The Two Covenants

The two covenants is a very deep subject. When you're dealing with the two covenants you are dealing with the entire plan of human redemption.

This is why the Bible which reveals the plan of redemption is called the Old Testament and the New Testament. Another word for testament is covenant. So you can call the Bible the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.

When you're talking about the two covenants it's impossible to explain this subject with just one article or sermon. And no man can fully explain or exhaust the two covenants, because it is the entire plan of human redemption that was set up way back in eternity past before creation.

What Scripture calls the first or old covenant is the covenant that was made with the children of Israel at Sinai. This covenant was based on the people making promises to God to obey him.

"And 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; ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will OBEY my voice indeed, and keep my COVENANT, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him. 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.
" (Exodus 19:3‭-‬8 KJV)

A covenant is a contract or an agreement between two parties. Promises are made between the two parties.

God said if they obeyed Him then He promised to make them a kingdom of priests, make them above all nations, and shower them with blessings. Blessing of prosperity, health, and eternal life. The people promised the Lord that they would obey Him and be obedient.

"And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will WE DO, AND BE OBEDIENT. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.
" (Exodus 24:7‭-‬8 KJV)

What was the people promising to obey?

"And he declared unto you his COVENANT, which he commanded you to perform, even TEN COMMANDMENTS; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone."

(Deuteronomy 4:13 KJV
)

The Ten Commandments were the BASIS of the old covenant that the people were to obey. They promised God that they will be obedient to the Ten Commandments.The Ten Commandments were not the entire covenant, it was just the BASIS of the covenant which they were to obey.

If they obeyed the Ten Commandments, which was their part of the agreement, promise, or covenant which they were to fulfill, God would fulfill His part of the agreement, promise, or covenant and make them a kingdom of priest, exalt them above all nations, and shower them with blessings of prosperity, health, and eternal life. They were to be His special people forever.

If you read about the promises that were made to them in Deuteronomy 28, these were in the covenant that the children of Israel entered into with God at Sinai.

"And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do ALL HIS COMMANDMENTS which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth..." (Deuteronomy 28:1 KJV
)

You see obedience to the Commandments right here in the Deuteronomy 28 promises that were made to the children of Israel. These promises were in the covenant that the children of Israel entered into with God.

In Exodus 24:7,8 you see that the old covenant promise, which was before the cross, was ratified by the blood of a sacrificial animal. The blood of that lamb put in FORCE or made the old covenant valid or AUTHORIZED. Without that blood being shed the old covenant could not have been put in force or ratified.

Did the people obey and keep their part of the covenant? We all know that the children of Israel didn't obey their part of the covenant. And this fact necessitated a NEW COVENANT.

But under this Covenant the blood of Christ must be shed in order to ratify or authorize it. Who was the blood of Christ shared for? It was shed for the world! So the New Covenant is the Covenant of Grace also known as the Everlasting Covenant that is for the world!

"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the BLOOD of the EVERLASTING COVENANT,..."
(Hebrews 13:20 KJV
)

The New Covenant is also called the Everlasting Covenant, and this is for every single person. Anybody that places themselves under the Everlasting Covenant must accept Christ as their Saviour. If they don't accept Christ as their Saviour they cannot be under the Everlasting Covenant.

"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; which MY COVENANT THEY BRAKE, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD." (Jeremiah 31:31‭-‬32 KJV)

The fact that Israel broke the Old Covenant, God had to make a New Covenant with His people. This same New Covenant is the Covenant that Christians are under.

"For if that FIRST COVENANT had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the SECOND. For finding fault WITH THEM, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, When 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 when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; Because they continued not in my covenant, And I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant (Here's the New covenant) that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, And write them in their hearts: And I will be to them a God, And they shall be to me a people...For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, And their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."

(Hebrews 8:7‭-‬12 KJV
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Most people think that the Old Covenant was made with Israel and the New Covenant was made with Christians. In this they make a mistake and don't understand the Scriptures.

The Old and New Covenants both were made with Israel. The terms of the old Covenant was obey and live, and the terms of the New Covenant was God will put His law in your inward parts and write it in your heart to cause you to obey and so you can live. Also under the old Covenant there was no forgiveness of sins, but under the New Covenant there is forgiveness of sins.

The Bible says I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. This is the New Covenant promise.

Some people will say, "what Covenant are Christians is under?" EVERY CHRISTIAN IS A CHILD OF ABRAHAM WHICH MAKES HIM AN ISRAELITE. Anybody who accepts Christ is the seed of Abraham and gets placed under the New Covenant.

"And if ye be Christ's, then are ye ABRAHAM'S SEED and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:29)

The New Covenant promise shown in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and repeated in Hebrews 8:8-13 and Hebrews 10:16-17 is the New Covenant made to Abraham's seed which is Israel. But anybody who accepts Christ is Abraham's seed and therefore placed under the New Covenant.

"Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same or the children of Abraham." (Galatians 3:7)

The fact that Seventh-day Adventists are Christians this shows that they are under the New Covenant. Every single Adventist will tell you that they are under the New Covenant.

So the Covenant before the cross was made at Sinai and they broke that Covenant. So God made another Covenant to Israel even before the cross in Jeremiah 31:31-34, but this New Covenant was not ratified or authorized until Christ shed His blood on Calvary. So all of Abraham's seed, those who believe in Christ, are under the New Covenant.