On The Old Covenant

1. It was limited to a certain people.

1) Exodus 34:27, 28 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.”

2) Deuteronomy 5:1-3 “And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel,the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them. The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.”

2. It was limited to a certain place.

1) It was to be fulfilled in a certain land.

2) God was to be worshipped in a certain place.

a. The tabernacle. Exodus 25:9 “According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.”

b. The temple in Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles4:14 “. . . the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.”

3) In contrast, Jesus says, “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:21-24).

3. It was limited to a certain time.

1) We read in the New Covenant regarding the fulfillment of the law by Jesus. Matthew5:17, 18 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

2) We read concerning the fullness of time. Gal.4:4 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.”

1. There was an AIM for its inception.

1) To give a knowledge of sin: Romans 3:20 “because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin.”

2) Romans 7:7 “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.”

2. There was an AIM for its culmination.

1) To bring us unto Christ: Galatians 3:24, 25 “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”

3. There is an AIM for its ongoing heritage.

1) It is for our learning. Romans 15:4 “For whatsoever was written aforetime . . . .”

2) It is for our example. 1 Corinthians10:11 “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

1. The old covenant was nailed to the cross and is now done away.

1) It was nailed to the cross: Colossians2:14 “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.”

2) It was to vanish away in practice. Hebrews8:13 “In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.”

3) Jesus no longer mediates for the Old Covenant. Hebrews 9:15 “And for this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament.”

4) The first was taken away. Heb 10:9 “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.”

2. The child became a man. Galatians 4:1-7 “Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

3. We are children of the freewoman not of the bondservant. Galatians 4:21-31 Read

4. Our marriage is to a new husband. Romans 7:1-4 “Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”