The Old and New Covenants.

[phipps]

The New Covenant is in both the Old Testament and the New Testaments.

The New Covenant in the Old Testament:

Jeremiah 31:31-34, "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that 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 bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

The New Covenant in the New Testament:

Hebrews 8:8-11, "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 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 continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 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, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest."

 

[phipps]

According to the book of Hebrews, the fact that Jesus was appointed priest according to the order of Melchizedek implied that a new covenant had been inaugurated. The old covenant had been given on the basis of the Levitical priesthood (Hebrews 7:11).

The Levitical priests acted as mediators between God and Israel, and the law excluded anyone else from the priesthood. The author concludes, then, that a change of priesthood implies a change of the law of the priesthood, as well as the change of the covenant (Hebrews 7:12, 18-19).

The issue with the old covenant was that it could not provide perfection (Hebrews 7:11). Paul is talking about the Levitical priesthood and its ministry (sacrifices, feasts, etc.). The animal sacrifices offered through them could not provide true, total cleansing from sin, nor access to God (Hebrews 10:1-4; 9:13-14; 10:19-23).

The fact that a new covenant was necessary does not mean that God was unfair with Israel when He gave them the old covenant. The Levitical ministry and the services of the tabernacle were designed to protect them from idolatry and also to point them to Jesus’ future ministry. Hebrews stresses that the sacrifices were “a shadow of the good things to come” (Hebrews 10:1).

By pointing them to Jesus, the sacrifices should have helped the people put their hope and faith in “the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29; compare with Isaiah 53). This is the same point that Paul makes when he says that the law was “our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24) or that “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4).

In other words, even the Ten Commandments, as good and perfect as they are, cannot provide salvation (Romans 3:20-28, 7:12-14). They provide a perfect standard of righteousness, but they do not provide righteousness, any more than looking in a mirror can erase the wrinkles of age. For perfect righteousness, we need Jesus as our Substitute.

 

[A Freeman]

The fault was never with the Old Covenant; the fault was with US for not keeping it.

Hebrews 8:7-12
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, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people:
8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest.
8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

Further, ONLY those who realize, understand, accept and learn to keep BOTH Covenants -- which together are the "New Song" -- will be redeemed from the Earth.

Revelation 14:1-4
14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty [and] four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many "waters", and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
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.
14:4 These are they which were not corrupted by women; for they are pure. These are they which follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, [being] the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb (obeying God NOT women).

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.

Learn to sing the NEW Song.

 

[elsbet's cat ^. .^]

View attachment 113040
According to the book of Hebrews, the fact that Jesus was appointed priest according to the order of Melchizedek implied that a new covenant had been inaugurated. The old covenant had been given on the basis of the Levitical priesthood (Hebrews 7:11).

The Levitical priests acted as mediators between God and Israel, and the law excluded anyone else from the priesthood. The author concludes, then, that a change of priesthood implies a change of the law of the priesthood, as well as the change of the covenant (Hebrews 7:12, 18-19).

The issue with the old covenant was that it could not provide perfection (Hebrews 7:11). Paul is talking about the Levitical priesthood and its ministry (sacrifices, feasts, etc.). The animal sacrifices offered through them could not provide true, total cleansing from sin, nor access to God (Hebrews 10:1-4; 9:13-14; 10:19-23).

The fact that a new covenant was necessary does not mean that God was unfair with Israel when He gave them the old covenant. The Levitical ministry and the services of the tabernacle were designed to protect them from idolatry and also to point them to Jesus’ future ministry. Hebrews stresses that the sacrifices were “a shadow of the good things to come” (Hebrews 10:1).

By pointing them to Jesus, the sacrifices should have helped the people put their hope and faith in “the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29; compare with Isaiah 53). This is the same point that Paul makes when he says that the law was “our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24) or that “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4).

In other words, even the Ten Commandments, as good and perfect as they are, cannot provide salvation (Romans 3:20-28, 7:12-14). They provide a perfect standard of righteousness, but they do not provide righteousness, any more than looking in a mirror can erase the wrinkles of age. For perfect righteousness, we need Jesus as our Substitute.

I quoted the part you left out.
There's no renewal of the Old Covenant anywhere in the biblical text. That belief is unique to 7th Day Adventism, courtesy of their Prophet, Ellen White.

Great Controversy | by Ellen White
"It could be argued, then, that Jeremiah 31 was not strictly speaking of a “new” covenant but of a “renewal” of the original covenant with Israel.

In fact, the Hebrew word for new, hadashah, can have both the sense of “renew” and “brand new.”
7th Day Adventism Sabbath School

____________

You could just tell the truth.
A lot of people follow prophets who claimed to have 'new revelations' -- but they name their Prophets and cite their sources.

The fact that Adventism hides Ellen White’s existence from everyone, yet attributes her words to the Bible is dishonest.

-

 

[phipps]

The book of Hebrews describes the New Covenant as better than the Old Covenant:

Hebrews 8:1-2, 6-7, "Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. ... 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."

This implies that the Old Covenant was faulty and as a direct result there was need for another. The fault was not with God but with the people.

God did not change His law or lower His standards; instead, He sent His Son as a guarantee of the covenant promises, "by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant" (Hebrews 7:22). This is why the New Covenant does not have curses. It has only blessings because Jesus fulfilled it perfectly, becoming a curse for us, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”)" (Galatians 3:13).

 

[phipps]

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."

 

[phipps]

The Ten Commandment Law is now written in the hearts of believers under the New Covenant promise.

It is often said that the Old Covenant was the keeping of the commandments, and the New Covenant is freedom from God’s law. However, there is only one Everlasting Covenant based upon the promise of redemption and victory over sin through Jesus Christ. God’s Ten Commandment law forms the basis for both the Old and the New Covenants; it is the way in which obedience is achieved that is different.

A covenant is an agreement between two parties based on mutual promises. In the Old Covenant, Israel promised perfect obedience to God and God promised to bless them if they obeyed (Exodus 19:3-8). The problem here is that it is impossible for us to obey God in our own strength (Romans 8:7). As a result, Israel failed in their promise and God "found fault with them", making it needful for Him to make a New Covenant (Hebrews 8:8).

The New Covenant is based on a better promise; the promise that God will write His law in our hearts and minds (Hebrews 8:10). What does this mean and what implication does it have? The answer is found in Psalm 40:8 where David said "I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart." When the law is written in the heart, we have a desire to obey God. No longer are we led around by the lusts of the flesh, to fulfil them. Now, God "worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). Obedience becomes possible to those who have entered into the New Covenant promise.

It is God's ultimate desire to see His people restored to His image. Through the New Covenant promise, God has made provision for us to be renewed to the divine pattern (2 Peter 1:3-4).