What are the two halves
called?
The New Testament
and the Old Testament.
Why?
One covenant replaces
another covenant which was broken.
An oversimplification.
There
are numerous important covenants (plural). The New Covenant replaces
a specific Old Testament covenant.
Mat. 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20
The New Covenant - a specific covenant previously mentioned by God.
For the remission of sins.
Dedicated with blood - like the Abrahamic (Gen. 15) and the Mosaic (Ex. 24:3-8)
Who was listening?
His Jewish
disciples.
What was their context?
Being
Jews, their culture was familiar with the OT teaching of God.
Did they have the NT?
No - it
had not yet been written. When Jesus said the phrase new covenant
they would have understood it on the basis of what the OT revealed
concerning covenants in general and this specific covenant in
particular.
Many covenants were made with Israel (Rom. 9:4).
As Gentiles, we were strangers to these covenants (Eph. 2:11-12).
Israel's
covenants.
It is
important to realize that these covenants were given to Israel. The
essential question of the NT is whether and how Gentiles
can be saved because they were
not recipients of these covenants and promises.
Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3;
13:14-17; 15; 17:1-8).
Includes three areas of promise: (1) land
(Gen. 12:7; 13:14-15, 17; 17:18); (2) seed (Gen. 12:2; 13:16;
15:4-5, 18; 17:4-6); and blessing (Gen. 12:3; 17:2, 6; 18:18). This
is an unconditional covenant (see Gen. 15).
Mosaic Covenant (Ex. 24:3-8)
Land Covenant (Deu. 30:1-10) - founded upon the Abrahamic Covenant land promise.
Davidic Covenant (2S. 7:14-16) - founded upon the Abrahamic Covenant seed promise.
New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; Eze. 36:22-38) - founded upon the Abrahamic Covenant blessing promise.
Who made with?
Israel
What covenant was broken?
Mosaic
Covenant - this did not affect the Abrahamic Covenant, the basis of
the New Covenant. See Gal. 3:16-18.
What are some of the
provisions?
God will put his law in their minds and write it on
their hearts. Ever man shall know
Him from the least to the greatest. There will be no more need to
teach about God for they all will know Him. Their sins will be
forgiven (Jer. 31:34 cf. Mat. 26:28 - My blood . . . which
is shed . . . for the remission of sins.
What follows upon the promise of
the New Covenant?
God's guarantee that national Israel
will continue before Him forever. The New Covenant was originally
given to Israel and will not be complete until all Israel knows God.
The nation is guaranteed to continue in order to bring about
fulfillment.
Isa. 24:5 - Israel broke the everlasting covenant (Mosaic) necessitating a New Covenant.
Isa. 61:8 - Isaiah announces that God will make
(future tense) an everlasting Covenant.
The Abrahamic covenant
was made circa 2090
B.C. The Mosaic Law was given circa
1450 B.C. The Land Covenant was made circa
1400 B.C. The Davidic Covenant was given circa
1000 B.C. Isaiah is writing circa
700 B.C. Therefore, this covenant cannot be any of the
aforementioned. It is the New Covenant which replaces the Mosaic
Covenant which Israel broke.
Aspects of the New Covenant, as we saw in Jeremiah, have not been fulfilled.
A day is coming when God will restore Israel to faith in Messiah Jesus and bring about the fulfillment of the New Covenant in relation to national Israel (Rom. 11:1, 11, 15, 25-31).
1Due to the limited amount of time available for teaching, these notes include passages which are not discussed within the companion audio recording.
2By Biblical covenants we mean covenants which the Scriptures themselves identify as covenants.
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