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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 first three chapters of the book of Genesis contain evidence of both an “Edenic Covenant” and an “Adamic Covenant.” (Genesis 1:28-30; 2:15-17; 3:14-19) In reality, however, neither covenant can be verified from the early chapters of Genesis. The essential elements of either an “Edenic” or “Adamic” covenant are nonexistent. Contextually, it is clear the first three chapters of Genesis contain the essential elements of only one covenant. Some have chosen to call it the Creation Covenant. However, 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 holy angelic beings. They were provided with the freedom to choose whether to remain in a holy state of submission to His authority. Thus, angelic perseverance on the original, eternal earth was not predicated on obedience to the commands of law but freedom of choice. Rebellion and Chaos Despite their privileged position in the kingdom, a large number of angelic beings chose to rebel against God. His justice demanded judgment and consequently, their banishment from His kingdom (the realm of His authority). The rebellion and ensuing judgment was catastrophic for the angels. Removed from the presence of the living (zoe) God, they were separated from divine life (zoe), the highest form of life (zoe). As a result, they experienced spiritual death and consequently, organic degeneration. The rebellion of the angels affected had an impact on more than just their own life status. It also had a devastating impact on their habitat. The original heavens and earth were transformed into a chaotic state of ruin, emptiness, and darkness. (Genesis 1:2) |
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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 facilitate the vindication of His nature from the angelic rebellion and repopulate His kingdom. The repopulation would serve to replace the unwilling angelic citizens of the kingdom of God with willing human citizens. Within the protective framework of covenant stipulation, God renovated the chaotic heavens and earth in spatiotemporal form (Genesis 1:3-31) It was accomplished in seven days. Day one God introduced light (Genesis 1:3-5), day two space (Genesis 1:6-8), day three land and vegetation (Genesis 1:9-10), day four time (Genesis 1:14-19), day five fish and fowl (Genesis 1:20-23), and day six land animals and mankind (Genesis 1:24-31). On day seven God rested. (Genesis 2:1-3) |
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Essential Elements
It is sometimes believed that the first two chapters of Genesis confirm the existence of an Edenic Covenant. However, as indicated, they do not include the elements of such a covenant. Rather than an Edenic Covenant, Genesis 1-2 only unveils the essential elements of the Renovation Covenant. The preamble of the Renovation Covenant identified God and mankind as the participants (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; 1:28-30). The covenantal background also recognized the covenant participants only as God and mankind. (Genesis 1:2b; 26-27; Genesis 2:7); The stipulations of the Renovation Covenant were conditional and thus, bilateral. God would renovate the earth and create mankind to cultivate and keep fellowship with Him. The willingness of mankind was implied. In turn, mankind was obligated to cultivate and keep fellowship with God by not eating from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:15-17) To ratify the covenant God gave an oath. He said, “Let there be …” (Genesis 1:3, 6, 14) In doing so, He confirmed He would fulfill the covenant stipulations as stated beforehand. He also provided a blessing. “God saw that [His creation] was good” and “God blessed” [it]. (Genesis 1:3, 6; 9, 11, 14; 20; 22; 24; 26; 28; 2:3) Thus, God sanctified His creation. Mankind responded by stating an oath. He promised 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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Genesis 1-2 only revealed the roles of two participants in the satisfaction of the essential elements of the Renovation Covenant, God and mankind. Further, the chapters are inclusive of only one covenantal preamble, background, stipulation, and ratification.
The participants of the Renovation Covenant were God and Adam. They entered a covenant relationship on the renovated earth in the Garden of Eden. The Renovation Covenant had only one stipulation. Adam was to value divine enlightenment through the practice of intimate, shared life fellowship with God more than self-enlightenment gained from eating from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” The Renovation Covenant was ratified by divine oath and blessing. The covenantal conditions were agreed to by Adam. Covenantal Condition “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) God provided Adam with a choice. He could willingly choose to guard, cultivate, and enjoy fellowship with Him. As a result, Adam would contribute to the vindication of the divine nature. Conversely, Adam could choose not to value his fellowship with God. Like the devil and his angels, 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) However, his disobedience would constitute a conscious rejection of the stipulation of the Renovation Covenant and another rebellious challenge to the divine nature. Aware of the strategic opportunity, Satan schemed to deceive Adam. He knew that his desire for Eve made him vulnerable to deception. Therefore, Satan convinced Eve to disobey God and eat from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” As forewarned, she suffered separation from God, immediate spiritual death, and consequently, began the slow decline to physical death. Eve’s fallen countenance and behavior made the reality of her death painfully obvious to Adam. Consequently, 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. Much to the delight of Satan, Adam chose to value Eve more than 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. Satan’s exhilaration was related to the fact that the consequence of Adam’s rebellion was not merely personal. Relative to his position of representative and representational headship, it was legally imputed to the entire human race. The legal penalty of Adam’s rebellion was significant. It required his separation from the living (zoe) God. Thus, the human race experienced spiritual death and was consequently subjected to the "law of sin and of death." (Genesis 3:14-19; Romans 8:2) Through his disobedience, Adam willingly abdicated his God-given authority. 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, humanity and its habitat, the renovated earth, were subjected to a state of degeneration and darkness. (Genesis 3:17-19; Romans 8:19-21; Colossians 1:13) |
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Covenantal Consequence
As already mentioned, some theologians believe that Genesis 3 reveals the existence of an Adamic Covenant. Rather than descriptive of the essential elements of an Adamic Covenant, however, Genesis chapter three and following simply reveals the consequences of disobedience to the stipulation of the Renovation Covenant. They provide the historical account of the fall of mankind and dictate the parameters for fallen life on the degenerated earth apart from God. In a general sense: |
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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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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 related to the creation of the earth, they are descriptive of its renovation. For example, they reveal the divine creation of the original, eternal earth (Genesis 1:1); the chaotic condition of the earth after the angelic rebellion (Genesis 1:2); the divine, covenantal renovation and initial repopulation of the earth (Genesis 1:3-2:3); important historical notes regarding the covenantal renovation (Genesis 2:4-25); satanic deception, the original sin, and the fall of mankind (Genesis 3:1-13); and the consequences of the original sin, the fall of mankind, etc. (Genesis 3:14-24) |
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The renovation of the earth provided the heavenly host with the opportunity to witness a progressive demonstration of the attributes of the divine nature and the gradual repopulation of the kingdom of God. For the holy angels it has been nothing less than awe-inspiring. (cf. 1 Peter 1:12) In contrast, the fallen angels have viewed it with burning anger and intense jealousy.
© 2023 James Hiatt |
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