Many have stumbled over this Issue. This is important to understand because salvation is very much connected to your conclusion on this.
what is the Old Covenant?
Some may remember that there was a "book of the covenant"
Exo 24:7 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.
This book was made up of:
1. The 10 Commandments
2. Judgments for breaking the commandments and for keeping them.
3. ceremonial laws of feasts etc.
We find a fuller understanding of this "book of the law" in Deuteronomy, which means second law or law repeated.
You may remember that Paul spoke of this law in Galatians.
Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
This is taken from the book of the law.
Deu 27:26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Let us note a few things, this covenant of the "book of the law" contains a few things and Paul is saying that unless you do all of those things, meaning obey the 10 commandments and keep all the ceremonial law. which are only empty works then you bring condemnation on yourself.
but we find else where that God narrows down the covenant even further.
Exo 34:28 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.
notice here that the words of the covenant are the 10 commandments.
So we have the 10 commandments which are the Covenant and we have the book of the law which also contains the covenant only with judgments etc on top.
Paul makes it clear in Galatians that keeping the whole book of the law is in error and is akin to salvation by works. Why?
Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Gal 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Here Paul makes it clear that Jesus has become the curse for us. why?
so that the blessing of who? Abraham might come on the Gentiles. How? through Jesus Christ.
Praise God even us Gentiles have the same blessing that Abraham had.
It is important to know that the "book of the law" contains both blessings and curses. Blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. obedience to what?
As seen the 10 commandments are the covenant. Notice that Jesus in Galatians removes only the curses but not the blessings. what happens with the blessings?
We just read it, they are given to the Gentiles. The very same blessings given to Abraham. So Jesus takes away the bad but maintains that which is good. So we already know by this that the blessings remain from the book of the law according to Paul. Abraham had those same blessings and was given the covenant why?
Gen 26:5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
Here is why Abraham received the blessings, because he kept Gods law.
Some may say, "we are under the new covenant so the 10 commandments are gone for they were in the book of the law"
We have already seen that Paul does not thing everything from the book of the law is done away with. clearly the blessings remain. we have also seen that the 10 commandments are separate from the book of the law even though they are included in it.
before we look at the new covenant let us first notice something.
10 commandments
Exo 31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
1. Written by God himself
Deu 10:1 At that time the LORD said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood.
Deu 10:2 And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark.
Deu 10:3 And I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand.
Deu 10:4 And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me.
Deu 10:5 And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me.
2. put in the ark of the covenant, hence the reason it is called the ark of the covenant.
Book of the Law
Deu 31:24 And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,
1. Moses wrote the book of the law
Deu 31:26 Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
2. they were on the side of the ark not in the ark itself.
clearly there is a distinction between the two.
So what is the New covenant?
Heb 8:10 For this is the 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:
Notice that the new covenant was made in our hearts and it was the law both in our hearts and our minds.
So a law must still remain. what law?
2Co 3:3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
notice that Paul makes it clear that it is the Holy Spirit who writes and he writes where, on the "tables of the Heart. clearly here he is making a parallel with the 10 commandments. It is no longer on tables of stone but now on tables of the heart.
The New covenant is a renewing of the old but better.
1. not the blood of animals but the blood of Jesus.
2. Not a earthly high priest but Jesus our high priest.
3. not an outward law but an inward law.
In the old days God dwelt above the mercy seat where the law was kept.
Now Jesus dwells in our hearts where the law is now written by the Holy Spirit.
There is so much more that can be said. so many connections to be made.
This is why Paul could say:
Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
It is by the spirit that Jesus fulfills the law "IN" us.
Blessings all.
what is the Old Covenant?
Some may remember that there was a "book of the covenant"
Exo 24:7 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.
This book was made up of:
1. The 10 Commandments
2. Judgments for breaking the commandments and for keeping them.
3. ceremonial laws of feasts etc.
We find a fuller understanding of this "book of the law" in Deuteronomy, which means second law or law repeated.
You may remember that Paul spoke of this law in Galatians.
Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
This is taken from the book of the law.
Deu 27:26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Let us note a few things, this covenant of the "book of the law" contains a few things and Paul is saying that unless you do all of those things, meaning obey the 10 commandments and keep all the ceremonial law. which are only empty works then you bring condemnation on yourself.
but we find else where that God narrows down the covenant even further.
Exo 34:28 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.
notice here that the words of the covenant are the 10 commandments.
So we have the 10 commandments which are the Covenant and we have the book of the law which also contains the covenant only with judgments etc on top.
Paul makes it clear in Galatians that keeping the whole book of the law is in error and is akin to salvation by works. Why?
Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Gal 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Here Paul makes it clear that Jesus has become the curse for us. why?
so that the blessing of who? Abraham might come on the Gentiles. How? through Jesus Christ.
Praise God even us Gentiles have the same blessing that Abraham had.
It is important to know that the "book of the law" contains both blessings and curses. Blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. obedience to what?
As seen the 10 commandments are the covenant. Notice that Jesus in Galatians removes only the curses but not the blessings. what happens with the blessings?
We just read it, they are given to the Gentiles. The very same blessings given to Abraham. So Jesus takes away the bad but maintains that which is good. So we already know by this that the blessings remain from the book of the law according to Paul. Abraham had those same blessings and was given the covenant why?
Gen 26:5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
Here is why Abraham received the blessings, because he kept Gods law.
Some may say, "we are under the new covenant so the 10 commandments are gone for they were in the book of the law"
We have already seen that Paul does not thing everything from the book of the law is done away with. clearly the blessings remain. we have also seen that the 10 commandments are separate from the book of the law even though they are included in it.
before we look at the new covenant let us first notice something.
10 commandments
Exo 31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
1. Written by God himself
Deu 10:1 At that time the LORD said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood.
Deu 10:2 And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark.
Deu 10:3 And I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand.
Deu 10:4 And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me.
Deu 10:5 And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me.
2. put in the ark of the covenant, hence the reason it is called the ark of the covenant.
Book of the Law
Deu 31:24 And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,
1. Moses wrote the book of the law
Deu 31:26 Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
2. they were on the side of the ark not in the ark itself.
clearly there is a distinction between the two.
So what is the New covenant?
Heb 8:10 For this is the 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:
Notice that the new covenant was made in our hearts and it was the law both in our hearts and our minds.
So a law must still remain. what law?
2Co 3:3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
notice that Paul makes it clear that it is the Holy Spirit who writes and he writes where, on the "tables of the Heart. clearly here he is making a parallel with the 10 commandments. It is no longer on tables of stone but now on tables of the heart.
The New covenant is a renewing of the old but better.
1. not the blood of animals but the blood of Jesus.
2. Not a earthly high priest but Jesus our high priest.
3. not an outward law but an inward law.
In the old days God dwelt above the mercy seat where the law was kept.
Now Jesus dwells in our hearts where the law is now written by the Holy Spirit.
There is so much more that can be said. so many connections to be made.
This is why Paul could say:
Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
It is by the spirit that Jesus fulfills the law "IN" us.
Blessings all.