  When it came to man and woman, there was a deeper intimacy and love displayed in their creation.  God is spirit, even though we think of Him as having hands.  I picture Him in my mind and heart as “touching” man and woman and bringing them into being.  He made them “male” and “female” and then brought them together.  I will play music tonight at the wedding of one of my former summer camp staffers. What a picture marriage provides of the love of God.  Marriage and home and family was God’s idea. 

Man was made in the image and likeness of God.  That message is one whole lesson all by itself. God is spirit and immortal.  Man is flesh and mortal.  God gave us the ability to have relationship with Him and to walk in fellowship with Him.  Suffice it to say, man bears the image of God and thus man has eternal value.  Man in this context means human life.  God is life.  Life is valuable.  God says so.

Read Genesis 1:26-30. This was the blessing of God for man:  God desired for man to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, subdue it and have dominion over it.   God said for man to be fruitful (bear fruit), multiply (become many), replenish (make full) the earth.  Man was to subdue (take control over) the earth and have dominion (rule) over it.  Remember always that covenant from God was a blessing for man. 

In Genesis 2:9, the man was shown two trees in particular among all the other vegetation:  the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Man was given full access to the tree of life and all of the other trees in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  They were forbidden to eat the fruit of this tree.  Eating from the fruit of this tree would bring death. 

God set a prohibition against consumption of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Even though (at that time) death had not been experienced, Adam communicated this truth to his wife, Eve. When the serpent appeared and spoke words that caused Eve and Adam to doubt the word of God, Eve had already added to the command of God by saying the tree was also not to even be touched.  The name of the exact fruit was not revealed.  As we know, the covenant was broken by the “pair on the ground under the tree.”

The consequence of death because of the fall of Adam and Eve will extend to the very last human child to be born on this earth.  In spite of their forbidden fruit selection, God’s will and plan and purpose will not be thwarted.  In Genesis 3:15, we see the very first (covenant) promise of Jesus our Savior.  In this verse, God declares to the serpent that the seed of woman would one day crush his flimsy power with the power of eternity. 

The covenants are proof of the power of God and of His eternal love for those He created. In spite of our rebellion, God acts to bring redemption through the shed blood of the perfect sacrifice of His Son Jesus. God loves fruitFULL not fruitLESS.