Understanding God’s Covenants (Laws)

by Joel Hendon⁽¹⁷⁰⁾ Red Star

There is a massive amount of information about the Holy Bible which is misunderstood. The book is a compilation of writings by inspired men from Moses on through the New Testament Apostles and other inspired men of God.

The book of Genesis is a history of man from the creation to the time the Israelites being in bondage in Egypt. This covers a period of some 2400 years. God spoke directly to the early patriarchs (heads of households, or tribes) during this period. He gave them instructions as to how they should live and how they should worship and serve Him. This book is historical and has nothing whatsoever for Christians as to what they must do. Yet, it is vitally important for us to know and understand the beginning, the fall of man and the massive straying from God during that time.

Many details are not given as to what man was informed to do or to how many God actually gave His instruction. We know that He gave instructions to Adam, Abraham, Noah, Isaac and Jacob during this period. It is also obvious that the heads of households, or tribes, were responsible for passing those instructions on to their progeny. One thing is obvious, which is the vast majority of the earth’s population strayed from God.

Noah and his family were the only eight souls on the face of the earth which were deemed to be worthy of saving when God decided to send the universal flood. Afterward, the people re-multiplied and again left following after God. The man Abraham found favor in God’s sight and God made him a promise that his seed would be His chosen people to furnish the lineage to the coming messiah. He promised to give them the land of Canaan which was fertile and described as “flowing with milk and honey”.

In approximately 2513 AM (anno mundi--The day of the earth), God miraculously delivered the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage and when they arrived at Mt. Sinai, He gave Moses His new covenant for the Israelites as He had promised Abraham earlier. It was a very extensive law with the ten commandments as it’s base, but much of the books of Exodus and Leviticus contains the details of the law including many types of sacrificial offerings and ceremonial celebrations, plus detailed rules for living a righteous life.

This law remained in effect for the Israelites until Jesus came and died on Calvary’s cross. It was given only to the Jewish nation, yet outsiders were allowed to become proselytes to the Jewish faith. This law was never intended to be permanent, but only to bring the Israelites to Christ. Paul tells us plainly in Galatians 3: 24-25: "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster"

This explains what God Himself prophesied through Jeremiah in Jeremiah 31:31ff 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.

Following is an excerpt from a lesson by H.A. Dobbs, a great gospel preacher;

Hence, Scripture teaches we have been "delivered" from the Old Law (Romans 7:6-7). "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth," (Romans 10:4). The Old Testament has been nailed to the cross of Christ (Colossians 2:14); it has been "abolished" (Ephesians 2:15-16). "For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious" (2 Corinthians 3:11).

Our hope today resides with the New Testament. "For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God" (Hebrews 7:19). Jesus Christ and the Gospel provide this "better hope." "But now hath he [Jesus] obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises" (Hebrews 8:6). Hebrews Chapters Eight and Nine repeatedly contrast the two covenants, naming the New Testament as the superior of the two. Among other considerations, the New Testament is the covenant sealed with the blood of Christ (Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 10:29).

It is futile to appeal to the Old Testament today as the law by which to live our lives and obtain God's favor. "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace" (Galatians 5:4). "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" (Galatians 2:21).

Christian’s need to study the Old Testament seriously and thoroughly because it was “written for our learning” (Romans 15:4) But our allegiance is to Jesus Christ, not Moses and the prophets. Our instructions in righteousness is found in the words of our Saviour and His inspired apostles and writers of the New Testament (Covenant).

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Article submitted Tuesday, August 04, 2009 & read 42 times.

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