#old covenant

[tajcox]

“My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” Psalm 89:34

The first covenant was without fault meaning that it was perfectly made, so why the need for a second covenant? In v8 “For finding fault with them..” we were the problem; we weren’t able to uphold our end of the bargain. Even though “And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.” Exo 19:8.

Many fail to understand that we are under the same “system” (the sanctuary) that was in the Old Testament. “Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary..” Psa 77:13. In the Old Testament Moses created a sanctuary to reflect the pattern of the one in heaven, Exo 35:9. And was given the Ten Commandments(Gods law) that was put inside of the ark Deut 10:2, and Ceremonial Laws (book of laws) that was put on the side of the ark Deut 31:26. The old covenant was about obey and live. The Ten Commandments is the standard of righteousness. The book of laws were given to keep them civilized and to keep God at the forefront of their minds at all times; but their sacrifices were becoming of no effect. The sacrifices given was to represent Christ who would soon replace all sacrifices, and become our High priest instead; not putting away the system all together.

Christ came to set up better promises our “second covenant” which is about grace and forgiveness. He became our High Priest, and the great Lamb using the same exact system. Heb 9:11-12. What’s the saying "If you want a thing done well, do it yourself." Christ not only died to give us liberty to come to Him when needed, He also took it a step further by putting the law in our hearts (Jer 31:33, Heb 8:10) so we wouldn’t have an excuse to not uphold them, also taking it another step further by adding on an even more blessing by giving us grace (influence of the Holy Spirit) to help us along the way, to teach us when we are falling off and keeping us on track with His law Titus 2:11-14; grace was not given so we may break the law, it was given to help us uphold the law. Christ practically gave us a cheat sheet putting heaven directly in our hands and we are still rejecting it. God could not change or lower the standard for us, that’s why He gave us a perfect example that we are able to follow 1Peter 2:21. The law of God (transcript of His character;Ten Commandments) will always stand. Heb 13:8, Psa 119:89.

[that-kaafir-you-hate]

I noticed how both progressive christians and moderate muslims, and even anti-theists, have the same view about Old Testament laws.

And the same ignorance...

Progressive Christians. Moderate Muslims. Anti-theists.

Different camps, same argument:

"If you believe the Bible, why don’t you stone adulterers? Why do you eat shrimp? Why ignore Levitical purity laws?"

Say it with me now:

It's 👏 not 👏 mandatory 👏

We 👏 are not 👏 the 👏 old 👏 theocracy 👏

JESUS IS OUR LAW, OUR KING. ETERNAL LIKE MORALITY.

He doesn't sit on an earthly throne like king David. He sits at the right hand of the Father Himself, King of an eternal kingdom.

Ritual purity no longer bind Christians. Moral purity, however, does.

Progressive Christians, moderate Muslims, and anti-theists all keep parroting the same tired argument: “Well, if you believe the Bible, why don’t you stone adulterers, stop eating shrimp, or follow Levitical purity laws?”

Because they don’t get the covenants. They don’t understand the fulfillment. They don’t know Christ.

Here’s the reality, guys. Please listen:

The civil and ceremonial laws of theocratic Israel were never universal. They were for Israel’s national identity and temporary separation until Christ came.

Jesus fulfilled the entire Law (Matthew 5:17) and established the New Covenant in His blood (Luke 22:20).

Christians are not bound by Israel’s judicial codes or ritual markers. instead, Jesus - the perfect example for all mankind, for all generations - IS our Law - “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6)

God’s eternal moral standard is still in effect - not because of stone tablets, but because it flows directly from God’s unchanging nature.

Islam never got this memo, though. Sharia is still mandatory. External obedience, enforced by law, is the path to belonging. But in Christianity? It’s not the rules that make us chosen - it’s Christ’s blood that marks us as His. That’s the difference between grace and legalism.

the beauty of it is that a Christian's overwhelming devotion is instead illustrated by following these OPTIONAL laws.

A christian woman veils. doesn't eat shrimp. doesn't drink. maybe offers a cut of steak, from a large chunk of their salary, on a small garden altar 💀. That's 👏 their 👏 choice.

It's by heart, not by obligation.

that's the beauty of the New Covenant (which a lot of Muslims and anti-theists refuse to grasp, because they're idea of a god is entirely different - and vastly more like a slave master - than that of a Christian)

Christians aren’t forced to perform rituals, but when they choose to - out of love, not law - it reflects something far deeper than blind obedience: it shows devotion from the heart.

A Christian woman veils not because she’ll be flogged if she doesn’t, but because she wants to reflect modesty and honor God.

A Christian man skips the shrimp cocktail not because the priest will stone him, but because he feels personally convicted to live simply.

Another believer might give up wine, not out of fear, but out of discipline and gratitude.

Someone else might even build a tiny garden altar, offering up a prime cut of steak from their paycheck - not because God requires it, but because their heart longs to give back.

💀 You see, that’s the punchline ☺️

Under the Old Covenant : Obedience was a requirement to be set apart.

Under the New Covenant : Obedience is a response to already being set apart.

That’s why Jesus is our Law, our King, and our Covenant. My devotion isn’t measured by compulsion, but by love. There’s a vast difference between

"I must do this or else"

and "I choose to do this because He saved me."

Meanwhile, Islam’s Sharia demands conformity, and progressive Christians + anti-theists misunderstand that Christianity doesn’t.

They can’t comprehend that a believer’s freedom includes the freedom to give things up out of love - not obligation.

John 8:12

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

[that-asian-you-hate]

I finally remembered to post this. Feel free to correct me on any part.

It's no secret we all struggle with seeing the divide between the Old Testament's "Dont eat pork" type of laws, Moral Laws (which cannot be changed), and the laws affirmed by Christ in the New Testament.

This is a common Reverse Uno Card of apologist trying to justify sin, by saying (vaguely) "why abide by moral laws stated in the OT when you don't follow all the theocratic and ceremonial laws anyway?"

🤦‍♀️See.. here's the thing..

Moral Law = rooted in God’s unchanging character

Ten Commandments, prohibitions on murder, adultery, idolatry, etc.

Civil/Theocratic Law = laws that governed ancient Israel as a nation-state under God’s direct rule

land boundaries, penalties for theft, dietary laws(such as no shrimp, no pork, etc.), marking Israel as set apart.

Ceremonial Law = sacrificial system, ritual purity, temple ordinances

animal sacrifices, priestly rituals, clean/unclean rules.

/// Ashahad 'nna Yasu huwa al-Rabb

Moral Laws are eternal. They do not change.

Murder is murder, even if it was done in a drunken rage. It was a sin even before there were Ten Commandments.

Lust is lust, even if you frame it as "Love". Just because you're both having fun, and it's consensual, that doesn't make it holy. (Jewish scholars believe God personally smite Er, a direct descendant of Abraham, because he kept wasting his seed, refusing to impregnate Tamar and continue the covenant line.)

Even if your nation says something is legal, that doesn't change the fact that it's immoral. And just because it's legal, that doesn't mean you have to agree with it - in fact, you have a moral obligation to voice it out.

You don't change Morality - you repent.

/// La ilaha illa YHWH, wa-Yasu huwa kalimatuhu al-mutajasidah

Civil/Theocratic AND Ceremonial Laws were temporary.

These were tied to Israel’s covenant identity as God’s chosen nation and to the sacrificial system.

When Christ came, He fulfilled the ceremonial laws (Hebrews 10:1 to 14. Christ is the once-for-all sacrifice). That's why we dont sacrifice animals anymore. Christ was the final lamb.

And Israel as a theocracy no longer exists, so the civil laws don’t bind Christians. Which means Christians can eat pork and shellfish, and they can wear clothes of different pelts sewn together.

BUT MORAL LAWS STILL STAND.

Jesus didn't abolish morality in the New Testament during His ministry.

Pork is now ok. But Greed, Gluttony, and Envy are still sinful. Coveting material wealth and riches and clinging to that which are temporary is still a sin.

Shellfish is now ok. But Wrath, Sloth, PRIDE, and Lust are still sinful. You're free to eat clams, as the law is temporary and bound to the theocracy of Israel, but to fornicate for pleasure is still a sin in the eyes of God, a violation of eternal Moral laws, from which no man or woman of any sexual orientation is exempt.

So if liars point to the Old Testament ceremonial and civil laws, point out the new covenant - the Moral Laws affirmed by the perfect lamb, Jesus Christ, and the imperfect apostles; we are no longer bound by the civil and ceremonial laws of the old Israel theocracy, but we are still bound by the eternal moral laws of God.

example: Christians do not have to rebuke the eating of pork, as it was ceremonial, but we do still need to rebuke sexual immorality.

People love quoting obscure Levitical laws (like “no mixed fabrics!”) as if Christians are hypocrites for rejecting some Old Testament commands but not others.

OT laws are optional to follow — but not required for salvation

You can follow dietary laws, festivals, or other OT customs if you want (Romans 14, Colossians 2:16), but:

> They don’t make you righteous before God. > Paul warns against making OT laws mandatory for Christians (Galatians 5).

Meaning, if you want to follow your FB group's "No Meat Friday" tradition, have at it.... BUT-

DO NOT treat it as a requirement for salvation, which Paul flat-out rejects (Galatians 5:1-4).

NOR Judge other Christians for not doing it - which Paul also forbids, saying “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” ( Romans 14:5 )

So yeah, Christians have freedom in Christ to follow such practices as long as they don’t turn it into legalism.

It’s like:

✅ Doing “No Meat Friday” because you want to honor God? Great.

✅ Skipping it entirely? Also great.

❌ Saying “God loves me more because I follow No Meat Friday”? That’s where Paul throws a theological brick....

TL;DR

Moral laws = eternal, reflect God’s nature, still binding. Ceremonial & civil laws = fulfilled in Christ, optional to follow, not required. Following OT laws today is fine = but they don’t save you and shouldn’t be imposed on others.

Perfection is not a requirement when the Laws written in your heart compels you to rebuke sin; if perfection had been a requirement, Jesus wouldn't have encouraged His disciples to spread His message - the apostles wouldn't have allowed themselves to be martyred for the Good News, that a sinful world might know that repentance is open to those who believe in the Son of God, who said,

"Love thy neighbor", as well as,

"Sin no more."

[faithfulsheepdog]

so I saw this thing on twitter and I wish I could remember word for word what it said but it said that God killed 2 priests for not using the right incense in worship and so just because we think we’re worshipping doesn’t mean we’re actually worshipping. The Bible says what worship is and not our feelings. Please elaborate because I’m confused

Hi, Anon! Thanks for the question.

This is a really intriguing one, and it requires a bit of a lengthy answer.

So the story regarding the priests in question can be found in Leviticus 10, and yes, two priests did not adhere to very specific, very important rules God established for coming to Him in worship under the old covenant. We do not know why they did not use the correct incense, but the fact they did not follow the rules for keeping the space sacred and holy meant they desecrated God's sacred space.

Imagine a solemn memorial in today's era trashed. Doesn't matter why. It matters it was.

And yes, there's a lot of discussion surrounding this story because of how harsh God's response was. To us. To us, it seems harsh, but see, we're not perfect; we're not holy. I imagine when we get to heaven, we'll be like "oh yeah that was totally valid".

God's holiness could not and should not be tampered with and disrespected. God placed those rules on how to approach His presence as protection and preservation for humanity because God's holiness is too awesome, pure, and divine to just be casually approached by sinful humanity.

Despite what the twitter post must have said though, the hearts of the people were still an issue. They didn't bother or care or respect God enough to follow the rules He set for their protection, and they paid the price.

If this freaks you out, don't worry. You're not alone in that. Holiness is too big and too serious a thing to wrap my head around too.

Now here's the good news for us though! We do not have to live under the law of the Old Testament any longer.

The law God set up for the protection of His people on how to approach Him has been settled forever by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we do not have to live under that law.

[Jesus said] "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished." - Matthew 5:17-18 ESV Then Jesus shouted out again, and He released His spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom..." - Matthew 27:50-51a NLT

I feel like I could say so much about that passage from Matthew 27 because it's one of my favorite details in the entire Bible. Back in the Old Testament, the priests could only approach the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple, and they could not enter through the curtain. Only the high priest (after going through the appropriate cleansing rituals) could pass because beyond the curtain was the presence of God Himself. That curtain kept humanity on one side and God on the other.

But! When Jesus died on the cross, God Himself tore the curtain that separated His space from the rest of the Temple, meaning that humanity was free to approach Him as is without fear if they chose to. And thank God for that!

We are free from living under that law, so we don't have to fear things like messing up any longer because the Holy Spirit will convict and correct us if we're doing something wrong.

Now here's the thing about worship. The person who said the Bible has the say on what worship is isn't wrong. But if that person was referring to the laws of the Old Testament, they not only missed the significance of the curtain being torn, they also missed the words of Jesus:

"But a time is coming - indeed it's here now - when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth." - John 4:23-24 NLT

Where is your focus when you worship? What is the posture of your heart? Worship isn't just about feelings like the twitter post says. It is about focusing on God and giving Him the glory and praise He deserves. It's about letting your spirit be in communion with the Holy Spirit. God is the focus of worship. When you focus on the goodness of God and how amazing He is and you settle in the truth of His character and connect with His Spirit, worship will come pretty naturally then.

Hope that helps, Anon! Bottom line is you don't have to worry about the law of the Old Testament because Jesus fulfilled it for us, and we live under a new covenant now. And we can approach God as we are and we are to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Thanks for the question! If you need clarification or have other questions, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

[freebiblestudies]

Line Upon Line Lesson 069: Why the Old Covenant Failed

Exodus 19:8 - Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord.

There are many Christians today who claim they are “new covenant Christians.”  They often claim the old covenant, which included the Ten Commandments,  was done away with.  They also claim the new covenant replaced the Ten Commandments with two simpler rules of love: love God and love your neighbor.  These same Christians also believe the fourth commandment of keeping the seventh-day Sabbath  no longer applies to them.  Instead, they keep Sunday in honor of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Are these claims true? What exactly are the old and new covenants? What was the difference between the two?

Let’s read together Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrews 8:6-13. 

We learn from these verses that the old covenant was the covenant the children of Israel made with God at Mount Sinai. 

Let’s read together Luke 22:20; Galatians 4:21-31; and Hebrews 9:16.

The new covenant was established by Jesus Christ.  It came into effect and was ratified by His sacrifice at the cross.

Let’s read together Exodus 19:8; Exodus 20:12; Hebrews 8:6; and James 2:12.

The Bible tells us the new covenant was established on better promises.  Note that the old covenant did not fail because of anything on God’s part.  The Ten Commandments are perfect and contain good promises. 

The old covenant failed because the people did not do all that God had spoken to them to do.  Essentially, the people did not hold up their end of the contract.

God’s terms in the old and new covenant are the same - obedience to His commandments. Jesus promises to empower us to obey God’s word in the new covenant.  

Friend, are you a new covenant Christian?

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Behold, I have come to do your will...

4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;

6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.

7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’ ” — Hebrews 10:4-7 | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide. Cross References: 1 Samuel 15:22; Ezra 6:2; Psalm 40:6-7 and 8; Isaiah 40:16; Isaiah 50:5; Hebrews 9:12-13; Hebrews 10:1

[reformedontheweb]

He called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us, concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed

He called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us, concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed

There is a word in Genesis 5:28, 29 which we should carefully ponder in this connection. There we read that “Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: and he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us, concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed.” This is the first mention of Noah in Scripture, and there is no…

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[starsinthethousands]

A Closer Look: Solomon, the King Who Broke God’s Covenant

Perhaps many of us might have heard of the wealthiest and the wisest king of Israel: Solomon. But what else do we know about him besides these renowned qualities? Let’s take a closer look at who King Solomon really was, and why he played such an important role in the history of Israel, God’s chosen nation. 

King Solomon and His Fame

Apart from Solomon’s great riches and prosperity, there was more than what meets the eye. Solomon was the son of David, an upright king, and someone whom God said was a man after His own heart. When King David anointed his son as his successor, he gave Solomon careful instructions to abide by every one of God’s laws and to worship Him only. 

Solomon: Carrying on the Covenant

By doing that, Solomon would be keeping the covenant that God had made with Israel all the way back in the time of Moses. 

As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heaven and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’

1 Kings 9:4-5

 Adhering to his father’s words, Solomon walked faithfully with God for much of his life. 

Solomon: The Wise King

God was pleased and promised to give anything Solomon asked for. What did Solomon ask for though? Not wealth nor a long life, but the wisdom to lead God’s people on the righteous path. God, deeply moved, gave Solomon everything he desired, including the things he didn’t ask for (1 Kings 3:5-14). God made Solomon the wisest king. Even foreign royalty came to listen to Solomon’s great wisdom. He was filled with splendour and reigned over Israel with justice. 

King Solomon had everything that not many could have attained in a lifetime: wisdom, fame, and wealth. He was the first king to build a physical temple for God. Foreigners who visited King Solomon praised the God of Israel because of him and the grand temple he had built. But did this prosperity lead to good things in the end?

King Solomon was well-renowned. And with that fame and attention, greater temptations and opportunities to turn away from God arose.