Mankind longs for a return to Paradise. In that pursuit we try to construct our own version. We pursue money in the hopes that we can construct some blissful environment free from the worries and fears of impending disaster. We pursue romance in hopes that the promise of poetry and literature will be fulfilled in the passion and companionship of our perfect love affair. We travel to some exotic destination thinking that there we will at least catch a glimpse of paradise for a week or two. Or we embrace alcohol or drugs thinking that, at the very least they will give us a few hours of relief from the purgatory of our disappointing lives. Or perhaps we dive into reading about romance to lose ourselves in an imaginary Eden for an hour or two. Or we pursue esoteric studies to gain multiplied PhD’s through researching the frontiers of knowledge—perhaps there we will find Eden. Or rich foods. Or multiplied affairs. Or exercise programs. Or changing our sexual orientation. Or tarot cards. Or transcendental meditation. Or…or…or…
But in every Eden we try to construct, we find the ancient serpent already there. He makes easy sport with us, for we drag into all our attempts; “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). We are fallen creatures. Adam’s nature is within us distorting every attempt at find bliss. “The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked who can know it” (Jer. 17:9)? “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil” (Jer. 13:23). “All of us also lived among them [in the world], gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of [God’s] wrath” (Eph. 2:3).
Wrath? Is there no escape? Is there no way back to paradise? While we could never bridge the gap between us and God to seek again his love and favour, God himself took steps to deliver us from ourselves. God took the initiative. He did that by means of a covenant sealed with blood.
There in the Garden, before He banished Adam and Eve, he clothed their nakedness with skins of animals he had sacrificed, a picture of the cross to come. God promised that through “the seed of the woman,” Eve’s offspring [Christ], God would crush the serpent. (Gen. 3:15)
In the covering provided for Adam and Eve through the sacrifice of animals, we have the first glimmerings of God’s redemptive plan. This plan unfolds through the various covenants found in the Old Testament until it is fulfilled in the New Testament (covenant) Gospel. Although God’s dealings are described under different titles such as the covenant of redemption, the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace, threaded throughout is the promise of ultimate deliverance from the curse of sin.
Considerable time elapsed before God fulfilled his promise of full redemption through Jesus Christ—the seed of the woman. During this unfolding of history, he demonstrated again and again our need of redemption. The record of this history, as contained in the Old Testament, is crucially important for our understanding of God’s dealings with mankind. It is a story of covenants.
At first, God allowed Adam’s descendants to follow the bent of their our natures. From the time of Adam to that of Noah, their offspring developed skills and built cities while spreading evil, until God said, No! Genesis six records the result of a society built upon the fulfillment of human desires and choices. “The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved” (Gen. 6:5,6). As punishment, he sent a flood to destroy mankind, saving only Noah’s family through the ark. With the earth cleansed, God gave mankind the rainbow as the sign of a new covenant beginning. “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you…never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood…this is the sign of the covenant…I have set my rainbow in the clouds” (Gen. 9:8,11,12,13).
Unfortunately, Noah and his family carried into this renewed world the old fallen nature. From them depravity spread again. The rainbow promise from God remains, while even below that sign from heaven mankind lives in rebellion against His will. What did God do next in this story of covenants? We’ll consider that in a blog to follow.
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