The Promise of Emmanuel: The Adamic Covenant

It has been a long time since I published here. I’ve shared on Facebook but haven’t really blogged. I thought about a Christmas carol for this year since that seems to have become a tradition. However, I’ve been thinking a lot about the covenants (specific promises of God) that shaped the Old Testament in preparation for Christ’s arrival. There are six covenants, five unconditional and one conditional. I’m going to share some thoughts about each of them as we approach Christmas and celebrate the Incarnation – Emmanuel, God with us.

The first covenant isn’t always included in the list (some people say there are five, not six). However, I think it is important to begin with the Adamic covenant in Genesis 3:15. Adam was created without a sin nature and lived in a sin-free world. He had conferred power from God and love (both from God and from his wife). He lived in a world full of beauty and did not live in fear. I can’t imagine what it might have been like to cuddle a lion or bear and be completely confident that all would be well. Not fearing that your family would die from some horrific disease or wondering what hatred might cost is a weight that Adam did not have to bear.

However, there was a choice. I’ve had people ask me why God created evil in the tree, and I think we have to be careful about how we discuss the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. See, the tree wasn’t evil (God has never created anything that is inherently evil – but that’s its own blog post). The tree represented a choice: obedience or disobedience – belief or unbelief – surrender or pride. There had to be a choice in order for free will or love to exist. After all, if God created Adam and forced him to be holy, forced him into friendship, forced him into particular behavior, that can’t truly be love. Now, in retrospect, looking at the state of our world, we might wish that Adam had fewer choices. When we think about the hatred, mass shootings, terrorist attacks, martyrdom, and divisions, we might feel that a race of robots wouldn’t have been such a terrible thing. However, God decided that love was worth the price of choice. People with free will can choose surrender or can choose their own will. Adam chose disobedience, and as a result, he understood a truth that was originally designed for God alone.

The tree wasn’t the problem; it was Adam’s unbelief that caused the fall. God did not mean for humanity to bear the weight of evil. We know this today, even if it is not fully acknowledged. If we spend too long doomscrolling or when we encounter abuse, hatred, and malice, we recoil (and must then decide how we will respond long-term). We feel weariness in our souls. It is no wonder depression and anxiety are so prevalent in today’s culture. We are experiencing the consequences of believing that we know what is better for us than God. This choice impacted so much more than just Adam. Every time someone hurt, responded in hatred, murdered another human…Adam had to think, “That’s a consequence of my choice.” God will always give us a choice, but we cannot choose our consequences.

Still, even in the midst of such devastation and shame, God made a vow. He didn’t justify Adam’s actions or make excuses for their sin. Yet he did make a promise (to Satan, actually), “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:14-15). That offspring was hoped for through thousands of years of history. Through other covenants, through kingdoms, through exiles, through oppression, through wars, through everyday life and extreme moments of joy – those who trusted God’s promise waited for this offspring. Satan made every effort to prevent the offspring from arriving, but nothing could stop God’s eternal plan. The perfect, unhurried, faithful, wise, eternal love of God chose a particular moment in time to enter our world.

The 1st-century problems were not entirely dissimilar to ours, and yet the sinfulness of people, their refusal to obey, and their lack of interest in God’s gift did not deter the ultimate gift-giver. His agape love and the unconditional covenant promise were fulfilled on a noisy, hectic, and uncertain Bethlehem night. The promised offspring arrived, and the angels rejoiced with good tidings of great joy! His birth was the physical start of a journey to the cross – the bruising of his heel by the nails of the cruel Roman cross as he paid for our sins, then to the grave – where he conquered death and defeated Satan’s greatest weapon, then back to glory – where he ever-lives to make intercession for us. It didn’t take long for humanity to sin – to choose disobedience and unbelief. However, God had a plan. The Redeemer was promised, and all who believed in the Messiah, by faith (trusting in his sufficiency and ability to save), waited for the fulfillment of their great hope. Eight verses after the fall, God is already sharing his first covenant promise of redemption.

I’m sure when Eve had Cain, she hoped he was the promised Messiah. How devastating when it became apparent that he was no one’s savior. The wait was long and full of human failures. However, God’s timing was perfect. A common language, Roman roads, a census to fulfil prophecy, a wicked king who necessitated a move to again fulfil prophecy, a lull between rebellions, nations with weary souls – that is the world that Jesus came to. This Christmas, whatever is happening in your weary world, he is with you. We don’t believe that he was Emmanuel but that he is Emmanuel (they shall call his name Emmanuel – Matt. 1:23). Our hopes may be fulfilled with great joy, or they may feel disappointed, but God has never failed to keep his covenant promises. We, in our current circumstances, will not be the first to experience a failure in God’s faithfulness.