13: Covenant: The Suzerain-Vassal Treaty

In today’s episode, Hannah DeSouza and Dr. David Pocta take listeners on a deep dive into the Suzerain-Vassal Treaty—an ancient document that offers illuminating insights into the covenant between God and Abraham. This episode invites listeners to explore the formation, stipulations, and implications of these ancient covenants and their significance in a biblical context. 

Throughout the episode, Hannah and David explore the concept of covenant and its connections to biblical narratives. The hosts walk listeners through the seven-step formation of the Suzerain-Vassal Treaty and highlight the consequences of covenant violation with a passage from Jeremiah. The episode also dives into the conversation between Abraham and Yahweh in Genesis 15, discussing the minimal rules of the covenant and the faith required from Abraham. Furthermore, they delve into the repeated terms of the covenant throughout Genesis and emphasize the need to trust in God's timing. 

Topics Discussed: 

• The Suzerain-Vassal Treaty as a lens to understand the biblical concept of covenant. 
• The roles and relationships of a suzerain and vassal in a covenant. 
• The parallels between the Suzerain Vassal Treaty and the covenant at Sinai. 
• The seven-step formation of a Suzerain Vassal Treaty. 
• The implications of violating a covenant, as highlighted through a passage from Jeremiah. 
• The significance of the conversation between Abraham and Yahweh in Genesis 15. 
• The minimal rules of the covenant and the importance of trust in Yahweh's faithfulness. 
• The physical demonstration of the covenant and the role of patience in waiting for God's timing. 
• The significance of Yahweh bringing Abram out into the starry night to witness the covenant. 
• The faithfulness of God and the importance of trusting in His timing, even when it involves decades of waiting. 
  
  

Quotes:  

“So even though it had these legal implications, it was also very personal, and for a vassal to break covenant would be a huge statement about their character.” – Dr. David Pocta 

“Even the fact that so much of this is spoken over Abraham as he's asleep. I think that's a really powerful image too, that you're not even conscious of what I'm doing, but I will fulfill my role regardless.” –Hannah DeSouza 

“I think it's our responsibility to learn and understand the role that we're in and then we have to decide if we want that relationship.” – Dr. David Pocta 

 Links: 

Dr. David Pocta 

Hannah DeSouza 

Slideshow