Bible Reading Plan:

40 days on covenant

Bible Reading Plan: 40 days on covenant

The Covenant-Making, Covenant-Keeping God
In the Ancient Near East covenants were a way people solidified relationships and
responsibilities. When God met with people and formed covenants with them,
he was using a form of agreement which they were very familiar with. There
were various kinds of covenant, usually with attached benefits and penalties;
much like the blessings and curses that appear in the Mosaic Covenant. One
of the key threads that run through the bible are the various covenants that
God made with various people, including Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, David,
and the New Covenant in Jesus Christ. The bible shows God both making and
keeping covenant with people that he chose. This bible reading plan focuses
on the Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic and the New Covenants and shows how the
earlier covenants are all fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and in the New Covenant.

Gods Covenant with Abraham

Day 1 God Calls Abram
Read Genesis 12:1-9
Contemplate What did God call Abram to do? Are there any conditions on
God blessing Abram? Are the blessings only for Abram, or is God hinting at a
bigger plan? What is Abrams response to Gods call? What can we learn from
the way God approached Abram and Abrams response? What can we learn
about the purpose of blessing?

Day 2 God Gives the Land to Abram

Read Genesis 13:14-18
Contemplate How does this promise from God differ or expand on the
promises made in Genesis 12:1-9? How does God expect Abram to live knowing
that the land would be his?

Day 3 God Makes a Covenant with Abram

Read Genesis 15:1-21
Contemplate What does God tell Abram will happen in the years to come?
Does God require anything of Abram in this covenant, are their any conditions?
The passing of the blazing torch between the halves of the animals by God
indicates that God will take on any penalties or curses that would eventuate
from the breaking of this covenant. What does this tell us about the character
of God that he would take those curses on?

Day 4 The Covenant of Circumcision is Instituted

Read Genesis 17:1-27
Contemplate How long is this covenant going to last? Does God put a limit on
it? What conditions does God now introduce to the relationship? What are the
penalties for breaking the covenant by not being circumcised? What does the
renaming of Abram and Sarai indicate?

Day 5 God Tests Abraham

Read Genesis 22
Contemplate How must Abraham have felt when God asked him to sacrifice the
son that he and Sarah had waited so long to have? How confused do you think
you would be if God wanted to take away the very thing that he had promised
you? What does Gods test of Abraham reveal about the priority he places on
obedience? What relationship do you think obedience has to covenant?

Day 6 God Gives Isaac the Promises He Made to Abraham

Read Genesis 26:1-5, 24-29
Contemplate What does God promise Isaac, Abrahams son? Is this the same
as what he promised Abraham? What does God say about the way Abraham
kept covenant? What happens when Abimelek sees that God has blessed
Isaac? How do you think this relates to Gods promise to Abraham that all
peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Gen 12:3)?

Day 7 God Gives Jacob the Promises He Made to Abraham

Read Genesis 28:11-22
Contemplate What does God promise Jacob, Abrahams grand-son? Is
this the same as what he promised Abraham and Isaac? Does God put any
conditions on Jacob? What is Jacobs response to Gods promises?

Day 8 God Gives Jacob a New Name

Read Genesis 32:22-30
Contemplate Jacob means supplanter. What is the significance of Jacobs
new name, Israel? What affect does this meeting with God have on Jacob?
How can we begin to see Gods promises to Abraham being fulfilled in the
name God gives to Jacob?

Day 9 God Confirms the Promises to Jacob

Read Genesis 35:9-15
Contemplate How many times has God now told Abraham and his descendants
about the covenant and the promises? What does this tell us about Gods
determination to do what he has said he will do, even across many generations?

Day 10 Jacob Blesses His Children

Read Genesis 49:1 50:14
Contemplate How can we begin to see the promises to Abraham being
fulfilled in his great-grandchildren? How is what God told Abraham would
happen to his family in Genesis 15 starting?

Gods Covenant with Israel at Sinai

Day 11 God Gives Moses the Law I
Read Exodus 19-20
Contemplate What does God promise Israel if they keep his covenant? What
do you think of Israel responding that they will do all that God commands
them? What will it mean to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation? What
would that look like? If a priest is an intermediary between God and humanity,
what is the significance of holiness (observance of the law) for that role?

Day 12 God Gives Moses the Law II

Read Exodus 21-22
Contemplate Given that slavery was very normal in the Ancient Near East,
why do you think issues of justice like slavery were something that God
felt the need to regulate? How significant is it that God gave slaves rights
under the law? How is breaking the law coupled with covenant curses (or
consequences)?

Day 13 God Gives Moses the Law III

Read Exodus 23-24
Contemplate How many of these laws are about personal sin, how many
about social responsibility and living well with others? Why do you think God
had to institute people resting in law? How does this relate to justice and
mercy? Why do you think God put festivals into law?

Day 14 The Blessings and Curses of the Covenant

Read Deuteronomy 27:1 - 31:29
Contemplate On what basis does God pronounce these blessings and curses?
To whom does this covenant, its blessings and curses apply to? What benefit
do you think there was in renewing the covenant?

Day 15 The Israelites Receive the Promised Land

Read Joshua 21
Contemplate How does this passage show the fulfilment of Gods promises to
Abraham? What does this show us about God as a covenant-keeper?

Day 16 Joshua Renews the Covenant

Read Joshua 24
Contemplate This passage shows the covenant being renewed again. What
value do you think there is in going back over the terms of the covenant?
What assistance would it be to the people to have memorials set up to remind
people of the covenant with God?

Day 17 Daniel Asks God to Be Faithful to the Covenant

Read Daniel 9:1-19
Contemplate In the book of Daniel the people of Israel have been taken into
captivity in Babylon. What reason does Daniel give for the people being punished
in this way? What remedy does Daniel believe will bring about an end to the exile?
How is the covenant giving Daniel hope that God will show mercy on Israel?

Gods Covenant with David

Day 18 God Makes a Covenant With David
Read 2 Samuel 7
Contemplate What does God promise to David? Are there any conditions on
Gods promises to David? How long does God say that the house of David will
rule for?

Day 19 Israel and Judah Have Been Unfaithful

Read Jeremiah 3:6- 4:4
Contemplate What does this passage reveal about how God feels about
people breaking covenant with him? What does God want people to do
after being told of their unfaithfulness? What does God say the outcome of
faithfulness will be? What does God say the outcome of unfaithfulness will be?
How are the blessings and curses of both the Mosaic and Davidic covenants
shown here?

Day 20 The Terms of the Covenant With David

Read Psalm 89
Contemplate What does this Psalm say about the terms of the covenant with
David? What will happen if his descendants rebel against God? Will God ever
break this covenant? This Psalm was written during a period where the Davidic
line appeared to have failed. How then does the covenant with David give the
Psalmist hope and basis to pray for the restoration of the Davidic monarchy?

Day 21 The Psalmist Calls On God to Remember David

Read Psalm 132
Contemplate Why do you think the Psalmist is appealing to God on the basis of
the covenant? What can we learn about prayer from this Psalm, using covenant
as a basis for determining the will of God?

Day 22 God Promises Restoration

Read Jeremiah 33
Contemplate How does this passage show God being faithful to his covenant
commitments? How does it show him being faithful to the Mosaic covenant?
And the Davidic covenant? To what fixed things does God compare his
covenant with Israel and Judah? Is there, therefore, anything that would lead
God to completely break covenant with people?

The New Covenant in Jesus Christ

Day 23 God Promises a New Covenant
Read Jeremiah 31:31-37
Contemplate How will the new covenant be different from the old covenants?
How permanent is Gods commitment to Israel? Is there anything that they could
do to be permanently put out of favour with God? What then is the basis of
their relationship with God?

Day 24 The Breadth of the New Covenant

Read Isaiah 49
Contemplate To which people groups does God say the new covenant will
apply? What will be the outcome of the new covenant? What blessings are
described? Although God is promising a new covenant, does he say that the
old covenant is out of date? Is there any indication God will cease to be faithful
to the old covenant? On what basis does God say that the peoples hope in him
will be vindicated? What does this show us about God as covenant-maker and
covenant-keeper?

Day 25 The Graciousness of the New Covenant

Read Isaiah 55
Contemplate What does it mean to buy without cost? How is this a picture
of grace? How is grace something where Gods thoughts are not our thoughts,
nor Gods ways are our ways? What kind of new covenant is God going to
make? How long will the new covenant last? How will the new covenant be
like the covenant with David? To which people groups will the new covenant
apply? What does this new covenant reveal about the character of God?

Day 26 God Will Be Shepherd To His People

Read Ezekiel 34
Contemplate In the Old Testament, the term Shepherd is used to describe
human leaders who God has put over his people. What does God say about the
leaders who have been over his people? How does God intend to replace those
leaders? How will God shepherd his people? What does God expect of his
sheep? Who will God place over his sheep? How does this link with the Davidic
covenant? What will be the blessings of the new covenant?

Day 27 Jesus, Son of David, Son of Abraham

Read Matthew 1
Contemplate Why do you think Matthew is at such pains to show that Jesus
was the descendant of both Abraham and David? How do you think this links
with the covenants with Abraham and David? In what ways do you think Jesus
fulfils the covenant with Abraham? What about the covenant with David?

Day 28 Jesus Came to Fulfil the Law I

Read Matthew 5:17 - 6:4
Contemplate In what way does Jesus not abolish the law but rather fulfil it?
Does this passage read similarly to the law in Exodus? How does Jesus fulfil
the old law by requiring not only external compliance, but inward heart-change
as well? How does this inner change relate back to Jeremiahs prophecy of a
covenant where the laws are written on peoples hearts?

Day 29 Jesus Came to Fulfil the Law II

Read Matthew 6:5 - 7:29
Contemplate Given the background of God expecting certain behaviour
from his people when they are in covenant with him, do you think that Jesus
expects people under the new covenant to obey his teaching in the Sermon
on the Mount? How seriously should we take Jesus statements in Matthew
7:13-27? Does this indicate something about how the new covenant functions?
Does Jesus mention any penalties for non-compliance?

Day 30 Jesus Indicates The Price of the New Covenant

Read Luke 22:7-38
Contemplate Similarly to the covenant with Abraham, where God took on
himself the curses of the covenant if it were broken, how does this passage
show Jesus taking on the curses of the covenant being broken? What does
this mean for our security under the new covenant? If Jesus blood has been
shed once and for all, can we now break covenant with him?

Day 31 The Terms of the Covenant For Gentiles

Read Acts 15:1-21
Contemplate In the early church there was much controversy over whether
Gentile Christians should be circumcised and made to obey the Mosaic Law.
What does this passage show us was the conclusion of that debate? Are
Gentiles required to observe the Law given to Moses? What requirements are
given to Gentiles? What is the link between circumcision and faith? Why do
you think it was sufficient that God had purified their hearts by faith? In what
way was circumcision a symbol of purification by faith?

Day 32 Abraham Was Justified By Faith

Read Romans 4
Contemplate To what does this passage attribute Abrahams righteousness?
Was Abraham justified with God before or after circumcision (see Days 1 to
4)? How did Abraham obtain the promises from God? How are we called
to follow in Abrahams footsteps? What does this tell us about a continuity
between the covenant with Abraham and the new covenant? How does the
new covenant fulfil, and upgrade the covenant with Abraham?

Day 33 The Way of Righteousness

Read Romans 9
Contemplate What does this passage tell us about the way to be righteous,
and remain in covenant relationship with God? How does Paul say the Jews
missed the mark? How does God want both Jew and Gentile to be in covenant
relationship with him?

Day 34 Gods Call is Irrevocable

Read Romans 11
Contemplate Has God rejected Israel? Will God break his covenant with
them? What is the relationship of Gentiles to the Jews in the covenant
structure? Under what terms will the branches that have been broken off, be
grafted back in? Is God going to fulfil his covenant with Israel?

Day 35 The Greater Glory of the New Covenant

Read 2 Corinthians 2:12 - 3:18
Contemplate How does Paul compare the old covenant with the new
covenant? How do you think the Spirit brings freedom under the new
covenant, compared to the law (letter) bringing death? How do you think the
transformation described in verse 18 might be linked to the Sermon on the
Mounts emphasis on heart-attitudes, and the promise of the law being written
on our hearts?

Day 36 Those Who Have Faith Are Children of Abraham

Read Galatians 3
Contemplate How does Paul link the new covenant to Abraham? How is
faith and life in the Spirit different to observance of the Law? How does the
new covenant fulfil the promises to Abraham? How does Paul show that the
covenant with Abraham is fulfilled in Christ? What makes a person an inheritor
of the promises made to Abraham?

Day 37 The Certainty of Gods Promise

Read Hebrews 6
Contemplate What does this passage say about the certainty of Gods
promise? What is the relationship of faith to the certainty of Gods promises?
How do we maintain covenant faithfulness? Is there any chance at all that God
will not do what he has sworn by himself to do?

Day 38 Jesus, High-Priest of the New Covenant

Read Hebrews 8
Contemplate How does this passage show that Jesus fulfils the Mosaic
covenant? How are the terms of the new covenant different from the old? What
does this passage say about the relationship between promises and covenant?

Day 39 Sacrifice Under the New Covenant

Read Hebrews 9
Contemplate How does this passage show about how the sacrifices in
the old covenant are fulfilled in Jesus? What does this passage say about
the permanence of the effectiveness of Jesus sacrifice? Under what
circumstances then, might the covenant-relationship with God be damaged?

Day 40 The New Covenant in Action

Read Hebrews 11:1 12:3
Contemplate What does this passage tell us about the importance of faith
for maintaining covenant-faithfulness? How does this passage sum up the
covenants God made with the people of Israel? What does it mean that These
were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been
promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with
us would they be made perfect (11:39-40)?

Notes

Notes

Produced (2011) by The Salvation Army

Australia Southern Territory
Corps Programme department
salvationarmy.org.au/corpsresources