Chapter 14 - Renovation Covenant

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(Genesis 1:2-31; Job 38:4-7; Isaiah 24:4-6; Jeremiah 33:19-26)

Bible scholars have often presumed that the early chapters of Genesis contain evidence of both an “Edenic Covenant” and an “Adamic Covenant.” (Genesis 1:28-30; 2:15-17; 3:14-19) However, the early chapters of Genesis do not affirm the existence of either covenant.

Contextually, it is clear that the first three chapters of Genesis contain the essential elements of one covenant alone. Further, the covenantal stipulations presented are not reflective of either and Edenic or Adamic covenant.

Some have chosen to call the solitary covenant recorded in early Genesis the Creation Covenant. Nevertheless, both the context and covenantal elements revealed in Genesis do not support a creation covenant any more than an Edenic or Adamic covenant. Instead, the covenant described in early Genesis should more aptly be called the Renovation Covenant. (Genesis 1:2b-2:25)

Original Creation

“In the beginning,” God created the original, eternal heavens and earth to exist within His kingdom. (Genesis 1:1) It served as a habitat for angelic beings. God created them in a state of holiness and provided them with the freedom to choose whether to remain in a state of submission to His authority. Thus, angelic perseverance on the original, eternal earth was not predicated on fulfilling the commands of law but free choice.

Rebellion and Chaos

Despite their privileged position in the kingdom, a large number of angelic beings chose to rebel against God. Concordant with divine justice, judgment was swift. As a result, God banished the rebellious angels from His kingdom.

Relative to the rebellion of the angels and the judgment of God, the original heavens and earth were transformed into a state of ruin, emptiness, and darkness (Genesis 1:2). Thus, their abode became chaotic.

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Renovation Covenant

The renovation of the chaotic heavens and earth was key to God’s eternal plan. (Genesis 1:3-2:3; cf. Isaiah 45:18; Jeremiah 31:35-36; 33:19-26) It was designed to vindicate His nature from the angelic challenge and repopulate His kingdom with willing citizens.

Within the protective framework of covenant stipulation, God renovated chaotic heavens and earth in spatiotemporal form. He accomplished the renovation in seven days:

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Day	Temporal Renovation	Reference
1	Light.	Genesis 1:3-5
2	Space.	Genesis 1:6-8
3	Land and Vegetation.	Genesis 1:9-10
4	Time.	Genesis 1:14-19
5	Fish and fowl.	Genesis 1:20-23
6	Land animals and mankind.	Genesis 1:24-31
7	Rest.	Genesis 2:1-3

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Essential Elements

The first two chapters of Genesis reveal the essential elements of the Renovation Covenant:

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Essential Elements	Definition
Preamble: (identification of the covenant participants)	God: Genesis 1:2b, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 31, 2:2-3. Mankind: Genesis 1:28-30.
Background: (covenant participation clarified)	God: Genesis 1:2b; 26-27. Mankind: Genesis 2:7.
Stipulations: (obligations of covenant participants elucidated)	God: renovate the earth, create mankind to cultivate and keep fellowship with Him (Genesis 2:15-17; willingness to fellowship with mankind implied). Mankind: cultivate and keep fellowship with God by not eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:15-17).
Ratification: (obligation of covenant participants validated by oath and blessing)	God: Oath - “Let there be….” Blessing - “And God blessed….” "God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:3; 6; 9; 11; 14; 20; 22; 24; 26; 28; 2:3). Man: Oath - promise to value fellowship with God more than eating from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (cf. Genesis 2:16-17; obedience implied).

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Some believe Genesis 3 provides an outline for a so-called Adamic Covenant. Yet it does not include the essential elements of an Adamic Covenant. Instead, the third chapter of Genesis simply describes the Fall of mankind. It gives a detailed account of how Adam, the representative head of the human race, chose to disobey the stipulation of the Renovation Covenant (Genesis 3:1-13). It reveals both the consequential death and degeneration of Adam, the representative head of the human race, and the death and degeneration of his covenantal body, the remainder of the human race. (Genesis 3:14-24)

Covenantal Condition

The Renovation Covenant was a conditional covenant of law. However, it had only one condition. The perseverance of its blessed benefit required Adam to value the privilege of fellowship with God above all else.

By choosing to guard, cultivate and enjoy fellowship with God, Adam would demonstrate that the human race could freely and willingly submit to divine authority on earth. Therefore, humanity would contribute to the vindication of the divine nature, and consequently, the angelic host would more clearly appreciate the magnitude of the error committed by the devil and his angels.

Conversely, Adam could have chosen not to value his fellowship with God. He was free to choose the path of “self-enlightenment,” eat from the forbidden tree, and “be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5) His disobedience would have constituted a conscious rejection of the stipulations of the Renovation covenant and, ultimately, another rebellious challenge to the divine nature.

If Adam chose to disobey God and eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he and all under his representative headship, the entire human race, would experience separation from God. As a consequence, humanity would no longer be able to enjoy the immediate presence and provision of God and, thus, intimate fellowship with Him. In addition, the earth would become characterized by death and degeneration and no longer paradisiacal.

God had forewarned Adam that the choice of rebellion would lead to death. He clarified, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)

Aware of a strategic opportunity, Satan schemed to deceive Adam. Knowing that Adam’s desire for Eve made him vulnerable to deception, he convinced Eve to disobey God and eat from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” As Adam had been forewarned, she suffered separation from God, immediate spiritual death, and as a consequence, began the slow decline to physical death.

Eve’s fallen countenance and behavior made the reality of her death painfully obvious to Adam. Thus, he was forced to make an unenviable choice. He had to choose whether he valued his relationship with Eve more than the privilege of intimate fellowship with God.

Obeying the stipulation of the Renovation Covenant by not eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the divinely appointed means by which Adam and Eve could guard and protect their privilege of intimate fellowship with God. Contingent on their willingness to fellowship with God, the nature of God would be vindicated from angelic accusation.

Conversely, disobedience to covenantal stipulation would constitute rebellion against God. Therefore, Adam and Eve would experience separation from God or spiritual death. (Genesis 2:18).

Much to the delight of Satan, Adam chose to value Eve above God and joined his beloved bride in a state of rebellion against God. Therefore, the first man and representative head of the human race became a sinner, outlaw, and criminal.

The consequence of Adam’s choice of rebellion was not merely personal. It affected all under his representative headship or the entire human race.

Through his disobedience, Adam willingly abdicated his God-given authority to rule the earth. In reality, he traded it to Satan for a future with Eve. (cf. Luke 4:6) As a result of the abdication and consequent judgment of God, the renovated earth became characterized by degeneration and darkness. (Genesis 3:17-19; Romans 8:19-21; Colossians 1:13)

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Covenantal Consequences

Rather than descriptive of the essential elements of a covenant, Genesis chapter three and following simply provide the consequence of disobedience to the stipulation of the Renovation Covenant; death. Moreover, it dictated the parameters for fallen life on the degenerated earth.

In a general sense:

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Parameters	Reference
Fallen human life on earth was separated from divine life (zoe). Therefore, it no longer existed under the gracious rule of divine life (zoe), but the rule of divine law.	Genesis 3:5
Concordant with the rule of law (Adamic law), fallen human life on earth separated from God could discern between good and evil. Thus, humanity became aware of nakedness and shame.	Genesis 3:7; cf. 5; 22
As a result of shame, fear became a natural characteristic of fallen human life. Consequently, mankind discovered a newfound desire to hide from God and to pass blame.	Genesis 3:8, 10, 12

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Beyond the more general consequences related to spiritual death, the human race, represented by Adam and Eve, experienced some specific effects of separation from God:

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Parameters	Reference
Fallen life on earth separated from God became characterized by enmity with Satan.	Genesis 3:15
Fallen life on earth separated from God became characterized by painful childbirth. *Adam and Eve had been commanded to be fruitful and multiply. However, the joy of procreation would be accompanied by a serious reminder of the pain they had introduced into the world. Further, the painful consequence of rebellion against divine authority would be evident to all of humanity. Thus, from generation to generation, life on the degenerated earth would begin with pain and suffering.	Genesis 3:16a
Fallen life on earth separated from God became characterized by rebellion against authority. Adam and Eve had chosen to rebel against the kingdom authority of God. His punishment fit their crime. God established a hierarchy of authority for earthly conduct by which Adam and Eve would learn the consequences of rebellion firsthand. In the hierarchy, Eve was to submit to the leadership of Adam, yet her fallen nature would possess an inherent desire to challenge and reject his leadership. Understanding Genesis 3:16b is aided by the close context of Genesis 4:7. The same Hebrew noun for “desire” (teshuwqah* - tesh-oo-kaw’) is used in both verses. In Genesis 4:7 it refers to the desire of Cain’s fallen sin nature seeking to control him after killing Abel. Similarly, in Genesis 3:16b, it can be understood to refer to the desire of Eve’s fallen nature seeking to exert control over her husband, Adam.	Genesis 3:16b
Fallen life on earth separated from God became characterized by physical labor. *Not only would Adam have to manage the reality of insubordination by his family, but also the futility of providing sustenance for them. The earth was cursed. Therefore, finding physical sustenance for his family would require Adam to engage in unfulfilling toil and labor. Making it even more challenging, he would gradually experience the loss of physical vitality throughout his days on earth.	Genesis 3:17
Fallen life on earth separated from God became characterized by gradual physical death. (The vitality of the physical body would fade and eventually return to the dust of the ground from which it was taken. Clarified by the end of life, sin causes death).	Genesis 3:19b
Fallen life on earth separated from God would no longer be reproduced in the image and likeness of God, but in the image and likeness of fallen Adam. (However, it would retain the image of God in gradually diminishing capacity).	Genesis 5:3

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Outline of Genesis 1-3

The early chapters of Genesis are not reflective of two different covenants, the Edenic and Adamic, but one, the Renovation Covenant. Rather than the creation of the earth, they are descriptive of its renovation. Consequently, the early chapters of Genesis can be outlined as follows:

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Outline	Reference
The divine creation of the original, eternal earth.	1:1
The chaotic condition of the earth after the angelic rebellion and subsequent judgment.	1:2
The divine, covenantal renovation and initial repopulation of the earth.	1:3-2:3
Important historical notes regarding the covenantal renovation.	2:4-25
Narrative of satanic deception, the original sin and the fall of mankind.	3:1-13
Consequences of the original sin and the fall of mankind.	3:14-24

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