The New and the Old Covenant

 Last night, Dad, Mum, Jess and I had a long discussion about why Christians are no longer bound to obey the Mosaic Law. I wanted to know why we no longer followed the Law, when Jesus said that not one pen stroke would be removed from it. God also says that “I the LORD do not change.” Yet Paul and the writer of Hebrews spend a lot of time talking about why the New Covenant has replaced the old one. There seems to be a contradiction.

We came to the conclusion that the Law was given to prove that we could not save ourselves by our own actions. What’s more, the Law was given with the promise of a new covenant to come. The Law says-

“The time is coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, declares the LORD. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel, after that time, declares the LORD. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts, I will be their God and they will be my people.” Jeremiah 31:31-33 (NIV)

I think that about sums it up. The Israelites could not keep God’s old covenant, and so God is going to make a new covenant, one that is written on our hearts, instead of being a legalistic list of rules like the Pharisees had in Jesus’ day. God has not changed, because the old law was also about loving God and loving your neighbour (see Micah 6:8), but He has fulfilled the Old Covenant through Jesus.

1:13 PM - Aug. 10, 2009 - post comment

Untitled Comment

I agree with you!
Chezdak = D

chezdak - 10:56 PM - Aug. 15, 2009

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hey

Hey,
thats interesting. Thanks for sharing! :D

Well I just thought I'd say hi and see what you were up to and such. So how are you? :)

God Bless,
Sheilla Kiwi

Rachsters - 10:00 AM - Aug. 18, 2009

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