A covenant remains intact even if one of the parties breaches it.
Let me say that again.
A covenant remains intact even if one of the parties breaches it.
Therefore, every reference to a “new” covenant is a new condition to the original covenant upholding the original covenant by the stronger party of the covenant despite the failure of the weaker party.
God’s foundational covenant with humanity is the transfer of his power and authority to humanity.
“Let us make man in our image and let them have dominion”. (Genesis 1:26)
This is the Singularity enforcing a new reality, exactly as stated in “Let…” throughout Creation and thereafter.
Clearly, the only way this can possibly work is for humanity to draw on the source of power and authority of the Singularity over Creation.
“And the LORD God commanded the man / made a law, saying…of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:
In other words – do not break away to independence! Follow God’s determination of what is good and what is evil.
for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die [become separated from the Source of life].” (Genesis 2:16-17)
This is not some arbitrary wrath of God. This is simple reality. Mankind does not have the intrinsic power of life.
But it is simply human nature to take charge ourselves. This totally makes sense when we recognize that’s how God designed us – to have dominion.
Throughout all history, the Creator has supported humanity’s failure to meet its covenantal responsibilities to take dominion.
- “For he testifieth, Thou [Adam] art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec / Priest-king having dominion over Creation.
- For there is verily a disannulling of the [singular] commandment going before
- for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.
- For the [singular] law made nothing perfect.” (Hebrews 7:17-18)
The singular commandment that was weak and unprofitable for humans was “Don’t eat the fruit.”
They ate the fruit.
Therefore God supported the weak human party to the covenant by:
“the bringing in of a better hope did [make perfect];by the which we draw nigh unto God…that said unto him [the one granted dominion], The LORD sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec…(Hebrews 7:19-21)
Since humanity’s sin is the problem preventing the fulfillment of YHVH’s covenant of dominion, the stronger party / YHVH supports the failing party /humanity by getting rid of the sin. Merciful Creator God added a clause to the original covenant – transferring death “in the day” the Adams sinned to animals under their charge.
“And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden…because I was naked / vulnerable, i.e lost some kind of hyper dimensional protective covering exposing his newly corrupted mortal state ...
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God [kill animals to] make coats of skins…” (Genesis 3:8-10, 21)
This is not part of the original covenant, so clearly is an addition, a new clause, the means by which YHVH as the stronger party to the covenant was able to uphold his end of the covenant granting dominion to humanity by allowing the use of certain animal’s blood which carries the life force given by the Creator to replace the sinful human’s death penalty.
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls…” (Leviticus 17:11)
The exchange of life for life should come as a logical observation, not as a spiritual mandate. We know that humans must sacrifice another life in order to maintain human life. Having our meat cut up into unrecognizable shapes and wrapped in plastic allows us to overlook that fact, but it’s still a fact nonetheless, even for vegetarians.
But animal life itself is mortal, so only provides temporary reprieve from death, so God added another clause to the original covenant to support the failed Adams.
He promised that a future human would destroy the Adversary and the death that he imposes and restore the permanent connection with the LORD God Father to empower human dominion per the covenant.
“her [Eve’s] seed; it shall bruise / smash [the Serpent’s] head,” (Genesis 3:15)
“your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you…the Redeemer shall come…unto them that turn from transgression ..the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression…this [the Redemmer] is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee…shall not depart…from henceforth and for ever.” (Isaiah 59)
So the reference to a “new” covenant did not alter or cancel the original covenant and their addendums, which remain intact.
“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…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;
And what was that?
“when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt…and were come to the desert of Sinai…Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel…if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant…ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation…And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do.” (Exodus 19:1-8)
“which my covenant they brake.”
The “new” covenant is clearly stated to empower Israel to meet their terms of the covenant, which is to obey God’s voice and keep his commandments in order to be a kingdom of priests and an holy nation.
- “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts / deepest desires & drives;
- and will be their God / Source of Life and All Power,
- and they shall be my people…they shall all know me / be united with me
- for I will forgive / suffer the consequences myself of their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more…
- I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake…” (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Isaiah 43:25)
YHVH’s vow to permanently indwell and empower the people of Israel to obey laws clearly establishes that the humans’ responsibility in the covenant is to obey the laws!
“For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 7:22-25)
This is not legalism, a demand to follow a list of dos and don’ts in order to be righteous. Biblical codes of law were never given to make one righteous. Laws simply clarify which behaviors are harmful to self or society. Even before a law is enacted to impose punishment as a deterrent to certain behaviors – like fines for failure to wear seatbelts – the naturally destructive consequences of those behaviors exist – like injury and death from failing to wear seatbelts. Having laws simply promotes a good life.
“For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.” (Romans 5:13)
Go back to the first law “Don’t eat the fruit.” If God hadn’t warned the Adams, they would still have suffered the consequence from eating the toxic substance.
- “…the commandment [don’t eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil] which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
- For sin [my own desire for self exaltation], taking occasion by the commandment [here’s the first opportunity to demonstrate I don’t need anyone to be the boss of me!], deceived me [using distorted thought processes like denial, rationalization, justification of self],
- and by it slew me [suicide]. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” (Romans 7:10-12)
The great change from the old to the new covenant is
- not giving up the practice of the law,
- but receiving the permanent presence of God’s Spirit empowering the practice of the law.
“These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh / DOMINION! that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know [be united with] thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent…Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth…That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us…even as we are one.” (John 17)
Just as marriage vows require more from each partner than engagement promises, so the new covenant of union between God and his people demands greater, not less, commitment to love, honor and obey.
“Thus saith the LORD God…I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you…That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them…” (Ezekiel 11:17-20)
When the letter to the Hebrews states that “the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law” (Hebrews 7:12) we can’t interpret “a change also of the law” to mean the entire Mosaic code was tossed out when Jesus died on the cross. We certainly don’t believe that the Ten Commandments were discarded. The same passage clarifies that the law that was changed was the one requiring constant sacrifice of animal lives through their blood. The new covenant is the once-and-done “death following transgression of the law” requirement of the original covenant, provided by God in support of weak humanity.
“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: 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 Christ / The Authorized Seed Of The Woman is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us…now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:13-15)
“Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” (John 6:53-54)
Jesus couldn’t express this concept any more forcefully. The old process of ritually killing an animal to substitute for one’s own death penalty for sin, then incorporating its flesh and blood for one’s renewed life by this means, has been subsumed for all time – past, present and future – by the death of the Redeemer promised to the very first two humans.
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the [hu]man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all.” (I Timothy 2:4-6)
If we maintain consistency, reliability, validity with the entire written word of God we recognize that the scripturally precise Apostle Paul is not preaching a new exclusionary religion founded on a man born in 33 AD, but connecting that man to the whole of prophesied scripture.
“the LORD God said unto the serpent…seed [of the human woman] shall bruise / crush thy head / destroy you.” (Genesis 3:14-15)
The man who English speaking peoples call Jesus is YHVH’s promised human agent of salvation. This is more easily recognized when translated back to the original languages:
- Iesous (Greek)
- Yehoshua (Hebrew) = Yhvh is salvation.
Kingdom Come 