Covenant: It Was Their Language

What the Bible Assumes You Already Know, Part 1

Don’t lie to me.

How many times have you read the Bible, only to come across a passage that makes absolutely no sense or, perhaps even more often, go from zero to a hundred so fast that you skip over the scripture altogether?

Come on. You know you’ve done it!

One of the most common frustrations people have with the Bible is that it feels like it jumps too fast. Big promises. Strong reactions. Harsh consequences. Deep loyalty. Sudden judgment.

We read a passage and think… well, that escalated quickly.

Often, the problem is not the text. It’s the assumption. The Bible operates within a shared framework that ancient readers already understood. Modern readers usually don’t.

That framework is covenant.

Covenant is not a theme you occasionally bump into in Scripture. It’s more of an, let’s say, atmosphere. It is the relational air the entire story breathes. The Bible rarely stops to explain it, because it assumes you already know what it is.

Covenant Is Not a Contract

Most of us read covenants like contracts. You do your part. I do mine. If someone breaks the agreement, the relationship dissolves. Good try, but that is not how covenant works in Scripture.

A covenant is relational before it is legal. It is a binding loyalty. It is an identity-shaping commitment. It creates a sense of belonging, not just obligation. In the ancient world, a covenant bound two parties together in mutual agreement.

It was not easily revoked. It was not casually entered. It always involved faithfulness.

This is why God does not relate to Israel like a customer service department. He relates like a spouse, a parent, a king bound to his people.

When Israel breaks covenant, the language is not “terms violated.” It is more like “you have been unfaithful.”

[[ For what it’s worth, once you see covenant as relational, a lot of the emotional language in Scripture suddenly makes sense. It’s a hard leap for us to make in a modern-day contractual world, but trust me, once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Once you know, you know. ]]

A Biblical Reaction

One reason modern readers struggle with parts of the Old Testament is that the responses feel disproportionate. Why such intensity? Why such consequences? Why so much passion? Covenant explains this.

Breaking a covenant is not rule-breaking. It is betrayal. When Israel worships other gods, the problem is not curiosity. It is disloyalty. When injustice shows up among God’s people, it is not just bad behavior. It is covenant fracture.

This is why the prophets sound so emotional. This is why idolatry is treated like adultery. This is why restoration always follows repentance. The Bible assumes you understand that covenant is about loyalty, not performance.

Hesed

If covenant is the structure, hesed is the glue.

Hesed is a Hebrew word often translated as” steadfast love or lovingkindness,” but really it means something deeper that is difficult to describe in English correctly. It is covenant loyalty. Faithful love. The kind of commitment that stays even when the other party fails.

This is why the Psalms repeat the phrase “his steadfast love endures forever.” Sure, it is sentiment. But it also conveys a deeper theology.

God’s hesed is the reason the story does not end after the golden calf. Or the exile. Or the endless cycles of rebellion. Covenant is not fragile. It is resilient.

[[ For what it’s worth, in case you’re wondering… grace does not cancel covenant. It fulfills it. More on this in a later post! ]]

Covenant Shapes Identity

Here is something Scripture assumes that we often miss. Covenant does not just shape behavior. It shapes identity. Israel is not just a group of people with shared beliefs. They are a people defined by relationship. “I will be your God, and you will be my people.”

That line shows up everywhere because covenant tells them who they are.

This is why the commandments begin with relationship, not rules. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.” The law flows from belonging, not the other way around. Obedience is not how you enter covenant. Obedience is how covenant is lived out.

Jesus Does Not Abandon Covenant

Do not fret! When you get to the New Testament, covenant does not disappear. It deepens.

Jesus does not come to scrap covenant. He comes to fulfill it. When he speaks of a new covenant, he is not introducing a new idea. He is renewing the same relational framework through his own life.

This is why the Last Supper matters so much. “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” That is covenant language. Family language. Binding language. Jesus is not offering a better contract. He is offering a restored relationship.

The early church understood this instinctively. That is why faith was communal, not just personal, why loyalty mattered, and why perseverance was praised.

They lived as covenant people in a covenant story.

Why This Changes How We Read the Bible

Once you see covenant as the assumed framework, Scripture slows down in the best way. You stop asking questions about God’s intensity and instead focus on his faithfulness to covenant—and therefore to his people.

Beyond that, judgment begins to make more sense. Mercy makes more sense. Restoration makes more sense. You get it!

The Bible is not erratic. It is consistent within its covenant logic.

[[ For what it’s worth, covenant does not make God softer. It makes God trustworthy. ]]

What We Miss Without It

Without covenant, the Bible feels harsh. With covenant, the Bible feels honest.

Without covenant, grace feels random. With covenant, grace feels faithful.

Without covenant, obedience feels oppressive. With covenant, obedience feels relational.

The Bible assumes you already know this. Which is why it rarely explains itself. Once you learn to read with covenant in mind, everything comes into clearer view as you read and interpret scripture.

Hopefully, That Made Sense

The Bible is not a loose collection of spiritual ideas. It is a covenant story from beginning to end.

God binds himself to people. People fail. God remains faithful. Restoration follows.

Covenant is the thread that holds the whole story together. If Scripture sometimes feels intense, it is because covenant love always is. It is loyal. It is patient. It is persistent. And it refuses to give up on relationship. Once you realize that covenant is the air the Bible breathes, the story stops feeling confusing and starts feeling consistent.

That changes how you read everything that comes next.

Until Next Time,
Petey