Shockingly Critics Say God Made Poor Judgment in Making The Old Covenant, the Truth
THE OLD COVENANT WAS THE BASIS OR STARTING POINT FOR THE NEW
The Ten Commandments, heart of the testimony of God and spiritual love, were delivered on the first Pentecost at the giving of the Old Covenant. Pentecost was also the beginning of the New Covenant after the resurrection of Christ. The first event is the foundation for the second event. They were planned by God to work together. However one scripture is often cited to try and insert the notion that God made a mistake. Let us review it carefully.
Hebrews 8:6-8 NKJV 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--
Did God need to replace most of the Old Testament and the laws of God because He made a mistake?
Romans 7:12 NKJV 12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.
Obviously not, notice the covenant was not faulty- it was the people who were at fault. The Israelites could have obeyed at the physical level. It would be unfair of God to criticize them if it were impossible for them to have avoided idolatry, Sabbath breaking and moral crimes. Even still the foundation God gave Israel allowed them to be blessed for centuries more than other nations and to have a morality and kindness greater than the pagan world at large.
1 Kings 20:30-31 NKJV 30.... the men who were left. And Ben-Hadad fled and went into the city, into an inner chamber. 31 Then his servants said to him, "Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please, let us put sackcloth …and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life."
Moral enemies played on the kindness of Israel shrewdly but, it is clear that the influence of God's Laws and ordinances made Israel a better nation than others in this respect. But they failed.
JESUS GAVE US SPIRITUAL PROGRESS WITH A BETTER COVENANT
Pentecost 31 A.D. was the beginning of stage two in God's plan to create future sons in His family. Stage two is about putting God's Laws into our hearts so we can begin to grow at a deeper spiritual level.
Hebrews 8:10 NKJV 10 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
This is a wonderful thing that God will through the Holy Spirit, put the laws into our hearts. It is for internal locus of control. Wow! Prior to New Testament Pentecost, only a handful of Prophets were so blessed. Now all true believers have this blessing available upon repentance and baptism and the laying on of hands. This will bring about a change that physical Israel never experienced.
Hebrews 8:11 NKJV 11 "None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for all shall know Men, from the least of them to the greatest of them.
Is this statement by the Apostle Paul something new and contradictory to the Old Testament and a vast alteration in God's plan? Is this a new plan? No, Paul is simply directly quoting the Old Testament. Note:
Jeremiah 31:31-34 NKJV 31 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel...My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. 33 "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 "No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me,...For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."
This was written around 590 B.C. and no doubt God had planned it even before it was revealed to Jeremiah. This is like a rocket now in stage two going higher and higher into space. Both the first and second stages are necessary to blast into space.
HAS THE LAW BEEN DIS-ANNULLED BECAUSE IT COULD NOT MAKE PEOPLE PERFECT
Some misunderstand another portion of the Bible as well and believe that God's Laws are now dis-annulled. Let us let look carefully at the misunderstood scriptures to find the truth.
Hebrews 7:18-19 NKJV 18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
They think because the law could not help anyone be perfect by itself- then why have the law? However the laws Paul is speaking of in these verses are the laws regarding the Aaronic priesthood and the physical sacrifices. Note the previous verse.
Hebrews 7:16-17 NKJV 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. 17 For He testifies: "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek."
Believers now have a new eternal high priest, Jesus the Messiah. This had been planned all along. The Law of God is not the subject here but the Aaronic priesthood which is part of the law of Moses, can and was put aside by Christ.
Hebrews 9:9-11 NKJV 9 It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience-- 10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. 11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.
All the activities at the Tabernacle and later the Temple, were a model of the real thing which is the real throne of God in heaven. Jesus died and went to the real throne of God in heaven.
Hebrews 9:23-24 NKJV 23 Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, nowto appear in the presence of God for us;
Hebrews 10:1-6 NKJV 1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.
Sacrifices in an agrarian economy were like paying a fine for your sins. It was a reminder of sins-the sort of barbecue feasting of remainder of the sacrifice afterwards was a physical method of worshiping God. It was good for the people but the benefits were limited.
4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. 5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure.
In reality Paul is explaining what Jeremiah also said that God does not need our money or sacrifices what He want is our obedience. Jesus wants our spiritual maturing and growth.
Hebrews 10:10-12 NKJV 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,
Christ achieved his goals and fulfilled the plan of God while on Earth.
John 19:28-30 NKJV 28 After this, Jesus, knowing thatall things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ..."It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
Luke 24:44 NKJV 44 Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, thatall things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me."
In-spite of a few hiccups thrown by mankind God's plan has always progressed successfully. God knows what He is doing, period.
