Knowing how to set boundaries is one of the most important, yet overlooked, social skills today. Most people know boundaries are not only useful, they are essential among human beings. Not surprising, God knew it, too. Before time began. In fact, the whole idea of boundaries started with God in Genesis. God sets boundaries and God makes covenants. So what is the difference? And how do they benefit humanity?
Biblical Boundaries need to exist in relationships – whether person to person or God to humanity – for love to be genuine and purely motivated with clearly defined consequences for violations of their borders.
God set boundaries for their own good to the first married couple to live on earth. “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”‘ God set the boundary, man crossed its border, and death was the consequence.
Covenants are relational and personal between two parties. They establish the basis of a relationship with its conditions and promises, and the consequences if those conditions are not met.
The Covenants that God made in the Old Testament lead to God’s final covenant with mankind in the New Testament. Since God is the Master Covenant Maker, all the covenants He made with man were for man’s benefit and included a sign and a promise. For instance, after the flood around 5000 BC God spoke to Noah and his sons saying, “As for Me, I establish My covenant with you and your descendants…” The promise was that “Never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” The sign God gave to ratify this never-ending covenant was the rainbow. This was an unconditional covenant meaning that it did not depend on man’s obedience or his disobedience. It was dependent solely on God and His faithfulness to the covenant.
God made the second convenant with Abraham around 2100-1900 BC. God said, “As for Me, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.” Then God said, “As for you, every male child among you shall be circumcised. This shall be a sign of the covenant.” When God said “As for Me” and “As for you,” He was setting boundaries of what He would do and and His expectations of the one with whom He covenanted. God promised to give him a land flowing with milk and honey – the Promised Land, descendants too numerous to count, and all the nations would be blessed through him. Abraham was to obey and ensure that all males were circumcised.
Around 1600-1500 BC, God introduced Himself to Moses from a burning bush saying, “Take your sandals off for you are standing on holy ground. I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” In this covenant, God told Moses He would free the Israelites from 400 years of bondage in Egypt. Moses’ part was that he go to Pharaoh with God’s orders to “Let My people go.” God’s promise: He would give Moses the words to speak to Pharaoh, He would guide Moses to lead and protect the mass of people through the wilderness to the Promised Land, and Israel would be a holy nation, a chosen people. The sign: the Ten Commandments as laws for the people to obey.
Scriptures used: Boundaries: Genesis 2:16-17; Covenants: Noah – Genesis 9:11-13; Abraham – Genesis 12:1-3, 15:18, 17:4-7, 9-10; Moses – Exodus 3:1-6, 10, 14 (I AM is the covenant name of God), 19:5-6.
To be continued next week.