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President's Message . . .
Primer on Covenants
by Calvin Burrell
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The topic I've chosen relates to all who love the Lord and
remember His Sabbath. Every growing Christian needs a grasp of
the covenants of Scripture. Lacking this understanding, a Bible
reader may assume, incorrectly, that what he or she reads in
Leviticus is as important as what's written in Matthew,
Ephesians, or I Peter.
The purpose here is not to delve into the deeper aspects of the
several biblical covenants, but to simply introduce the theme
and its importance to all believers. "Covenant" speaks of an
agreement or relationship God establishes with His people.
Though there are several mentioned in Scripture, two covenants
dominate the biblical landscape.
First, there is the Old Covenant God made through Moses with the
nation of Israel on their way from Egypt to the promised land of
Canaan. The fearful scenes in which this covenant was announced
and ratified at Mt. Sinai are described in Exodus 19-24. From
that time until Christ came, the Hebrew people related with God
under the terms of this "Mosaic" or "Sinaitic" covenant with its
Levitical Priesthood. Because the Old Covenant gave prominence
to God's written commandments and statutes, it is often called
"the law."
Second, there is the New Covenant that God made through Jesus
Christ, as recorded in the four gospels. The awesome events of
His death at Mt. Calvary and His resurrection on the third day
launched a new people of God who are en route to a promised
land, His Kingdom. From now until Christ's return, Christians
relate to God under the terms of this New Covenant with its
cross and empty tomb. Because this New Covenant gives prominence
to God's grace to forgive and the gift of eternal life, it is
often called "the gospel."
It is true that the Old Covenant is contained in the Old
Testament, but these two terms are not synonomous. Nor does New
Covenant mean precisely the same as New Testament. Both the Old
and New Covenants have their roots, in fact, in God's
relationship with Abraham, found in the Bible's first book,
Genesis.
This is one of many ways that these two covenants are linked,
both being contained in the same Bible and established by the
same God, beginning with the same man, Abraham.
What is the relationship between the Old and New Covenants? Are
they in series, with one replacing the other in time? Or in
parallel, so that we choose between them anytime?
Bible-believing folks hold various views about these
questions. I believe we must avoid two extremes:
On one hand are those who see the connection between the
covenants is that of full continuity. For them law is the
primary category by which God works with His people. Israel is
the true olive tree, and all who would please God must submit to
the Hebrew regimen. All 613 laws found in Moses are to be
observed in some manner, by both Jewish and Gentile
believers. While Yahshua the Messiah may be the best sacrifice
for sin, His major role is that of an example. In this system of
thought, the integrity of the Sinaitic revelation is un-phased
by the gospel, with the net effect that the Old Covenant remains
dominant. The Sabbatarian community has a few groups who espouse
this species of legalism.
On the other hand, some segments of orthodox Christianity have
long leaned to the opposite extreme. For them, the gospel of
Jesus Christ means that God's law has become an obsolete
category, and the relation between the Old and New Covenants is
one of total discontinuity. The Church is a new creation, and
owes nothing to Israel. If anything is commanded for Christians,
that is only because the New Testament epistles say so -- never
because it was written in stone or the book of the law. Jesus'
example and teaching receive short shrift in this system, but
His death emphatically repealed all the Old Testament laws.
Much of this thinking infiltrates Sabbath-observing churches
from time to time, most recently under the rubric of "New
Testament Theology."
Both of these are extreme positions, in my view. As a follower
of Christ, I believe that the Old Testament is God's Word and
that the New Testament is His final Word. There is illumination
in both, but the light emanating from each is not equal. Jesus
is the truest and brightest light! The gospel, not the law, is
our assurance of an eternal "yes" from a holy God.
The Bible teaches neither a full identity of the Old Covenant
with the New, nor a total disconnect between them. Because they
were both instituted by the same God who never changes (His
eternal attributes), we may expect to find several elements of
similarity between the Old and New Covenants, and we do:
Comparisons, similarities connections between covenants:
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Both recorded in the same Bible, and profitable for
correction and instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16,
17)
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Both introduced to the same man, Abraham, who is the
father of both Jewish and Gentile belivers (Gen. 12-25)
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Both teach the forgiveness of sins through shedding of
blood
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Both provide for God's moral law to be observed
(Heb. 8:8-12)
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Both express this relationship: "I will be our God, and
you shall be My people"
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Both trust in a gracious God who loves and redeems His
people despite their sins and failures.
We also read of sharp contrasts between the covenants, most of
them in 2 Corinthians 3, Galatians 4, and in Hebrews.
Contrasts, differences, disconnects between covenants:
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The first writes God's laws on stone; the second, on our
hearts
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The first operates according the flesh and the letter;
the second, according to the Spirit (2 Cor. 3)
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The first had the diminishing glory of a temporary
priesthood; the second, an ever-increasing glory of an
everlasting Priest (2 Cor. 3; Heb.)
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The first covenant tends to bondage; the second gives
freedom (Gal. 4:21-31)
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The first provides daily sacrifice for sin that made
nothing perfect; the second, a final Sacrifice
once-and-for-all that perfected forever those who are being
saved (Heb. 7 - 10).
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The first was good; the second was better in every way
(Heb.)
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The first covenant gave us God's written law; the second
covenant gives us the gospel of God's Kingdom and His
Son.
I have two major points to draw from this brief
introduction. First, the close relation between Covenants in
Scripture helps refute any teaching that would discard God's law
and forget His Sabbath. And second, the superiority of the New
Covenant through Jesus Christ steers us far from the error of
making the Sabbath a false gospel.
The grace of God in Christ is our only hope for eternal
salvation, and the commandments of God continue as one way He
teaches us vital truth about ourselves and about life. Trust!
and obey!
Calvin Burrell is a vice-president of the Bible Sabbath
Association
TSS
November - December 2001 The Sabbath Sentinel
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