God established another covenant with Noah after the Flood, promising to never again destroy the earth with water. God made the sign of the covenant a rainbow: "And God said: 'This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: "'I set My RAINBOW in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the RAINBOW shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. The RAINBOW shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.' ” (Genesis 9:12-16)
Who did God make a covenant with other than Noah?God's first covenant with Abraham stated He would give to his descendants what is known as the "promised land": "On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: 'To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates — the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.'” (Genesis 15:18-21)
Genesis 17 describes the formal institution of this covenant, where God spells out the terms and conditions of this historic pact. God's promises are conditioned upon Abraham's obedience (Genesis 17:1, 26:3-5). This covenant was also extended to Abraham's son Isaac and his descendants (Genesis 17:9, 24:60, 27:28-29, 28:10-14). Circumcision was the sign or physical brand of identification God required of those in covenant with him: "'This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a SIGN OF THE COVENANT between Me and you.'" (Genesis 17:10-11)
Genesis 22:16-18 describes the "seed" promise which Paul refers to in Galatians 3:16. Although fundamentally based on God's grace, the context clearly ties God's offer to Abraham's obedience: "Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, 'Abraham!' And he said, 'Here I am.' Then He said, 'Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you . . . ' "Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: 'By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son — blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore . . .''' (Genesis 22:1-2, 15-17)
God delivered Israel from Egypt due to His prior covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Exodus 2:23-25, Exodus 6:2-8). God then makes a covenant with Israel (through Moses as mediator) that is accepted (Exodus 19:1-8, Deuteronomy 5:28-29). The terms and conditions of this covenant are spelled out in the remainder of the book of Exodus and reiterated in Deuteronomy. How is the New Covenant NEW? Jeremiah 31 prophesies about a NEW covenant: "'Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when 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 lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. "'But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.' ” (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
The book of Hebrews provides the main New Testament commentary on this new covenant. Why is the covenant called NEW? The New Testament uses two different Greek words that are translated as the English word new. The first one, νέος or Neos, (Strong's Concordance #G3501) means new in contrast to old. The second word used for new is καινός or Kainos, (Strong's Concordance #G2537) which means new in the sense of "unique." Hebrews 12:24, which identifies Jesus Christ as the mediator of the new covenant, is the only scripture where neos is used in reference to the new covenant. Every other passage uses kainos. Truly the new covenant is unique! How is the New Covenant BETTER than the Old Covenant? Hebrews 8 tells us the new covenant is better than the old because it contains better promises which were never before offered: "But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on BETTER PROMISES." (Hebrews 8:6)
Hebrews 8 and 9 mentions at least three unique New Covenant promises. New Covenant Promise #1
Internal Motivation to Obey God Israel didn't have the heart or nature to obey God (Deuteronomy 5:29). The old covenant contained no provision for internal motivation to obey God (Hebrews 8:7-8, Romans 8:3). In the new covenant God promises to put His laws into the mind and write them on the heart: "'For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I WILL PUT MY LAWS IN THEIR MIND AND WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.' " (Hebrews 8:10-11)
What does this mean? David wrote: "I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart" (Psalm 40:8). Delighting in God's law is not a normal human response (Romans 8:7). What is the POWER the new covenant promises that will help man OBEY God? It is the Holy Spirit dwelling inside a person: "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to THE SPIRIT. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit . . . "But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, IF INDEED THE SPIRIT OF GOD DWELLS IN YOU. " (Romans 8:1-4, 9)
The fundamental basis of the new covenant is the conversion process, whereby each day the believer draws closer to God: "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being RENEWED DAY BY DAY." (2 Corinthians 4:16) " . . . for it is God who works in you both to WILL and to DO for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)
This change of nature results in an intimate relationship with God. New Covenant Promise #2
Forgiveness of SinForgiveness of sins, also necessary for a relationship with God (Isaiah 59:1-2), is another unique benefit of the new covenant: "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)
The blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins (Hebrews 10:4). Therefore, forgiveness of sins was unique to the new covenant. The Passover wine represents the new covenant in Christ's blood, which was shed for the remission of sins: "Then He (Jesus) took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the NEW COVENANT, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.' " (Matthew 26:27-28).
The Old Covenant was made at Sinai when Israel accepted its terms. The New Covenant is made at baptism when a person accepts Christ's sacrifice and commits themselves completely to God and His will. New Covenant Promise #3
Eternal InheritanceEternal inheritance is a third unique and better promise offered in the new covenant: "And for this reason He (Jesus) is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the ETERNAL INHERITANCE." (Hebrews 9:15)
Eternal life is more than a change from flesh to spirit -- it means a never ending relationship with God (John 17:3). When will the New Covenant be offered to ALL the house of Israel? The main fulfillment of Jeremiah's chapter 31 prophecy will occur when the new covenant is made with the house of Israel (Jeremiah 31:31, Hebrews 8:10). After Jesus returns to set up the kingdom of God he will establish the new covenant with all Israel and ultimately all mankind. Malachi 3 calls the returning Christ: “Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT, in whom you delight." (Malachi 3:1)
Under the rule of Jesus the world will be taught the law of God from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:3). This shows the Law remains an integral part of the new covenant. Mercy and forgiveness of sin will be extended to all (Isaiah 59:20-21). As a result, Israel will enjoy an intimate relationship with God (Hosea 2:16, 19-20, 23). Does the New Covenant make the Ten Commandments OBSOLETE? Some assume that ALL Old Testament laws are obsolete and no longer needed to be kept unless they are repeated in the New Testament. Nowhere, however, does the Bible say all new covenant laws are recorded in the New Testament. Instead, the laws of the new covenant are written in the minds and hearts of God's people. Some people break the Ten Commandments, especially the fourth commandment, under the assumption that they are "done away with" and not even mentioned in the New Testament. This is simply not true, as EACH of the commandments are repeated somewhere in the New Testament. Additionally, Jesus himself stated that God's laws were and are still in effect: "DO NOT THINK that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I DID NOT come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one JOT or one TITTLE will BY NO MEANS pass from the law till all is fulfilled. (Matthew 5:17-19)!
The "JOT" Jesus stated would not be removed from the law is the smallest letter found in the Greek or Hebrew alphabet. The "TITTLE" is a small point or stroke added to some Hebrew letters to help distinguish them from ones that look similar. From Jesus' statement we can only conclude that since heaven and earth are still here, God's law is still in effect! What the New Covenant does render as no longer needed is the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant is NOT the same as the Ten Commandments. A covenant is an agreement; commandments are laws or terms of the agreement. The Ten Commandments are the words [terms, Jewish Publication Society translation] of the covenant NOT the covenant itself (Exodus 34:27-28). The covenant or agreement became obsolete, and not necessarily the laws within it. That said, certain specific PARTS of Old Testament law are specifically referred to in the New Testament as no longer necessary. For example, Hebrews 10:9-18 shows Christ's sacrifice made animal sacrifices at the temple no longer required. What is the NEW COVENANT in its simplest form? The New Covenant ultimately is quite simple. God wants us to have a relationship with Him. Obeying His laws is fundamental to that relationship. The way God has communicated His laws has varied, but the laws remain the same. He related His laws verbally to the patriarchs (see Genesis 26:5 where God said Abraham obeyed his voice). To Israel, God wrote His laws on stones and in the book of the law. In the New Covenant, God writes His laws on the minds and hearts of man. The New Covenant provides the motivation to obey His laws, extends forgiveness when we don't, and results in an intimate relationship with God for all eternity. We all look forward to the time when we will fully experience the benefits of the New Covenant as eternal spirit members of God's family. | 