4.4 God found fault with the Old Covenant of law
After about 1,500 years under the Old Covenant of law, the verdict was clear. No one succeeded in keeping the law. All mankind is pronounced guilty before God, even the most righteous of the Pharisees.
(Rom 3:19-20, NKJV)
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
The law was given for one purpose – to tell Israel and all of mankind that they are already sinners. Rom 3:20 says that by the law is the knowledge of sin. Rom 3:23 declares that, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”.
There is no boasting in our law-keeping and no glory in our self-righteousness. Psalm 130:3 says that if God would mark our sins, who would stand? Isaiah 64:6 says that all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.
The law demanded for justice – condemnation, curses and death. For the nation of Israel, it was the blood of animal sacrifices offered up every year that covered their sins and delivered them (Heb 9:7). But it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Heb 10:4). It was only a shadow of the real Lamb of God to come (Heb 10:1).
God found fault with the first covenant because it failed to justify the people. The real problem is not the perfect law, but the imperfect sinner who could not keep them (Heb 8:7-9). Therefore, God sought for a second covenant and made the first obsolete (Heb 8:13). This new covenant is to be established on better promises and it should not fail like the first (Heb 8:6).
(Hebrews 8:6-9, NKJV)
He [Jesus] is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on BETTER PROMISES. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because FINDING FAULT with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says 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 DID NOT CONTINUE in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord.
Tomorrow, we will expound on this “better” covenant.
(Rom 3:19-20, NKJV)
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
The law was given for one purpose – to tell Israel and all of mankind that they are already sinners. Rom 3:20 says that by the law is the knowledge of sin. Rom 3:23 declares that, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”.
There is no boasting in our law-keeping and no glory in our self-righteousness. Psalm 130:3 says that if God would mark our sins, who would stand? Isaiah 64:6 says that all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.
The law demanded for justice – condemnation, curses and death. For the nation of Israel, it was the blood of animal sacrifices offered up every year that covered their sins and delivered them (Heb 9:7). But it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Heb 10:4). It was only a shadow of the real Lamb of God to come (Heb 10:1).
God found fault with the first covenant because it failed to justify the people. The real problem is not the perfect law, but the imperfect sinner who could not keep them (Heb 8:7-9). Therefore, God sought for a second covenant and made the first obsolete (Heb 8:13). This new covenant is to be established on better promises and it should not fail like the first (Heb 8:6).
(Hebrews 8:6-9, NKJV)
He [Jesus] is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on BETTER PROMISES. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because FINDING FAULT with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says 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 DID NOT CONTINUE in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord.
Tomorrow, we will expound on this “better” covenant.
posted by Joshua Lye @ 12:42 AM
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