We had communion at church today. Dr. Doug Bookman, a New Testament Professor at Shepherd’s Seminary gave the communion message. What a treat! I know the truth of the New testament, but have a hard time discussing why one of the Old Testament covenants is no longer valid. Well, today I think I became closer to understanding.
The Mosaic Covenant was centered around God giving His divine law to Moses on Mount Sinai. If Israel is obedient then God will bless them. If they disobey God will punish them. It revealed to people their sinfulness and their need for a Savior. Later, Jesus states that He did not come to abolish the Mosaic law but to fulfill it.
We see in Lev 17:11 that Israelites offered sacrifice after sacrifice–the work was never done.
Heb 8:13 says “By calling this covenant new, he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.”
Heb 9:15 says “For this reason, Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance–now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”
The Mosaic Covenant was written on stones, yet the New Covenant (Jer 31:31-34 and Eze 36:26-27) is written on our hearts. It’s made possible only by faith in Jesus Christ, who shed his own blood to atone for the sins of the world.
We are no longer under the penalty of law but are given the opportunity to receive salvation as a free gift (Eph 2:8-9).
Nowadays, a believer has an intimacy with God that Old Testament saints never had. As Dr. Bookman said, “We need to learn to wallow in this New Testament covenant.”