The Bible is a big book, encompassing almost four thousand years of human history and containing various genres of literature from poetry to prophecy. Even though the Bible seemingly contains so many disparate parts, the church has historically discerned a general movement, or plot structure, to Scripture's story. In the recent history of the American … Continue reading What moves the Bible’s story forward?
Kingdom Through Covenant
Paul Williamson on the New Covenant
Paul Williamson explains his take on the new covenant in his book, Sealed with an Oath. Williamson first begins by pointing out that the concept of the new covenant appears in several places in the Old Testament, even though the actual phrase is only used in Jeremiah 31:31 (146). But since Jeremiah 31 is the … Continue reading Paul Williamson on the New Covenant
Peter Gentry on the New Covenant
Peter Gentry exposits the new covenant as found in Jeremiah in his book, Kingdom through Covenant. After placing the classic new covenant text of Jeremiah 31:31-34 in its literary structure, Gentry proceeds to walk through the various elements of the covenant. Gentry contends that the phrase "days are coming" refers to a time in the … Continue reading Peter Gentry on the New Covenant
William Dumbrell on the New Covenant
William Dumbrell has an extended discussion on the new covenant in his OT survey, The Faith of Israel. Dumbrell points out that while Jeremiah 31:31-40 doesn't explicit speak in global terms, the emphases of the text affirms "an international context" (144). The new covenant brings with it a new creation and a New Jerusalem, the … Continue reading William Dumbrell on the New Covenant
Tom Schreiner on the New Covenant
Tom Schreiner unpacks the new covenant in the final chapter of his book, Covenant and God's Purpose for the World. Schreiner begins making the point that the new covenant can be described various ways in the Old Testament without actually using the exact phrase, "new covenant" (89). Sometimes other descriptions for the new covenant are … Continue reading Tom Schreiner on the New Covenant
Stephen Dempster on the Davidic Covenant
Stephen Dempster takes a literary approach to the Hebrew Bible in his book, Dominion and Dynasty. By retelling the storyline of the Hebrew Bible with a focus on location (dominion) and kingship (dynasty), Dempster is well-suited to discuss the Davidic covenant which brings both of these themes together. Reflecting on the importance of 2 Samuel … Continue reading Stephen Dempster on the Davidic Covenant
Thomas Schreiner on the Davidic Covenant
Thomas Schreiner unpacks the Davidic covenant in his chapter on it in his book, Covenant and God's Purpose for the World. Schreiner sees the Davidic covenant standing in continuity with both the Abrahamic and the Sinai covenant. As king, David and his sons would "represent Israel, and the nation would be blessed through their obedience … Continue reading Thomas Schreiner on the Davidic Covenant
Robert Saucy on the Davidic Covenant
Robert Saucy attempts to provide a mediating position on the Davidic covenant between traditional and revised dispensationalism on the one hand and non-dispensationalism on the other in his chapter on the Davidic covenant in his book The Case for Progressive Dispensationalism. Saucy first examines the Davidic covenant in its Old Testament context and summarizes the … Continue reading Robert Saucy on the Davidic Covenant
Walter Kaiser on 2 Samuel 7:19
Walter Kaiser, in his article "The Blessing of David: The Character of Humanity," seeks to explicate the meaning of the phrase, "this is the torah of man" in 2 Samuel 7:19. Kaiser examines the context of the passage to highlight the unconditional nature of the Davidic promise (305-07). While individuals in David's line can break … Continue reading Walter Kaiser on 2 Samuel 7:19
Paul Williamson on the Davidic Covenant
After the Mosaic covenant, the next major covenant in the Scriptures is the Davidic covenant. While the word "covenant" does not appear in the classic passage of the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:1-14), the concepts of covenant-making are clearly there. It may be that classic features of covenant-making ceremonies, such as a sacrfices, do not … Continue reading Paul Williamson on the Davidic Covenant