Christians talk a lot about the old covenant and the new covenant. What is a covenant?
Christians talk a lot about the old covenant and the new covenant. What is a covenant? What is the old covenant? What is the new covenant? Does the new covenant void the old?
A covenant is a contract or a promise. In the Bible God made covenants with people regarding salvation. The Old Testament covenant revolved around salvation through the Laws of Moses. The New Testament covenant promises salvation through belief in Jesus Christ as Savior. Both covenants gave us the opportunity to be forgiven for our sins. Understanding the covenants gives us a better understanding of God and the sacrifice made for us by Christ.
One of God's first covenants with people was given to Noah. God re-established the earth with Noah and promised never again to destroy it with a flood. "And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth." (Genesis 9:11) Noah's Ark was an early foreshadowing of the plan of salvation that God had in store for us with Jesus Christ. Those that took refuge in the Ark were saved, just as those of us who take refuge in Christ are saved.
God's covenant with Abraham established His people. "And he brought him forth abroad, and said, look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be." (Genesis 15:5) Because of his faith, Abraham was made the father of the nation of Israel. God promised, through Abraham, a homeland for His people: "And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." (Genesis 17:8)
At Sinai, God established His covenant with His people through Moses. "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth." (Deuteronomy 7:6) God presented Moses with the Law and promised His people salvation through the faithful keeping of the Law. "Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;" (Deuteronomy 7:9)
Though the Law was a path to salvation, it was also a curse and a burden. Continual sacrifices had to be made to wash away sin and stringent standards of living must be obeyed to remain clean. Later, the covenant of Christ would free us from the curse of the Law because Christ made Himself the final and perfect sacrifice.
Through Noah, God promised life, through Abraham, God established a people and a homeland, through Moses, He promised salvation and then with David God promised the coming Messiah. "Howbeit the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever." (2 Chronicles 21:7)
The New Covenant establishes the Law in our hearts. "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Jeremiah 31:33) Because of the sacrifice of Christ, no other sacrifice must be made. We must only believe in His saving sacrifice and internalize the Law by allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell in us.
The New Covenant fulfills the Old Covenants made with Abraham, Moses, and David: "To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;" (Luke 1:72) "And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;" (Luke 1:69)
The new promise is fulfilled in the Messiah. "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts." (Malachi 3:1) It was put into effect by Jesus' death. "And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." (Hebrews 9:15) And it was sealed with Christ's blood. "Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." (Luke 22:20)
God's New Covenant with His people is superior to the old because it offers complete forgiveness. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:1) Jesus' final sacrifice offers us freedom from the law "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us:" (Galatians 3:13a)
Jesus ministry is superior to the ministry of the Law because His sacrifice ended the need for blood sacrifice and established the New Covenant of salvation through faith in Him. "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises." (Hebrews 8:6) Only the sacrifice of Christ could have completed the Law: "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14) Christ gave Himself perfect, without sin, to free us from the death penalty of sin. By His perfect sacrifice we are set free.
Since the beginning of time, God has wanted to have a relationship with us and has provided us with a way of communing with Him. After the fall from grace, sin entered the world and separated us from God, but in His mercy He has provided us with opportunities for restoration. Through Noah, Abraham, Moses and David, God established His Old Covenant of salvation. Through Christ, He perfected His covenant with us and inscribed it on our hearts with the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. He taught us to appreciate sacrifice with the Old Covenant and provided us with the perfect sacrifice with Christ. His covenants are kept and we, through His grace, are saved by them.
(All Scripture is KJV)
