BIBLE TEACHINGS MADE PLAIN, part 15 – God’s Covenant with His People

BIBLE TEACHINGS MADE PLAIN, part 15

God’s Covenant with His People

In this lesson we turn to God’s covenant with people. This word “covenant” will turn up many times when we read the Bible so it is necessary that we know what it is all about. We will find that sometimes the word “testament” is used which in most cases refers to the same as covenant. It has to do with God’s plan for our salvation and is subject to the death of the one who makes the covenant or testament. Read Hebr.9:15-18 where verse 16 says that the death of the testator is necessary otherwise the testament has no power. So let’s explore what the Bible has to say about this subject. To make a testament one party takes the initiative and offers it to the other party, but can only be implemented when death takes place. Parents make a will or testament in favour of their children but the children have to wait till death occurs. The contents of the testament are usually kept secret until death, but in God’s case it is all revealed beforehand.

In our lesson about God we have learned that God is omniscient, He knows the end from the beginning, nothing is hidden, all is known to Him. For that reason God knew what was going to happen in Eden. How Satan would enter the garden and deceive Adam and Eve and lead them into transgressing God’s law. That would cause God to either implement the penalty clause and take their lives away into death or have a rescue plan to save them. From a few scripture passages we assume that such a plan existed before sin entered the Garden of Eden. Read Rev.13:8 “The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”, and Matt. 25:34 “Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,”also Eph.1:4. There was a Lamb prepared and a kingdom for the ones who would accept that Lamb. We know from Isa.53 and John 1:29 that Jesus, the Messiah/Christ was that Lamb prepared from the foundation of the world. Jesus is God’s gift to you and me to rescue us from death and give us a second chance for eternal life, John 3:16; Rom.6:23

In a previous lesson we learned about the lay out of the sanctuary and tabernacle in the sanctuary and the two places, Holy and Most Holy Place. In the Most Holy Place was the Ark which is some times called “The Ark of the Covenant”, Numb.10:33; 14:44. Later in this lesson we will learn that God made a covenant with His people in regard to the Ten Commandments which became the content of the covenant. The Ark is also called “The Ark of the testimony”, Ex.25:16 and this relates also to the Ten Commandments, Ex.31:7, 18; 32:15; 34:29. The Ten Commandments written by God with His own hand on tables of stone are called God’s testimony and in Ex.34:28 they are called “the words of the “covenant”. We may notice how “covenant” and “testimony” or “testament” are used interchangeable These tables of stone were placed in the ark under the mercy seat, Deut.10:1-5. This was a reflection of the heavenly sanctuary/temple with the ark as seen by John in Rev.11:19. Also called the Ark of His testimony” indicating the heavenly ark also contains the Ten Commandments.

What we have learned so far is that “covenant”, “testimony” and “Ten Commandments” are interrelated and referring to the same plan God had in mind in case something would go wrong in the Garden of Eden and sin would enter. Remember also that the Ten Commandments were under the mercy seat in the ark. The mercy seat represents God’s grace and mercy. We do need God’s grace and mercy before we can relate ourselves to the keeping of God’s commandments. We also need God’s grace and mercy in case we have transgressed God’s law of Ten Commandments or feel guilty before God.1John 1:9

Sin took place in the Garden of Eden and what did God reveal? We need to go back to Gen.3:15. This is the first revelation of God’s covenant. The promise (covenant) was about the Seed which would come. Eve thought when Cain was born that he would be that Seed, man of God, the Lord, but we know now from the apostle Paul in Gal.3:16, 29 that Christ is that Seed The next time we learn about a covenant is with Noah after the flood, Gen.9:9-13 also a revelation of God’s grace and mercy with the rainbow as the sign. After Noah followed Abraham to who was revealed some more about God’s covenant. Read Gen.12:1-3; 15:1-5; 17:9, 10. Again the promise is about the coming Seed. In Gen.17:4 and 7 it is called the “everlasting covenant” indicating its origin is from eternity as we learned from Rev.13:8 from the foundation of the world.

In 2 Sam. 7:7-13 we read that God made a covenant with David regarding his kingdom for ever, 7:13. We know that this was also fulfilled in the Seed being Christ Who has the key of David, Rev.3:7. Christ was from the house of David and born in Bethlehem as David was. It does not apply to David’s biological offspring but to those who accept Christ. All these different covenants have one focus, the Seed which is Christ.

But then we read in Jer.31:31-33 that God would make a new covenant and which is also mentioned in Hebr.8:6-13. We have to explore what that means. It even mentions that it will not be like the covenant made with Israel when they came out of Egypt and which they did not keep, Hebr.8:9. In technical terms this is what we call the Sinaic covenant made with Israel when they came out of Egypt and stopped at Mount Sinai.
After having been for more than 400 years in bondage in Egypt it is understandable that much was lost from Israel’s mind in regard to God and how to worship Him. God instructed Moses to build a sanctuary and tabernacle and gave detailed instruction how to erect this. Moses was also called up to God to receive a message he had to relate to the people, read Ex.19:4-6. The Lord reminded them what He had done for them in their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. He revealed His grace and mercy to them. Now He invited them to enter into a covenant relationship with God. The terms were revealed and they responded with “All that God has spoken we will do” (Ex.19:8)
From Exodus 20-23:33 we read about the contents of the covenant in particularly about the Ten Commandments. In Ex.24:3 and 7 the people again solemnly promise to do all what God asks of them. Then in Ex.24:7, 8 we read that the book of the covenant is taken and with blood sealed and ratified. The covenant is now irreversible and Moses is called up to God to receive the Ten Commandments in tables of stone, 24:12.

But while Moses is on the Mount down below something terrible takes place. The people are getting impatient for waiting for Moses ‘ return and demand from Aaron to make them a golden calf to be their god as they have seen in Egypt, read the story in Ex.32. By this act they break the covenant so freshly sealed with blood. God tells Moses about it, 32:7, 8 and also that He now will make another people out of Moses
Ex.32:9, 10. But Moses pleads with God not to do so, 11-13. The Lord changes His plans and Moses comes down the mountain, and is so upset by what he sees that he drops the tables of stone and they break in pieces, verse 19 and Deut.9:13-17. In this covenant was no room for grace and mercy and no promise of forgiveness. It was based on God’s word and the promises of the people, Hebr.8:9 who did not keep what they had promised, “they continued not in my covenant”, as the text reads.

What God did we read in Ex.34. He asks Moses to come up to Him again with two new tables of stone and He will write again the same words of the first tables, of which we know, are the words of the covenant or God’s testimony. The same words on new tables of stone, but something else happens first. God makes now His promises known to the people, “better promises” as Hebr.8:6 reads: God’s better promises of mercy, grace and forgiveness.Ex.34:6, 7. because it is on new tables, the first ones were broken; it is called the new Covenant. It is based on the same as what was covenanted in Eden, with Noah, Abraham and David God’s dealings with His people through the promised Seed which is Christ the Messiah.

After having been with God again 40 days and nights Moses comes down to the people with a new set of tables of stone on which the same words are written, Ex.34:28, 29 and Deat.10:1-5. the same Ten Commandments. However there is one big difference, the first was sealed with animal blood; this one is not sealed at that time but would be sealed later with the death of Christ. When Jesus instituted the communion service He spoke about the wine, “this is my blood of the new testament” referring to what we have just learned from Exod.34.read Matt.26:27, 28. Christ’s death sealed the promises of God made in Exod.34:6, 7
It is irreversible. God’s mercy grace and forgiveness of our confessed sin are solid as a rock. By His grace and through faith we will be saved, Eph.2:8, 9 and in Christ we become a new creatures, 2Cor.5:17 with God’s law not in stone but upon the tables of our heart, Hebr.8:10; Jer.31:31-33.

Unfortunately while the Old Covenant lasted in reality only a few weeks, Israel continued in the same spirit leaning on their own strength and falling into apostasy over and over again till they were taken into Babylonian captivity for 70 years After returning from captivity they fell into another trap and that of self righteousness, and refused to accept Christ as the Messiah and His righteousness. We must beware not falling in those traps as they did, not lean on our promises, but on God’s promises of His covenant and not building on our righteousness which are as filthy rags, Isa.64:6 but calling on Christ as our righteousness, Jer.23:8 and Joel 2:32 and also 1John 1:9
Be taught by God’s grace which has been revealed to us, Titus 2:11-15

Commitment: Having accepted Jesus as my personal Saviour based on previous commitments I now commit myself to accept God’s offer to enter into a covenant relationship with Him, base on His promises and not on mine.