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Raiding the Lost Ark: Recovering the Gospel of the Covenant King
The Bible is a story; the gospel is a message. But how does one lead to the other? Raiding the Lost Ark shows how covenants hold the key, and demonstrates how the gospel of salvation by grace alone grows naturally out of the story God tells.
At the centre of Israel's worship was the tabernacle. At the centre of the tabernacle was a box: the Ark of the Covenant. Within the box was a covenant.
Covenant dominates the Bible's story from start to finish, shaping the gospel, the church and the day-to-day experience of God's people.
But for many of us, covenant is a lost concept. Raiding the Lost Ark seeks to recover the great news of Jesus Christ as Covenant King, demonstrating the natural flow from the story God tells to the gospel of grace. Along the way, it addresses hot topics, such as baptism in the Spirit, predestination and water baptism, showing how they all fit together in one covenant story to bring God's people into fullness of life under the Covenant King.
At the centre of Israel's worship was the tabernacle. At the centre of the tabernacle was a box: the Ark of the Covenant. Within the box was a covenant.
Covenant dominates the Bible's story from start to finish, shaping the gospel, the church and the day-to-day experience of God's people.
But for many of us, covenant is a lost concept. Raiding the Lost Ark seeks to recover the great news of Jesus Christ as Covenant King, demonstrating the natural flow from the story God tells to the gospel of grace. Along the way, it addresses hot topics, such as baptism in the Spirit, predestination and water baptism, showing how they all fit together in one covenant story to bring God's people into fullness of life under the Covenant King.
184 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2013
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421 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
August 8, 2015
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is the ideal book to give to those wanting to know more about covenant theology, but those who already embrace covenant theology will find it extremely refreshing. The author brilliantly defends the concept of a covenant of works, explains the development of the covenant of grace throughout scripture (and argues that the Mosaic covenant was not a republication of the covenant of works), and demonstrates the biblical basis for the covenant of redemption. He then points out how covenant theology is worked out in Reformed soteriology, infant baptism, church government, personal holiness, and so on. All this material in a book of less than 190 pages! Moreover, it is very well written, using great illustrations, and appropriate humour to explain the points being made. I know the term "must read" is over used, but this book deserves to be read again and again. I hope the author moves on to write other books (if his pastoral duties allow for it).
May 13, 2024
This little book slaps.
I am not exaggerating when I say this tiny easy to read book packs just about every nuance needed for a well rounded understanding of traditional reformed covenant theology. It does this feat in a simple and engaging way with… wait for it… illustrations. This book rocks. Read it to your kids.
I am not exaggerating when I say this tiny easy to read book packs just about every nuance needed for a well rounded understanding of traditional reformed covenant theology. It does this feat in a simple and engaging way with… wait for it… illustrations. This book rocks. Read it to your kids.
March 29, 2021
Highly recommended for those interested in learning about Covenant Theology. I believe followers of Christ and Bible readers should be more familiar with the biblical covenants, especially for those of us who are drenched in individualistic and autonomous cultures.
Rhodes is gracious way in handling disagreements within the different convictions of topics like the order of salvation, infant baptism, or Spirit baptism. Surprised he never mentioned paedocommunion. I think these differences were made too simplistic, but I understand this isn’t the book to delve into those debates. Great introductory work.
Rhodes is gracious way in handling disagreements within the different convictions of topics like the order of salvation, infant baptism, or Spirit baptism. Surprised he never mentioned paedocommunion. I think these differences were made too simplistic, but I understand this isn’t the book to delve into those debates. Great introductory work.
June 15, 2016
A really good layman's introduction to the covenants. There is a lot information and nuances missing, especially for those of us who eat and drink covenant theology. But if you hand it to the average person in the pew they will come away with a better understanding of how God works. He does hold the classic covenant of works paradigm. So if you hate the covenant of works or are looking for a careful discussion of how grace fits into the covenant of works you will be disappointed. He does a good job showing that there are really three groups of people: pagans, covenant breakers, and covenant keepers. Only covenant keepers are regenerate and elect.
A couple of gaps. First, while he does address church polity, he really doesn't address the role of the minister and worship in the new covenant. I would have liked more time spent on that.
Second, he doesn't address church membership. He does address baptism and the Lord's Supper, but some discussion of church membership would have been helpful.
A really helpful book though and I would easily give it out to new members, especially those just starting to grasp the covenant, such as former Baptists.
A couple of gaps. First, while he does address church polity, he really doesn't address the role of the minister and worship in the new covenant. I would have liked more time spent on that.
Second, he doesn't address church membership. He does address baptism and the Lord's Supper, but some discussion of church membership would have been helpful.
A really helpful book though and I would easily give it out to new members, especially those just starting to grasp the covenant, such as former Baptists.
January 5, 2014
I've been waiting for a book like this to be written for years - now it has arrived. For me it is now the go-to book for anyone wanting an introduction to Covenant theology - clear, straight-forward, readable and most of all biblical. In it Jonty Rhodes tells the big story that runs through the Bible.
He explains, illustrates and anticipates questions well.
He shows the interconnectedness of the covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David--how they are all part of the one rich means of God interacting and relating to mankind. He unpacks the Covenant of Redemption--that glorious agreement between Father and Son, out of which all the other covenants flow. With clarity he sets out the differing viewpoints on the Mosaic Covenant and then opts not to go with the view of Kline and Horton, an outcome I was happy with.
As a Sabbath keeping, paedobaptist, Presbyterian I was pleased to see him connecting the dots between covenant theology and these spheres as well.
An excellent book, and a joy to read. Likewise my copy is well highlighted.
He explains, illustrates and anticipates questions well.
He shows the interconnectedness of the covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David--how they are all part of the one rich means of God interacting and relating to mankind. He unpacks the Covenant of Redemption--that glorious agreement between Father and Son, out of which all the other covenants flow. With clarity he sets out the differing viewpoints on the Mosaic Covenant and then opts not to go with the view of Kline and Horton, an outcome I was happy with.
As a Sabbath keeping, paedobaptist, Presbyterian I was pleased to see him connecting the dots between covenant theology and these spheres as well.
An excellent book, and a joy to read. Likewise my copy is well highlighted.
December 21, 2018
Christians: Read this book! It's a straight forward, understandable introduction to understanding the Bible as 1 book telling 1 story. I loved that it was jam packed with great examples and illustrations. Excellent!
December 10, 2021
Phenomenal. This is THE introductory resource on covenants. Easy, concise, wonderfully illustrated. Thoroughly enjoyed this! I commend it.
December 10, 2022
Excellent overview of the biblical covenants. Accessible as an introduction, with clear analogies and answers to questions commonly asked in our churches and discipling contexts.
July 21, 2025
3/2/24
Solid
7/21/25
Reading another book on the covenants makes me remember how much I liked this one. It’s so clear, organized, and engaging. Definitely the best book on the topic I’ve come across so far.
Solid
7/21/25
Reading another book on the covenants makes me remember how much I liked this one. It’s so clear, organized, and engaging. Definitely the best book on the topic I’ve come across so far.
Read
January 1, 2024went jji mode on this one
February 25, 2018
This is an excellent book on Covenant Theology that is super accessible. Rhodes writes in a way that embedded into the Bible, but strive to bring it up to his audience by relevant examples and metaphors. This is not just an information dump giving you the chapter and verse proofs but leaves you in awe of God's timeless and global plan and magnifies Jesus as our covenant head, the true man, faithful shepherd leading us home by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Crazy that the gospel is trinitarian)
He ends the book with some of his applications of covenant theology in doctrine and practice. Rhodes holds a pretty Presbyterian stance on certain issues (like church government, and baptism), but he does recognize that the reformed stream it is broader than what he is highlighting. Regardless, these more controversial points are explained briefly, but compellingly. To no surprise, I consider myself a Covenant thinker, but I do think I am becoming more and more sympathetic to the Presbyterian views on certain issues because of this book.
In short, I found this book to give me an awesome overview of covenant theology, but even more, I found myself being more in awe and worshipful of my savior. I
He ends the book with some of his applications of covenant theology in doctrine and practice. Rhodes holds a pretty Presbyterian stance on certain issues (like church government, and baptism), but he does recognize that the reformed stream it is broader than what he is highlighting. Regardless, these more controversial points are explained briefly, but compellingly. To no surprise, I consider myself a Covenant thinker, but I do think I am becoming more and more sympathetic to the Presbyterian views on certain issues because of this book.
In short, I found this book to give me an awesome overview of covenant theology, but even more, I found myself being more in awe and worshipful of my savior. I
October 1, 2024
Excellent walk-through of the main through lines of covenant theology. Rhodes takes what could be a very complex topic and, as it says in the title, makes it simple.
He does a great job of showing the beauty in a covenant framework of biblical understanding. Of particular note is his frequent call backs to covenant blessings and curses relating to God’s people, in paradise, in His presence. Seeing those themes reflected in every iteration of the covenant was incredibly helpful.
He also includes a few chapters toward the end that serve as a “so what” that makes what could be general head doctrine actually practical to Christians on a daily basis. Would highly recommend!
He does a great job of showing the beauty in a covenant framework of biblical understanding. Of particular note is his frequent call backs to covenant blessings and curses relating to God’s people, in paradise, in His presence. Seeing those themes reflected in every iteration of the covenant was incredibly helpful.
He also includes a few chapters toward the end that serve as a “so what” that makes what could be general head doctrine actually practical to Christians on a daily basis. Would highly recommend!
February 12, 2024
Reading this book is like going to get your contact prescription updated… but for your soul. Want to see Christ more clearly? His covenant promises bring Him into focus. I highly recommend Rhodes’ concise approach to the unfolding promises of God to His people.
June 25, 2023
As an introductory book, I don't know if there is a better resource on Covenant Theology. The examples are engaging and Rhodes uses memorable tools to help get the concepts across. This book would greatly benefit any reader, but especially someone who wants the main ideas of covenant theology without all the jargon.
July 10, 2023
5/5 - highly recommend!
September 20, 2025
Excellent summary of how covenants operate, and build upon one another, leading to Christ. In less than 200 pages you can have a thorough understanding of the major covenantal moments in Scripture, and how they relate to covenant people.
Subsequently this is also my first book I would give to convince someone of Paedobaptism 😄
Subsequently this is also my first book I would give to convince someone of Paedobaptism 😄
August 13, 2022
I’ve been looking for a good book to use as a basic/easy introduction to Covenant Theology and classic Reformed doctrine. This is it. There were moments when things seemed simplistic, but that was the intention of the book-to simplify! There were many more moments when the simplicity of what was said was very helpful. Jonty’s work here is a wonderful resource.
October 9, 2022
* 09/10/22 - Third time through this book this year. Tried to read it slowly to take in more of the detail. Such an excellent, simple but not simplistic, introductory explanation of covenant theology. *
The first book in a very very long time that I have finished once, and instantly gone back to the start to read again. Having finished my second time through the book, I will say that this is an incredibly helpful introduction to covenant theology, and one of the most important books I think I have ever read.
If you don't know what Covenants are, read this book.
If you don't care what Covenants are, read this book.
If you ever have questions like 'how does the bible all fit together?', 'were people in the old testament saved by works?', 'should I still obey the ten commandments?', 'who should be baptised?', 'what is new about the new covenant?', read this book.
A book that has made so many parts of the jigsaw puzzle of the Bible start to fit together in my understanding.
The first book in a very very long time that I have finished once, and instantly gone back to the start to read again. Having finished my second time through the book, I will say that this is an incredibly helpful introduction to covenant theology, and one of the most important books I think I have ever read.
If you don't know what Covenants are, read this book.
If you don't care what Covenants are, read this book.
If you ever have questions like 'how does the bible all fit together?', 'were people in the old testament saved by works?', 'should I still obey the ten commandments?', 'who should be baptised?', 'what is new about the new covenant?', read this book.
A book that has made so many parts of the jigsaw puzzle of the Bible start to fit together in my understanding.
December 6, 2022
People had raved about this book to me, and I see why.
Jonty writes clearly and simply and shows us how we see God's Gospel through the covenants. A quick, whistle-stop Bible overview shows us how the covenant of grace is consistent with the OT and fulfilled perfectly and fully in Jesus.
I loved how he points out the practical implications of this for us - what it means to be united to the One who was perfectly obedient and who took the covenant curse for us, and how this will shape our church practice and relationships with other Christians.
10/10 would recommend.
Jonty writes clearly and simply and shows us how we see God's Gospel through the covenants. A quick, whistle-stop Bible overview shows us how the covenant of grace is consistent with the OT and fulfilled perfectly and fully in Jesus.
I loved how he points out the practical implications of this for us - what it means to be united to the One who was perfectly obedient and who took the covenant curse for us, and how this will shape our church practice and relationships with other Christians.
10/10 would recommend.
April 7, 2020
This was quite good: a very clear and concise introduction to covenant theology and how God has interacted with his people throughout history. Definitely recommended. It's been too long since I read Robertson's book "Christ of the Covenants" to compare properly.
Also published in the US under the title "Covenants Made Simple" by P&R Publishing.
Also published in the US under the title "Covenants Made Simple" by P&R Publishing.
February 24, 2020
Best introduction to covenant theology I've come across to date. It's presented in a creative, yet concise manner too.
July 1, 2025
Overall I really enjoyed this book! It helped me to appreciate the connection and importance of the covenants throughout Scripture. Even more the author showed how it was essential that every covenant in some way pointed to Jesus, who fulfilled them all!
The reason that I gave it four stars though was because his voice changed when he went from the specific covenants to the application of them. Meaning the organization of the church and the life of a believer. He had good points during these sections, such as showing the differences between justification and sanctification. Or showing the reader the essential aspect of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel. But, at times, he also became opinionated and a little obnoxious by using words such as “obviously” to show how it would be absurd to view this topic or issue from another perspective.
Whether you are a covenant theologian or not, this book helps any reader to understand what the covenants are, how they are essential to Scripture, and how each and every one of them are connected to Jesus, the Gospel, and the overall story that God created in the Bible.
The reason that I gave it four stars though was because his voice changed when he went from the specific covenants to the application of them. Meaning the organization of the church and the life of a believer. He had good points during these sections, such as showing the differences between justification and sanctification. Or showing the reader the essential aspect of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel. But, at times, he also became opinionated and a little obnoxious by using words such as “obviously” to show how it would be absurd to view this topic or issue from another perspective.
Whether you are a covenant theologian or not, this book helps any reader to understand what the covenants are, how they are essential to Scripture, and how each and every one of them are connected to Jesus, the Gospel, and the overall story that God created in the Bible.
April 3, 2024
Don’t be fooled by the serious looking cover with some Renaissance era art on it. This is not the textbook kind of book that requires you to keep your dictionary and encyclopedia close at hand. While thorough, it’s written in a very comfortable conversational style and would be helpful for someone just starting to explore this topic. As a side note there is also a short explanation of why the author thinks child baptism should be practiced in the church. Don’t let this dissuade you from reading this book even if your church or personal theology doesn’t match. The rest of the book is great. He does give his reasons for his belief so it is worth reviewing that for yourself. It’s 3-4 pages then he lets it go acknowledging that not everyone will agree.
February 15, 2024
Covenant theology is a whole-Bible hermeneutic.
This book is just marvelous. Rhodes untangles what is often knotted or overlooked for many Christians— the entire concept of covenants. If you’re reading this review, order this book on Amazon and start it this Sunday afternoon. It will be good for your soul.
I will plan to go through this book in the future with high school guys, newer Christians, or those who need an introduction to covenants. Warm, clear, thoroughly Biblical and winsome. Highly recommend.
This book is just marvelous. Rhodes untangles what is often knotted or overlooked for many Christians— the entire concept of covenants. If you’re reading this review, order this book on Amazon and start it this Sunday afternoon. It will be good for your soul.
I will plan to go through this book in the future with high school guys, newer Christians, or those who need an introduction to covenants. Warm, clear, thoroughly Biblical and winsome. Highly recommend.
January 9, 2025
I read this as part of Sunday school with my church, so had several discussions on the content along with just reading on my own.
Overall I found this book extremely helpful in learning more about theology and since it was recommended by my church, I didn’t have to worry about it being scripturally sound.
This book tackles a lot of confusing and contentious questions and issues in the Christian faith and makes them easy to understand and accessible.
Overall I found this book extremely helpful in learning more about theology and since it was recommended by my church, I didn’t have to worry about it being scripturally sound.
This book tackles a lot of confusing and contentious questions and issues in the Christian faith and makes them easy to understand and accessible.
March 14, 2020
This is an excellent introduction to covenant theology for the layman. It avoids technical jargon and yet covers the issues the man in the pew needs to know. This will be my new go-to book for prospective members who want to know what we mean by covenant theology.
February 15, 2022
Short and straight to the point.
Jonty gives the reader a good intro into the theology of understanding the covenants in the Bible as 1 overarching covenant that finds its fulfilment in Christ. It was good to refresh some of my thoughts on this. Also, some of his illustrations were excellent.
I wish there was just a chapter dedicated to dealing with some of the more common objections. But, to be fair, he did address a couple throughout the book.
A very good read.
Jonty gives the reader a good intro into the theology of understanding the covenants in the Bible as 1 overarching covenant that finds its fulfilment in Christ. It was good to refresh some of my thoughts on this. Also, some of his illustrations were excellent.
I wish there was just a chapter dedicated to dealing with some of the more common objections. But, to be fair, he did address a couple throughout the book.
A very good read.
August 11, 2019
A simple introduction to Covenant theology and what the consistency of the covenants are.
May 1, 2023
4.5.
Some great nuggets hidden throughout this book. I appreciated the simplicity of the text, while still tackling some of the trickier issues of covenants.
Some great nuggets hidden throughout this book. I appreciated the simplicity of the text, while still tackling some of the trickier issues of covenants.
April 28, 2024
I forget how influential Keller was on Presbyterian writers.
It’s a solid introduction to the subject though it doesn’t give too much into an insight most don’t already know from growing up in the Church.
It’s a solid introduction to the subject though it doesn’t give too much into an insight most don’t already know from growing up in the Church.
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