Lesson Eighteen
The Covenants
Then the L-RD your G-d will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. And the L-RD your G-d will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the L-RD your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Also the L-RD your G-d will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. And you will again obey the voice of the L-RD and do all His commandments which I command you today.
Deuteronomy 30:5-8
Introduction
- The Tabernacle imagery in Hebrews 9 is being used to point to the relationship between the visible and the invisible – because the discussion which began in chapter 8 and continues in chapter 10 is about the New Covenant, and Yeshua being the Mediator – and the writer is trying to teach us what “first” and “second” – “old” and “new” mean to us.
- Both the visible and the invisible comprise reality. They are not exclusive of each other – the invisible is enclosed within the visible.
- Since the Tabernacle is being used in a homiletic way to understand the reality of “seen” and “unseen” – it is important to explore that same method of looking at the ‘Old’ and New Covenant.
The Torah is Not a Covenant
- Heb 7:12: nomos does not always mean “Torah”. In this verse it does not. It is speaking of the ‘rule’ which makes priests (8:4).
- Rom 3:31: nomos = Torah.
- Rom 7: some Torah, some ‘law’ or ‘principle’.
- James 4:11-12: A doer of Torah, or a judge of it?
- Matt 5:17-19: Not a replacement, but a manifestation.
- 2Peter 3:15-17: If people handle the TaNaKh incorrectly, they will handle Paul’s writings incorrectly. No later passage trumps an earlier one – EVER. All must conform. G-d does not change His mind.
- 2Tim 3:16-17: Doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness. How does Leviticus 11 offer doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness to the majority of Christianity? It doesn’t. Why?
Temporal and Aged
- Heb 8:13: obsolete? Growing old? Ready to vanish? If these words are correct – why in the present tense?
- palaioo: decays. Notice that the word is first used in 8:13 in the prefect tense. In other words the ‘first’ was made (i.e. always was) palaioo. Heb 1:10-11: the Earth and the Heavens were made palaioo.
- Deut 29:5: clothing wears out.
- Ps 102:26; Is 51:6: the Earth and the Heavens wear out (same Greek phrase in the Septuagint).
- palaioo: is saying that the ‘first’ was made temporal. And because of that, what is [present tense] palaioo-ing, and will be hidden [aphanismos = to not see, to be hidden].
- This is not saying the ‘first’ is obsolete! This is not saying that it has been annulled or abolished. It pertains to the temporal – and will be hidden at some time in the future!
- Gal 3:15: G-d’s covenants do not replace each other.
The New Covenant
- If ‘New’ means chronological, when did/does it go into effect? Heb 8:8-11 quotes Jer 31.
- Jer 31:23-37:
- With Israel and Judah
- Not like the one their fathers broke when He took them out of Egypt.
- After those days
- Torah in their minds and their hearts
- Their G-d, His people
- All of them will know G-d
- Not yet fulfilled!
- Ezk 36:22-31; 37:12-27:
- All Israel (two houses made one)
- Taken out of the nations and bring to the Land
- A new heart and a new spirit
- My people, your G-d
- Repentance
- Cleansed of sin
- David as King
- You will obey My statutes and judgments
- A sign: Sanctuary in your midst forever
- In both of these passages, which goes away: commandments/statues or sin?
- Deut 30:5-6: The promise of the New Covenant, within the Torah itself.
Compare and Contrast
- ‘First’ and ‘New’ – the same G-d, the same people.
- ‘First’ and ‘New’ – the same standards of righteousness.
- ‘First’ and ‘New’ – similar but expanded promises regarding the Land.
- ‘First’ vs ‘New’ – a different place to ‘write’ those statutes – from stone to our hearts.
- ‘First’ vs ‘New’ – a different effect (perfect obedience).
- ‘First’ vs ‘New’ – A perfect King to reign over us.
- ‘First’ vs ‘New’ – His sanctuary in our midst forever.
Summary
- Understanding that the writer of Hebrews is not denigrating the Covenants at Sinai, or anywhere else in Scripture is important. Once we understand that, we can begin to truthfully answer the burning question that the writer is answering for those First Century believers: what is so great about the ‘New Covenant’ – since we have a covenant with G-d already?
- The answer: The ‘New Covenant’ is better. The ‘First’ is visible now, but one day the ‘New Covenant’ like the “hidden Holy of Holies” will be manifested and like turning a sock inside out, what is now hidden will be visible, and what is now visible will be hidden.
- The ‘New’ is inside the ‘First’. Without being grafted into Israel by Yeshua’s work, you cannot be a part of the ‘New Covenant’.