The Pattern of Redemptive History in Both the Old And the New
Covenant as It Relates to the Moral Law
- Two Outstanding Features in Both The Old And New Testament
- THEY ARE HISTORICAL: God is revealed in His mighty acts of creation and redemption as He relates to real people in history.
- THEY ARE LEGAL: Biblical history is special because it is preoccupied with
the salvation of God's people. God enters into covenant with mankind. This covenant
is a legal conception. It has stipulations which are legally binding on both
parties. It decrees blessings and cursing to follow the performance of
nonperformance of its stipulations.
- Note The Following Recurring Patterns in Both The Old And New Covenants.
- God Creates The Heavens And The Earth.
- OT: Genesis 1:1 in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
- NT: John 1:1, 3 in the beginning was the Word and Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things came into being through Him; and apart from him nothing came into being that has come into being.
- NT: Revelation 21-22 God will create a new heaven and new earth.
- Adam's Sin Resulted in Him Being Separated From God, Being Cast Out of
Eden, And Causes His Death.
-
OT: Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man saying, "From any
tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall
surely die."
- Genesis 3:6-8 Adam and Eve hid themselves from God after they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
- Genesis 3: 22-24. God drove Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden lest after sinning they eat of the Tree of Life and live forever.
- OT: God delivered Israel out of slavery in Egypt and brought them to the Promised land. But they rebelled and were driven out of the Promised land by their enemies. Psalms 78 recounts Israelis history of being delivered by God, rebelling, being cast out of the promise land, and then being restored to the promised land again.
-
OT: Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man saying, "From any
tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall
surely die."
- Adam Is A Type of Jesus Christ
- NT: Romans 5:19 Through Adams disobedience many were made sinners.
- NT: Romans 5:19 Through Christ's obedience the many will be made righteous.
-
NT: Jesus Christ delivers mankind from sin, gives him eternal life, and
will create a new heaven and new earth where mankind will live in eternal
fellowship with God.
- John 1:29 Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
- Revelation 21:1-2 God creates a new heaven and new earth where God will dwell with men and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death.
- Revelation 22:1-4 A river of the water of live shall come from the throne of God
and of the Lamb, and the Tree of Life shall be on either side of the river and
there shall no longer be any curse. The redeemed shall see God's face.
- God Creates The Heavens And The Earth.
- Note Similarity And Differences Between Law in The Old Covenant And Law
in The New Covenant.
- The Law Was Written:
- OT: Deuteronomy 4:13 by the finger of God on tablets of stone.
- NT: Hebrews 8:10 concerning the New Covenant God said, "I will put My laws into their minds, and I will write them upon their hearts.
- Paul said, ". . . but our adequacy is from God who also made us
adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit;
for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:6-8
- The Law as the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory.
- The ministry of the Spirit has even more glory.
- The Mosaic Law Both Remembers What God Has Done And Points Forward Or
Foreshadows What He Will Do.
- God Created The Heavens And The Earth Exodus 20:8-11 The fourth commandment remembers that God created the heavens and the earth. The reasons that God gave for keeping every seventh-day as a Sabbath of rest to God was because He created the heavens and the earth in six days and rested on the seventh-day.
- God Redeemed Israel From Slavery in Egypt. Exodus 20:2 The preface to the ten
commandments states why Israel is to keep these commandments. "I am the
Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
slavery.
- WEEKLY: Every Sabbath Israel was to remember that God has delivered them out of Egypt. Deuteronomy 5:12-15
- YEARLY: Every Passover Israel was to remember how God delivered them out of Egypt. Exodus 12:14, 21-27
- Jesus Christ is the reality to which both the Sabbath and the Passover pointed. Just as God delivered Israel from the slavery of Egypt so also Christ delivers believers from their slavery to sin. Colossians 2:16-17
- Jesus Christ is our Savior who gives us rest. "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28-30
- Christ is our Passover. "For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed." 1 Corinthians 5:7
- God Made Atonement For Sin By The Blood of An Unblemished Lamb.
- OT: Leviticus 17:11 God had given Israel the blood on the alter to make atonement for their souls.
- OT: Leviticus 16 Yearly on the Day of Atonement: Blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat which was between the Law and God glorious presence in the Most Holy Place in the Sanctuary.
- OT: Isaiah 53:6 The prophet foresaw the coming Messiah whom the Lord will cause the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.
- NT: Luke 24: 44 Christ came to fulfill all that the law and the prophets had said of Him.
- NT: Matthew 26:28. At the last supper Christ said concerning the cup, ". . . this is My blood of the covenant, which is to be shed on behalf of many for forgiveness of sins."
- He (Christ) did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves: but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood having obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:12 NIV
- The Center of The Mosaic Law Is The Exodus.
- Exodus 20: 2-3 The preface to the ten commandments states, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.
- Deuteronomy 6:10-12. God warns that when Israel enters the promised land and experiences prosperity from His blessings, that they might forget the Lord who brought them from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
- Leviticus 18: 24-30. After listing all manner of sexual immorality and the sacrifice of humans to idols, God explains that the peoples who had inhabited the promised land had done these abominations and that was why God had cast them out of the promised land. Israel was warned that if they commit similar abominations that they likewise will be cast out of the land.
- Leviticus 19:1-2 "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying 'Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them. You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.'"
- Leviticus 19:34 God called the Israelites to love the stranger who resides with you, ". . . for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God."
- Leviticus 19:35 "You shall have just balances, just weights, . . . I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt."
- The Center of The Law in The New Covenant Is Jesus Christ.
- The Mosaic Law And The Prophets Speak of Christ
- The Old Testament Scriptures bear witness of Christ. "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me." John 5:39
- Moses wrote of Christ. "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote of Me." John 5:46
- The New Covenant Remembers What Christ Has Done.
- THE LORD'S SUPPER: Jesus said, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." and in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood." Luke 22:20-21
- BAPTISM: "Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." Romans 6:4
- The New Covenant Law Centers On The Teachings of Christ.
- Matthew 5-7 in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus teaches as the new Lawgiver. He repeatedly stated, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery': but I say to you, that every one who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart." Matthew 5:27-28
- Christ's teachings are a foundation of Rock for those who hear and act upon His words. Matthew 7:24-27
- In the Great Commission Christ tells His disciples to "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you. Matthew 28:19-20
- The New Covenant Law Centers On The Example of Christ in His Suffering,
Death, Burial, And Resurrection For Our Salvation. The Incarnation Was God's
Fullest Revelation of Himself to Mankind.
- The Son of Man Did Not Come to Be Served But to Serve. Matthew 20:25-28 "But Jesus called them to Himself, and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over the. It is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.'"
- CHRIST'S NEW COMMANDMENT: This is My commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. John 15:12 .
- HUSBANDS LOVE YOUR WIVES: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; Ephesians 5:25
- FORGIVE OTHERS AS CHRIST FORGAVE YOU. "And so, as those who have
been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness,
humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with on another, and forgiving each
other whoever has a complaint against any one; just as the Lord forgave you, so
also should you. Colossians 3:12-13
- The Mosaic Law And The Prophets Speak of Christ
- The Law Was Written:
- The Church Is Always in Danger of Going Back to The Law
of Moses Instead of Forward to The Law of Christ.
- Historically some of the Jewish members of the early church felt the Gentile believers should be circumcised and be told to keep the Law of Moses. Acts 15:5
- In recent Church history many see the Ten Commandments as being the moral Law that Christians are called to keep.
- Paul had the following to say about the purpose and duration of the Law
that God gave to Moses. Galatians 3:15-29.
- The Law given four hundred and thirty years after the promise made to Abraham and can not invalidate the promise that God had already made with Abraham. Galatians 3:17
- The Law was added because of transgressions until the coming of the seed (Christ). Galatians 3:19
- The Law can not impart life nor can righteousness be based on the law. Galatians 3:21
- The Law became our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by
faith. Galatians 3:24
- Note that Paul does not use the Greek word for teacher-didaskalos which would imply that the law continued to play the role of teacher in the life of the believer.
- Paul rather used the term paidagogos. The paidogogos was a trusted slave who in Roman times was places in charge of a minor son by the father until the son should reach maturity. Then the paidogogs becomes a slave under the son.
- Now that faith has come we are no longer under a tutor.
- All who believe have become full sons of God through faith in Christ. They
belong to Christ. Galatians 3:26-29
- Only Those Who Have Been Forgiven Much By Jesus Christ Can Enter Into A
Understanding of The Law of Christ Written in Our Heart By The Holy Spirit.
- Only One Who Realizes The Depth of His Sin And of His Need For God's
Forgiveness Will Love Christ Much.
- One must believe that Jesus is the Messiah and only Savior. Jesus said to the unbelieving Jews, "I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins. John 8:24
- One must be forgiven much. Jesus asks Simon who will love more the one who has been forgiven little or much. Simon answered, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more. Jesus said to him "You have judged correctly.". Luke. 7:36-50
- PAUL LOVE CHRIST MUCH BECAUSE HE REALIZED THE DEPTH OF HIS SIN. "It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 1 Timothy 1:15
- Paul Values Knowing Christ Above All Things.
- Before coming to Christ Paul gloried in the fact that he was a religious Jew who considered himself to be blameless as far as the law was concerned. Philippians 3:6
- His zeal as a Pharisee caused him to persecute the church.
- Paul counts everything that he valued so highly before to be but rubbish in order that he may gain Christ. This included the Mosaic Law.
- Paul counted all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus, his Lord.
- Only Those Who Know And Value Christ As Did Paul Will Allow The Holy Spirit to Conform Them into the Image of Jesus Christ. Romans 8:29
- Only One Who Realizes The Depth of His Sin And of His Need For God's
Forgiveness Will Love Christ Much.
Reflections
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