God of Promise: Introducing Covenant Theology (Hardcover)

~ Michael Horton (Author)
Key Phrases: secular treaties, suzerainty treaty, federal theology, Old Testament, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Since biblical times, history is replete with promises made and promises broken. Pastors and teachers know the power of the covenant, and they know that understanding the concept of covenant is crucial to understanding Scripture. They also know that covenant theology provides the foundation for core Christian beliefs and that covenants in their historical context hold significance even today. But to laypeople and new Christians, the eternal implications of "cutting" a covenant with God can be complicating. God of Promise unwinds the intricacies of covenant theology, making the complex surprisingly simple and accessible to every reader. With keen understanding, careful scholarship, and insight, Michael Horton leads all believers toward a deeper understanding of crucial covenant concepts.

From the Inside Flap

FRONT FLAP Covenant theology 101 "It's not just that we were created and then given a covenant," writes author Michael Horton. "We were created as covenant creatures-partners not in deity but in the drama about to unfold throughout history." While some Bible readers quake at the mention of "covenant" or "doctrine," it is vitally important to recognize and understand the significance of covenant and its role in bridging the gap between sinner and salvation. Why? Because to understand covenant theology is to understand how it unifies the diverse teachings of Scripture, binds the Old and New Testaments as one narrative, and enriches the meaning in your relationship with the Triune God. Whether new to Reformed theology or not, every believer needs to understand the importance of covenants. God of Promise unpacks covenant theology so you can explore the core of Christianity: knowing-and honoring-the promises of our Creator. BACK FLAP Michael Horton (Ph.D., University of Coventry and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford) is professor of apologetics and theology at Westminster Seminary California. He is also the editor-in-chief of Modern Reformation magazine, the co-host of The White Horse Inn radio program, and the author of several books, including A Better Way and Putting Amazing Back into Grace.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Baker Books (March 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801012899
• ISBN-13: 978-0801012891
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #111,615 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Covenant Masterpiece, March 2, 2006

By	Shane (Washington State) - See all my reviews

Dr. Horton has done the Reformed church another favor. Amidst the current assaults on the orthodox doctrines of justification by faith alone (because of Christ's imputed righteousness), the importance of the covenant of works, and the clear law/gospel distinction, this book will keep the Christian balanced and on the firm ground of classic, historical, Reformed orthodoxy.

Rather than over-emphasize one central dogma of the Reformed faith, Horton nicely describes the covenant as a sort of glue, or "web," that intimately connects the whole of theology. Describing the three covenants (Redemption, Works/creation, and Grace) from Scripture, Horton magnifies the person and work of Christ as the true King [David] and the true Servant [Israel].

If you've wondered about the relationship between the Adamic, Noahic, Mosaic, and Davidic covenants, or if you've wondered about the relationship between the old and new covenants, this book is a must read. Horton neither wastes ink nor smears it on those he disagrees with; he is clearly a humble servant of Christ who seeks to make His riches known. And the way of covenant is an excellent and necessary way to do so.

I hope pastors read and study this book, I hope students devour it, and I hope lay-people take up the challenge to learn these doctrines. We need books like this to help guide us on our pilgrim way.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Needed Introduction, September 6, 2006

By	Roger N. Overton (Orange, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Bible is replete with references to covenants, but how are we to understand them? What does it mean for created man to be in a covenant relationship with the Almighty God? How can understanding the biblical covenants impact our understanding of Scripture? Dr. Michael Horton seeks to answer these questions and more in his new book, God of Promise: Introducing Covenant Theology.

Dr. Horton begins in the first chapter by looking at the big picture of covenant thinking and why it matters. According to him, our understanding is important because "God's very existence is covenantal" and "we were not just created and then given a covenant; we were created as covenant creatures." (10) Chapter two looks more directly at Scripture by comparing Old Testament covenants with some secular covenants contemporary to them (known as suzerain treaties). From the Old Testament, Dr. Horton draws out two types of covenants and explores them in his third chapter: covenants of works and covenants of grace.

Following the examination of covenants in the Old Testament, Dr. Horton looks to the New Covenant noting that it is entirely distinct from the previous Sinai covenant. After the foundation work in the Bible is done, chapter five moves the discussion to systematic theology by considering the larger categories of the covenants of redemption, creation, and grace. In the sixth chapter, Dr. Horton explores themes of common grace from free will to how Christians are to view their place on Earth.

Finally in chapter seven, covenant theology is compared against its main theological competitor (dispensational theology) and looks at the relationship between Israel and the Church. The eighth chapter explores baptism and the Lord's Supper as signs and seals of the New Covenant. In the final chapter, Dr. Horton distinguishes between different understandings of biblical law in order to explain Christian obedience under the New Covenant.

As much as I agree with Dr. Horton on the major issues and mostly enjoyed the book, there were a number of issues that detracted from its quality. On at least point, Dr. Horton's position is unclear, and at worst inconsistent. On one hand he affirms that those in the New Covenant are true believers-"There are real partners in this covenant (God with believers and their children)" (105), but on the other he asserts, "not everyone in the covenant of grace is elect." (182) Another problem is that on a few occasions (pages 105, 131, 167, 182) he references children as members of the New Covenant, with the implication that they are eligible for the sacrament of baptism, but never supports this idea. Since infant baptism is a contentious issue among Reformed believers, he should have at least attempted to make a case for it.

A common criticism of theological discussion these days is that it's not practical. Following the principle that good practice is built upon sound theology, Dr. Horton had a great opportunity to make the book incredibly practical in the last chapter by explaining specifically what laws Christians ought to view as guidelines. Unfortunately, his (worthwhile) discussion remained abstract and readers will have to do their own work to figure out what use it has for Christian living.

Though the book is an introduction to covenant theology, it is more academic in nature, so readers would do well to have some theological experience. However, God of Promise fulfills a substantial need in our Reformed libraries. Very few books address the system of covenant theology directly, and Michael Horton is likely the best contemporary theologian to do so. God of Promise is a valuable resource for those seeking to understand the picture of biblical teaching and the resulting categories of Reformed theology.

32 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A not so helpful anthology of Reformed Theologians on the covenant, April 2, 2007

By	EDT - See all my reviews

Dr. Horton's book is an attempt to fill a much needed hole - a primer on confessionally Reformed Covenant Theology. However, in this reviewer's opinion, Horton has in some ways muddied the already murky waters of contemporary debate on the covenant. If one is looking for a faithful exposition of the covenant as reflected in the WCF, one needs to look elsewhere. There are several reasons for this assessment.

First, Horton often quotes writers out of context and contrary to their intended meaning. For example, on pg. 72 he quotes Geerhardus Vos: "First, God gace a promise-berith, then he imposed a law-berith. So Genesis intends it and so Stephen quotes it." In the context, Horton gives the reader the impression that Vos is describing the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants. But this is not what Vos meant, as can be seen from the broader context:

"In passing it may be remarked that in Stephen's speech, Acts 7:8, "the diatheke of circumcision" means nothing else but "the law, ordinance of circumcision." The reference is to Genesis 17, where the word berith has the same sense. The author of Genesis, who in chapter 15 used the term berith in the sense of a promise, here takes it as "law," "appointment." He did not mean that God in the same sense twice made a berith with the patriarch. First God gave a promise-berith, then he imposed a law-berith. So Genesis intends it, and so Stephen quotes it" (Redemptive History and Biblical Interpretation, 179)

As can be clearly seen, Vos is simply describing the different significations of the word "covenant" in the Genesis narrative. Sometimes it refers to "law," and other times simply to "promise." It did not mean that God "in the same sense twice made a berith with the patriarch." But Horton uses the quote to support the distinction between the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants (promise vs. law), but Vos uses it to describe the two phases of the Abrahamic covenant.

On page 72 he quotes Vos again to support the notion that the Abrahamic covenant continues to underly the works-arrangement made at Sinai. But when one looks at the original context of Vos article, one fails to find any mention of a covenant of works at Sinai. Vos' point was to demonstrate that the basis of the Sinai covenant was the Abrahamic promise. They stand in organic continuity with one another, rather that in substantial contrast. Many other examples could be given. This reviewer would caution the reader to carefully check Horton's citations where they are able in order to certify that he is quoting according to their intended sense. Many times he provides a faithful representation, but other times he does not.

Second, Horton's formulation of the difference between the Mosaic and Abrahamic covenants seems difficult to harmonize with the Reformed confessions. For Horton, the new covenant is contrasted with the Mosaic covenant in that "...the new covenant is..an entirely different covenant with an entirely different basis" (53). For him, "...the principle of the two covenants (works and grace) fundamentally differ" (88). The law-covenant made under Moses and the Abrahamic covenant differ in "form and substance" (176). Horton is clear, the Mosaic and Abrahamic administrations differ in principle, fundamentally, in both form and substance.

The Reformed confessions, however, present a quite different view. For the WCF there is one "covenant of grace" that was "differently administered in the time of the law and the time of the Gospel." For the WCF there are not "two covenants of grace differing substance, but one and the same, under varying dispensations." The time of "the Law" does not exclude the Mosaic period (note: "circumcision, the paschal lamb, and other types and ordinances"). Though there were several at the Assembly who argued for a view similar to Horton's (i.e. Smauel Bolton, following John Cameron - a precusor of Amyraldianism), but were rejected by the mainstream Reformed voices at the Assembly (and I would argue, the Confession itself). Horton says that the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants differ in substance, but the WCF says that they are one in substance.

Thirdly, there is some troubling language regarding the "merit" of Abraham and other Biblical figures. He quotes Meredith G. kline's statement with approval that "God was pleased to constitute Abraham's exemplary works as the meritorious ground for granting to Israel after the flesh the distinctive role of being formed as the typological kingdom, the matrix from which Christ should come" (45). Granted, Horton and Kline see the merit of Abraham pointing forward to Christ's merit. But the problem of how the sinful works of a sinful human creature could be in any sense the meritorious ground of reward is in this reviewers opinion irresolvable. The WCF clearly denies that any merit is attainable for sinful human creatures, either for salvation or justification (WCF 16:5) or for earthly blessings (WLC 193). Besides, the idea that Abraham's obedience could be imputed to his descendants sounds very much like the Roman Catholic idea of pleading for grace on the merits of the saints. Could a Jew living in the promised land, as he desires to receive the blessings of milk and honey, really pray, "Remember, O Lord, the merit of my father Abraham?" Granted, Horton would probably reject such a notion - but how could he do so in a way that is consistent with his doctrine of the merits of Abraham?

Many other things could be said (both positively and negatively) about this book. I don't mean to be overly harsh in my assessment. There are helpful comments in the book, particularly Horton's defense of a pre-fall covenant of works. But it will be difficult for a layperson who wants an introduction to classic confessional covenant theology to sort out the good from the not so good.

If one is able to find it, John Ball's Treatise on the Covenant of Grace is a very good and detailed treatment of the classic position on the covenant as summarized in the Westminster Assembly. I understand that an edition is being digitized and made available on the internet. A simple search will easily find it. One could also consult Anthony Burgess' "Vindication of the Law and the Covenants," and Samuel Rutherford's "The Covenant of Life Opened" for a summary of the mainstream confessional consensus.

My advice: save your money on Horton's book, and go back to the original sources for a consistent and faithful representation of classic, confessional, reformed covenant theology. Adherents to and opponents of (i.e. Dispensationalists, etc) classic covenant theology will find a better representation of it elsewhere.