Here at Living Waters, we teach that Scripture tells the covenantal journey between God and mankind, culminating in the covenant Jesus brought through His death, resurrection, and ascension. Knowing which covenant we\u2019re under is key to how we relate to God. If we mix them up, we risk putting a heavy yoke on ourselves that Jesus never intended us to carry. As He said, \u201cMy yoke is easy, and my burden is light\u201d (Matthew 11:30)\u2014a stark contrast to the Mosaic Law the Pharisees tried to keep people under.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this post, we\u2019ll explore the three types of covenants, walk through the five major covenants in Scripture, and see why the \u201cbetter covenant\u201d Jesus inaugurated matters so much. Through it, we\u2019re grafted in as co-heirs with Him, invited to bring heaven to earth as God\u2019s fully alive sons and daughters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scott Hahn from his book, Kinship by Covenant<\/em>, he teaches that covenants are \u201cthe master concept that unlocks the meaning of the Bible.\u201d They\u2019re sacred bonds, not contracts, and come in three forms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grant<\/strong>: This is an unconditional gift from God, like a king rewarding a loyal servant. It depends solely on His promise, not our performance\u2014seen in His pledge to Noah and Abraham\u2019s descendants. It shows God\u2019s grace, freely given.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vassal<\/strong>: Here, the great King, sets terms for His people to follow, like a ruler over subjects. The Mosaic Law is the example\u2014obedience brings blessing, disobedience brings curses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kinship<\/strong>: A mutual agreement between two parties. It emphasizes partnership, specially in marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scripture presents five major covenants\u2014Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus\u2014each demonstrating the three types of covenants but most importantly God\u2019s unwavering faithfulness in drawing humanity back to Himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Noah<\/strong> (Grant) : After humanity\u2019s sin led to the flood, God promised Noah, \u201cNever again will I destroy the earth with water\u201d (Genesis 9:11). The rainbow sealed this grant<\/strong> covenant, showing His mercy to all creation despite mankind\u2019s failures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Abraham<\/strong> (Grant): God called Abraham, saying, \u201cThrough you, all nations will be blessed\u201d (Genesis 12:3), promising land, descendants, and a legacy. This grant<\/strong> covenant based on God\u2019s promise to Abraham that he will become the father of many nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moses<\/strong> (Vassal): At Sinai, God told Israel, \u201cIf you obey me, you\u2019ll be my treasured possession\u201d (Exodus 19:5). God offered kinship as His \u201cfirstborn son\u201d (Exodus 4:22), but Israel\u2019s infidelity turned it into a vassal treaty, a tutor (Galatians 3:24) binding them like a marriage along with its yoke (Acts 15:10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n David<\/strong> (Grant): God promised David, \u201cYour throne will be established forever\u201d (2 Samuel 7:16), granting an everlasting kingdom. Though Israel\u2019s kings faltered, this royal grant<\/strong> held firm, fueling hope for a Messiah who\u2019d reign perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus<\/strong> (Grant\/Kinship): Ending the Mosaic law, and fulfilling the Davidic covenant, Jesus declared, \u201cIt is finished\u201d (John 19:30). This royal grant<\/strong> between Father and Son secures our sonship through His finished work. At the Last Supper, a picture of marital engagement, He offered His body and blood, binding us as His bride with the new command\u2014\u201cLove one another as I have loved you\u201d (John 13:34)\u2014a kinship<\/strong> of mutual love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This journey reveals God\u2019s unshakable faithfulness, even as Israel repeatedly rejected Him. They broke the Mosaic covenant with idolatry and disobedience, yet God didn\u2019t abandon them. He renewed His promise through David\u2019s line, a royal grant that didn\u2019t depend on their fidelity. That Davidic hope, \u201ca king forever,\u201d became the bridge to Jesus, the better covenant, proving God\u2019s love endures our failures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why does this matter? It\u2019s an eternal grant covenant between the Father and Son, sealed when \u201cChrist redeemed us from the law\u2019s curse by becoming a curse for us\u201d (Galatians 3:13), ending our marriage by His death (Romans 7:4), its priesthood and yoke obsolete (Hebrews 7:12). The Spirit of adoption makes us no longer slaves but God\u2019s children and as heirs\u2014co-heirs with Him, seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the Last Supper, there is an invitation to a marital engagement. Jesus offered His blood, saying, \u201cThis cup is the new covenant\u201d (Luke 22:20), His new command, and prayer \u201cthat they may be one as we are one\u201d paint us as His Bride. This kinship nests inside the grant<\/strong>, unbreakable by us, revealing the beauty of the new and better covenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the kingdom narrative: returning us to co-creation as a family unit. Jesus\u2019 light yoke frees us from the old covenant and invites us to partner with God in His mission as sons and daughters, fully alive, praying \u201cYour kingdom come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven.\u201d As a body and bride, we\u2019re called to reflect His love and life to the world, a mystical union mirroring the oneness the Son has with the Father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So let\u2019s live under the right covenant\u2014not mixing the old with the new, but embracing the freedom Christ offers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Here at Living Waters, we teach that Scripture tells the covenantal journey between God and mankind, culminating in the covenant Jesus brought through His death,\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1400213,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":126,"footnotes":""},"categories":[126],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1400210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kingdom-culture",""],"blockli_fields":{"post_type":"","post_action":"","post_type_icon":"","background_image":""},"bb_bookmark":{"bookmark_id":0,"is_bookmarked":false,"bookmark_date":0},"app_bookmark":{"bookmark_id":0,"is_bookmarked":false,"bookmark_date":0},"comments_count":"0","content_native":[{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" Here at Living Waters, we teach that Scripture tells the covenantal journey between God and mankind, culminating in the covenant Jesus brought through His death, resurrection, and ascension. Knowing which covenant we\u2019re under is key to how we relate to God. If we mix them up, we risk putting a heavy yoke on ourselves that Jesus never intended us to carry. As He said, \u201cMy yoke is easy, and my burden is light\u201d (Matthew 11:30)\u2014a stark contrast to the Mosaic Law the Pharisees tried to keep people under.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Here at Living Waters, we teach that Scripture tells the covenantal journey between God and mankind, culminating in the covenant Jesus brought through His death, resurrection, and ascension. Knowing which covenant we\u2019re under is key to how we relate to God. If we mix them up, we risk putting a heavy yoke on ourselves that Jesus never intended us to carry. As He said, \u201cMy yoke is easy, and my burden is light\u201d (Matthew 11:30)\u2014a stark contrast to the Mosaic Law the Pharisees tried to keep people under."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" In this post, we\u2019ll explore the three types of covenants, walk through the five major covenants in Scripture, and see why the \u201cbetter covenant\u201d Jesus inaugurated matters so much. Through it, we\u2019re grafted in as co-heirs with Him, invited to bring heaven to earth as God\u2019s fully alive sons and daughters.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"In this post, we\u2019ll explore the three types of covenants, walk through the five major covenants in Scripture, and see why the \u201cbetter covenant\u201d Jesus inaugurated matters so much. Through it, we\u2019re grafted in as co-heirs with Him, invited to bring heaven to earth as God\u2019s fully alive sons and daughters."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/heading","render":" Scott Hahn from his book, Kinship by Covenant<\/em>, he teaches that covenants are \u201cthe master concept that unlocks the meaning of the Bible.\u201d They\u2019re sacred bonds, not contracts, and come in three forms:<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Scott Hahn from his book, Kinship by Covenant<\/em>, he teaches that covenants are \u201cthe master concept that unlocks the meaning of the Bible.\u201d They\u2019re sacred bonds, not contracts, and come in three forms:"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" Grant<\/strong>: This is an unconditional gift from God, like a king rewarding a loyal servant. It depends solely on His promise, not our performance\u2014seen in His pledge to Noah and Abraham\u2019s descendants. It shows God\u2019s grace, freely given.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Grant<\/strong>: This is an unconditional gift from God, like a king rewarding a loyal servant. It depends solely on His promise, not our performance\u2014seen in His pledge to Noah and Abraham\u2019s descendants. It shows God\u2019s grace, freely given."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" Vassal<\/strong>: Here, the great King, sets terms for His people to follow, like a ruler over subjects. The Mosaic Law is the example\u2014obedience brings blessing, disobedience brings curses. <\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Vassal<\/strong>: Here, the great King, sets terms for His people to follow, like a ruler over subjects. The Mosaic Law is the example\u2014obedience brings blessing, disobedience brings curses. "}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" Kinship<\/strong>: A mutual agreement between two parties. It emphasizes partnership, specially in marriage.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Kinship<\/strong>: A mutual agreement between two parties. It emphasizes partnership, specially in marriage."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/heading","render":" Scripture presents five major covenants\u2014Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus\u2014each demonstrating the three types of covenants but most importantly God's unwavering faithfulness in drawing humanity back to Himself.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Scripture presents five major covenants\u2014Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus\u2014each demonstrating the three types of covenants but most importantly God's unwavering faithfulness in drawing humanity back to Himself."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" Noah<\/strong> (Grant) : After humanity\u2019s sin led to the flood, God promised Noah, \u201cNever again will I destroy the earth with water\u201d (Genesis 9:11). The rainbow sealed this grant<\/strong> covenant, showing His mercy to all creation despite mankind\u2019s failures.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Noah<\/strong> (Grant) : After humanity\u2019s sin led to the flood, God promised Noah, \u201cNever again will I destroy the earth with water\u201d (Genesis 9:11). The rainbow sealed this grant<\/strong> covenant, showing His mercy to all creation despite mankind\u2019s failures."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" Abraham<\/strong> (Grant): God called Abraham, saying, \u201cThrough you, all nations will be blessed\u201d (Genesis 12:3), promising land, descendants, and a legacy. This grant<\/strong> covenant based on God's promise to Abraham that he will become the father of many nations.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Abraham<\/strong> (Grant): God called Abraham, saying, \u201cThrough you, all nations will be blessed\u201d (Genesis 12:3), promising land, descendants, and a legacy. This grant<\/strong> covenant based on God's promise to Abraham that he will become the father of many nations."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" Moses<\/strong> (Vassal): At Sinai, God told Israel, \u201cIf you obey me, you\u2019ll be my treasured possession\u201d (Exodus 19:5). God offered kinship as His \u201cfirstborn son\u201d (Exodus 4:22), but Israel\u2019s infidelity turned it into a vassal treaty, a tutor (Galatians 3:24) binding them like a marriage along with its yoke (Acts 15:10).<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Moses<\/strong> (Vassal): At Sinai, God told Israel, \u201cIf you obey me, you\u2019ll be my treasured possession\u201d (Exodus 19:5). God offered kinship as His \u201cfirstborn son\u201d (Exodus 4:22), but Israel\u2019s infidelity turned it into a vassal treaty, a tutor (Galatians 3:24) binding them like a marriage along with its yoke (Acts 15:10)."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" David<\/strong> (Grant): God promised David, \u201cYour throne will be established forever\u201d (2 Samuel 7:16), granting an everlasting kingdom. Though Israel\u2019s kings faltered, this royal grant<\/strong> held firm, fueling hope for a Messiah who\u2019d reign perfectly.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"David<\/strong> (Grant): God promised David, \u201cYour throne will be established forever\u201d (2 Samuel 7:16), granting an everlasting kingdom. Though Israel\u2019s kings faltered, this royal grant<\/strong> held firm, fueling hope for a Messiah who\u2019d reign perfectly."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" Jesus<\/strong> (Grant\/Kinship): Ending the Mosaic law, and fulfilling the Davidic covenant, Jesus declared, \u201cIt is finished\u201d (John 19:30). This royal grant<\/strong> between Father and Son secures our sonship through His finished work. At the Last Supper, a picture of marital engagement, He offered His body and blood, binding us as His bride with the new command\u2014\u201cLove one another as I have loved you\u201d (John 13:34)\u2014a kinship<\/strong> of mutual love.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Jesus<\/strong> (Grant\/Kinship): Ending the Mosaic law, and fulfilling the Davidic covenant, Jesus declared, \u201cIt is finished\u201d (John 19:30). This royal grant<\/strong> between Father and Son secures our sonship through His finished work. At the Last Supper, a picture of marital engagement, He offered His body and blood, binding us as His bride with the new command\u2014\u201cLove one another as I have loved you\u201d (John 13:34)\u2014a kinship<\/strong> of mutual love."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/heading","render":" This journey reveals God\u2019s unshakable faithfulness, even as Israel repeatedly rejected Him. They broke the Mosaic covenant with idolatry and disobedience, yet God didn\u2019t abandon them. He renewed His promise through David\u2019s line, a royal grant that didn\u2019t depend on their fidelity. That Davidic hope, \u201ca king forever,\" became the bridge to Jesus, the better covenant, proving God\u2019s love endures our failures.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"This journey reveals God\u2019s unshakable faithfulness, even as Israel repeatedly rejected Him. They broke the Mosaic covenant with idolatry and disobedience, yet God didn\u2019t abandon them. He renewed His promise through David\u2019s line, a royal grant that didn\u2019t depend on their fidelity. That Davidic hope, \u201ca king forever,\" became the bridge to Jesus, the better covenant, proving God\u2019s love endures our failures."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" Why does this matter? It\u2019s an eternal grant covenant between the Father and Son, sealed when \u201cChrist redeemed us from the law\u2019s curse by becoming a curse for us\u201d (Galatians 3:13), ending our marriage by His death (Romans 7:4), its priesthood and yoke obsolete (Hebrews 7:12). The Spirit of adoption makes us no longer slaves but God\u2019s children and as heirs\u2014co-heirs with Him, seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6).<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Why does this matter? It\u2019s an eternal grant covenant between the Father and Son, sealed when \u201cChrist redeemed us from the law\u2019s curse by becoming a curse for us\u201d (Galatians 3:13), ending our marriage by His death (Romans 7:4), its priesthood and yoke obsolete (Hebrews 7:12). The Spirit of adoption makes us no longer slaves but God\u2019s children and as heirs\u2014co-heirs with Him, seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6)."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" At the Last Supper, there is an invitation to a marital engagement. Jesus offered His blood, saying, \u201cThis cup is the new covenant\u201d (Luke 22:20), His new command, and prayer \u201cthat they may be one as we are one\u201d paint us as His Bride. This kinship nests inside the grant<\/strong>, unbreakable by us, revealing the beauty of the new and better covenant.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"At the Last Supper, there is an invitation to a marital engagement. Jesus offered His blood, saying, \u201cThis cup is the new covenant\u201d (Luke 22:20), His new command, and prayer \u201cthat they may be one as we are one\u201d paint us as His Bride. This kinship nests inside the grant<\/strong>, unbreakable by us, revealing the beauty of the new and better covenant."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" This is the kingdom narrative: returning us to co-creation as a family unit. Jesus\u2019 light yoke frees us from the old covenant and invites us to partner with God in His mission as sons and daughters, fully alive, praying \u201cYour kingdom come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven.\" As a body and bride, we\u2019re called to reflect His love and life to the world, a mystical union mirroring the oneness the Son has with the Father.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"This is the kingdom narrative: returning us to co-creation as a family unit. Jesus\u2019 light yoke frees us from the old covenant and invites us to partner with God in His mission as sons and daughters, fully alive, praying \u201cYour kingdom come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven.\" As a body and bride, we\u2019re called to reflect His love and life to the world, a mystical union mirroring the oneness the Son has with the Father."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" So let\u2019s live under the right covenant\u2014not mixing the old with the new, but embracing the freedom Christ offers.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"So let\u2019s live under the right covenant\u2014not mixing the old with the new, but embracing the freedom Christ offers."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}}],"app_access":{"can_access":true,"restrict_message":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1400210","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1400210"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1400210\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1400226,"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1400210\/revisions\/1400226"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1400213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1400210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1400210"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1400210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Five Covenants: God\u2019s Unfolding Story<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Better Covenant<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Three Types of Covenants: How God Makes Agreements<\/h3>","content":"Three Types of Covenants: How God Makes Agreements","data":[],"style":{"align":"left","parent_style":{},"header":"h3","fontSize":"21px"}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"
Five Covenants: God\u2019s Unfolding Story<\/h3>","content":"Five Covenants: God\u2019s Unfolding Story","data":[],"style":{"align":"left","parent_style":{},"header":"h3","fontSize":"21px"}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"
The Better Covenant<\/h3>","content":"The Better Covenant","data":[],"style":{"align":"left","parent_style":{},"header":"h3","fontSize":"21px"}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"