THE NEW COVENANT
Hebrews 8:1-13; 10:1
By Cleavon Matthews
March 26, 2006
INTRODUCTION
There was a time when you knew what a church believed simply by it’s name or association. But now in our postmodern day many churches have dropped their denominational names and associations disguising themselves with more inviting user and seeker friendly names.
Also in this postmodern era there has been a shift in the language and terminology regarding the vocabulary of the religious community. Dynamic phrases and terms such as anointing, covenant, harvest, seed, miracle, and pastor have recently gained prominence and popularity. The adoption of church names including: fellowship, faith, ministry, new life, and believers have developed.
In desperate attempts to attract non-church goers many churches have appealed to the felt and perceived needs of people. Christianity has been commercialized. Church has become another suggested alternative to temporarily satisfy the wants and aches of the hurting. People at crossroads and crisis are often advised to start going to church! But which church among the thousands should they attend? If they need counseling then the ideal church would provide it. If they are having family problems then obviously a church with a strong family emphasis is preferable. If they are single then a church with a strong singles group is of course recommended. If they are into the cutting edge of technology and hip hop then there is a church for them!
Perhaps the shift in vocabulary and religious terminology is a reflection of the changes in the attitudes and motives of church leaders and church goers. Church goers have felt needs and church leaders recommend their churches as the solution! Unfortunately a solid Biblical understanding of these terms often does not accompany their flippant use. Many religious groups have begun to emphasize the great biblical idea of covenant and many churches have incorporated the term covenant into their name. The term ‘Covenant’ has even made its way into the social domain. ‘The Covenant with Black America’ has made it onto the New York Times Best Seller List! And although it appears to contain good ideas to address the social injustices in America; there is no saving power in the 10 Covenants!
The letter to the Hebrews was written in order to push and urge God’s people forward. Some where turning back and contemplating a departure from the faith because the demands of Christianity were challenging. Persecution was real and in an attempt to circumvent chastisement many considered opting for a lesser religion. They wanted a religion based on their felt needs rather than God’s plan.
The same thing is prominent in this period of history. Most people base their religious and spiritual decisions on felt needs or perceptions rather than God’s word. However if we would abandon our felt needs and think seriously while listening closely to God’s message we would be immersed with His truth, saturated with His wisdom, humbled by His holiness, astonished by His glory, and satisfied by His sacrifice.
BODY
Again covenant is one of those terms being thrown around today. What is a covenant? A covenant is a contract or agreement between two parties. A covenant is a formal agreement or treaty between two parties with each assuming some obligation. A covenant is an agreement between two parties involving mutual obligations; especially the arrangement that established the relationship between God and His people, expressed in grace first with Israel and then with the church.
When the covenant is between God and man God is always the initiator. God initiated covenant with Noah, Abraham, Israel, David, and the church. In other words man cannot put God under obligation. God alone obligates Himself to man. If man does not keep his responsibility he becomes a covenant-breaker (Romans 1:31). But concerning God the Scripture says, ‘let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath, said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee’ (Hebrews 13:5).
The Hebrew writer does not want the people of God to become covenant-breakers by abandoning the New Covenant and returning to the Old Covenant. In Hebrews a striking contrast is made between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.
I.THE OLD COVENANT WAS EXCLUSIVE
In approximately 1500 B.C. God initiated the Old Covenant in Horeb on Mount Sinai with Israel. This is recorded in Deuteronomy 5:1ff. This covenant was made with Israel and not the Patriarchs (5:3). The Old Covenant was exclusive (Ephesians 2:12). It was a covenant of mutual obligation.
Deut 5:1-9
And Moses called all Israel, and said to them: "Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them. The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive. The LORD talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire. I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up the mountain. He said: ’I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. ’You shall have no other gods before Me. ’You shall not make for yourself any carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,”
It was an exclusive covenant between God and Israel. This covenant excluded all Gentile nations. This covenant excluded the Canaanites, Moabites, Jebusites, Philistines, Hittites, Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes, Persians, Agagites, and Shulamites. The Old Covenant was a private partnership between God and Israel. It was limited to one Nation. It was restricted to one people. It was for a select number of tribal people!
Approximately nine hundred years later in 600 B.C. Jeremiah prophesied that God would make a New Covenant. The prophesy of a new covenant was predicated by the covenant-breaking of Israel. Notice Jeremiah 11:1ff (read)!
Jer 11:1-13
“The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 "Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 3 and say to them, ’Thus says the LORD God of Israel: "Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant 4 which I commanded your fathers in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, ’Obey My voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people, and I will be your God,’ 5 that I may establish the oath which I have sworn to your fathers, to give them ’a land flowing with milk and honey,’ as it is this day." ’ " And I answered and said, "So be it, LORD."
6 Then the LORD said to me, "Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: ’Hear the words of this covenant and do them. 7 For I earnestly exhorted your fathers in the day I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, until this day, rising early and exhorting, saying, "Obey My voice." 8’Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone followed the dictates of his evil heart; therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but which they have not done.’ "
9 And the LORD said to me, "A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers who refused to hear My words, and they have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers."
11 Therefore thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will surely bring calamity on them which they will not be able to escape; and though they cry out to Me, I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they offer incense, but they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble. 13 For according to the number of your cities were your gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to that shameful thing, altars to burn incense to Baal.”
Now consider Jeremiah 31:31-34. “Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband unto them, saith the Lord; But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
II.THE OLD COVENANT HAS EXPIRED
Now this is really amazing! God’s people were guilty of covenant-breaking! But God said He would provide something better. God promised to provide a New Covenant and this covenant would involve the forgiveness of iniquity and removal of sin! When Jesus ate His final Passover with His disciples He said; ‘for this is my blood of the new testament (covenant) which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins.’(Matthew 26:28).
What is the status of the Sinai Covenant?
• Heb 7:12 ‘for the priesthood being changed (to transfer, to exchange, change sides), there is made of necessity a change also of the law.’
• Heb 7:18 ‘for there is verily a disannulling (cancellation) of the commandment going before for the weakness (strenghless) and unprofitableness thereof.’
• Heb 8:13 ‘in that he saith, a new covenant, he hath made the first old (palaioo- to make worn out, declare obsolete). Now that which decayeth (palaioo) and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.’
• Heb 10:1 ‘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.’
• Heb 10:9 ‘then said he lo, I come to do thy will O God He taketh away(abolish, murder, put to death, kill) the first, that he may establish the second.’
• Galatians 3:24-25 ‘wherefore the law was our schoolmaster (paidagogos- a servant whose office it was to take the children to school) to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come we are no longer under a schoolmaster.’
• Colossians 2:14 ‘blotting out (exaleipho- to smear out, obliterate) the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.’
• 2 Corinthians 3:11 ‘the law is now done away’
• 2 Corinthians 3:13 ‘the law is now abolished’
• Gal 2:21 ‘if the law saves Christ’s death is vain’
• Gal 5:4 ‘Christ is no effect to Law-keepers’
• Romans 7:4 ‘we are dead to the law by the body of Christ’
Now let’s apply what the Scriptures teach concerning the Old Covenant and the New Covenant!
The Old Covenant has been done away therefore the people of God today are not required to keep it! This includes:
• Old Covenant Feasts (Colossians 2:16-17)
• Sabbath (Colossians 2:16-17)
-the law was not given to Gentiles (Romans 2:14)
-Sabbath law was not for all men (Ezekiel 20:10-12)
-Sabbath was not kept by man from creation (Nehemiah 9:13,14)
• Circumcision (Colossians 2:11-12)
• Kosher Diet (1 Timothy 4:1-5)
• Animal Sacrifice (Hebrews 10:11-12)
• Temple Worship (John 4:24)
III.THE NEW COVENANT IS ESTABLISHED
Some may be wondering what does this have to do with me? How can this didactic lesson help me in this life? Preacher you don’t understand! You’re talking about the exclusive nature of the old covenant, the expiration of the old covenant, and the establishment of the new covenant!
But I have…
Problems I can’t solve
Troubles I can’t tame
Babies I can’t feed
Habits I can’t handle
Thoughts I can’t thwart
Temptations I can’t control
Challenges I can’t contain
Hurts I can’t handle
Faults I can’t forgive
Sins I can’t shake
Behaviors I can’t beat
Trials I can’t triumphant
Dilemmas I can’t decide
Difficulties I can’t dissolve
Predicaments I can’t postpone
Nuisance I can’t navigate
Setbacks I can’t stop
Mess I can’t manage
Crisis I can’t coagulate
Preacher how can’t this help me?
My job is in jeopardy
My marriage is on the rocks
My child has lost their mind
My finances are faltering
My car is broke down
My baby daddy won’t do right
My friends are forsaking me
My health is declining
My prayer life is pathetic
My mind is miserable
My faith is failing
My joy is gone
The Hebrew writer applies the New Covenant in dramatic fashion. Again he contrasts the establishment of the Old on Sinai against the New! Notice 12:22-29
“22 But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God is a consuming fire.”
CLOSING
How can you refuse God?
How can you refuse God’s:
Lasting Love
Matchless Mercy
Amazing Grace
Faultless Forgiveness
Charitable Kindness
Captivating Compassion
Long-suffering
Gratuitous Goodness
Spectacular Salvation
How can you refuse the blood of the New Covenant?
How can you refuse the gift?
How can you refuse the God of all power?
How can you refuse the offer of eternal life?
How can you refuse the word of God?
How can you refuse the Living God?
How can you refuse the promise of God?
Somebody here is tired of ‘the same old’ things!
Same old ways
Same old troubles
Same old problems
Same old pains
Same old experiences
Same old excuses
Same old worries
Same old grief
I can’t speak for you but I reached a point in my life when needed something new! But I quickly came to realize I needed to become New! Somebody here tonight needs to become New!
2 Cor. 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Eph. 2:15 “having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.”
Hebrews 10:20 “by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.”
2 Peter 3:13 “Nevertheless we, according to His promise look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
Revelation 2:17 “…and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”
Revelation 5:9 “and they sang a new song…”
Revelation 21:5 “then He who sat on the throne said, Behold I make all things new…”
