Monday February 14
New and Renewed
Compare Hebrews 8:10-12 with Deuteronomy 6:4-6, Deuteronomy 30:11-14, and Jeremiah 31:31-34. What does this teach us about the nature of the new covenant?
The promise of a new covenant in Hebrews refers back to Jeremiah. According to Jeremiah, God’s promise of a new covenant was, in fact, a renewal of the covenant that He had first made with Israel through Moses (Jer. 31:31-34). It could be argued, then, that Jeremiah 31 was not strictly speaking of a “new” covenant but of a “renewal” of the original covenant with Israel. In fact, the Hebrew word for new, hadashah, can have both the sense of “renew” and “brand new.”
The issue with the old covenant was that the people broke it (Heb. 8:8, 9). The covenant was not faulty; the people were. If Israel had seen through the symbols to the coming Messiah and put their faith in Him, the covenant would not have been broken. Yet, to be fair, there were many believers throughout Israelite history in whom the purposes of the covenant were fulfilled and who had the law in their hearts (Ps. 37:31, Ps. 40:8, Ps. 119:11, Isa. 51:7).
Yes, many were saved. But, it was not in harmony with the "old covenant" made at Sinai. It was "obey and live." It was the original covenant made in Eden when God promised to transform Adam and his children, to cause them to hate sin. When man comes into this world, he is in need of transformation and a Savior, for man cannot save himself. We are evil by nature (fallen nature). But, that is not an excuse for sin, either for us or for Adam. God provided a remedy as revealed in Genesis 3:15. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
When we are born we are aligned with Satan and sin and at enmity with God. This is what it means to have a fallen nature. Refuse to be taught of erring man and study to show yourself approved of God. We do not come into this world in a neutral position. The promise in Genesis 3:15 is a promise to transform sinners into saints, to gain eternal life by trusting God with all we have and all we are. Yes, we can keep the commandments of God if we will learn of Him who gave all that we might live. It would be well to spend a thoughtful hour a day contemplating the life of Jesus, especially the closing scenes when we see His suffering and death. We are to be healed by seeing the stripes He took that belonged to us.
While the new covenant is a renewal of the old covenant, there is a sense in which it is, indeed, new. Jeremiah’s promise of a “new covenant” did not simply envision a renewal of the conditions that existed before the exile, which had been broken and renewed several times because the nation had lapsed several times into apostasy. And that’s because the people were simply unwilling to keep up their end of the covenant with God (Jer. 13:23
When given to them, they had no ability to keep the law. They were ignorant of their need of a Savior. It is true that in the sanctuary and its services was revealed their Savior, but it would take time for them to learn of His love. Thus, the old covenant was at the time just "obey and live." God gave them this covenant that they would see their inability to keep His law. Thus, the old covenant was not able to give life. They had the promise of eternal life given in Eden, but they were ignorant of it. It was not the failure of the people that required a new covenant, it was to teach that Genesis 3:15 had been fulfilled on God's part. The blood of the slain Lamb was sufficient that all might gain eternal life if they would fulfill their part. What is our part? What must I do to gain the eternal life Christ has made possible? What is the first and greatest of the commandments? "And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." Mark 12:29,30.
Again, it is by beholding Him that we are changed into His image (2 Cor. 3:18). It would be well to spend a thoughtful hour a day contemplating the life of Christ. Thus, we shall be transformed into His image (character).
Thus, God promised to do a “new thing” (Jer. 31:22). The covenant would not be like the covenant that God had made “with their fathers” (Jer. 31:32). Because of the unfaithfulness of the people, the promises that God made under the Mosaic covenant were never fulfilled. Now, in virtue of the guarantee given by the Son (Heb. 7:22), God would fulfill the purposes of His covenant. God did not change His law or lower His standards; instead, He sent His Son as a guarantee of the covenant promises (Heb. 7:22, Heb. 6:18-20). This is why this covenant does not have curses. It has only blessings because Jesus fulfilled it perfectly, becoming a curse for us (Gal. 3:13).
Read 2 Timothy 2:13.
Let's put the verse in context:
2:11 [It is] a faithful saying: For if we be dead with [him], we shall also live with [him]:
2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with [him]: if we deny [him], he also will deny us:
2:13 If we believe not, [yet] he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
2:14 Of these things put [them] in remembrance, charging [them] before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, [but] to the subverting of the hearers.
2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
What can we learn from God’s faithfulness to His people and to His plans as we consider our relationships with others and our plans?
It is His faithfulness that causes us to love Him supremely. He suffered and died in my place. Thus, if we suffer for His cause, we shall not only be with Him for eternity, we shall have love, joy, and peace in this world no matter what happens to us. We believe His promise that ALL things that happen to us, work for our good!