Christ First Forum

by **Jeani** » 02 May 2009, 15:35

In Genesis 17:6~
I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you,and kings shall come from you.

And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.

Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.*********************************************************

Notice God made the 'covenant' with Israel that is everlasting covenant.

Even though Israel was unable to keep this covenant with God, God still gave them the everlasting covenant that cannot be broken.

Because Israel fail to keep this covenant, God vowed to provide a new beginning for His covenant people in Jeremiah 31:27~

God's work for the nation will silence a proverb that was common in Jeremiah's day.

Those facing judgment in Jeremiah's day felt they were being unfairly punished by God for their ancestors' sins.

Though the fathers had eaten sour grapes, it was the children who experienced the effects of having their teeth set on edge implying that God was unrighteous.

God's justice will guarantee that each guilty person will die for his own sin.

In addition to a new beginning God promised to make a New Covenant with His people.

This New Covenant was expressly for the house of Israel.

It would not be like the covenant God had made with Israel's forefathers at the time of the Exodus because that covenant had been broken by the people-not God.

The earlier covenant God referred was the Mosaic Covenant.

Twice God had announced a series of punishments or curses that would be invoked on those who violated His Law in Lev. 26; Deut 28.

The final judgment would be a physical departation from the land of Israel.

With the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC this final curse was completed.

God had set a holy standard of conduct before the people, but because of their sinful hearts they could not keep those standards. A change was needed.

God's New Covenant will involve in internalization of His Law.

He will put His Law in their minds and on their hearts, not just on stones in Ex 31:1.

There will be no need to exhort people to know the Lord because they will already all know God in Isa. 11:9; Hab 2:14.

God's New Covenant will give Israel the inner ability to obey His righeous standards and thus to enjoy His blessings.

Ezekiel indicated that this change will result from God's bestowal of the HS on these believers in Ezek 36: 24-32.

In OT times the HS did not universally indwell all believers.

Thus one different aspect of the New Covenant is the indwelling of the HS in all believers in Joel 2: 28-32.

A second aspect of the New Covenant will be God's provision for sin.

The sins of the people resulted in the curses of the Old Covenant.

However, as part of the New Covenant God will forgive Israel's wickedness and remember their sins no more.

But how could God overlook sin?

The answer is that God did not over look sin--its penalty was paid for by a Substitute of Isa. 53:4-6.

In the Upper room Christ announce that the New Covenant was to be inauguarated through the shedding of His blood in Matt 26: 27-28; Luke 22:20.

Forgiveness of sin would be part of the New Covenant only because God provided a Substitute to pay the penalty required of man.

To underscore Israel's permanence because of this New Covenant, God compared her existence to that of the heavens and the earth.

As God had appointed the sun to shine by day and the moon and stars to shine by night in Gen. 1: 14-19, so he had appointed Israel as His chosen nation.

The power God displayed in creating the universe was the power that He exercises in preserving Israel as a nation.

Throughout history people have tried in vain to destroy Israel, but none have succeeded--and none ever will.

The New Covenant will be fulfill during the Mill when Israel is restored to her God.

One key element of the new Covenant is the preservation of Israel as a nation in v 35-37.

The covenant was inaugurated at Christ's death in Matt 26: 27-28 and the Church, by her union with Christ is sharing in many of the spiritual blessings promised to Israel in Rom 11:11-27 including the New covenant in 2 Cor 3:6.

But, though the Church's participation in the New Covenant is real, it is to the ultimate fulfilment of God's promise.

The fact that believers today enjoy the spiritual blessings of the New Covenant (forgiveness of sins and the indwelling HS) does not mean that spiritual and physical blessings will not be realized by Israel.

That still awaits the day when Israel will acknowledge her sin and turn to the Messiah for forgiveness in Zech 12: 10-13.

The church cannot replace Israel because the old and new covenant was made with Israel only--not the Church,but we can share in their blessings~

by **Carmela** » 03 May 2009, 07:52

AMEN!

Christ First Forum

Old and New Covenant

Old and New Covenant

Re: Old and New Covenant

Who is online