The Old and the New Convenant
What we learn now is one of the most important things we suppose to know as Christians. The most important one is the gospel of the Kingdom of the Lord. But now we learn about one of Yahweh’s promises. Which came with a condition. A condition that we’re not able to keep without the help of Yahweh. That’s why Yahweh renewed this covenant. Let’s start to read.
Hebrews 8:6-13
But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. For finding fault with them, He says, “Behold, days are coming, says Yahweh, the Lord. When I will effect a new covenant With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; 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 Yahweh, the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, says Yahweh, 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. And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, And everyone his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh, the Lord,’ For all will know Me, From the least to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more.” When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.
The writer of Hebrews quotes directly out of the old Testament. Let’s read that one too.
Jeremiah 31:31-34
“Behold, days are coming,” declares, Yahweh the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 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 Yahweh, the Lord. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares Yahweh, 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. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh, the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares Yahweh, the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
A lot of people think that these things we are now talking about is only for the Jewish people, but Paul is saying something different. We can find it in Romans 11. Because of lack of time, we read not the whole chapter. Instead I only take the most important verses.
Romans 11:7-8
What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written, “Yahweh gave them a spirit of stupor, Eyes to see not and ears to hear not, Down to this very day.”
Here we read that Israel has not found something that we as Gentiles have found.
Romans 11:11-15
I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
Israel lost what they were searching for because of their violations of the Law of Yahweh. We have found what Israel was seeking for to make Israel jealous.
Romans 11:17-21
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if Yahweh did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.
The olive tree is symbol of the nation of Yahweh and His Kingdom. The Kingdom of peace that Yahweh promised is what Israel was searching for. It was promised to Israel, Yahweh’s people. But they were cursed and no longer Yahweh’s people because of their violations of Yahweh’s Law and they didn’t believe that Yeshua was their Savior and King. That’s why they didn’t got their forgiveness. We as Gentiles are because of our belief in Yeshua grafted into the olive tree. That means that we became part of Yahweh’s nation. That we became citizens of His Kingdom. All the promises to Israel are now also counting for us.
Let us first find out what was the first convenant. Again I only took the verses that are the most important for our subject.
Deuteronomy 5:1-3
Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully. Yahweh, the Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today.
Deuteronomy 5:6-21
‘I am Yahweh, the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ‘You shall have no other gods before Me. ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, Yahweh, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. ‘You shall not take the name of Yahweh, the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. ‘Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as Yahweh, the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of Yahweh, the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh, the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore Yahweh, the Lord your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day. ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which Yahweh, the Lord your God gives you. ‘You shall not murder. ‘You shall not commit adultery. ‘You shall not steal. ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’
We know this verses as the 10 commandments. It is a covenant for Yahweh’s people. But it is the covenant that they transgressed. And they were cursed because of this transgressions and be no longer Yahweh’s people. Don’t forget to remember that Yahweh promised them to forgive them one day and to bring them into the land that He promised them again.
We’re going to find out what exactly is the new covenant.
Ezekiel 11:19-20
And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.
We read here that Yahweh takes out our heart of stone. That’s our thinking and handling caused by trying to obey laws. And He gives us a new heart of flesh. We can’t make our heart like this. Only Yahweh can give it us. He will give it us when we believe Yeshua is our Savior and King and do what Yeshua asked. This heart let us automatically obey Yahweh’s Law. It’s not an effort from us anymore. It’s the mercy of Yahweh for us. Our drive in us becomes the love for Yahweh and His Law. First our drive was to deserve our place in the Kingdom of Yahweh. But this is no longer there because Yahweh took it away. He gave us a loving heart. Because of this we start to live instead of trying to survive all the time.
Ezekiel 36:23-28
I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord Yahweh, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 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. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.
Yahweh will show the nations His great name and His holiness when He gather His people out of all the nations. He will clean His people. Give them a new heart and a new spirit. And because of this His people will obey Yahweh’s Law and they will be His people again and He will be their God. Don’t forget we are part of this because we’re grafted in His nation.
Yahweh gave also a new spirit. To His people but also to us. This spirit comes in the place of our own, old spirit. Because of this spirit we are able to connect with the Holy Spirit. Also this spirit is given, we cannot do anything to change our spirit into this spirit. It’s a holy spirit that connect us with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guide and teach us. He is our comforter and always brings our attention back to Yeshua and Yahweh and their Kingdom.
One last thing I want to tell. Yeshua was asking us 2 things. One is that we remember Him and eat His body and drink His blood. Let us read Mark chapter 14.
Mark 14:22-24
While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.
Yeshua is telling here that His blood is the blood of the convenant. The new covenant is ratified by the blood of Yeshua. And we have to eat His body and drink His blood to become part of this new convenant. This way we will receive the new heart and the new spirit when we do it with belief and with a sincere heart. And I will end with some verses out-of John chapter 6.
John 6:54-56
He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
John 6:53-54
So Yeshua said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.