Old Testament Covenants
As taught in the Catholic tradition
Tracing God's preparation of His people through Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David.
The central question that the subtopic of Old Testament Covenants answers within the Catholic tradition is: How does God, who is infinite and transcendent, bring finite and fallen humanity into a real, binding, and familial relationship with Himself? For the Catholic mind, the Old Testament is not merely a collection of ancient near-eastern myths or a legalistic precursor to the Gospel; it is the record of "Salvation History" (Heilsgeschichte), the unfolding of God’s pedagogical plan to restore the human race to His family. This relationship is structured through the "Covenant" (berit in Hebrew, diatheke in Greek). Within Catholicism, a covenant is fundamentally distinguished from a contract. While a contract is a temporary exchange of goods or services ("This is yours and that is mine"), a covenant is a permanent exchange of persons ("I am yours and you are mine").
By the end of this lesson
- Identify the five primary Old Testament covenants and their respective mediators (Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David).
- Distinguish between a "contract" and a "covenant" using the Catholic theological framework of kinship and family.
- Explain the three-fold promise made to Abraham in Genesis 12 and how it corresponds to the later covenants with Moses, David, and Jesus.
- Articulate the concept of "typology" as it relates to the Mosaic "Kingdom of Priests" and the Christian "Royal Priesthood."
- Trace the development of the "Son of God" title from the Davidic covenant to its perfect fulfillment in the Incarnation.
- Defend the Catholic doctrine of the unity of the two Testaments against Marcionite or extreme dispensationalist tendencies.
- Apply the "Covenantal Signs" (Sabbath, Rainbow, Circumcision, Passover, Temple) to the understanding of the seven Sacraments.
- Compare the "External Law" of the Sinai covenant with the "Internal Law" prophesied by Jeremiah.
Scripture
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