God's Promises, Part 1

by Colin Michael

God had a complete plan for all of time before He spoke His first words of creation. The plan that He put into effect is the single most effective plan that could have ever been because of who He is. At times and to certain people of His choosing, God has revealed a portion of that plan. In a few very special instances, God has revealed His plan by way of a promise. These promises are called covenants and God has chosen to be bound by every promise He has made. Some of the covenants have been laid out in the form of a contract with conditions that men must fulfill before the promise would be in effect. Most have been without condition, promises given completely by His grace, dependent on nothing else. In this series of articles we will consider God's covenants along with their recipients, conditions, fulfillments, and lasting effects.

The Edenic Covenant

From the first word of Genesis we see the great God of all matter, energy and time preparing a place for fellowship with His created beings. We don't see Him toying with creation or doing anything off-hand. He is involved as Father (Gen 1:1), Son (John 1:1-3) and Spirit (Gen 1:2) in preparing places for all living things. Particularly, with a race to be made in a pattern similar to His own perfection, a triune creation as a reflection of a triune creator.

This created being would be aware of his physical surroundings and the passage of time so God made incredible wonders in layer upon layer that His being would discover and for which he could care and with which he would be fascinated. This creation would change over time and become more diverse. It would be a universe that the created being could guide and direct and fashion in some respects as time passed.

This created being would know himself and would know that he was a man, so God made many beings that were not man. This helped the man to understand his uniqueness and his special position in creation. Man would have personality and could formulate ideas and could have complex relationships. So that his relationships would be diverse and complex and changing, God gave the man a companion who was very much like himself, but very much different. As the man and his companion learned more about each other they would together bring more people gradually into their relationship. Love and joy would continually increase as more men joined the conversation and the community. Men have souls to commune together.

Finally, God desired to be personally involved in the daily lives of His created beings so He gave them a spirit that could know and commune with their God at all times. They could share the joy of discovery, of work, of pleasure, of relationships with God every moment. Their lives would be worship every moment of the day through time. I find it very likely that mankind, once he had explored the earth for a million years or so, might have moved on to other parts of God's creation; other planets, other stars, other galaxies, for eons.

Once God had finished His incredible works of creation, and before He rested, He took great care to personally fashion Adam with tender care and to personally see to the beginning of his learning process as he met all of the animals and learned what his duties would be as ruler of God's creation. Then He introduced him to Eve, his helpmeet, and stepped back to proclaim it all perfect.

The agreement, the covenant that God made with Adam as he placed him at the head of creation, was one of great privilege and correspondingly great responsibility. C.I. Scofield names seven points in the notes of his reference bible. (1) To fill the earth with the influence and order of mankind; (2) to subdue the earth to human uses; (3) to have dominion over the animal creation; (4) to eat herbs and fruits; (5) to till and keep the garden; (6) to abstain from eating of the tree of good and evil; (7) that the penalty was death.

This simple covenant was a contract of employment of sorts, and it was conditioned on Adam and his race fulfilling it in all points. Beyond the very broad instructions there was complete liberty. In every activity and idea there was opportunity to commune directly with God on any question or decision. In truth, only one thing was forbidden, and that was to reject the rule and authority of the Master. Only one tree out of all creation was reserved to the Master Himself. Just as Joseph was put in command of every duty and person and thing in the kingdom of Pharaoh, so the first couple was in command of creation. Joseph was only restricted from one action, sitting on the throne of the king, so Adam was restricted from one thing, the knowledge of good and evil reserved for the Master alone. We know that Joseph, as a picture of the last Adam, was obedient to his king and because of that he saved his entire family and all generations after them. The first Adam, however, grasped the forbidden fruit with both hands and sold his birthright for the sake of his immediate appetite.

Breaking that first covenant did not bring any season of enjoyment to Adam. His life changed immediately for the worse and the consequences mounted as the effects set in. The first sin committed, many more sins began to follow in rapid succession. The full effects of his transgression were exposed the following day when God entered into a new and unconditional covenant with men, the Adamic covenant, which we will cover next month.

I sometimes try to imagine what life was like under that covenant in Eden: plenty of satisfying things to do, but nothing pressing; sufficient answers to every question, no matter how deep; a perfect mind with a perfect memory; all of time to raise one child after another to adulthood, then successive generations after, all with opportunity to know their family tree personally. The ramifications are staggering. The loss, caused by selfishness, is immeasurable. Don't blame Adam and Eve, though. You and I would have done the same thing.

Next Month: God's Promises to Adam