Written by Roger D. Campbell
Throughout history, the Lord God made a number of covenants with humans. In this study, we want to focus on two particular covenants, those which are described in the Bible as “the first” and “the second” (Hebrews 10:9).
Certain aspects of those two covenants are similar; some parts are identical. Other portions are quite different. Let us observe some of those distinctions.
· Because it was given through Moses, in the Bible the old covenant/law is called “the law of Moses” (Acts 13:39). The second covenant/law is called “the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
· “The first” was a covenant between God and one nation, Israel. “And Moses called all Israel, and said to them: ‘Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgment 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’” (Deuteronomy 5:1,2). The law of Moses, given at Horeb/Sinai, was addressed only to the Israelites. The new covenant of Jesus applies to people of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20).
· The first covenant was a temporary arrangement. The old law was given “till the Seed should come” (Galatians 3:19). The Bible identifies the “Seed” as the Christ. Jesus fulfilled the old law (Matthew 5:17), then He abolished it when He died (Ephesians 2:14-16). To say that the old covenant was abolished means that it no longer is in force. And the new covenant? It is a permanent setup, being in force until the end of the world/age (Matthew 28:20).
· Under the old covenant, God’s special, chosen people were the Israelites (Deuteronomy 7:6). Under the new covenant, “the people of God” (1 Peter 2:10) are those who are in the Christ (Ephesians 1:4), that is, Christians.
· The first covenant was dedicated with the blood of animals (Hebrews 9:18-20). The new covenant is sealed/sprinkled, so to speak, by the blood of Jesus. As He instituted the communion, our Lord said, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28).
· Under the first covenant, God called on the Israelites to offer animal sacrifices (Hebrews 10:4).
God charges those of us who live under the second covenant to offer up spiritual sacrifices (1 Peter 2:5). Such spiritual sacrifices are acceptable to God only because Jesus “offered one sacrifice for sins forever” (Hebrews 10:12). That sacrifice was Jesus Himself.
· During the old covenant era, the special day of the week for Israel was the seventh day. On that day, called the Sabbath (corresponding to our Saturday), no Israelites were allowed to work (Exodus 20:8- 11). The special day under the new covenant is the first day of the week, which is Sunday. It was on the first day of the week that Jesus rose from the dead (Mark 16:9). Following His return to heaven, the practice of His disciples was to assemble on the first day of the week in order to worship (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2).
· God had specific criteria for the priests who served when the old covenant was in force. In Israel, only males from the tribe of Levi were allowed to function as priests (Deuteronomy 18:1). Specifically, the priests had to come from the family of Aaron (Hebrews 7:11). The Lord also has a priesthood under the second covenant — God’s priests now are Christians (1 Peter 2:5,9), and that includes sisters as well as brothers in the Lord.
· Under the law of Moses, God chose a specific place for the Israelites to go to make sacrifices and keep their religious feasts (Deuteronomy 12:5,6). The location which the Lord eventually chose was Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:32,36). It was to Jerusalem that the male Israelites were required to go to celebrate the Passover, feasts of weeks/Pentecost, and Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 16:1-16). Under the new covenant, there is no specific geographic location where God’s people must assemble for worship (John 4:20-24), nor are there any annual religious feasts which the Lord has established for Christians to keep.
Jesus took away the old law in order to establish the second, final covenant (Hebrews 10:9). Because it came from Jehovah, the law of Moses was holy, just, and good (Romans 7:12). In Bible language, the second covenant is “better” (Hebrews 8:6,7). Let us be committed to embracing and practicing the better one.