Bible Study - Wednesday Night Class - Larry Johnston
Teacher
Lesson Summary
The class began with a clear exposition of God’s immutable covenants, using Galatians 3:15 to illustrate that once a covenant is ratified, no one can annul or add to it. Larry Johnston described various covenant types—bilateral, unilateral, conditional, and unconditional—and related them to biblical examples. He focused on the Gibeonites’ deceptive treaty with Israel in Joshua 9, showing how God honored their covenant despite the deceit, and connected this to Rahab’s faithful act in Hebrews 11, which saved her from destruction. The discussion moved to the practical implications of covenant relationships, noting the tabernacle’s location in Gibeon and the logistical reasons for that choice. Larry examined the long‑standing covenant protection the Gibeonites received, culminating in the tragic account of Saul’s descendants in 2 Samuel 21:5‑9, where the class debated the justice of collective punishment. The lesson concluded that God consistently protects those who repent and honor His covenants, and that this divine faithfulness extends to believers today as they trust in Jesus Christ, the ultimate covenant keeper.
Key Scriptures
Even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified.
They said to the king, this is the Gibeonites speaking, the man who consumed us and planned to destroy us so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel, let seven of his sons be given to us so that we may hang them before the Lord at Gibeonites all, the chosen of the Lord. And the king said, this is David, the king said, I will give them. But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan, the son of Saul. The king took two sons of Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armani and Mephibosheth, and five sons of Merib, the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel, the son of Barzili the Mitholite. And he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the Lord, and the seven of them perished together.