An Understanding Of The Old Covenant Vs New Covenant

By Eliza Mendoza


When comparing the old covenant vs new covenant the difference between them becomes clear. From Mount Sinai came the first agreement God made with Israel. This was in the form of a system of laws and statutes and applied only to the nation of Israel. The second binding agreement was between God and all of mankind and was a spiritual fulfillment of promises.

The ten commandments given to Moses were written on stone tablets. Obedience was required and those who disobeyed were punished. The book of Hebrews talks about the death of Christ establishing a different agreement. This new agreement referred to a different kind of relationship between God and man whereby His laws were written on hearts instead of on stone. Instead of simply obeying statutes, obedience was born out of love.

The laws given to the people were difficult to keep. They failed and repented time and time again. The High Priest had to go into the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle once a year on the day of atonement. He offered up the blood of animals and this gave temporary forgiveness for sins. When Christ, as the high priest, went into the Holy of Holies and offered up His blood for atonement, mankind was redeemed and this was a not temporary state.

As a sign of the first binding agreement every Jewish boy had to have the flesh of their foreskin removed. This was called circumcision. The New Testament states that the circumcision believers undergo is one made without hands. It is a spiritual rather than a physical act where the body of flesh is removed by what Christ did on the cross.

In the old testament priests and prophets had to relate to God on behalf of the people. The priests made sacrifices and the prophets acted as mouthpieces for God. This changed with the second agreement. Christ was the high priest who went into the Holy of Holies. On His death the veil was rent and man was no longer separated from God. This meant that everyone now had free access to God. He could be approached directly without need of an intermediary.

The nation of Israel kept the Sabbath day holy. If they broke the Sabbath they were punished and if they kept it they were blessed. The Sabbath as one day out of seven to be dedicated to the Lord is no longer valid, because as part of the new agreement all days belong to the Lord. Worshiping God is a way of life.

As part of the first agreement, things and places were considered holy. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies. When Jesus Christ died, the veil of the temple was torn into two, opening the way for all people into the presence of God through His blood. Worship is not longer a matter of place or time but a state of heart. The emphasis has shifted to the inner man, and attitudes and motives have become more important than external actions.

When comparing the old covenant vs new covenant we see how different they are. What the law foreshadowed in a physical way, God accomplishes through a new agreement. God gives believers new hearts on which He writes his law and He does not remember their sins any more. Jesus sealed this new agreement with His blood, and believers entered into it simply by repenting and believing in Him.




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