LAW AND GRACE: THE OLD AND THE NEW COVENANTS EXPLAINED
It would appear that the American founding Fathers loved the word New, hence the name of many of their cities starts with that word: You have New England, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Orleans, New Castle and New York. It suggests that the Americans are historically conscious – keeping alive the remembrance of towns and cities the early settlers of America came from. It is understood that New York was originally named New Amsterdam by the Dutch who lived there initially, but were pushed out by the British, who renamed the city New York.
F. F. Bruce in his “Hebrew: The New International Commentary on the New Testament” says, “The very words of New Covenant antiquate the previous one…the age of the law and prophets is past, the age of the Son is here and here to stay. Talking about the New presupposes there was an Old. So there is the Old Covenant as there is the New.” Another word for old is ‘obsolute’, which according to a dictionary means “passed out of use, no longer practiced, current or accepted, discarded, bye gone, out of date.” This is the word the writer to the Hebrew Christians used when trying to explain the present status of the Old Covenant (Hebrew 8: 13).
The early Jewish Christians had to turn from Old Covenant patterns and practices and devote themselves to the new and better covenant instituted by Jesus. For years they had related to God on the basis of a covenant grounded in laws, rules, and regulations. Paul was constantly battling with those who wanted to combine the old with the new. It took time and effort to establish New Covenant freedom. Only if Christians understood their new liberty could they touch society, affect the pagan world and the nations for Christ.
On Mount Sinai, God gave the Ten Commandments and made his holy standards plain. If the people kept the law He would accept them. They responded wholeheartedly: “Everything the Lord has said we will do.” Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.” (Exodus 24: 3, 8). A blood covenant was signed. “Do these things and you will live” was the agreement. But they did not “do these things” and were disqualified.
Centuries later, Paul put it this way: “I found that the very commandments that were intended to bring life actually brought death” (Romans 7: 10). Instead of qualifying him for heaven, the law condemned him to hell. The law highlighted his failures and judged his conscience. There was nothing wrong with the law. The law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.”
The problem was with Paul; indeed with all of us. Mere humans cannot keep the Old Covenanted laws.
NEW COVENANT PROPHESIED
Centuries earlier, Jeremiah had acknowledged our problem and prophesied that God would provide a new covenant (Jeremiah 31: 33 – 34). On Sinai, Moses brought two ordinary stones, flat and blank to God. While men in other nations were struggling to understand life and relate to their environments, God was writing his laws on stones for the Israelites. The stones became precious, and were kept in the Ark of God. They became special because God wrote His laws on them.
In the Upper Room, Jesus used words akin to those of Moses on Mount Sinai when he said, “This cup is the New Covenant in my blood.” By this Jesus scraped the Old Covenant and introduced a new one. (Mark 14: 22 – 24).
The covenants had some things in common. God writes His requirements down supernaturally in both covenants. In the New Covenant, God writes his laws on human hearts. He supernaturally impacts our lifestyles by changing our motivations and attitudes. We become disposed to doing good works because we are His handiwork imbued with righteousness. We have become the precious stones in God’s building in which He takes abode.
Although the same God does the writing in both covenants, in the Old Covenant He wrote on flat stones which are external and lifeless, whereas in the New Covenant He writes on our hearts – our inner being. The spiritual communication imparts life, and impacts our way of life.
The Old Covenant came with a glory that radiated on the face of Moses and terrified the Israelites so much that he had to cover his face. But it was a glory that faded. Paul says “If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory” (2 Corinthians 3: 9- 10).
In the words of a servant of God, “A bright moon might command the night sky, but is barely visible when the sun rises.”
Paul calls the Old Covenant the ministry of death and condemnation; the letter kills. In contrast, he describes the New Covenant as the ministry of the Spirit and righteousness that gives life. You could hardly draw greater contrasts: death or life, condemnation or righteousness, letter or spirit. Like oil and water, they don’t mix.
The Old Covenant demanded a righteousness based on our fulfilment of the law. The New Covenant provides a righteousness based on our receiving grace through faith in Christ. God gives us a righteousness that we could never obtain by our own efforts.
Stay focused and enjoy your New Covenant blessing.
