Intro by Brett Hickey:
We are blessed to have my friend, evangelist Brad Shockley, as our speaker today. Brother Shockley, who works with congregations in Buffalo and Bolivar, MO, presents a message titled, “A Better Covenant.”
Brad Shockly:
For many the Bible can be difficult to understand. However, it is God’s intention for us to comprehend His Word (Ephesians 5:17). One hurdle many confront is recognizing that there are different covenants which guide God’s people. A covenant, simply put, is a law which directs and guides our lives. If we attempt to apply the wrong covenant to our life we may think we are living according to God’s will, yet be living contrary to it. As you have already studied in a previous lesson there is a difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament. As Christian’s we believe in both the Old and New Testaments (Romans 15:4). However, we do not live according to the Law of Moses or Old Covenant (also called “Old Testament”). It is the proper legislative role of each covenant that must be discerned.
God is very clear in pointing out the difference in the two covenants. In our study we will discuss the two covenants, the abolishment of the first covenant, the establishment of the second covenant and the purpose of the second covenant.
The author of Hebrews extolls the covenant Jesus ratified with His blood. In Hebrews 8:6-7, the writer states, “But now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.” It is clear and undeniable that there is a first and second covenant. He speaks of the first as having faults. Thus, there was a need to replace it with the second covenant. The second was mediated by Jesus Christ and is called “a better covenant.”
Writing to the Galatians Paul speaks of two covenants. In Galatians 4:22-28 he presents an allegory concerning the two sons of Abraham (Ishmael who was born from the bondwoman Hagar; Isaac who was born of the freewoman Sarah) and the two covenants. We read, “For it is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bond- woman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar. 25 For this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.”
The first covenant is likened to the son born of Hagar, which is under bondage. Since she was a servant any child born to her would also be a servant. The Law given, the Old Covenant, typified this arrangement. It was a covenant, while in effect, would keep the people under servitude. The second, which is represented by the son born to Sarah, is likened to her as a freewoman by promise. Her child, Isaac, came not after the natural order of flesh (Abraham was 100 years old while Sarah was 90) but by the promise of God. Today, under the New Covenant, we are free.
The first covenant was the Law given by God to guide Israel. The Hebrew epistle identifies it as such. In chapter 8:9—“Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in My covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.” When Israel was led out of the bondage of Egypt they eventually found themselves at Mt Sinai. It was here, on this special mountain, where God delivered His Law to Moses. Exodus 19:16-19 tells the memorable story.
It reads, “And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that were in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. 18 And mount Sinai was altogether in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. 19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.”
Later in the Exodus story chapter 31:18 records, “And He gave unto Moses, when He had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.” Thus the first covenant was given to Moses, upon stone tables, to guide and direct the Jews. It is the giving of this law which provided the ten commands. They have been revered by Bible believing people ever since.
The second covenant was the law given by God to guide Christians. The Hebrew author writes: “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, He saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (8:7-8). The reason God gave a second, or New Covenant, was because the first was imperfect. In Hebrews 8:13 we find, “In that He saith, A new covenant, He hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.”
The first covenant contained faults and Israel would not continue to live in accordance with that Law. The most notable being the inability of the first covenant to provide absolute forgiveness of sin. Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, speaks of the inability of the law (the Old Covenant) to provide the forgiveness of sin. He wrote, “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” (Galatians 3:21-22).
The Hebrew author, in chapter 9, explains in greater detail this grave fault. He writes, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Vs 12-14).
The high priest, under the first covenant, would offer annual sacrifices. However, Jesus, through His atoning sacrifice of blood, obtained eternal redemption for humanity. For this reason, God decided to provide a second covenant, however before the second covenant could be effective God had to abolish the first covenant. The Apostle Paul instructs us on how the first covenant was done away. In Colossians 2:14, the Bible says, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross.” It was the “handwriting of ordinances” (the Law) which was written on the stone tablets which was blotted out.
This was accomplished by Jesus Christ with His death on the cross. Again, Paul brings up the same subject in his letter to the Ephesians. He writes, “Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby” (Ephesians 2:15-16). Through His atoning death Jesus could slay and put to death “the enmity.”
The first covenant which directed Moses and the Jews was made ineffective when Jesus died on the cross. It was necessary for the Old Covenant to be abolished. Under the first the difference between Jew and Gentile was staggering, however, under the New Covenant there is “one body” (Ephesians 4:4) that is composed of both. The racial differences were done away with at the shedding of blood when Jesus died on the cross. Regardless of one’s nationality they can, upon proper obedience, become a member of God’s family. A wonderful blessing, which before the cross, only a select few could enjoy.
In Paul’s epistle to Rome, he describes the marriage law in an analogy to the first and second covenants. Romans 7:1-4 explains the principles of the marriage law. “Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. 4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”
As long as the husband lives the wife is bound to that marriage relationship. It is only when the husband dies that the wife is free to remarry. If the wife remarries while the husband is still alive she is guilty of adultery. Likewise the passages teaches, “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” (7:4). Thus, by the death of Jesus Christ, we are free from the Law (the first covenant) and married to another (the second covenant). One is not allowed to be married to two men at the same time and one is not allowed to live under two different covenants at the same time. The Christian is dead to Moses and the Law and is married to Christ and the New Covenant. If one is married to both covenants at the same time they are guilty of spiritual adultery.
At the conclusion of Hebrews 8 the writer points out the change in covenants. He writes, “In that He saith, A new covenant, He hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” (vs 13). The term old is defined as “worn out, to declare obsolete.” The English Standard Version translates this verse as, “In speaking of a new covenant, He makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” Thus the first, the Old Covenant, is now rendered ineffective.
When the Old Covenant was put to death the New Covenant was estab- lished. The book of Hebrews explains this process. “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause He is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth” (Hebrews 9:14-17).
It is the death of Jesus Christ which ratifies the second (new) covenant. Through His blood, shed in His death, He is the mediator of this New Covenant. He is the go between or reconciler. Thus it is a better covenant! This law (New Testament) went into effect when the testator or law giver died. In modern vernacular we say, “A will goes into effect when the will giver dies.” Thus Jesus, His will and message of the coming of the kingdom, all became effective with His death on the cross.
The greatest blessing accomplished in the second (new) covenant is the forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 8:12 reads, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” Jesus said, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:28, NKJV). The Old Covenant, with its wondrous history and moral beauty, lacked the ability to provide absolute forgiveness of sin. Sin is the greatest dilemma humanity has ever faced, therefore the remission of sin is the greatest blessing humanity can ever receive.
Daniel King writes concerning the importance of the New Covenant and the forgiveness of sin, “God intended to build in two special safeguards: first He would put His law into their hearts and minds so that they would want to obey Him out of their love for Him; and second, He installed a means for the removal of this aggravating obstacle to their relationship, He would then be merciful to their unrighteousness, and provide a means for their sins and their iniquities to be remembered no more. They were to be entirely erased from God’s book of remembrance.”
Only under the New Covenant, on this side of the cross, can we find the cure for our greatest problem. If one desires to live under the Old Covenant they abandon the promise of God to provide forgiveness. Any Bible student should recognize the importance of this promise. Eternity is at stake and living in accordance to the correct covenant is of utmost importance.
Please recall, as we previously studied, Jesus shed His blood and died on the cross to ratify the New Covenant. Thus, understanding the role Jesus plays in our redemption, we see the importance of this covenant. The Bible displays the significance of Jesus and His atoning death. The subject matter is of such importance it was the focal point of both covenants. Isaiah, considered by many to be the most distinguished prophet of all, foretold these beautiful words, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: when thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.” (Isaiah 53:10).
Thus the promise of forgiveness is etched in one of the most famous passages of Scripture. John identifies the life Jesus was destined to live, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29). He then records the following statement, “And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2). Thus Jesus died in our place, as our substitute, shedding His blood that we might be the beneficiaries. We access this forgiveness through the gospel. Paul declared, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16).
The gospel can be obeyed according to 2 Thessalonians 1:8 and 9 and is done as a burial and resurrection in the form of baptism according to Romans 6:3-6. Therefore the Bible plainly declares baptism is where we “wash away” (Acts 22:16) our sins. Acts 2:38 echoes the same teaching, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.”
In our quest to understand the Hebrew author’s statement “a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.” (Hebrews 8:6) we have noticed several fundamental truths. There are two great covenants given in God’s word. It was, according to Scripture, the plan of God to abolish the first (old) covenant to make way for the establishment of the second, or new, covenant. The Old Cove- nant lacks the ability to provide forgiveness of sin, however, the New Covenant, which faithful Christians are now living in conjunction with, provides the avenue for our sins to be forgiven. If we desire to please God according to His will we must make sure we are living in conjunction with His effective covenant.
Stay with us for a final word, after our song…
We hope you will contact us so we can help you obey the Lord according to the new covenant. Again, you may pre-order our new six lesson correspondence or simply request a copy of this message, "A Better Covenant, #1121. Sign in to our Facebook page for the daily Bible verse and subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the weekly message at your convenience. Join us next week as we continue in our stand for truth in a world of religious confusion. We say with the apostle Paul in Romans 16:16, “the churches of Christ salute you.” Until next week, goodbye and God bless.
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