In the beginning, God placed Adam & Eve in the garden of Eden and gave Adam and Eve key responsibilities. Let's look at what happened at the beginning: how the relationship that God had with Adam & Eve was prophetic, how it was destroyed, and look at the thread of the Covenants between God and His people which showed prophetically how He would fulfill His great Plan of reconciliation. Furthermore … God has a Covenant with you individually: That is what the New Covenant is all about! SO WHAT?

So that you and I may be part of His Family Gen 1:26-28. 1) To be part of God’s family and to teach, train and grow God’s family; 2) To have dominion and care for the animals and environment; Gen 2:2 – The Sabbath 3) To rest; for us to have an eternal rest and an eternal relationship with God. Gen 2:15-17 – these responsibilities had boundaries of right & wrong Gen 2:20-24 – to achieve this they were to commit to work together as a team 4) To commit to each other in love through marriage. Consider what this involved: - A commitment based on love – not just marriage between man and woman; but ultimately between God & man. The commitment is a Covenant: a Covenant of marriage. - It was also a test ground – required faithfulness to the promise - It also involved work: a job to do – yes temporary – but greater potential in the future. Work for 6 days and rest on the 7th - It involved an ultimate goal: an eternal a family relationship with God Himself represented by the 7th-day rest.

Now, what followed? Satan got in the picture and man sinned. That trusting relationship between man and God was broken! Consequences followed - Man could not be part of God’s Family under that condition - if man did not adhere to man’s part. Therefore man was punished and God put new rules in place. Gen 3:17-19 – Man would have to work harder – not original intent. Gen 3:16 – Woman to have sorrow in childbirth – and man to rule over the woman. Gen 3:14-15 – Satan was cursed – but ultimately God would restore man to a trusting relationship through the “Seed of the woman”. - This was promised by God – a commitment by God: a Covenant! – What is called as the Adamic Covenant! Now, how was God going to bring about the healing of this relationship?

How was God going to fulfill His promise of “restoration of all things” through the Seed of the woman? That is the thread of the Promises of God from here onwards … We need to look at this thread of how He will fulfill His Plan of Salvation through the Seed of the woman: That is a thread which is revealed - more and more - through His major covenants with His people! A Covenant is a promise: a vow; like in marriage. There is a moment when it is sealed, and it has some sign, like a symbolic reminder: like, for instance, the wedding ring. So God promised to Adam and Eve that He would restore the relationship (Gen 3:15). He would bruise Satan’s head – destroy Satan’s power of deception and separation and will bring man back to a sound relationship between Him and man (reconcile).

How was God going to fulfill His promise of “restoration of all things” through the Seed of the woman? Again, note, that is the thread running through God’s Covenants with His people. God’s Covenants, God's promises – reveal in stages - as God rolls out (or explains - little by little) His Plan of Salvation, of redemption, of reconciliation with mankind, step by step. The first major step is revealed through the Covenant with Noah: That it would be a saving act … an act of saving by removing man from a sinning world, and then never again for man to be separated. Gen 6:5-9 – The world was extremely sinful – but Noah was righteous So God saved Noah and his family – took them “out of the world”. Involved death – of the old way! Symbolic to us today: we have to get out of the world: That is our commitment through water baptism upon our repentance. Gen 9:11-13 – God made a promise to never destroy man by water again Sign is the rainbow – the everlasting covenant (V.16) Symbolic that once we made that commitment, through true repentance.

Provided we stay true to that commitment – God will never leave us. That is an act of saving – by removing man from a sinning world, and … and then never again to be separated from the repentant man. The second step is revealed through the Covenant with Abraham - This was called “the promise of faith”: Through his family the world would be blessed: Physically & Spiritually! That's through whom the Seed of the woman would come to restore all things! Gen 12:2-3 - The Messiah: spiritual. The descendants – physical. This promise was based on faith: the faith of Abram that obeyed; he left the land. Gen 17:1-19 Based on faith: a child from whom could not bear children: The sign of the promise: Circumcision – which involved cutting and blood. Gen 22:8-18 - This promise was made unconditional on the great act of faith... symbolic of giving of his only son (symbolic of God giving His only Son).

This second major step emphasizes the need of faith to be counted as righteous - Further fulfilling the promise of the Seed of the Woman. That promise was re-done with Isaac & Jacob. The third major step was done at Sinai (the so-called the Old Covenant), with millions of people: the descendants (physical). Emphasized Law, including Temple rituals & sacrifices, which pointed to Jesus Christ (the Seed of the Woman). The sign, again, Circumcision of the nation. Ex:19:5-8; 24:7 – The book of the Covenant. History has shown that a nation with all the law and all going for it still failed, because there was something still missing (God's Holy Spirit)! Deut:30:1-2, 5-6 - Reconfirming of the Covenant with next generation: The promise of a future New Covenant – with a different circumcision. It is basically saying: You will fail (curses) – but I (God) will not!

A New Covenant to be made in their heart and mind – and they (yes these very people that disobeyed) will be saved (later to be understood by the 2nd resurrection - through Jesus Christ's own resurrection and the giving of the Holy Spirit - which Jesus Christ would send after His resurrection). The fourth major Covenant was with David. God is still adding details to the initial promise of the Seed of the woman: That they would have rulership - to replace human governments. It is not just a family – but a ROYAL Family! 2 Sam 7:4-16 - I will establish your Kingdom forever - It's well beyond Solomon!

It affects our Salvation is prophetic. Is 9:6-7 – This Prophecy makes sense of what God said to David: A prophecy of the Messiah, that the Seed of the woman would come through Adam (son of Man), through Noah, through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (fathers of the faithful - covenant of faith), through David (son of David)... we see this thread – right from the time He made the Promise to Adam & Eve, and over the ages, adding additional details, through additional promises explaining how God would "restore all things". The 5th major step: The New Covenant; which was fulfillment of the reconfirmation done in Deut 30, the confirmation of the Old Covenant: "Your descendants will not keep it; they would go to slavery; but God would bring them back (physical descendants - but also themselves - through the 2nd resurrection - as we learnt later - through additional promises and prophecies); then God would circumcise their heart (V6).

This points to the New Covenant, a final personal relationship between God and Man to be a Royal Family and a Royal Priesthood! See how it was Prophesied: Jer 31:31-34. Ezekiel also describes how he was going to scatter Judah (because Israel was already scattered): Ezek 36:21-31 - They (Israel) are profaning my name – even when they are scattered. Regardless of how Israel was going to behave: He (God) was going to fulfill His promise (V22-23). That's because you and I are called to show the greatness of God! (V24) – That brings us back to the promises to Abraham! (V25-27) - Israel has failed – but there will be a time Israel will succeed, because God would bring the Israelites back through Jesus Christ and His Spirit which they didn't have (V31) Ezek 37: Israelites will be resurrected – all those people … descendants of Abraham, will be physically resurrected, because of the promises to Abraham! And why does He resurrect them?

Ezek 37:13-14 - Two promises are re-iterated again and again with more details added: "I am going to bring back all of Israel to the land – literally - not just the descendants – but by a resurrection! I am going restore the eternal relationship between God and man – by giving them my Holy Spirit (represented by the Tree of Life - which Adam had rejected): This is the New Covenant! Ezek 37:16-26 – I will bring these two nations back together (Israel & Judah)! hat is a New Covenant, which includes 'components' to fulfill the promises (Covenants) to Abraham, to the Israelites (Old Covenant) and to David. So in effect, all the Covenants to His People are brought together under the New Covenant. Some 'components' of those covenants are still applicable. Luke 22:20 – Jesus Christ fulfills His part of the New Covenant. Heb 8:1-13 – The Old a role play of the New. Much better promises in the New: Promises of eternal life (not just physical). Heb 9:1-28 - The presence of God is now with us – fills you and me. We now receive God’s HS – the inner man can be changed - circumcised.

Now note in V15: It is for the redemption of transgressions of the 1st Covenant. If everything in the Sinai Covenant is erased – there is no sin, no redemption required, and therefore there is no need to Christ’s sacrifice! Can you see the thread? – The New Covenant restores that relationship - eternally! What’s the purpose of God's promises? It is to give us undeserved eternal salvation, eternal inheritance. It is to restore the relationship of man with God. And the missing ingredient is God's Holy Spirit, what Adam and Eve rejected in the garden of Eden (the Tree of Life)! – You and I can’t earn this! We can’t! We can be transformed by this! If we come into this New Covenant upon repentance and baptism, receive the Holy Spirit (upon the prayer and laying on of hands by God's ministers), and the law of God is written in your hearts and minds, we will become a children of God. Heb 10:19-23 – That is the new and living way! This New Covenant is greater than when God stood on Mt Sinai and gave the 10 Commandments! God wants to give you and I eternal life with Him forever. And God has already paid the price!

Do you accept the terms of the New Covenant? No law can give you eternal life! The law is part of the training and learning and obedience and submission and love towards God, which is required for us to stay in the Covenant. The promises to Abraham are to all people: Through Abraham's Seed God will bless all people to be His heirs. Heirs of what? Gal 4:1-7 – Heirs of God. God wants you to be part of His Royal Governing Family of God! We are still to keep the moral laws of the Sinai Covenant, but we are not under the Sinai Covenant: Because the promises are so much greater SO WHAT? So that you may be part of His Family That is the thread of the Promises of God … of how He will restore an eternal relationship with us – into the family of God - by us, the Church, marrying Christ, the Seed of the woman - to be one (Gen 2:24; John 17:20-23)!