BS – 29 ‘Covenant(s)
According to my Dictionary Concordance the Covenant(s) were established by God defining His relationship with man; that is IF they followed through with and obeyed what was required; THEN it would be good. But IF man failed to follow the covenant THEN the consequence was failure on the part of man. Failure is not good and can lead to an ELSE consequence such as death.
The definition reads; “an oath-bound promise whereby one party solemnly pledges to bless or serve another in a specific way.”
Lesson Point; “Does the covenant of God change with time?”
What happened with Adam? Didn’t Adam and Eve fail the first test? God told them they could eat of everything in the ‘garden’ except for one thing. God made the Covenant. If they obeyed they would live but IF they failed, they would die. This Covenant was broken by both. Genesis Chapter 3 tells about their FALL from Grace.
COMMENT – IF Adam had followed God’s covenant [HIS promise] and not have eaten the food from the tree THEN would he still be alive? This covenant was conditional on mankind obeying.
Then God made a Covenant with Noah. After the flood and the destruction of sinful mankind; God established a Covenant of never wiping out man with a flood again. Genesis 9:8-17. The rainbow was established as a reminder.
COMMENT – This covenant had no conditions; it was a promise God made until the end-of-time, so to speak.
A while later God sees a fellow named Abram living in Ur and then in Genesis 12:1-3 the story explains the blessing Abram would get IF he obeyed God. God promised him the land and uncountable descendants spoken of in Gen.15:1-19, Verse 18 mentions the word covenant. Then in Gen.17:1-14, God instructs male circumcising on the 8th day. And then in Gen.22:15-18, God adds another blessing to Abraham; all nations will be blessed through Abraham’s obedience. In these passages God also mentioned in 15:13 that the descendants would be enslaved for 400 years.
COMMENT – This blessing was good; could it still be in effect to a certain degree? The challenge is that with Christ there becomes a Newer Covenant. So, during those 400 years there was a man named Moses born in Egypt; the place the descendants were being enslaved according to what God had told Abraham? While Moses was leading the descendants out of Egypt, at Mt. Sanai, in Exodus 19:5-6 God speaks and offers a Covenant; IF you obey, Sons of Israel, then you will be the Holy Nation of God; with blessings. The covenant was conditional and only temporary IF they disobeyed. The result – No one over the age of 20 who left Egypt made it to the Promised Land except Joshua & Caleb. Moses was given a guideline from Father God; it was for the Sons of Israel to follow as they established their independence in the land of Israel. The tribe of Levi was chosen by God as the Priest who were to carry out all the LAWS, Ordinances, Sundry Laws, the Feast etc. Ex.20-23:; God also provided the 10 commandments to the Sons of Israel to live by. What happened? The Sons of Israel failed. A sad story is in Jeremiah 3:6-8; then read on; God is willing to forgive IF repentance is genuine. [Ask yourself; where is (2020 etc..) America in God’s plan?]
COMMENT – The Mosaic covenant was given at Sanai for the Sons of Israel to live by as they entered into the Promised Land. God provided an outline for the people to obey; it was the LAW. There were conditions ELSE judgement. Circumcision to the Gentile; is it effect? Acts 15:.
David was next; God made an unconditional covenant that through David a New Covenant would be established. In 2 Samuel 7:8-17, the words of the covenant are Gods promise. In 2 Samuel 23:1-5 is a response from David acknowledging the everlasting covenant. Christ is the future King in David’s linage of Judah, not Levi.
COMMENT – Part of this promise has taken place. Christ Jesus was born of the linage and tribe of Judah; it followed David’s genealogy linage. The earthly Kingship will take place at Christ’s second coming. [HE rules in heaven today-Math 28:18.]
Finally FATHER GOD establishes the New Covenant that the O.T. talks about in Jeremiah 31:27-34 and also mentioned in Ezek.36:26-27. This New or Newer Covenant supersedes the Mosaic covenant and all of the old ways; in fact it pretty much covers or renders all previous covenants as void or obsolete. [Any form of legalism is obsolete or dead] God’s Grace now provides Salvation thru Faith; not the LAW. What does Luke 22:20 and 1 Corinthians 11:25 tell us? [The newer covenant is Christ; Jesus is the CROSSOVER point from the obsolete to today’s standard.]
COMMENT – If the Torah was followed today all of the preachers of fifty and older would have to find a new job; Numbers 8:23-25. Also, in the N.T. Hebrews 8:7-12 words are practically the same verbiage as Jeremiah 31. Verse 13 in the Hebrews text is strong; in the fact that the writer calls the Mosaic O.T. covenant ‘obsolete’. Father God’s plan was to send God the Son as atonement for the sinful failures of mankind. The cross at Calvary was where the blood was shed for sinful mankind. The serpents head was crushed [Genesis 3:15] when Christ fulfilled the plan. And then when individuals with their own mouth [Math. 10:32] confess Christ as Lord, which means putting their TRUST in HIM as their Lord and Savior. Another thing, each of we sinners must repent [Mark 1:15] of their former sins and makes a U-turn in our daily lives with Christ as our High Priest [Hebrews 8:1-6]. That’s when you & I become SAVED or BORN AGAIN [John 3:3]. [Salvation comes thru the New Covenant, not the OLD]
Something I learned recently from a DTS class is that real FAITH consist of three things; Information, Mental accent, and Trust. You need FAITH to gain God’s approval. No one is physically born a Christian; having head knowledge about Christ is not enough; do you believe & ‘trust in’ what you know? QUESTION – Does your or my Faith put either of us in Gods ‘Hall of Fame’? Hebrews 11.
SUMMARY
Salvation only comes thru Christ who is God the Son. Being technical, if the secular people today were trying to gain heaven by good works, they would have to meet the 10 Commandments. Think about this: everyone except those who trust Christ as Lord will be judged one day. What will their STANDARD be for judgement? If you were to read Ezek.14:12-20 you would come to realize that most or all of the Hall of Faith, servants of God, written about in Hebrews 11: were not righteous enough to get through the ‘pearly gates’ on their good works. There are but three mentioned in the scripture; Noah, Daniel, & Job. [Today, only Christ saves the sinner from future judgement.]
Even the 10 Commandments, which were given to the ‘Sons of Israel’, were recorded in the N.T. by Christ; down to just two basics. 1-Love the Lord God with all of your heart, soul, and mind. 2– Love your neighbor as you love yourself.
Mankind cannot truthfully follow these 2 commandments. We don’t have enough Love for God or for our neighbor as we have for ourselves, or our children, or our spouse or whatever else comes along that hinders our being 100% devoted to God. [What is our LOVE? The Greeks use 3 separate words trying to define the thoughts – AGAPE – PHILIA – EROS.]
Why study the O.T.; does it have the words to save a soul from going to hell? If you want to see where God used imperfect people to lead Israel’ you will find them. There are many great history lessons teaching about Israel. If you want to read about Wisdom; read Proverbs chapter 8. If you want to see if God gave you a perfect wife check out Proverbs 31:10-31 but even if she is not perfect, love her. When you need some encouraging words for yourself or to share with someone going through a hard time several of the Psalms may be helpful. There are some verses about future prophecy still out there as mysteries but if you are following Matthew 28:16-20 as a guide, which is called THE GREAT COMMISION and in a sense a commandment to ALL believers, the O.T. does not have what is needed. Choose the N.T. to study; it is the Newer Covenant. Things that render legalism is obsolete; it takes away the ‘LOVE’ in Gods amazing GRACE.
Every BORN AGAIN believer has a GIFT and it is needed in the local church. Not all are Teachers, not all are Deacons, not all are Nursery workers, but all have a gift to serve in some capacity. Choose to serve somewhere; it all counts. Don’t be content to just sit on the bench and watch the game; be an active player.
Scripture tells mankind that many of the promises or covenants of God are conditional on people’s responses. Originally and literally, scripture was written to ISRAEL; not to the Gentiles; not until Paul started writing Epistles were gentiles addressed. Since ALL scripture comes from God consider it as something all of us can learn from; IF mankind knows there is a right thing to do and neglect to do it THEN why should we, the people, wonder or fret when the blessings don’t come our way. Just like a child growing up; sometimes we have to learn the hard way. Obeying is the right and best way.
At the moment, July of 2020, there is a plague going around the world. A QUESTION; is this a judgement from God OR is it something that started in China from a LAB that may have been a consequence of people working on some experiment? Ten people might have 10 opinions of why so much suffering is taking place. Opinions are many and the way twist from the media are applied; can often cause confusion.
Whatever the opinion; for sure God is allowing the virus to spread. God has the power to speak the virus dead. Is God trying to get our attention? That is another opinion, isn’t it?
Is there a consequence to Evil and Sin? Have the majority of mankind accepted the NEWER COVENANT that God provided thru the atonement of Christ. Few, not many, have made it a priority to follow the newer covenant that the Lord has provided.
QUESTION: When a person reads Hebrews 8:13; do they take it seriously literal, or as an allegory? As I have observed over the years; many straddle the Old and the New. They don’t want to appear to be too legalistic but they just hang on to some, those they can’t give up, of the Old ways. Some can’t comprehend the word OBSOLETE. Only Jesus provides CROSSOVER from the Old to the New. If you can’t be perfect in all your ways, choose the New Way that the Son of God proclaimed 2000 years ago.
It does not take a Rocket Scientist to understand scripture; if several uneducated fishermen can lead people to Jesus; so can you. The Holy Spirit is your guide. Selah..!
Attached.
Genesis 3:14-16 14 The Lord God said to the serpent [Satan], “Because you have done this,
Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat all the days of your life; 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He [the Christ] shall bruise you on the head, And you [Satan] shall bruise him on the heel.” 16 To the woman [Eve] He said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you will bring forth children; yet your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” [Rule in Love?]
Genesis 3:17 17 Then to Adam He [God] said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
Genesis 6:16-18 16 You, [Noah], shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. 18 But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ARK—you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.
Genesis 9:9-13 9 “Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, [Noah], and with your descendants after you; 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. 11 I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; 13 I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.
Genesis 12:1-3. Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; 2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” [Don’t curse Israel, support them.]
Genesis 15:1-18. After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; your reward shall be very great.” 2 Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.” 4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7 And He said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.” 8 He said, “O Lord God, how may I know that I will possess it?” 9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. 11 The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. 12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. 14 But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. 16 Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.” 17 It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: [1. Jacobs descendants were enslaved 400 years. 2. The area of Israel should be larger]
Genesis 17:4-11 4 “As for Me [God], behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. 7 I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. 8 I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojourning’s, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” 9 God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10 This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. Acts-15.? No..!
Genesis 22:15-18 15 Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, 16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
Exodus 19:5-6 5 Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” [ALL the pre-Jesus covenants were good; but Christ superseded ALL of them.]
Jeremiah 3:6-8 6 Then the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she was a harlot there. 7 I thought, ‘After she has done all these things she will return to Me’; but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also. [Unfaithful]
Exodus 34:27 27 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28 So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
Lev. 24:8 8 Every Sabbath day he shall set it in order before the Lord continually; it is an everlasting covenant for the sons of Israel. [Today BELIEVERS use Sunday; the Lord’s day.]
2 Samuel 5:2-4 2 Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and in. And the Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be a ruler over Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them before the Lord at Hebron; then they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. [David made the pledge to treat ALL tribes equally.]
2 Samuel 7:8-17 8 “Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. 10 I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly, 11 even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you. 12 When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, 15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’” 17 In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
2 Samuel 23:1-5 Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse declares,
the man who was raised on high declares, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, 2 “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue.
3 “The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me, ‘He who rules over men righteously, Who rules in the fear of God, 4 Is as the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, When the tender grass springs out of the earth,
Through sunshine after rain.’ 5 “Truly is not my house so with God? For He has made an everlasting covenant with me, Ordered in all things, and secured; For all my salvation and all my desire, Will He not indeed make it grow? [Messiah would be of his linage; Judah.]
Ezekiel 36:26-27 26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. [It is AD 2020 and the old ‘Sons of Israel’ still have a hard heart toward Jesus.]
Numbers 8:23-25 23 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “This is what applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall enter to perform service in the work of the tent of meeting. 25 But at the age of fifty years they shall retire from service in the work and not work anymore.
[The Levite priest served 25 years, then retired from serving. When some preachers talk about the O.T. being just as meaningful to the Christians of today, why is it that keep hanging on to their jobs? Shouldn’t they step aside? Is it a double standard; can some things apply and some not? Was it just to the Jewish Levite? Are some things legalistic in the O.T. and some not? QUESTIONS? ]
Ezek. 37:24-26 24 “My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them. 25 They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons’ sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. [Is this referencing the good shepherd, Jesus?]
Deut. 5:2-5. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3 The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today. 4 The Lord spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire, 5 while I [Moses] was standing between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord
Ps. 89:3-4 3 “I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, 4 I will establish your seed [Christ <> Judah] forever and build up your throne to all generations.”
Jeremiah 31:31-34. 31 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. 33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” [See Hebrews CH. 8]
Daniel 9:27 27 And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week [7 years], but in the middle of the week he [antichrist] will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”
[Future Tribulation toward the End of Days; will a Jewish Temple be rebuilt by then? Is one needed? Will a new Temple be included in the New Heaven & Earth]?
Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I am going to send My messenger [John the Baptist], and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord [Christ], whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts. [The messenger introduced Jesus, at baptism, in the Jordan River.]
Matthew 10:32 32 “Therefore everyone who confesses Me [Jesus] before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. [What a true believer will do as part of salvation]
Mark 1:14-15 14 Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” [Put your TRUST in Jesus]
John 3:3 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [Spiritual Birth is the 2nd birth.]
Ezek. 14:12-20 12 Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 13 “Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast, 14 even though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves,” declares the Lord God. 15 “If I were to cause wild beasts to pass through the land and they depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the beasts, 16 though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the country would be desolate. 17 Or if I should bring a sword on that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass through the country and cut off man and beast from it,’ 18 even though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be delivered. 19 Or if I should send a plague against that country and pour out My wrath in blood on it to cut off man and beast from it, 20 even though Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.” [Today there are NO coattails to hang on too.]
Matthew 26:27-28 27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. [Atonement was given through the blood of Christ; God the Son.]
Romans 11:25-27 25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” 27 “This is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”
[So, does it mean when the last Gentile who is going to SAVED is saved OR is it when the land of Israel is governed by Jewish authority, not Gentile; that the TIME of Israel’s salvation starts to happen?]
1 Cor. 11:25 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” [Only the blood by ‘God the Son’ can cleanse the sins of mankind.]
2 Cor. 3:14-17 14 But their [Old covenant Jews] minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. 15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; 16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. [The old covenant is powerless and obsolete]
Hebrews 7:18-22 18 For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. 20 And inasmuch as it was not without an oath 21 (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him, The Lord has sworn And will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest forever’”); 22 so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.
[The TORAH/Moses teachings is obsolete per scripture; Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; He leads to eternal life.]
Hebrews 8:7-10 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 8 For finding fault with them, He says, “Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, When I will effect a new covenant With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; 9 Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers On the day when I took them by the hand To lead them out of the land of Egypt; For they did not continue in My covenant, And I did not care for them, says the Lord. 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 into their minds, And I will write them on their hearts. And I will be their God, And they shall be My people. [God’s Grace supersedes the LAW].. Then Vs. 13 ‘When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. NOTE – Very soon after the book of Hebrews was written Jerusalem was destroyed and the Levitical worship ended. They no longer have a Temple or the High Priest to enter the earthly Holy of Holies each year. Our High Priest is Jesus; he mediates for Believers in the Heavenly Holy of Holies today presiding over the New Covenant guideline. Christians CROSSOVER from the OLD to the NEW.
Hebrews 9:15-17 15 For this reason He [Christ] is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. 17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.
[An earthly example is a legal WILL Someone has to die before it becomes effective. When Christ died; atonement and the newer covenant became effective.]
Revelation 11:19 19 And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm. [This is in the heavenly Holy-of-Holies where Christ sits at the right hand of the Father. He is waiting for the planned time to return as King.]
Judges 2:19-20 19 But it came about when the judge [God’s appointed man for a specified time] died, that they would turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and bow down to them; they did not abandon their practices or their stubborn ways. 20 So the ‘anger of the Lord’ burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers and has not listened to My voice, 21 I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died,
[What a terrible day for Israel – What about America? Christians are the remnant today in sharing the scriptures. What will happen when the political leadership turns to Apostasy?]
Note – God initiates the blessings or covenants with mankind, we are to obey them.
DG