THE TWO COVENANTS
From the everlasting covenant God
made with Abraham became two covenants: the old and the new covenants:
Galatians 4:22-26, we know from the scriptures that Abraham had more sons than
these two. He married another woman named Keturah, who had some other sons for
him.
But Paul by the Spirit led us
into something very significant that those two sons particular are allegory of
the two covenants God made with man. Galatians 4:24-28 can you see that we are
children of promise?
Galatians 4:29-31
THE
OLD COVENANT
The first covenant is called the
old covenant Jeremiah 31:31-32. God made the covenant with the children of
Israel as the coming out of Egypt, at Mount Sinai. All the laws of the Old
Testament came as a result of this covenant. Note that this covenant did not supersede
the covenant of God with Abraham.
[Galatians 3:15-18]
We said that the covenant God
made with the children of Israel was based on the covenant he cut with Abraham.
The promise to Abraham was to him and his seed after him in their generations,
meaning that different generations would come from Abraham, and God’s promise
to Abraham would extend of to them.
The law came four hundred and
thirty years after the promise was given, and we were told that the law did not
cancel the promise. That is, the Law of Moses did not cancel the promise God
made to Abraham. This is very important. Why then was the law given?
Galatians 3:19
The law was not given as a
replacement of the promise; rather it was given till the seed to which the
promise was made should come. Galatians 3:21-22
The summary is this: the law did
not make the promise of God to Abraham and his seed of none effect, and so this
is available to all who believe.
Deuteronomy 11:26-28
Exodus 19:5-6
For the old covenant, their
blessing is based on obedience to the law.
GOD
ADDRESSES THE NEW COVENANT DIFFERENTLY
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Right from the time of the Old Testament
God had hinted that he was going to establish a new covenant with the people of
Israel. The different with this covenant was that it would extend to other
nations.
John 1:17
Hebrews 8:7-13
OBEDIENT
NOT A CONDITION NOW
For as in the new covenant,
obedience is not a condition for our blessings, we do not have to obey before
getting our blessing because the deal is different altogether.
Romans: 5:18-19
1Peter 1:14
We are already obedient children [Romans
5:19]We were made righteous by the obedience of one – Jesus Christ. 1Peter
1:1-14. This scripture means, we came in obedience to God through the gospel,
and we were born-again as obedient children of God. It is now our nature to
obey God.
1Peret: 3:9
Ezekiel 36:26-27