Why Does God Make a Covenant with Us If He Already Knows How We’ll Respond?

Why does God enter into covenant with us, even though He knows how we will respond? Today, Michael Reeves reflects on what the Bible’s answer reveals about God’s character and His relationship with His people.

NATHAN W. BINGHAM: We are recording live this week from Ligonier’s 2024 National Conference, and this week on the Ask Ligonier podcast we’re joined by Dr. Michael Reeves, who is president and professor of theology and Union School of Theology in the United Kingdom. Dr. Reeves, why does God make a covenant with us if He already knows how we’ll respond to it?

DR. MICHAEL REEVES: To answer that, we really need to be clear on what covenant is. So, a covenant is a mutually binding relationship, dependent on a promise. And the clearest, earliest illustration, example of that, given to us in Scripture is marriage.

And so, the marriage between Adam and Eve becomes a type, a picture of the relationship between God, Christ and His church. It is a marital relationship, and it’s important. That is such a big picture in Scripture, that Scripture begins with Adam and Eve’s marriage and ends with the marriage of the Lamb. There’s the big theme of Scripture. It is marriage; it is covenant.

And so, when you understand covenant as marriage, you see that the nature of the relationship is built not on how we’re doing right now in terms of relationship; it’s built on promises that were made that provide the security within which husband and wife can relate. So, at my wedding day, I made promises to my wife, and she can have security as I’m over here in Florida, many miles away from her—she can have security as I’m away knowing I promised to be faithful to her. And that is the nature of the covenantal relationship that God has with His people. It is a marriage relationship. And the great good news your question is hitting at there is that this relationship is not built on negotiation, or performance, or response; it is built on God’s initial promise. Therefore, covenant is not dependent on anything but God’s own promise.

And that is enormous good news because for Christians living under the covenant of grace, it means that our standing before God is not dependent on the sweetness of our communion with Him every day. It’s built on the rock-solid foundation of our union based in His promise, which He will never undo. So, the fact that the covenant is unilaterally imposed and given through a gracious promise is the very basis for all our comfort and assurance.