The Old and New Covenants.

[phipps]

A covenant is a deal, a formal agreement. It can take the form of a treaty, an alliance, a marriage, or a will of inheritance. What is commonly called the old covenant is a deal that God made with the people of Israel.

What Was The Old Covenant?

The old covenant was an agreement made between God and Israel. If Israel would agree to keep His commandments, statutes and judgments. He would be their God and bless them with land, physical well-being, abundant crops, and protection from their enemies, He would give them special status among the nations.

There was more than one covenant involved at Mt. Sinai. God called Moses up into the mountain before He gave the law and proposed a covenant between Him and His people:

Exodus 19:3-6, "And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

Notice how God asked Moses to present His offer to the people. Here are all the elements of a true covenant. Conditions and promises are laid down for both sides. If the children of Israel accept God's proposal, a covenant will be established. How did they respond to the divine offer? "So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him. Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord." Exodus 19:7-8.

Just as soon as that answer went back to God, the basis for the Old Covenant was set up. But before it could go into formal operation there had to be a sealing or ratifying of the pact. This ritualistic service involved the sprinkling of the blood of an ox on the people and is described in Exodus 24:4-8: "And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.” And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words."

This covenant was not the law itself but was made "concerning all these words." The Ten Commandments were the basis for the agreement. The people promised to keep that law, and God promised to bless them in return. The crucial weakness in the whole arrangement revolved around the way Israel promised. There was no suggestion that they could not fully conform to every requirement of God. Neither was there any application for divine assistance. "We can do it," they insisted. Here is a perfect example of leaning on the flesh and trusting human strength. The words are filled with self-confidence. "All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient."

 

[Hon33]

And the new covenant?

I mean, I know what it is, but you haven’t mentioned it?

 

[phipps]

And the new covenant?

I mean, I know what it is, but you haven’t mentioned it?

I'm going to post it right now. I have a few articles I'm going to post in this forum on the subject.

 

[phipps]

The Old Covenant -- Not the Ten Commandments

Is this a biblical position? It is just as important to understand what the Old Covenant was not, as to know what it was. Right now, let us look at three absolute proofs that the covenant which disappeared was not the Ten Commandments. Then we will determine by comparing scripture with scripture just what the Old Covenant was.

First of all, we notice that the Old Covenant had some poor promises in it. The New Covenant, we are told, "was established upon better promises." Hebrews 8:6. Has anyone ever been able to point out any poor promises in the Ten Commandments? Never. On the contrary, Paul declares that they were very good. "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3.

This declaration alone is sufficient to show that the writer of Hebrews was not charging the moral law with any weak promises. The Old Covenant, whatever else it might be, could never be the Ten Commandments.

The second thing wrong with the Old Covenant was that it was faulty. The Bible says, "For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second." Hebrews 8:7. Let me ask you a question: Has any man ever been able to find a fault or a flaw in the handwriting of God? The psalmist declared, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." Psalm 19:7. Paul wrote, "Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good." Romans 7:12.

Does that sound like something weak and imperfect? No law could be perfect and faulty at the same time. It becomes more and more apparent that the Old Covenant could not have been the Ten Commandments.

Finally, though, we read the most dramatic thing about the Old Covenant - it was to be abolished! "In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away." Hebrews 8:13. Now we can ask a serious question that should settle every doubt on this matter. Did the great moral law of Ten Commandments vanish away? Anyone who has read the New Testament must answer, Absolutely not. Paul affirms the exact opposite about the law. He asked, "Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law." Romans 3:31.

Does the Bible contradict itself? Can something vanish away and be established at the same time? Did the same writer say opposite things about the same law? Just to be certain that Paul was not saying that the Old Covenant was the law, let us insert the words "Old Covenant" instead of the word "law" into Romans 3:31. "Do we than make void the Old Covenant through faith? On the contrary, we establish the Old Covenant."

That doesn't sound right at all, does it? We know that the Old Covenant had vanished away and could never be spoken of in this way. Very clearly, then, we can see that the covenant which came to an end could not have been the Ten Commandments.

 

[phipps]

The New Covenant.

The New Covenant is written of in the Old Testament in the writings of Jeremiah, who prophesied during the last days of the kingdom of Judah on the eve of Babylonian captivity. Let us look at Jeremiah 31:31–34: "Behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them,’ says the LORD. ‘But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, says the LORD, I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, “Know the LORD,” for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,’ says the LORD. ‘For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more’ ”

The New Covenant is based on conversion.

This brings us to the very heart of the New Covenant operation. Obedience is made possible by the writing of God's law on the heart. Through spiritual regeneration the mind and heart are transformed. Christ actually enters into the life of the believer and imparts His own strength for obedience. By partaking of the divine nature, the weakest human being begins to live the very life of Jesus Christ, manifesting His victory, and crucifying the flesh.

Paul describes that transaction this way: "For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." Romans 8:3-4.

The word for righteousness is "dikaima," meaning "just requirement" of the law. In other words, because of Jesus' sinless life in the flesh, the requirement of the law can be fulfilled in us. He overcame sin in the same kind of body we have, so that He could impart that victory to us. He will actually live out His own holy life of separation from sin in our earthly bodies if we will permit Him to do so. This is the New Covenant promise for every believing, trusting child of God. And it is absolutely the only way that anyone can meet the requirements of the law: "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:27. "The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20.

It is most important for us to understand that the New Covenant law written on the heart is exactly the same law that was graven on the stone. Those great spiritual principles reflect the very character of God, and form the basis for His government. The difference is not in the law but in the ministration of the law. Written only upon the tables of stone, they can only condemn and minister death, "because the carnal mind ... is not subject to the law of God." Romans 8:7. Received into the heart which has been spiritualized by the converting grace of Christ, the same law becomes a delight. The beloved John declared, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:3. Not only is the law not grievous for the Spirit-filled child of God, but obedience becomes a joyful possibility. The psalmist wrote, "I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart." Psalms 40:8.

 

[phipps]

Why the Old Covenant failed.

The book of Hebrews describes the New Covenant as better than the Old Covenant (Hebrews 8:1-2, 6). The obvious questions, then, is why was there fault in the covenant at Mount Sinai? What was wrong with the covenant?

Hebrews 8:6-7, "But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second."

Christ is the mediator of a better covenant than the covenant that was given at Mount Sinai. Why?

Hebrews 8:8, "Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah."

The fault wasn’t with God at Sinai. The fault was with the people. The fault wasn’t with the promises of God; the fault was with the promises of the people. God’s promises are good, faithful and true. He cannot lie.

The people did not remain faithful to the covenant but were disobedient and rebellious. God never broke the covenant. The people did.

Israel made a commitment to be obedient to God, but was unwilling to fulfil its commitment to all that God offered to its inhabitants and the responsibilities this placed on them. The history of Israel is characterized by a rejection of the covenant through a way of life contrary to God’s laws.

God determined to make a new covenant. God said plainly where He found fault: not with the law, not with the Ten Commandments, not with the statutes and judgments, but with the people themselves.

This, together with the fact that the animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant could never take away sins (Hebrews 10:4), meant that the sin problem remained. Only the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all could atone for sin, including those committed under the Old Covenant (Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 9:15). "For the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God" (Hebrews 7:19) through the promise of the New Covenant.

 

[Hon33]

It was always God’s intention that salvation would be extended beyond Israel. It was always his intention to send his son to be sacrificed at the cross, so all could be saved by grace and faith.
Did Israel fail or did they act exactly as God expected them to. Their purpose was to allow the true character and nature of a loving God to be revealed.
Did they fail or did they achieve just that?

 

[A Freeman]

Our Creator gave us His PERFECT Law of Liberty, found only in the first five books of the Bible, which are the beginning of the Old Covenant, to protect us from evil and to set and keep us FREE. It is to our detriment that we have never kept His Law.

The Law that our Creator gave us includes the perfect system of governance, the perfect system of justice, the perfect agricultural policy, the perfect economic policy and the perfect healthy diet.

So who's party to the Covenant? EVERYONE.

Deuteronomy 29:9-15
29:9 Keep therefore the words of this Covenant, and DO them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do.
29:10 Ye stand this day all of you before the "I AM" your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, [with] all the men of Israel,
29:11 Your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that [is] in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water:
29:12 That thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the "I AM" thy God, and into His Oath, which the "I AM" thy God maketh with thee this day:
29:13 That He may establish thee to day for a people unto Himself, and [that] He may be unto thee a God, as He hath said unto thee, and as He hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob/Israel.
29:14 Neither with you only do I make this Covenant and this Oath;
29:15 But with [him] that standeth here with us this day before the "I AM" our God, and also with [him] that [is] not here with us this day [thy children, in PERPETUITY]:

Did Christ do away with The Law in the New Covenant? Absolutely NOT!

Matthew 5:17-20
5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy The Law, or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fully preach The Law [(The Torah) and fulfill the prophecies about the first coming of the Messiah].
5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no way pass from The Law, till all be fulfilled.
5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least COMMANDments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in The Kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in The Kingdom of heaven.
5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall EXCEED [the righteousness] of the lawyers and politicians, ye shall in no case enter into The Kingdom of heaven.

Was there anything wrong with the Old Covenant? Absolutely NOT! The fault was with us for not keeping it.

Hebrews 8:6-10
8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is The Mediator of a better Covenant, which was established upon better promises.
8:7 For if that first [Covenant] had been [followed] faultlessly, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8:8 For finding fault WITH THEM, He saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel [ten "Lost" tribes] and with the House of Judah:
8:9 Not according to The Covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued NOT in My Covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
8:10 For this [is] The Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put My Laws into their mind [found only in the first five books of the Bible - the Torah], and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people:

Will anyone be redeemed from the Earth who isn't keeping BOTH Covenants? NO!

Revelation 14:3 And they sung as it were a New Song (Isaiah 42:10) before the Throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that "Song" except the hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand, which were redeemed from the Earth.

Revelation 15:3 And they sing the "Song of Moses" (Old Covenant - Deut. 31) the servant of God, AND the "Song of the Lamb" (New Covenant), saying, Great and marvellous [are] Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true [are] Thy Ways, Thou King of the holy people.

The "New Song" = the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb

Anyone who tells you that we no longer have to keep The Law and the Covenants (our Promise to God to keep and obey His Law ONLY - Acts 5:29) is a LIAR and the Truth is NOT in them.

1 John 2:1-7
2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2:2 And he is the atonement for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world.
2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, IF we keep His Commandments.
2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth NOT His Commandments, is a LIAR, and the truth is NOT in him.
2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
2:7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old Commandment which ye had from the Beginning. The old Commandment is The Word which ye have heard from the Beginning.

 

[phipps]

Why the New Covenant is better.

God’s word presents the New Covenant as BETTER. The New Covenant has everlasting promises, a heartfelt understanding of His commandments, a real and effective sacrifice instead of a placeholder, a perfect and all knowing priest in heaven with 24/7/365 access to both the presence of God and the believer.

The goals are better and the means to accomplish them is also made better.


The Promises

The old covenant was framed around promises from God. If Israel would love and obey Him… He would be their God and bless them with land and crops, physical well-being and health, protection from their enemies.

Numbers 26:53 the promise of the land in the old covenant was referred to as Israel’s inheritance. The land was to be their possession all the days of their lives and then passed on to their children. The covenant also included various laws and statutes to ensure the ownership of the land stayed in the family… the 50 year jubilee, laws of property boundaries etc. The idea was a permanent and lasting possession of material property.

Exodus 23:25-26 the promise of physical well-being, long life, and plenty of children to carry on the family name was great… but you still end up dead. What ever joy and abundance God provided came to an end the day you died.

The New Covenant contains a better promise of resurrection to everlasting life and a place of honour within the family of God Himself. Currently, we are His begotten children but after our resurrection we will be brought into the family and given full rights and responsibilities… including our share in the possession of all things, because God owns all the universe.

Ephesians 1:11 – eternal life

Revelation 21:7 – all creation


The Commandments

The commandments and laws of God hold a key position in the framework of the covenant agreement. Israel promised to obey and do what God commanded in response to His offer of blessings and land.

Exodus 24:7-8 signed the deal in blood.

Exodus 31:18 God gave Moses two stone tablets personally inscribed with the commandments. These were to be placed within the ark as a witness to the terms of the covenant.

The commandments represent the mind and will of God. They were inscribed on stone to create as permanent a record as we can achieve on our earth. But even that wasn’t enough.

A law written on stones could only serve to inform about, or remind of, what constitutes sin. Such a presentation of God’s commandments was a condemnation of sin and the proscribed penalty of death. Note: this is why the old covenant is referred to as a law of death… or as a guardian meant to keep the people fenced in until the appointed time when the new covenant would be introduced.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 the commandments also hold a central place in the new covenant as much as the old. The role of the commands in the new covenant is better because it’s upgraded function is to change the person rather than merely to provide a fence or condemnation Romans 12:2.

In the New covenant the commands of God are active and alive in you through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Through its active power you are convicted that His commands are right and good, you receive courage to move forward in obedience, and help to stay committed to the task.

In the framework of the new covenant the commands of God are actively at work to change you into a person modelled after the pattern set by Jesus Christ.


The Sacrifices

The blood sacrifices of an animal’s life were added to the old covenant agreement as a mechanism to pay the required penalty of sin incurred by human being. God knew in advance that Israel would sin and fall short of the glory of Godly living spelled out in His righteous commands. He wanted a way to restore a right relationship between Himself and each one of them whenever sin came between them and caused separation.
These laws and regulations of sacrifice were added to atone for transgression against God’s commands until Jesus Christ came to establish a new covenant sealed in His own blood.

Analogy: The old testament sacrifices of a perfect animal’s life were a temporary measure. The purpose of such sacrifices was to be like an IOU… with an IOU a person writes a note saying they will pay the required amount at some future date. The piece of paper has no real value except as a promise of payment in real cash or goods at some future date.

Hebrews 10:4, "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins." The life of an animal could never really pay the price for a human beings life. The old testament sacrifices were a symbolic placeholder until the real thing came along.

The real payment of the penalty for sin would be the sacrifice of a perfect human life... Jesus Christ who was without sin [like the sacrificial animal which was to be without any defect]. Christ’s life was worth more than the sum total of all human beings ever created, because He was the one by whom, through whom, and for whom, all of humanity were created… So, He can pay the penalty for all.

Colossians 2:11-14 through your baptism the life which Jesus sacrificed is applied to pay the penalty for your sins. You are baptized into His death and enter into a new covenant written in His blood. The old covenant with its codes of conduct, its blessings and cursings was terminated with the death of Christ.

Until that point in human history the old covenant was the only mechanism for a person to enter into a relationship with God. After the death of Jesus Christ a relationship with God would only take place within the framework of the new covenant.


The Tabernacle/Sanctuary

Within the framework of the old covenant God said He would dwell among the people of Israel. Like a general among His army, or a chieftain among His tribes God would have a big fancy tent set up in the middle with everyone else around Him.

God’s tent was made of wood, precious metals, jewels, animal skins and it would be set up in a way that symbolized the throne room of God in heaven. Lots of detailed instructions were given to Israel about how this tabernacle was to be set up, as well as many regulations about its maintenance.

The rules regarding the tabernacle were added to provide a setting where the people could come before the presence of God with their sacrifices and offerings. Not just anyone could enter the tabernacle. Only the priests could enter as representatives of the people. So, there were also many rules added for the priesthood’s service in the tabernacle.

Nothing unclean or defiled was to enter the tabernacle area. The priests had to maintain a rigorous life devoted to maintaining moral and ceremonial purity. Once a year the tabernacle itself had to be cleansed and purified through the sprinkling of animal blood (the day of atonement or Yom Kippur).

The tabernacle and the regulations regarding uncleanness and impurity attached to the old covenant were also symbolic placeholders. The presence of God, the creator of the universe, was never really limited to a tent made of badger skins.


Symbolism Made Clear

Colossians 1:27 through the ministry of the new covenant the symbolism is made clear. God dwells within you. This is realized through the Holy Spirit which you receive after you have been baptized.

• You are a tabernacle in whom God dwells through His Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19)
• The assembly of believers are stones built together as a temple, collectively acting as the body of Christ to do His work and maintain His presence in the world.

The Holy Spirit is the active ingredient that places the power and quality of eternal life within you… the active ingredient that washes you with the word… transforming your life. Under the new covenant the presence of God is active and at work writing His laws on your living heart and mind not on in-animate tablets of stone.

1 John 1:7, "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

Hebrews 9:13-15, 23, "For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these."

The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses the new covenant dwelling place of God.


The Priesthood

The priesthood were added to the old covenant to

• Serve in the tabernacle administering the sacrifices and offerings
• Teach the commands, administer, and also enforce the regulations regarding cleanness and holiness within the temple and among the people

The priest was just a normal human being. He lived out his allotted days then died. He had to struggle with personal sins and forgiveness. He was appointed to his office because of his ancestry, from the tribe of Levi, or in the case of the High priest a descendant of Aaron.

Like the tabernacle and the sacrificial system, the priesthood of the old covenant was a symbolic place holder for a future reality. That reality would come in to effect after the death of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the new covenant.

Hebrews 7:11- 8:6

The priesthood of Jesus Christ is not based on arbitrary ancestry but by the direct appointment of God after the order of Melchizedek. It is a fulfillment of the prophecy found in Psalm 110 [quoted in Hebrews].

The new covenant priesthood of Jesus Christ is an upgrade and improvement because:

• His life is everlasting, not subject to death
• His life is without sin, He does not have to overcome and atone for His own sin before He can effectively administer the sacrifice for the sins of others
• His life in the flesh gave Him empathy for our suffering and understanding of our temptations

Where does the priest operate? Within the framework of the old covenant the priest worked within the tabernacle acting as a buffer between the most holy God and sinful, unclean people o Israel. Within the framework of the new covenant Jesus Christ our perfect High priest works within each and every believer and within His church… but there is more!

The High Priest serving in the old covenant tabernacle served in a compound designed according to the pattern of the throne room of God. The High Priest of the new covenant serves on our behalf in the actual throne room of God which is in heaven.

Hebrews 4:14-16, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Jesus Christ our High Priest is present in both the true tabernacle/sanctuary/temple in heaven, and in the earthly tabernacle which is the disciples. Offering His personal assistance as God writes His laws upon your heart… also serving as your advocate before the actual throne of God in heaven.


Conclusion

Once these better mechanisms (upgrades) of the New Covenant were put in place the old system was no longer needed. The Jewish people were not going to give it up and so in 70 AD. God allowed the Roman armies to destroy and demolish Jerusalem and the temple.

2 Corinthians 3:6-11; Hebrews 8:13, "In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away."

The new covenant is the only deal on the table, the old is gone. To those outside the covenant God says: repent & believe, seek baptism for the washing away of your sins, that you may receive the holy spirit. To those already within the covenant He will give you a reminder at the Lord's supper (which replaced Passover) each year.

1 Corinthians 11:25, " In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

 

[phipps]

It was always God’s intention that salvation would be extended beyond Israel. It was always his intention to send his son to be sacrificed at the cross, so all could be saved by grace and faith.
Did Israel fail or did they act exactly as God expected them to. Their purpose was to allow the true character and nature of a loving God to be revealed.
Did they fail or did they achieve just that?

It was always God’s intention that salvation would be extended beyond Israel. It was always his intention to send his son to be sacrificed at the cross, so all could be saved by grace and faith.

True. That is why God told Abraham that all nations would be blessed through him (Genesis 22:18). God also made the plan of salvation in heaven before the world was created.

Did Israel fail or did they act exactly as God expected them to. Their purpose was to allow the true character and nature of a loving God to be revealed.

God's foreknowledge of everything confuses many Christians. It used to confuse me too but I came to understand that God never plans for anyone to fail. His foreknowledge does not take away our free will. God wanted the Jews to obey His will and If they had done, salvation would have still been extended to the whole world. Israel would have been the model nation that the whole world looked up to and learnt important lessons about God.

Did they fail or did they achieve just that?

Israel failed because that was their choice. God never wanted Israel to fail and you feel Jesus' pain when He laments over Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37-39. They chose to disobey and rebel against God of their own free will. However we still learn about the true character of God through His dealings with Israel. There are many lessons to be learned and many mistakes not to be repeated.

 

[bible_student]

The New Covenant is known as the “New Song”, and is the “Song of Moses” (Deut. 31:19-
30), harmonized with the “Song of the Lamb” (Rev. 15:3), and Christ says that there are very few
that can learn to sing it - keep it (Rev. 14:3)(Isaiah 42:10 & Ps. 98:1), and only those who do, will
survive (Rev. 14:3)(Sura 6:152-157 & 33:23).

 

[phipps]

The New Covenant and the Ten Commandments.


Some say the Ten Commandments are not binding for New Testament/Covenant Christians. What does Jesus say about this?

Matthew 19:17, "So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments."

Revelation 14:12, "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."

Revelation 22:14, "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city."

The New Testament plainly teaches that God's people will keep His commandments. All of us know that the world is in big trouble today because so many no longer feel it is important to obey God's law. The Bible speaks of our day by saying, "It is time for You to act, O Lord, For they have regarded Your law as void." Psalms 119:126.


What is the old covenant, and why did it fail?

Deuteronomy 4:13, "So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone."

Hebrews 8:8-9, "Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord."

The fault with the old covenant was with the people, not with God or His law.

Psalms 19:7, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple."


Upon which law is the new covenant based?

Hebrews 8:10, "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."

The two covenants were agreements between God and His people. The old covenant failed because it was based upon the faulty promises and works of the people.

Exodus 24:7, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.”

The new covenant succeeds because it is God's law written in the heart and is based upon Jesus' promises and His miracle-working power.

Hebrews 8:10, "I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts."

A person's entire nature is changed, so he or she finds doing God's will a pleasure. Notice that the New Covenant is based on the same law, but it is written in a different place (the heart) and based on better promises (God's).


Doesn't living under grace, by faith, make keeping God's law non-essential?

Romans 6:15, "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!"

Romans 3:31, "Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law."

Those who have been forgiven by Jesus for breaking His law are doubly duty-bound to obey His law. And sensing His blessed forgiveness, they are more desirous than others to happily follow Jesus.


Are people saved by keeping the law?

Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

No one is saved by keeping God's law. All are saved by the miracle-working grace of God. But those who are saved, or transformed, by the grace of Jesus will want to obey His law as an expression of their love and thanksgiving to Him.

John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments."


What motivates a person to obey God's law?

Romans 13:10, "Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

Matthew 22:37-39, "Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ "

1 John 5:3, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome."

Love is the magnificent motivator. The first four commandments have to do with my duty to God. When I love Him, obeying those commands is a pleasure. The last six commandments embrace my duty to people. If I truly love people, I will not want to do anything that would hurt them.


Can I be a true Christian without keeping His commandments?

1 John 2:3-4, "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."


Are some Old Testament/Covenant laws no longer binding upon Christians?

Ephesians 2:15, "having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances."

Yes, the ordinances that regulated the priesthood and the sacrificial system have been abolished because they prefigured Christ (Colossians 2:13-17). He fulfilled them as the true Lamb of God.


What are some of the glorious rewards of keeping God's law?

John 15:11, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."

Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law."

Psalms 119:165, "Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble."

Happiness, joy, peace, and more abundant living come to those who obey God's law. No wonder David said that God's commands are more desirable than gold (Psalms 19:10).


The 10 Commandments given by God in the Old Covenant continue to be God’s expectations of Christians today under the New Covenant.

 

[Israel08]

Hi Phipps, What about Shabbat (Sabbath)? Surely Christ fulfilled Sabbath (Hebrews 3 & 4)? Certainly it was never changed to Sunday!

 

[phipps]

Hi Phipps, What about Shabbat (Sabbath)? Surely Christ fulfilled Sabbath (Hebrews 3 & 4)? Certainly it was never changed to Sunday!

I agree the Sabbath wasn't changed by God to Sunday. It will always be on Friday evening to Saturday evening even in heaven. I worship on the true Sabbath and I have a forum here on the Sabbath, https://vigilantcitizenforums.com/threads/who-changed-the-sabbath-day-from-saturday-to-sunday.4393/.

 

[KoncreteMind]

The second thing wrong with the Old Covenant was that it was faulty.

Covenant definition:
a usually formal, solemn, and binding agreement

How can anyone, claiming to believe that the Creator was the source of the things in the bible, say that He made a "faulty" agreement? The reason for the second covenant was because Israel (not the Creator) broke the first one. It has nothing to do with the contents of the covenant itself being faulty. The difference between the first and second covenant is the first one was based on Israel's obedience/disobedience (Deuteronomy 28-29:1). The second wouldnt be based on obedience but basically a gift because everyone (as in Israel and Judah according to Jeremiah) would know the Creator (Jeremiah 31-31-34).

The Old and new covenants are made with Israel, not everyone.

 

[phipps]

Covenant definition:
a usually formal, solemn, and binding agreement

How can anyone, claiming to believe that the Creator was the source of the things in the bible, say that He made a "faulty" agreement? The reason for the second covenant was because Israel (not the Creator) broke the first one. It has nothing to do with the contents of the covenant itself being faulty. The difference between the first and second covenant is the first one was based on Israel's obedience/disobedience (Deuteronomy 28-29:1). The second wouldnt be based on obedience but basically a gift because everyone (as in Israel and Judah according to Jeremiah) would know the Creator (Jeremiah 31-31-34).

The Old and new covenants are made with Israel, not everyone.

As I posted the Old Covenant failed because of the people not God. They did not keep their promises to God. God kept His side of the promises. God does not fail, He does not lie or break any promises. The New Covenant is based upon God’s law being written on the hearts and minds of mankind and that would enable us to conquer sin should we accept Christ as our personal Saviour. However we still have to be obedient to the law. Paul wrote in Romans 3:31, "Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law." Otherwise why would the law be written on the hearts and minds of people. We know that sin is the transgression of the law. So if the law written in our hearts and minds we have to obey it. We are saved by Grace which is a gift from God but we still have to obey God's law.

You're right, the Old and New Covenants were made with Israel but in the New Testament/Covenant, Gentiles were accepted into Israel. Anyone who accepts Christ as their personal Saviour is a Jew. So Israel is no longer limited to literal Jews only (in the Old Testament/Covenant there were Gentiles who were part of Israel too), it is now universal as long as you accept Christ as your personal Saviour and submit to Him (Romans 4:16, 9:3-8, 11:17-24, Galatians 3:16, 28-29).

 

[KoncreteMind]

As I posted the Old Covenant failed because of the people not God. They did not keep their promises to God. God kept His side of the promises. God does not fail, He does not lie or break any promises. The New Covenant is based upon God’s law being written on the hearts and minds of mankind and that would enable us to conquer sin should we accept Christ as our personal Saviour. However we still have to be obedient to the law. Paul wrote in Romans 3:31, "Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law." Otherwise why would the law be written on the hearts and minds of people. We know that sin is the transgression of the law. So if the law written in our hearts and minds we have to obey it. We are saved by Grace which is a gift from God but we still have to obey God's law.

Well I just didnt think it being called "faulty" because one side failed to keep their side of the agreement made much sense. All of God's promises(i.e. covenants) are FAULTLESS regardless of whether or not the side He makes them with keeps their side of the bargain. In my opinion at least. Beside the Christ stuff, everything you're saying you can know without ever touching the NT. If you know what the first covenant was and the terms that came along with it, and read God say that in the second covenant EVERYONE will know Him, then you know its by His mercy/grace that He is making the second covenant with Israel/Judah.

You're right, the Old and New Covenants were made with Israel but in the New Testament/Covenant, Gentiles were accepted into Israel. Anyone who accepts Christ as their personal Saviour is a Jew. So Israel is no longer limited to literal Jews mainly (in the Old Testament/Covenant there were Gentiles who were part of Israel too), it is now universal as long as you accept Christ as your personal Saviour and submit to Him (Romans 4:16, 9:3-8, 11:17-24, Galatians 3:16, 28-29).

Well actually the old testament tells gentiles how they are to be accepted into Israel.

Isaiah 56

Spoiler

Thus says the Lord: Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed. 2Happy is the mortal who does this, the one who holds it fast, who keeps the sabbath, not profaning it, and refrains from doing any evil.
3Do not let the foreigner joined to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”; and do not let the eunuch say, “I am just a dry tree.” 4For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, 5I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. 6And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it, and hold fast my covenant— 7these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. 8Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.

The Most High tells the foreigner here (and in the Exodus 12:47-48)to do just as Israel was supposed to. Thats what this basically says right (when it says "follow my covenant")? Here it says His house would be called a house of prayer for ALL peoples. Isnt that universal?

My point being, you dont need me, the NT/Paul or anyone else to explain to you what the new covenant is or who it was made to. Its right there in there in Jeremiah 33. You dont need me, the NT/Paul, or anyone else to explain to you what a gentile is supposed to do to be accepted by the Most High. Its right there in Isaiah 56. And thats straight from the faucet (the Most High with the "thus says") and not man's mouth (Paul)...Anything else is questionable unless it can be shown to go along with what the Most High said.

And obviously Im speaking from the perspective of someone who believes the OT to be what it says it is. Not everyone believes that, but christians do claim to...

 

[phipps]

Well I just didnt think it being called "faulty" because one side failed to keep their side of the agreement made much sense. All of God's promises(i.e. covenants) are FAULTLESS regardless of whether or not the side He makes them with keeps their side of the bargain. In my opinion at least. Beside the Christ stuff, everything you're saying you can know without ever touching the NT. If you know what the first covenant was and the terms that came along with it, and read God say that in the second covenant EVERYONE will know Him, then you know its by His mercy/grace that He is making the second covenant with Israel/Judah.



Well actually the old testament tells gentiles how they are to be accepted into Israel.



The Most High tells the foreigner here (and in the Exodus 12:47-48)to do just as Israel was supposed to. Thats what this basically says right (when it says "follow my covenant")? Here it says His house would be called a house of prayer for ALL peoples. Isnt that universal?

My point being, you dont need me, the NT/Paul or anyone else to explain to you what the new covenant is or who it was made to. Its right there in there in Jeremiah 33. You dont need me, the NT/Paul, or anyone else to explain to you what a gentile is supposed to do to be accepted by the Most High. Its right there in Isaiah 56. And thats straight from the faucet (the Most High with the "thus says") and not man's mouth (Paul)...Anything else is questionable unless it can be shown to go along with what the Most High said.

And obviously Im speaking from the perspective of someone who believes the OT to be what it says it is. Not everyone believes that, but christians do claim to...

Well I just didnt think it being called "faulty" because one side failed to keep their side of the agreement made much sense. All of God's promises(i.e. covenants) are FAULTLESS regardless of whether or not the side He makes them with keeps their side of the bargain. In my opinion at least. Beside the Christ stuff, everything you're saying you can know without ever touching the NT. If you know what the first covenant was and the terms that came along with it, and read God say that in the second covenant EVERYONE will know Him, then you know its by His mercy/grace that He is making the second covenant with Israel/Judah.

Maybe it comes easy to you, but many here do not understand what constitutes the Old Covenant and think the Ten commandments were under the Old Covenant and don't matter any more as well as other laws and regulations from the Old Testament. That is why I posted about the subject here.

Well actually the old testament tells gentiles how they are to be accepted into Israel.

The Most High tells the foreigner here (and in the Exodus 12:47-48)to do just as Israel was supposed to. Thats what this basically says right (when it says "follow my covenant")? Here it says His house would be called a house of prayer for ALL peoples. Isnt that universal?

My point being, you dont need me, the NT/Paul or anyone else to explain to you what the new covenant is or who it was made to. Its right there in there in Jeremiah 33. You dont need me, the NT/Paul, or anyone else to explain to you what a gentile is supposed to do to be accepted by the Most High. Its right there in Isaiah 56. And thats straight from the faucet (the Most High with the "thus says") and not man's mouth (Paul)...Anything else is questionable unless it can be shown to go along with what the Most High said.

And obviously Im speaking from the perspective of someone who believes the OT to be what it says it is. Not everyone believes that, but christians do claim to...

I know but remember Israel disobeyed Christ and denied He was Messiah so He told them, "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it" (Matthew 21:43). Jews were not bearing fruits. When a fruit tree does not bear fruits, it has to be cut down (Matthew 7:19). That happened when Jerusalem was destroyed in Ad70. It was cut down. Jews were no longer God's chosen people as a nation. They had to come to Christ individually as the rest of the world had/has to.

Paul wrote, "And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?" (Romans 11:17-24) The olive tree is Israel. The wild olive tree are the Gentiles who get grafted into and become partakers of the root and fatness of the olive tree, that's Christ. The natural branches are literal Jews. And Paul says that God did not spare them because of their unbelief. They were broken off the olive tree. However they can be grafted back in if they believe. So Israel can and is joined by Gentiles who accept Christ as their personal Saviour and live according to His will. That is why Paul wrote, "And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:29).

In the New Covenant Israel is now made up of both Jews and Gentiles from all over the World. They are all those who have faith in Christ according to the Bible. And Paul's writings are in the Bible because God chose them to be. The Bible doesn't have any falsities in it at all. Paul's writings do not contradict what God teaches. The entire Bible is the inspired Word of God. I believe everything in the Bible is true and I don't pick and choose what to believe from it. It was God's plan from the beginning that the gospel get preached around the world and Gentiles be saved like faithful Jews if they choose Christ.

Romans 2:28-29, "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God."

Its about the heart and obedience to God. It is not about DNA and has not been for thousands of years. That is why the apostles preached to the Gentiles in the New Testament/Covenant especially Paul (that was not a coincidence). God bless.

 

[KoncreteMind]

Maybe it comes easy to you, but many here do not understand what constitutes the Old Covenant and think the Ten commandments were under the Old Covenant and don't matter any more as well as other laws and regulations from the Old Testament. That is why I posted about the subject here.

I know but remember Israel disobeyed Christ and denied He was Messiah so He told them, "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it" (Matthew 21:43). Jews were not bearing fruits. When a fruit tree does not bear fruits, it has to be cut down (Matthew 7:19). That happened when Jerusalem was destroyed in Ad70. It was cut down. Jews were no longer God's chosen people as a nation. They had to come to Christ individually as the rest of the world had/has to.

But thats what the NT says about Israel. Heres what the Most High said Himself (according to the OT)...

Jeremiah 33.
23 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 “Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two kingdoms[d] he chose’? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation. 25 This is what the Lord says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth, 26 then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes[e] and have compassion on them.’”

Now their LAND and NAME was taken and given to another kingdom. But not to one that would bear fruit of following God's commandments but to a nation(s) that would be used to punish Israel. And you can read that in Deuteronomy 32:21-22 (really to the end)....

Paul wrote,

I rather speak on what the Most High said in the scriptures, than what a man wrote in his letters.... I get what you're saying, but Paul was a man. The Most High is the Most High. Can you prove what you're saying with His words alone? Because I dont think you could...

In the New Covenant Israel is now made up of both Jews and Gentiles from all over the World. They are all those who have faith in Christ according to the Bible. And Paul's writings are in the Bible because God chose them to be. The Bible doesn't have any falsities in it at all. Paul's writings do not contradict what God teaches. The entire Bible is the inspired Word of God. I believe everything in the Bible is true and I don't pick and choose what to believe from it. It was God's plan from the beginning that the gospel get preached around the world and Gentiles be saved like faithful Jews if they choose Christ.

Romans 2:28-29, "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God."

Its about the heart and obedience to God. It is not about DNA and has not been for thousands of years. That is why the apostles preached to the Gentiles in the New Testament/Covenant especially Paul (that was not a coincidence). God bless.

Well the problem is you dont see the NT as writings of foreigners trying to write themselves into the promise made to Abraham and his DESCENDANTS (through Isaac and Jacob)instead of doing what the Most High in Isaiah 56 said to do.. And you confuse that for Him sending you Paul, James, Jesus, etc to believe in when they were really sent to TEST Israel's obedience and loyalty to God's commandments. If you read the OT and believe it, Im not sure how you dont leave the OT with the belief that everything in it is written in stone (i.e. unchangeable), then go to the NT and see so many changes and not question anything. In the NT Jesus becomes the focal point to salvation. The OT? No mention of him. OT New covenant? Between Israel and Judah (no one else mentioned). NT? Now its made with everyone...

Everything biblically can practically be summed up in can you prove whatever your/my doctrine is using the Most High's words alone? Again, Im not sure how one can read the OT from beginning to end (not to mention apocrypha)and come to any of the conclusions you are.

 

[phipps]

Matthew 26:28, "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."

The New Covenant started at the death of Jesus. It was sealed with His blood. Amen!