3. The Covenants

As we study this section we will be viewing the two major covenants discussed in the Scriptures – the law of Moses and the law of Christ. We will introduce these two covenants by first reading Galatians 4:21-31.

“Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which bath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.”

1. What is a Covenant?

A covenant is an agreement between two or more parties. In the Bible there are many covenants between many people. Some covenants are temporary and some permanent. Many covenants are conditional. The two covenants we will study are the covenants between God and Israel (Old Law) and God and the church (New Law).

2. The Law of Moses

We will begin by looking at the earlier covenant – the law of Moses. To prepare for this discussion we will first read Hebrews 10:1-10.

“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year, continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? Because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me.) to do thy will, 0 God. And when be said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said be, Lo, I come to do thy will O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”

There are several things we should already know about the law of Moses. It was given to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai around 1400-1500 years before Christ. It was a national law, given only unto the Jewish people. We learn from Hebrews it was imperfect and, therefore, was only temporary. What then was the purpose of this national, imperfect, temporary covenant? The Bible says it was to bring us to Christ. (Romans 10:1-4; Galatians 3:24)

3. The law of Christ

There are several things we should notice about the New Covenant. It was given around 2000 years ago at Jerusalem (Acts 2) through the power of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13, Luke 24:49). It was to be universal (John 3:16) and permanent (Daniel 2:44, Hebrews 1:8), being sanctified by the blood of Christ (Hebrews 10:10, I John 1:7, I Peter 1:18-20). The purpose of the new covenant was to bring us before God in a sanctified and purified condition so that we might be saved from our sins. (Romans 1:16).

4. A comparison of the two covenants.

It should be noticed first that while God had two covenants, He had only one plan. Many today try to hold on to parts of the Old Covenant (Sabbath Day, circumcision, etc.) defending their practice by arguing that God never changes (Hebrews 13:8). While their argument that God does not change is true, their conclusion is false. While the law has been changed, such was always God’s plan. The law changed – God’s plan remained the same.

That the Old Law has been done away is amply established in the Scriptures. We find in Hebrews 9: 15-16 that Christ is the mediator of the new covenant and it went into force after His death. Hebrews 10:9 reminds us that Christ removed the Old Law and replaced it with the new (see also Colossians 2:14, Ephesians 2:15). Romans 7:1-6 reminds us we cannot be married or joined to both covenants. To attempt such would be spiritual adultery. The allegory of Galatians 4 shows clearly that the old covenant was “cast out” and only the new is now recognized by God.

Many more arguments and scriptures could be presented to demonstrate that the Old Law is no longer in effect but we will let these suffice for now. But here we need to make two observations.

1. The Old Law was a national law. Even if it were in effect today, which it is not, it would still not apply to the majority of us because we are Gentiles. (Most of the world is Gentile) and Gentiles were never as a group under the law of Moses.

2. People who attempt to bind part of the Old Law today, an action which is condemned in scripture, (see Mark 2:18-22, Galatians 1:6-8, Galatians 2:11-21, Acts 15:1, 2, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 19, 20) are very selective in the parts they want. They don’t, for example, call for animal sacrifices, the stoning of adulterers, or a myriad of other laws and ordinances they do not want. Someone has said consistency is a jewel. That being so, the practitioners of such selective reasoning are out of jewelry.

As we conclude our thoughts in this section we will review briefly by comparison the two covenants.

• The old law came by Moses; the new law came by Christ. We are to hear Christ (Matthew 17:1-8).
• The old law had continual animal sacrifices; the new law had the one-time sacrifice of Christ for sin (Hebrews 10:11-12).
• The Old Law was temporary; the New Law is permanent (Hebrews 10:9, Daniel 7:14, John 12:48).
• The Old Law was national (only for Israel); the Law of Christ is international (Isaiah 2:1-4, John 3:16).
• The Old Law was imperfect, the new law is perfect.

Biblically there is no question. The only way to approach God today is through the covenant of Christ – the New Testament (Acts 4:12, Ephesians 5:23). Any approach other than this is spiritually fatal error. Let us as children of God always remember to follow only in the steps of Christ.