God's covenants - with the Israelites

A selection of verses showing what the Bible says about the covenant God makes with his people.

God makes a covenant with Abraham the father of the Israelites:

Genesis 15 verse 18

¹⁸ In that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I have given this land to your offspring, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:

Genesis 17 verse 7

⁷ I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your offspring after you.

God says the covenant also applies to Abraham's descendants; for example, Isaac his son:

Genesis 17 verse 19

¹⁹ God said, “No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.

God keeps his side of the bargain, even though the Israelites regularly forget him; as is the case when they are slaves in Egypt:

Exodus 2 verse 24

²⁴ God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

After delivering them from slavery in Egypt, God makes a covenant with Israel at Sinai:

Exodus 19 verses 4 - 8

⁴ ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself. ⁵ Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from amongst all peoples; for all the earth is mine; ⁶ and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
⁷ Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. ⁸ All the people answered together, and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.”
Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD.

But despite the fact that they don’t keep their word, God, in His mercy, promises to make a new covenant with them:

Jeremiah 31 verses 31 - 33

³¹ “Behold, the days come,” says the LORD,
“that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel,
and with the house of Judah:
³² not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt;
which covenant of mine they broke,
although I was a husband to them,” says the LORD.
³³ “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,”
says the LORD:
“I will put my law in their inward parts,
and I will write it in their heart.
I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.

Related themes:

The new covenant

General covenants