Commitment – [kuh-mit-muhnt] –noun

1. the act of committing.
2. the state of being committed.
3. the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself.
4. a pledge or promise; obligation.
5. engagement; involvement.

Covenant – [kuhv-uh-nuhnt] –noun

1. an agreement, usually formal, between two or more persons to do or not do something specified.
2. Law. an incidental clause in such an agreement.
3. Ecclesiastical. A solemn agreement between the members of a church to act together in harmony with the precepts of the gospel.
4. Bible. The conditional promises made to humanity by God, as revealed in Scripture.

God’s plan sets out a thesis that is important for us. John Walton in Covenant: God’s Purpose writes,

God has a plan in history that He is sovereignly executing. The goal of that plan is for Him to be in relationship with the people whom He has created. It would be difficult for people to enter into a relationship with a God whom they do not know. If His nature were concealed, obscured, or distorted, an honest relationship would be impossible. In order to clear the way for this relationship, then, God has undertaken as a primary objective a program of self-revelation. He wants people to know him. The mechanism that drives this program is the covenant, and the instrument is Israel. The purpose of the covenant is to reveal God.

Covenant is central to our understanding of God’s character, what he wants for his church, and how he plans to carry out his ultimate purpose for his church.