The Covenant of Works

The Covenant of Works and the Need to Understand Genesis 2

Well, as you have your Bibles open to Genesis chapter 2. This morning we're going to consider another very important theme. An important topic that emerges here in chapter 2 and then carries us through the whole of Scripture.

And I realize that for the past several weeks now, we've been looking at Genesis in this way.

It's sort of what we set out to do.

And sometimes the effect of that is it feels less like a sermon and more like a theology lecture and I sympathize with that. But I assure you what we're uncovering has all sorts of implications. And hopefully that we'll see as we move forward in Genesis we'll see a lot of these dots connect and therefore a lot of the Implications and applications will arise.

So put in the the hard work now to try to grasp and do the best we can. So that there's fruit and there's a harvest as we continue to work through Genesis. This morning we want to consider the covenant of works.

Now.

Perhaps you've never even heard of that phrase. Or if you've heard of it, you would have no idea how to define it. And it might seem somewhat complex. I hope it'll become more clear as we unpack it together this morning.

We won't say everything that could be said about it, but I think we'll say enough that you'll have a good handle on it. Don't be afraid of fogginess as you work through this. It's still a blessing to you.

Even if you can't quite work everything out or I don't quite follow. That's okay because over time Things begin to click and fall into place. And so you have a piece of a puzzle.

You're not quite sure where it fits.

But as you continue to look at the Lord's Word and as we continue to grow together things become more clear. Now I'm saying this up front not to scare you or make it seem like we're about to jump into Trigonometry, but it's just to say that I realize these are big concepts.

This is this is very important and For some they just kind of check out before they even get in and so I'm sort of saying don't check out pay attention. This is very important and very helpful. So we want to consider the covenant of works.

As I've said, it's a very distinctive doctrine for us, especially as Reformed.

It's part of our greater Reformed heritage.

It has been really a mainstay not just with the Reformation long before that and the early church fathers throughout the Middle Ages. But I think the development came to its high mark in the 17th century.

And then of course our confession which was written toward the end of the 17th century. It reflects this theology and the development that has taken place through through the ages. Now I'm convinced and I think our church fathers were convinced that to lose sight of this Is ultimately to muddle God's salvation as it is given to us in Christ.

It's very important three parts that we want to consider this morning. First just the covenant of works. What is it?

How does it function?

What does it require? What's the nature of it? Secondly the covenant of works and the law? How does it relate to God's law. And then the covenant of works in the gospel, how does it relate to the gospel?

The Covenant of Works as a Covenant of Life and Death

And so first the covenant of works and I draw your attention to chapter 2 verses 8 and 9 and then we'll jump down to 16.

And 17, okay.

Chapter 2 beginning at verse 8. The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden and there he put the man whom he had forms notice. God formed man and then put him in Eden. It implies that man was not created in Eden, but was rather put there and then he was given a function.

Out of the ground the Lord God made every tree Grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Verse 16.

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 you shall not eat For in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.

When we talk about.

The covenant of works. The first thing we need to do is establish the fact that there's a priority to covenant. Not just the covenant of works, but whenever God deals with mankind in a significant way He does so by way of covenant.

When God designates an end. Or a given purpose he acts by way of covenant. There's a priority to God making a covenant. This is again and again revealed in Scripture and it's one of the reasons that we as Christians Reflect that same priority in our most meaningful relationships and in our most meaningful pursuits.

We reflect this covenantal priority. Now our church's confession. Which again I'm bringing this up just because I think it's the most helpful summary. One of the great things about a confession is that it helps summarize doctrine and you could spend time in any of the Places in our confession.

I might mention this morning and look at the look at the passages. They're drawing upon. They're saying we're building this doctrine on these passages. Our church's confession the second London picks up on this point in chapter 7 paragraph 1.

The distance between God and the creature is so great That although reasonable creatures do owe obedience to him as their creator. Yet they could never have attained the reward of life but by some voluntary condescension on God's part.

Which he has been pleased to express by way of covenant. Now notice some things that are going on here first the distance between God and the creature. We began our time in Genesis didn't we talking about God's transcendence?

God is God and we are not. The distance between God and the creatures that he made is so great. That in order to interact with the creatures he must condescend. Notice they could never have attained the reward of life.

What is that? Just notice it and we'll come back to it. They could never have attained the reward of life unless God condescended and he's condescended. How by way of? Covenant. So we're saying at the beginning as Creatures we owe perfect obedience to God simply because we are his creatures and he is our heavenly father.

He's our maker and our provider and so we owe him perfect obedience. But he voluntarily Condescends to lay out a reward of life for such obedience and he does so by way of covenant.

Now.

What's what's being said here? God is condescending and creating a covenant and holding out a reward of life. To be the answer or the fruition of perfect obedience the covenant with Adam is what's in view here.

God made a covenant with Adam and this has been the uniform acknowledgment of the church even where debates Have turned over what the nature of that covenant was or what was emphasized in it even within our reformed circles.

You might hear the covenant of creation or the covenant of nature or the covenant of life. But most commonly we refer to this as the covenant of works. Now there are some in our day that argue. There is no covenant in Genesis 2.

Some even within our own rather narrow tribe of Reformed Baptists have recently argued that there is no covenant of works. And that Reformed Baptists have not held to a covenant of works. In fact, we we should reject it or we virtually empty it out in our confession.

Now this is an aside for those who have ears in the relevant chapters chapter 7 chapter 19 each paragraph 1. The Westminster Confession does avoid declaration that the parent documents of our confession.

They state the covenant of works and our confession removes that phrase the covenant works in those places. That's why some say oh it's Reformed Baptists. We have we sort of reject or we empty out the idea of there being a covenant of works.

And I hope it'll become plain this morning that we do not. We we maintain this and hold this it's a vital doctrine. I think we'll see by the end of our time that our confession shares in this uniform recognition.

That God made a covenant with Adam in Eden in chapter 2 verses 16 and 17. And that this was a covenant of works. To emphasize the fact that God made a covenant with Adam. I want to draw upon the work of Edward Fisher.

We think when it was first published in 1645, it was just published by EF. But really there's no other EF that fits as well as Edward Fisher. And so it's always been attributed to him and this is a book he wrote called the marrow of modern divinity.

Wrote in 1645. It was used very influential well into the early 1700s. I know Little birds told me as some of you read Sinclair Ferguson's the whole Christ. You'll have heard of the marrow from that book this follows the dialogue between a character no mista.

He's sort of the legalist no mista namas law. So there's no mista and then there's evangelista the evangel the gospel and so there's this discussion this dialogue between the legalist and the evangelist the one who's Trying to work out how God's law operates in the one who's trying to understand the gospel and they're discussing the covenant of works.

And he's responding to the charge that in Genesis 2 17 and we we read it. You don't find the word covenant. So how can we say there's a covenant here? All right. Genesis 2 16 and 17 the Lord God commanded the man.

There's a command. Saying of every tree of the garden you may freely eat. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day you eat of it You shall die. There's a command, but there's no covenant here, right?

And so evangelist replies. Though we read not the word covenant between God and man yet what we have recorded there amounts to as much. For God provided and promised to Adam eternal happiness. He might be coming with it.

Where should God? Offer eternal happiness, right? We're gonna unpack that but for now know that eternal happiness is what our confession is calling the reward of life and called for perfect obedience.

Which appears from God's threatening. For if a man must die because he disobeyed it implies that God's covenant was with him for life. If he obeyed you see now you have the elements of a covenant. You have a reward or a benefit for a condition a threat or curse and then the condition for either.

Here's the condition Obedience and if you obey you'll receive the reward or the benefit of the covenant. Which is life and if you just obey you'll receive the curse, which is death. And so the dialogue is establishing what our confession is drawing upon.

Evangelistic continues. Yay indeed. Perfect obedience was due from man unto God though God had made no promise to man for when God created man at first he put forth an excellency from himself Into him.

She's saying same thing. Our confession is saying. This wasn't an extra thing that man was doing we were made in God's image. We're supposed to offer obedience perfect obedience to God. But God is voluntarily condescending to make a covenant and reward that obedience or curse the disobedience.

Therefore it was a bond and a tie that lay upon man to return that again unto God. So that man being God's creature by the law of creation, he owed all obedience and subjection to God his creator. But then you might ask what no mister asks.

Why then? Was it needful that the Lord should make a covenant with him? Promising him life threatening him with death if he owes him obedience. Anyway, then why make a covenant? Evangelist replies. As only a Puritan could with with four four reasons.

In the first place, I pray you understand the man was a reasonable creature. And so out of his judgment discretion and election in other words what he chose. Able to make a choice of his way. It was me that such a covenant should be made with him that he might by God's own appointment.

Serve him with the reason he was made with. In other words God wanted Adam to know the difference between good and evil. But he wanted him to know the difference between good and evil from the side of good.

From the side of I learned the difference by trusting and obeying God. Not from the side of being evil. That was the problem of the fall which we'll get to in some weeks. Secondly, it was meet. There should be such a covenant made with him to show that he was not such a prince on earth.

He had a sovereign Lord. Yes, you're made in my image, but you're not me. Remember that I'm the sovereign. You're not such a prince on earth that we're on equal playing fields. I.

Make a covenant with you.

You don't make a covenant with me and therefore God set a punishment upon the breach of his commandment. That man would know his inferiority that things between him and God were not as between equals.

Thirdly. It was me that there should be such a covenant made with him to show that he had nothing by personal immediate Underrived right, but all by gift. See everything that God gives to Adam is a gift.

It's part of the overflow of the abundance and the graciousness of God. So you see it was an equal covenant which God out is out of his prerogative royal Made with mankind and Adam before the fall. So again, you see the point although a man was obligated to be obedient to his Creator even without a covenant.

God nevertheless.

Voluntarily condescended to make a covenant with man holding out a reward of life for obedience. To the you shall not command and the curse of death for disobedience. This is what we mean by the covenant of wars.

There is perfect obedience. Essentially the covenant is this obey and live disobey and die. That's the covenant of works. This is this is a huge point and it will be in a huge point as we move on. The covenant of works is obey and live disobey and die.

Notice there's not a hint of mercy. Notice there's not a hint of pardon. Notice there's no provision for forgiveness. The covenant of works is if you obey you live if you disobey you die. Now it's very important to keep the requirement of perfect obedience and therefore the curse of disobedience in plain view.

Adam, the Law, and the Covenant of Works

Charles Hodge the great 19th century Princeton theologian again, just reflecting building upon this view This is this understanding of the covenant Says the condition of the covenant made with Adam is perfect obedience.

That that statement is correct may be seen from the nature of the case clearly revealed in the Word of God. Listen to this. Such as the nature of God and such the relation which he sustains with his moral creatures.

That's sin.

In other words The transgression of the divine law must involve the destruction of fellowship between man and his Creator. It's so perfect that the least transgression must destroy the fellowship God has with man.

Therefore the Apostle says this is James 2 10. He who offends in one point. Who breaks one precept of the law of God is guilty of the whole? Secondly, it's assumed everywhere in the Bible that the condition of acceptance under the law is perfect obedience.

God doesn't grate on a curve. The whole argument of the Apostle Paul in Romans and Galatians reflects this idea. Cursed is everyone who does not continue and all the things written in the book of the law to do them.

If you don't do them you're cursed.

That's the significance of the law.

Romans and Galatians are founded on the assumption that the law demands perfect obedience. If you don't grant that Paul's whole argument falls to the ground now listen to this. The specific command to Adam not to eat of a certain tree was therefore not the only command he was required to obey.

It was given simply to be the outward Invisible test to determine whether he was willing to obey God in all things. Does God really care about the fruit of a certain tree. Was there something so magical about the tree?

There was this eternal destiny bound up in the physicality of the fruit. Hodges saying of course not.

It was practically arbitrary.

Think of sitting down your child if I were to open up a box of Crayola 96 count every color. Not say Elsie out of all of these colors that I've given to you. You may freely color with any except this Tangerine and I just tilt it up just a little and I walk away.

What color is she gonna be attracted to?

Of course her sinful nature Will draw her to the tangerine. Adam was created without a sinful nature without this leaning, but you see that there's nothing magical about the tangerine crayon. It's my command that matters.

That's what Hodges getting at here. The specific command to Adam not to eat of a certain tree was not the only command he was required to obey. It was given as simply the outward invisible test to determine whether he was willing to obey God in all things.

Because he was created holy. Right. Adam had pure affections. And so this was a test of his obedience and if he could obey this command he could obey all. But if he was to break this command he breaks all.

He was shown then. Something was was wrong for him simply because it was forbidden. Not because it was evil in its own nature. This is very important. God created everything good. There's nothing evil within the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

It was in sometimes you hear theologians say it was a sacramental tree. Here's this tree you want to know good and evil. Obey my word and you'll know the difference between good and evil. Good is what I declare.

Evil is what I forbid. That's what you need to know Adam. That's what you need to walk in. This is how you'll pass the test. Adam tries to shortcut that to gain that knowledge the wrong way. So he's learning that something isn't wrong with the fruit or the tree.

What God had made was good including Adam. It was simply wrong because God forbade it. Would he obey God in that the command to not eat of the tree was the outward invisible test and. The whole point we're making with the covenant of works is the idea of the reward of life followed that test and so Hodge continues.

It seems to be reasonable in itself and plainly implied in the scriptures that all rational creatures have a period of probation a period of testing. If faithful during that period They are confirmed in their integrity.

No longer exposed to the danger of apostasy. Where is he getting this think of this is a very brilliant insight. Thus we read of the angels Who kept not their first estate and of those who did those angels who remained faithful have continued in holiness and in the favor?

Of God do you see what he's saying? There was apparently a time when the angels were under probation as it were and many angels fell. But those that did not fall that did not apostatize were confirmed in holiness and favor.

It's therefore to be inferred that had Adam continued obedient. During the period allotted to his probation other words if Adam had passed the test for as long as that test was given. Neither he nor any of his posterity would have ever been exposed to the danger of sinning.

Do you see?

This is the standard reformed theology of the covenant of works. This is from our confession. Chapter 19 the first paragraph. Listen to this. God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience written on his heart and a Particular precept of not eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

By which he bound him and all his posterity. Because all are in Adam to personal entire exact and perpetual obedience promised life Upon the fulfilling Threatened death upon the breach. So there's the covenantal elements.

It's acknowledged that God created Adam an original righteousness. He was a perfectly holy man when God created him. No taint no deference no bent towards him and in that state Adam possessed both the ability to sin And the ability not to sin.

Which is where we as Christians are today. We as Christians The unregenerate do not possess this you brother or sister in Christ. You possess this ability that Adam had to sin and also not to sin. What does Paul say.

Whatever it's not a faith is sin. For the intergenerate man he can do nothing that isn't tainted by sin. Only Adam and now believers this side of Christ's return are in this state of being able to sin and not to sin.

But Adam.

Never achieved what we will achieve through Christ. Which is being confirmed in a state in which it's no longer possible to sin.

That's glory.

Being confirmed in holiness and righteousness. Made like unto him all agree that Adam owed perfect obedience to God as a creature. But there was something more in the Garden of Eden between God and Adam.

It wasn't just a creature creator relationship. What is that something more? It's God Condescending of his own will to make a covenant of works and the whole point is that this covenant was of a temporary nature.

It was a probationary period. You can have an eat of anything that I've made but not this tree. Here's the test. If you obey me here, you obey my whole law. If you fail me here you break the whole law.

If you pass the test you receive the reward of life. I will confirm you in a way you will never be able to fall. But if you fail you receive the curse of this covenant death cut off from my fellowship forever.

It's not as though Adam would have lived forever under this condition of being able to sin. What kind of reward is that? You know for three trillion years you can avoid that tree and then there's that one on the three trillion and first day.

You finally succumb and now here comes the curse. You see that's what we're getting away from. The hope that we have in heaven is not that we can be there for a million years. But then on the next Wednesday, we blow it all and have to get kicked out.

What kind that would make heaven a terror. The joy of heaven is I don't have the possibility of sinning anymore. I'm confirmed in a state of holiness and therefore can dwell with God everlasting. Adam was not meant to live under this covenant forever with the possibility of sinning only a breath away.

To be suspended in that state would have been never to receive the reward of the covenant the blessing of being confirmed in glory. To be in such a condition for eternity would not be the everlasting bliss that we receive in Christ the last Adam in our Glorification.

So last week I said this this was a quote from Richard Barcelos. Eden though a glorious place was not the end. But the beginning to an end it had within its seeds of a better world a better world where sin could not enter.

Which could never lapse into a curse condition. What I'm saying here to paraphrase is man. Though made in glory with original righteousness that was not the end. But the beginning to an end because even when we were made in original righteousness, we had the possibility of sinning.

We were made for an existence that sin could not corrupt that sin could never enter into our condition or propensity our ability. We know that Adam failed the covenant and Therefore all in Adam were brought into that fallen state into the curse.

The Covenant of Works, the Law, and Israel's Failure

So, how does the covenant of works then relate to the law. Covenant of works? Is significant also because it establishes God's law with all of humanity. Right. All humanity is under the headship of Adam.

And this is why the covenant of works is so important. We cannot rightly understand the good news of the gospel without the bad news of the law. When you rightly understand what the covenant of works is.

You see just how bad the bad news is.

We cannot understand the bad news of the law without rightly viewing its relationship to Adam in the garden as a covenant of works. What was given to Adam in the garden? Written on his heart and by particular precepts was later revealed to Israel upon Mount Sinai.

This was God's moral law. God's law. God's law was written upon Adam's heart and creation and then a precept was given to Adam in the garden. Thou shalt not eat of this tree. Mankind ever since then has had.

God's law Continued to be written on his heart Romans 1 and that law was actually carved by the finger of God upon the stone tablets. Upon Mount Sinai, this is all God's law. First given to Adam as God's son then given to Israel as God's son.

Okay, follow the the train here. I realize we're getting maybe a little foggy. Again, our confession is very helpful in summarizing this point. This is from chapter 19 and I'm just gonna point out the parallel here.

We've already said this God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience written in his heart. That's Romans 1. And a particular precept came from this law a precept of not eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

By what she bound him and all his posterity to personal entire exact perpetual obedience promising life upon the fulfilling Threatening death upon the breach of it and doing him with power and the ability to keep it.

We've said this is the covenant of works and I've said this establishes the law with all of mankind to chapter 19 paragraph 2 that same law. Which law. The law that was written upon Adams heart. The law that was made in a particular precepts not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of evil that same.

Law.

That was first written in the heart of man. Continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall. Adams testing was temporary. The law is not. And it was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai. Yes that same law.

Delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in Ten Commandments. Let me just make sure we're all tracking here. God's moral law was engraved on Adams heart issued in the precepts not to eat of the tree and then given again as Ten Commandments, this is the moral law that's written on our hearts.

Adam in that state of original righteousness would have known intuitively what God's law required. But ever since the fall we repressed the truth in the awareness of that law and unrighteousness. We no longer can think through the implications of that law and what it requires of us.

Adam would have known by that one precept that all the law was contained in that one precept. You think of Jesus? When he explicates the law he's not adding to it. He's simply revealing what's always been there.

You're breaking the commandment not to murder if you hate your brother. He's understanding the implications of the law.

Jesus is able to reduce the law to essentially two sentences.

But it is also able to expand it such that it encompasses every aspect of human life toward God and toward neighbor. This is a big claim. Adam had one command one thou shall not but what I'm saying is the whole law was comprehended in it.

Again, we see this point made in the marrow of modern divinity. He says as he's giving several reasons why? It was such a great offense, it wasn't just this oh you ate the fruit now something magical about this fruit.

We've already said no. No, no, it was it was breaking what God had forbidden. Transgressing his command. That was what was the great offense and then he unpacks what made that so horrific such an abomination.

And then he says by the end nay, how could there be a greater sin committed than that when Adam at one clap? Broke all ten commandments. Now no mister goes with you. We were ten command. There's only one command.

Did he break all ten commandments say you sir? I beseech you. It's not like Bunyan Puggins box there. I beseech you pray tell show me wherein an evangelist assess. First what's the first commandment? You shall have no other God before me.

He chose himself another God when he followed the devil. Second you shall not make an idol. He idolized and deified his own belly as the Apostles phrases. He made his belly his God. Third not to take the Lord's name in vain.

He took the name of God in vain when he believed him not. Fourth to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. He kept not the rest and the estate wherein God had set him. Fifth you shall honor your father and mother.

He dishonored his father who was in heaven and therefore his days were not prolonged in the place that God the Lord had given him. Six you shall not murder. He massacred himself and all of his posterity.

Seven you shall not commit adultery. For me if he was a virgin, but in eyes and mind he committed spiritual fornication. Eight you shall not steal but he stole like Aachen. That which God had set aside not to be meddled with and then his stealth or his stealing is that which troubles all of Israel.

Indeed the whole world. Nine not to bear false witness. He bore witness against God when he believed the witness of the devil before him. Tent you shall not covet. He coveted with an evil covetousness.

Like Amnon remember Amnon coveted and raped Tamar and second Samuel 13 like Amnon. Which cost him his life and all of his progeny. You see Adam failed at every point to uphold the perfection that the law required.

He was the head of all humanity and we all fell in him as James 2 10 has said to be guilty of one Part of the laws to be guilty of the whole Israel received that internal heart engraved law upon Mount Sinai.

Remember they are God's son there. They're the next Adam as it were. They're meant to finally have the law and experience the presence of God the tabernacling temple presence of God. That's Adam would have found in Eden.

And yet when they are given the same law just as Adam was given it. If you do this you will live if you do.

This you will live.

What do they do?

They fail.

God as he's prosecuting the hardness of of Israel and Judah and in Hosea. This is chapter 6 of Hosea. Oh Ephraim what shall I do to you? Oh Judah? What shall I do to you? Your faithfulness is like a morning cloud like the early dew it goes away.

The faithfulness comes in fits and starts. Therefore I've I've hewn them by the prod chopped them by the prophets. I've slain them by the words of my mouth. Your judgments are like white that goes forth.

How quickly does light spread. God's like that's what my judgment is going to be like upon you.

I.

Desire mercy not sacrifice and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. This is verse 7 but like Adam They transgressed the covenant. They dealt treacherously with me. Do you see? Hosea 6 7. This has always been understood by the Church Fathers and throughout the Middle Ages threat the Reformation has always been understood as Adam.

The problem with the word Adam in Hebrew is it can be translated as mankind or humanity? And a lot of modern translations say like a man or like mankind they transgressed the covenant. I Think that's an improper translation.

Like Adam they transgressed the covenant my son. My son that I gave the law to my the covenant. I made with them Israel just like Adam they broke that covenant. What am I going to do? Both Adam and Israel break the covenant that is given to them by God.

That covenant contains the blessings the promise of life and everlasting presence in God and then the curse the curse of death and exile removal from the presence of God. The hope of blessing was utterly lost in Adam's failure and then again by Israel's failure.

And Paul can sum up this whole statement in the words in Adam all die. First Corinthians 15 22. In Adam all die. That's what we've been establishing up to this point. This is why the covenant of works is so important.

Mankind outside of Christ is still under Adam still operating under that covenant God made with Adam and in Adam all die. We've been plunged into this cursed condition where we're no longer able to even begin to keep the perfections of the law required.

Adam had a shot.

We don't this is the glory. This is what leads us into our third and last section how the covenant of works relates to the gospel. What Paul says in first Corinthians 15 22 is for as an Adam all die. Even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

This drama of redemption was bracing and yearning for that gospel promise that comes right after Adam's fall. The promise of a seed a serpent crushing seed who had come from the woman the good news of a new Adam a True Israel that would bring the covenantal blessing of everlasting life upon his people.

Christ's Obedience, the Covenant of Grace, and the Gospel

So we see how the covenant of works relates to the gospel. This is the beauty and the glory of it all. This is why you must you must understand and hold on to the covenant of works.

Our.