The Story of When the Trinity Shook Hands: An Exposition of Genesis 1:26

By Dr. Robert Vasholz

It is the covenant made between the persons of the Trinity that has designed the foremost way that God dealt with His people in the Old Testament. This work shows how that plan was made at the foundation of the world and why it was there. In fine, it ties the whole of scripture together under the canopy of the everlasting covenant and has secured salvation for all believers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9798888514092

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Preface

1: The Primeval Battle

2: The Triune Covenant

3: The Covenant and Mankind

4: God on Trial

5: The Covenant and Adam

6: Covenant and Noah

7: The Covenant and Abraham

8: The Covenant and Moses

9: The David Covenant

About the Author

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The Story of When the Trinity Shook Hands

An Exposition of Genesis 1:26

Dr. Robert Vasholz

ISBN 979-8-88851-408-5 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88851-409-2 (Digital)

Copyright © 2023 Dr. Robert Vasholz

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Preface

After the first distribution of When the Trinity Shook Hands, it was suggested that I provide some clarity from the beginning as to what the purpose of the work is all about; that I am glad to do.

First and mainly, the work was to demonstrate that the salvation we have in Christ has been absolutely secured or, to put it in the vernacular, airtight. That is because salvation for mankind (and all that entailed) was settled by a pledge of each member of the Trinity to one another to accomplish the deed of redemption. In essence, the work may be incorporated into one word, assurance. The Trinity's commitment was first revealed in Scripture in Genesis 1:26. What God determined to do, He will do. The Trinity's character rested on that. The glorious sacrifice of Jesus Christ, therefore, can never be annulled nor voided.

Secondly, the unfolding of the meaning of that Trinitarian pledge was expressed by way of biblical covenants. Covenant formulary provided a gracious accommodation for mankind to understand God's mighty works. All of the primary/historical covenants God made with Israel in the Old Testament represent at least one aspect of what that everlasting covenant solemnized between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Those primary covenants were made with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jeremiah. Each of these covenants between God and man manifest in various ways the security of man's redemption in the God who sent His Son.

Finally, this work hopes to point out the underlying integrity of God's oath in an extended line of history. Human history at best is fickle. Yet, through it all, God is faithful to the Trinity's dedication, no matter what. The continuum of God's faithfulness to His Word in varied historical circumstances shows that God never veered from His original design for the salvation of mankind!

In the world of the Old Testament, covenants were formalized in different ways. The granting of gifts, the eating of a meal together, the setting up of a memorial site, the sprinkling of blood, the offering of sacrifices, the passing under a rod, and the dividing of animals concluded a covenant. These old ways all demonstrated that a commitment by different parties was made. They formalized/publicized covenants (i.e., they announced covenants as official and binding).

At one time in our Western culture, the finalizing of a deal was made by shaking hands with one another. Traditionally, that practice was so revered by honorable men that it was considered binding. The shaking of hands meant when one gave his word, it was as good as a signed contract. In Genesis 1:26, the Trinity shook hands.

This is a story of when the Trinity shook hands. It is a true story for it is revealed in Scripture. It begins in Genesis 1:26 but, for now, that is getting ahead of oneself. We must know first what the background of Genesis 1:26 is all about and how it fits in with our story—Genesis 1, the first chapter in the Bible.

1

The Primeval Battle

We already know that Genesis 1 is about God's creation of our heavens and earth, though that is not the same as the creation of the whole universe. That came before and probably a long time before. And that is important to note. For when God created our heavens and earth, our earth was already there in the form of a watery chaos. That is evident from several scriptures like 2 Peter 3:5–6, Psalm 33:6–9, 24:2, and Job 38:4–9. By the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed being flooded with water. That is also supported from Genesis 1:2, where at the creation, the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Creation was not made out of nothing but God's power to change things. Fortunately, that was held and taught by some very great preachers like Charles H. Spurgeon. He said, "You have read that the Spirit of God brooded over the surface of the earth, when it was yet all disorder and confusion. This world was once a mass of chaotic matter, there was no order; it was like the valley of darkness and of the shadow of death."

John Walton wrote that at the beginning of the creation process, there was already existence of the waters of the deep.

Formless and void

That creation formed is described as formless and void. It is an expression used exactly in Hebrew only one more time in the Old Testament in Jeremiah 4:23. It was used to describe what was left after a marauding army went through and devastated the land. In Genesis 1:26, the phrase formless and void was the result of judgment by water after a marauding