The covenants are designed to provide an overview of the way God wants us to relate to Him and to His creation. The overriding thought in the foreground of the first and universal covenant is that the entire creation, including us and the spiritual life given us, is a gift from God to aid us in making our way through the physical life He has provided. This reality must be foundational in our relationship with Him because it provides solid footing for the humility necessary to make it work. Because He is the Giver of all good things, our thinking about ourselves in relation to Him must begin here. All of God's gifts are aspects of His grace given to aid us in succeeding within His purpose. The emphasis should be on His purpose, as the entire creation stands as a major teaching device, and receiving it bears responsibilities. Serious and honest consideration of it should lead to answering many questions about our place in a relationship with God and to realizing some of our responsibilities. The fulfillment of these responsibilities lies in the uses we make of the gifts God has given. Human history shows that gifts freely given, even gifts from God, are not always used well by the recipients, as many fail to discern the Creator as the Giver of these awesome gifts and instead ignore Him, doing as they please.

The covenants God made with mankind are crucial to our preparations for the future, providing foundational guidance for our relationship with Him. Without a broad understanding of what is required of us in these covenants, we cannot hope to be leaders in His Kingdom. Each covenant serves as a teaching vehicle, revealing in broad strokes God's purposes for us, linked together to offer a clearer picture of what He expects. They are unifying instruments, but only if faithfully adhered to by all parties involved. God, who cannot lie, remains faithful, while our faithfulness is yet to be proven. These covenants shape a Christian's worldview, preventing us from wandering in a spiritual wilderness without guidance. In a universal sense, the covenants apply to all of humanity, as God's sovereignty extends over everyone. Every person involved in His creative processes has access to the same terms, though each to their own level, and from those to whom much is given, much will be required. Even before an individual's calling and conversion, mankind is equipped with basic knowledge of right and wrong, leaving all to some degree without excuse. Those especially called by Him owe Him their loyalty, bearing witness to their gifting through the way they live. The universal covenant, as seen in the beginning with Adam and Eve, addresses the entire human race, emphasizing that the creation, the earth, humanity, and life itself are gifts from God. It highlights His grace and gifting as the means for success within His purpose, from the physical creation to spiritual salvation. Receiving the earth brings responsibilities to all, whether converted or not, requiring work to care for it, akin to the effort needed for spiritual salvation. The most critical question is how we will use what we learn from the creation to enhance life, managing it within the parameters of His creative purposes rather than self-centeredly. This universal covenant introduces the sovereign Creator God, standing at the beginning of all things, preceding everything. It reveals Him as orderly, with every step of creation following a logical progression, establishing that His purposes are not haphazard but part of a deliberate plan. It shows that in the beginning, everything was morally perfect like Him, with no sin present. No aspect of creation is to be worshipped, as everything is inferior to the Creator, who alone deserves worship. God charges mankind, starting with Adam and Eve, to populate and subdue the earth, meaning to harness its potential and use its resources beneficially, not to dominate adversarially. Humanity is to manage through work what has been given, ruling in God's behalf as His servant, reflecting His pattern. Birth alone places each person into a stewardship responsibility to treat God's gifts with loving care, mirroring the manner in which He created them. Finally, mankind is to enjoy the foods produced in the Garden, embracing the blessings of His provision.