Keywords:
Covenant, Oath, Pledge, Presence, Secure
Abstract
This essay examines the covenants with Noah, Abraham, at Sinai, and with David as they appear in their narrative sequence and contexts to show that they either secure the divine presence for the sake of humanity or God’s people (Noah, Abraham [Gen. 15]), David), or secure the pledge of God’s people to live in accordance with divine instruction in the divine presence (Abraham [Gen. 17], Sinai). The essay concludes that the theological theme of divine presence precedes that of the covenants.
