THE OLD COVENANT

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Understanding important truths from the Bible…. 

THE OLD COVENANT           

Exodus 24:4-8 NKJV

⁴ And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

⁵ Then he sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD.

 ⁶ And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. ⁷ Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient.”

⁸ And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words.” 

Exodus 19:5-6

⁵ Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.

⁶ And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” 

Jeremiah 11:1-5

¹ 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.” 

Hebrews 9:19-22

¹⁹ For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,

²⁰ saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.”

²¹ Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry.

 ²² And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. 

There are few words in the Bible as important as the word, “covenant.”  As important as the word is even so is the importance of the Christian’s understanding of it.  This is not an attempt to give anything like a complete understanding of the “Covenant” in its Biblical meaning.  This is only an introduction to the covenant principle and its importance to Israel as well as to Christians. 

Covenant – Basically, it denotes a compact or agreement between two parties binding them mutually to undertakings on each other’s behalf.  Theologically (used of relations between
God and man) it denotes a gracious undertaking entered into by God for the benefit and blessing of man, and specifically of those men who by faith receive the promises and commit themselves to the obligations which this undertaking involves. Baker’s Dictionary of Theology.

This dictionary or New Bible Dictionary, Tyndale are both excellent Bible tools.  If you are able,

it is a suggestion that you get one of these helps. 

Moses “wrote down all the words of the Lord.”  This must include the Ten Commandments with the applications, threats, and promises that follow up through Exodus 23:33.  In Exodus 24:7 this collection is called “The Book of the Covenant.”  There are three important features to remember about this book.

1.       It was given to Israel to be both a responsibility and a promise.  There was in it a national promise, Exodus 19:6, “You shall be to me a kingdom.”  It is in this promise that Israel becomes a nation with God’s blessing upon them.  This was not new.  It had originated with Abraham.  But at this time it identified this Israel as God’s nation among all other nations

There was in it a spiritual promise.  They were to be priest and holy.  The uneasy truce between the nation Israel and God’s holy people had its beginning in the Garden and continued as long as national Israel continued.

2.      Israel accepted these privileges with their corresponding responsibility.  Exodus 19:8, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.”  They stood before God as those whom He had delivered with a mighty display of His power and wrath.  They assumed their responsibility and became a party agreeable with this plain contract. 

This contract was sealed with blood.  The altar represented God.  Blood of animal sacrifices was gathered and “half of the blood he threw against the altar.”  Then he took the Book of the Covenant, read it, and the people committed themselves to accept this.  They also guaranteed their obedience to the words of the Book then.  Exodus 24:8

⁸ And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words.”

The writer of Hebrews makes his readers aware of the necessity and solemnity of this transition.  Hebrews 9:29-22

3.      The third aspect of this covenant was that it was conditional.  Both the promises and the curses were prefaced by an “if” Exodus 19:5 “Therefore if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples.” 

The problems Israel experienced were never a failure of God keeping covenant with Israel but Israel’s failure to keep their word, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” 

This conditional nature of the covenant with national Israel colors every aspect of their relationship with God.  There are no unconditional promises made to national Israel.  God’s final separation from them at Pentecost and their destruction at 70 AD are a statement of His fidelity to His word.  They, with considered finality, denied the Holy covenant God and he departed from them to their inevitable destruction.

Application:

1.       Your relationship with God demands from your consecrated service and obedience.

2.      The salvation of the believer is by a New Covenant that is not conditional.  It is the essence of covenanted privilege, once he is saved he is always saved.