SECOND QUARTER 2021
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #10
JUNE 5, 2021
“THE NEW COVENANT”

 

Read for This Week’s Study: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Mattthew 5:17-28; Hosea 2:18-20; Isaiah 56:6-7; Hebrew 8:7-8; Hebrew 10:4; Matthew 27:51.

 

Memory Verse: “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31)

 

Introduction

It is an honor and a privilege to write upon a subject which is at the heart of our Christian experience, and I pray to have the grace to be faithful to that calling, and I pray for others to have the Holy Spirit to have “ears to hear.”  The New Covenant is God’s promise to us, to “write His law in our hearts and minds”, which is really a promise to heal us completely from the infection of sin, selfishness, fear, and rebellion.

 

I would like to begin by sharing a quote which has often reminded me of my daily need for the righteousness of Christ, for full dependence upon Him for the miracle that He has accomplished for us, and daily wants to give us, and to see growth as a result of our reception.

 

“The New Birth is a rare experience in this age of the world.  This is the reason why there are so many perplexities in the churches.  Many, so many, who assume the name of Christ are unsanctified and unholy.  They have been baptized, but they were buried alive.  Self did not die, and therefore they did not rise to newness of life in Christ.”  SDA BC6:1075.

 

Our lesson today is far advanced of a theological discussion.  It is ultimately the issue of a living relationship with Christ, now, and in eternity.

 

Dispensationalism was being formulated at the similar time period as the formation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.  Popularized by the Schofield Bible, this teaching went on to become widely accepted among certain segments of conservative Christianity in America and elsewhere.

 

One of the time periods conceptualized by Dispensationalists is the period between Moses and Jesus, called the dispensation of the Old Covenant.  According to this teaching, the human race was placed under the authority of the law during the dispensation of the Old Covenant, but with the coming of Christ, the old covenant was abolished.  The law, dispensationalists say, was nailed to the cross and replace by the New Covenant of salvation by grace alone.  Thus, “we are not under law, but under grace.”  The implication is that the Mosaic or Old Covenant was a temporary and law based, legalistic covenant whereby salvation was by works and obedience to the law.  Now, they teach, the law is no longer binding on the Christian who lives under grace.  They view the Old Covenant as one bringing bondage, whereas now we have freedom, and thus SDAs are in a state of bondage due to their adherence to the Old Testament.  So, salvation, and the standard in the judgment obviously must differ dependent upon the covenant being discussed.  Of course, by logical extension, the Sabbath is a part of the “Old Covenant” as a part of 613 laws, all of which have been abrogated by a “better” covenant based on grace and the promises of God, for there was a “fault” with God’s Old Testament, Old Covenant.

 

What parallels exist between the old and new covenants? What role does the law play in the covenant? With whom were the covenants made? What does the book of Hebrews mean by a “better covenant”? (Hebrew 8:6). What relation is there between the covenant and the heavenly sanctuary?  Is the Sabbath a part of the New Covenant?

 

The 1888 View of the New Covenant

 

First, there is only one Gospel, promised to the human race from the time of the fall, and in the mind of God from before the inception of the world.

 

2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

 

1 Peter 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

 

Ephesians1:4 According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:

 

Second, the Old Testament people had the same Gospel of Righteousness by Faith in Christ.

 

Hebrews 4:2 states “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” The people of the Exodus had the same gospel preached to them as we do. The Gospel of Genesis, the Abrahamic Covenant, all representative of the Gospel, is the same gospel as the Sinai Covenant.

 

1 Chronicles 16:15 Be ye mindful always of His covenant; the word which He commanded to a thousand generations;

 

1 Chronicles 16:16 Even of the covenant which He made with Abraham, and of His oath unto Isaac;

 

1 Chronicles 16:17 And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant.

 

Third, God always desired a heart experience as a result of faith in Him.

 

Deuteronomy 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!

 

Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

 

Deuteronomy 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

 

There is an Old Testament Messianic Promise of the Law in the Heart of Christ Who wants to live in our heart.

 

Psalms 40:7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book, it is written of me,

 

Psalms 40:8 I delight to do Thy will, O my God: yea, Thy law is within my heart.

 

Thus, fourth, the New Covenant, stated in several different ways in the Old Testament, was not merely a “prediction” of a different covenant experience which the Jewish people did not have access to, but was an experience and reality they could have, as well as us.

 

The New Covenant

 

Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

 

Jeremiah 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:

 

Jeremiah 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people.

 

Jeremiah 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

 

The Covenant was “not” according to the one made with the Israelites coming out of Egypt, because they approached it from a legalistic perspective, and broke covenant relationship with God very quickly, and never were right in the heart, being described as “stiff necked” people.

 

God wanted to establish a Covenant relationship in which His people fully surrendered to Him and fully depended upon His grace, love, power to live in harmony with His will, as opposed to making promises to Him and living in their own strength.

 

The text does not suggest an abrogation of God’s Moral Law, but that He would initiate the renewed relationship, and that He would internalize the law into their hearts, minds, and thus experience, so that man would truly know God.

 

“All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us.

 

As Christ lived the law in humanity, so we may do if we will take hold of the Strong for strength.”  Desire of Ages, 668.

 

Hosea 2:18 And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth and will make them to lie down safely.

 

Hosea 2:19 And I will betroth thee unto Me forever; yea, I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.

 

Hosea 2:20 I will even betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

 

You see in these verses a strong relational component to the covenant concept God wants to be married to us, He wants us to have His heart, His mind, His faithfulness, and intimacy with Him.

 

He is willing to do this for all who truly respond to His drawing, His call and gift of confession and repentance, and the subsequent life of faithfulness and loving obedience.

 

There are several texts in Ezekiel that all refer us to God’s promise to give us a new heart, a new spirit, and to truly “know” Him.

 

The Lord will provide “ ‘a heart to know that I am the Lord’ ” (Jeremiah 24:7, RSV). He will “ ‘take the stony heart out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh’ ” (Ezekiel 11:19, RSV), and will give “ ‘a new heart’ ” and “ ‘a new spirit’ ” (Ezekiel 36:26, RSV). He also says, “ ‘I will put My Spirit within you’ ” (Ezekiel 36:27, NASB). This work of God is the foundation of the new covenant.

 

What were the Israelites called to do and to be?

 

Isaiah 49:6  And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth.

 

They were not chosen to be a select people, to be superior, or to be isolated from others, but to be a light, a source of truth, and the deliverer of “salvation” to the ends of the earth.  If they had only a “legalistic” covenant, they would have had no “salvation” to bring to anyone for “bondage” cannot save anyone.  Therefore, the truth of the gospel in the “new covenant” was available in the “old” testament times.

 

Isaiah 56 calls nonbelievers, and non-Israelites to God, desiring His house to be a “house of prayer” for all people. God is mediating, appealing to a new covenant experience for all people, regardless of nationality, culture, etc.

 

Hebrews 8

 

Hebrews 8 is a very important chapter to understand, as many believe it teaches that the “Old Covenant” has been replaced by a superior, New Covenant that has a superior morality, better promises, and represents Grace, and not Law.  It is felt that the Law of God is now replaced by the Law of Christ, the Law of Love, etc.  This chapter, along with Galatians 4, are at the heart of the truth of this quote following. 

 

E. J. Waggoner

“These two covenants exist today. The two covenants are not matters of time, but of conditions…So the Covenant from Sinai holds all who adhere to it in bondage ‘under the law,’ while the covenant from above gives freedom, not freedom from obedience, out of love, to the law, but freedom from disobedience to it…The difference between the two covenants may be put briefly thus: In the covenant from Sinai we ourselves have to do with the law alone, while in the covenant from above we have the law in Christ.”  Glad Tidings, pp. 100-101.

 

Certainly the “types and shadows” have been replaced by the reality of Christ, but in principle, the entire Old Testament is still in effect, for it all reflects the character of God.  The morality of both the Old Testament and New Testament periods is Love, Holiness, etc.  There was Grace in the Old Testament, such as in Psalm 32.

 

Psalm 32:1 A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

 

Psalm 32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile….

 

Psalm 32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.

 

 

“The two covenants are not matters of time; instead, they are reflective of human attitudes.” The popular understanding has long been that the primary issue distinguishing the covenants is whether one lives before the cross or after the cross. This was the understanding of some of our pioneers. Jones and Waggoner presented a more accurate understanding. “These two covenants exist today.  The two covenants are not matters of time, but of condition.  Let no one flatter himself that he cannot be bound under the old covenant, thinking that its time has passed” (E. J. Waggoner, The Glad Tidings, p. 100).

 

The covenant and promise of God are one and the same . . . God’s covenants with men can be nothing else than promises to them . . . . After the Flood God made a “covenant” with every beast of the earth, and with every foul; but the beasts and the birds did not promise anything in return (Genesis 9:9-16).  They simply received the favor at the hand of God.  That is all we can do—receive.  God promises us everything that we need, and more than we can ask or think, as a gift.  We give Him ourselves, that is, nothing.  And He gives us Himself, that is, everything.  That which makes all the trouble is that even when men are willing to recognize the Lord at all they want to make bargains with Him.  They want it to be an equal, “mutual” affair—a transaction in which they can consider themselves on a par with God…

 

“The gospel was as full and complete in the days of Abraham as it has ever been or ever will be.  No addition to it or change in its provisions or conditions could possibly be made after God’s oath to Abraham.  Nothing can be taken away from it as it thus existed, and not one thing can ever be required from any man more than what was required of Abraham.”  -- E. J. Waggoner, The Glad Tidings, p. 71-73

 

A Study of the “Abrahamic covenant” reinforces the message of Waggoner cited above.  God promised Abraham everything.  Yet Abraham was not required to promise anything.  The word of God says, “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6).  This is the secret of entering the new covenant—believing God as Abraham did.  You will notice that the narrative presented in Genesis reveals that this was an active faith.  Abraham’s faith in God led him to finally offer up the promised son, expecting that God was able to raise him from the dead (Hebrews 11:19).  This was true faith.

 

We need to see the remarkable lengths to which God went to confirm the covenant to Abraham.  “For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.  And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.  For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.  Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath:  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:13-18).

 

God pledged His very existence as the guarantee of the covenant.  The symbols of His presence passed between the dead bodies of the animals which God had instructed Abraham to prepare (see Genesis 15).  This is God’s assurance that He is well able to accomplish everything that He has promised.

 

There obviously was a time when Abram’s faith waivered.  The fruit of his union with Hagar is a long-standing object lesson showing the terrible results of unbelief.  “Thus, Abraham was brought to depend upon and trust in the naked promise of God alone, for all that the promise contained.  And if Abraham had stood there from the first and refused Sarai's suggestion with regard to Hagar, there would have been no such family trouble as came between Sarai and Hagar; Ishmael never would have been born; and Abraham would never have been called to offer Isaac.  Had he from the first "staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief" (Romans 4:20), but been strong in faith, giving glory to God, fully persuaded that what He had promised He was able also to perform, righteousness might have been imputed to him throughout” (A. T. Jones, Review and Herald, July 3, 1900).

 

“Instead of responding to God’s promises in humility and faith, the Israelites responded with self-confidence.”  Waggoner says, “In short, the law was given to show them that they had not faith and so were not true children of Abraham and were therefore in a fair way to lose the inheritance.  God would have put His law into their hearts even as He put it into Abrahams’ heart, if they had believed.  But when they disbelieved, yet still professed to be heirs of the promise, it was necessary to show them in the most marked manner that their unbelief was sin. The law was spoken because of transgression, or (what is the same thing) because of the unbelief of the people.” (E. J. Waggoner, The Glad Tidings, p. 74).

 

The world, and certainly the church today is composed of those represented by Isaac as well as those represented by Ishmael. Therefore, “As spiritual descendants of Isaac, we should not be surprised when we suffer hardship and opposition, even from within the church family itself.”

 

“The stories of Hagar, Ishmael, and the children of Israel at Sinai illustrate the foolishness of trying to rely upon our own efforts to accomplish what God has promised.”  Those who do not understand the “old” covenant are at risk to fall for its deception.  I feel strongly that this is true, and also, that we do not sufficiently understand the warning of Laodicea to be that of “self- righteousness” in the final generation.

 

Hebrews 8 is clear that the New Covenant is established on “better promises” because God found “fault” with the people    God has no faults, and God does not make bad promises.  God found “fault” with “them”, or the Old Testament Israelites and Jews who, as Romans 10 says,

 

Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

 

The Covenant ratified by Christ’s blood, called the “Everlasting Covenant” in Hebrews 13, is superior in its revelation of the Father, through the Son, giving us the fullest picture of selfless love, holiness, and obedience, even unto death.

 

Jones’ view was the same as Waggoner.

 

“The second (new) covenant consists solely of the promise of God, and depends upon the power of God.”  R&H, July 24, 1900, p. 472.

 

This “everlasting covenant” was made before the foundation of the world, containing the same promise as the new covenant.  It is God’s promise to make His people “complete in every good work to do His will…. through Jesus Christ.”  The New Covenant is the good news of how God solves the problem of the depths of sin and provides full healing.

 

As the Bible presents two laws, one changeless and eternal, the other provisional and temporary, so there are two covenants. The covenant of grace was first made with man in Eden, when after the Fall there was given a divine promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. To all men this covenant offered pardon and the assisting grace of God for future obedience through faith in Christ. It also promised them eternal life on condition of fidelity to God's law. Thus, the patriarchs received the hope of salvation.

 

This same covenant was renewed to Abraham in the promise, “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 22:18. This promise pointed to Christ. So, Abraham understood it (see Galatians 3:8, 16), and he trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sins. It was this faith that was accounted unto him for righteousness. The covenant with Abraham also maintained the authority of God's law. The Lord appeared unto Abraham, and said, “I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect.” Genesis 17:1. The testimony of God concerning His faithful servant was, “Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” Genesis 26:5. And the Lord declared to him, “I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee.” Genesis 17:7.

 

“Though this covenant was made with Adam and renewed to Abraham, it could not be ratified until the death of Christ. It had existed by the promise of God since the first intimation of redemption had been given; it had been accepted by faith; yet when ratified by Christ, it is called a new covenant. The law of God was the basis of this covenant, which was simply an arrangement for bringing men again into harmony with the divine will, placing them where they could obey God's law.”  Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 370-71.

 

“The same law that was engraved upon the tables of stone is written by the Holy Spirit upon the tables of the heart. Instead of going about to establish our own righteousness we accept the righteousness of Christ. His blood atones for our sins. His obedience is accepted for us. Then the heart renewed by the Holy Spirit will bring forth “the fruits of the Spirit.” Through the grace of Christ, we shall live in obedience to the law of God written upon our hearts. Having the Spirit of Christ, we shall walk even as He walked. Through the prophet He declared of Himself, “I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart. Psalm 40:8”. Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 372.

 

A major point of the two covenants is that Whoever makes the promise is automatically the source of the righteousness. Man’s part in the New Covenant is solely Abraham’s response of faith-which is always a “faith which works” by love. Believe God’s promises to you, and act upon them, understanding the true force of the will, empowered by the Grace of God. Under the New Covenant, the Ten Commandments become Ten wonderful promises.

 

I appeal to you today to receive the promises of God, to believe by faith the finished work of Christ, and to allow Him to do within you His work, His mystery, His promise, to “forgive you and to cleanse you of all unrighteousness.”

 

~Pastor Tom Cusack