New Covenant Law

What’s The Point?

This study is actually a companion piece to “The Role of the Law” which can be seen in my Hatena Diary entry here http://d.hatena.ne.jp/nicholighkun/20120727/1343415433
This topic is very important to fully grasp. Many critics of Christian theology are quick to point out the fact that many Christians do not keep the laws of Moses (eating of unclean animals, shaved beards, wearing of multi fabric garments etc.), and for this they call us hypocrites. The quick and easy answer is that ours is a New Covenant, and we are now under a new law; the law of Christ, which is that we should love one another as Christ has loved us. We are totally out from under the old law, and the old law is dying. Of course it’s never enough to take anyone’s word for anything regarding Scripture, we must always look into Biblical claims for ourselves, so let’s do that now.

(1) God always intended to make a new covenant: This covenant does not replace the covenant with Abraham, but the one made with Israel after being liberated from Egypt. Jeremiah 31:31-34 “31 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: 32 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: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” See also Hebrews 8:8-12.

(2) The priests of the Old Covenant were only of the tribe of Levi: Deuteronomy 21:5 “And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried:"

(3) Christ was not of the seed of Levi, but of Judah: Matthew 1:1-16 “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas [Judah] and his brethren; 3 And Judas [Judah] begat … 16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” (Also Luke 3:23-38). Hebrews 7:14 “For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood."

(4) It was prophesied that Christ would be of the seed of Judah: Isaiah 11:1 “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse [king David’s father, of the lineage of Judah], and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:” Revelation 5:5-7 In regards to the Lamb of God [Jesus Christ, John 1:29] it is said, “5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David [son of Jesse], hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. 7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.” Micah 5:2 “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."

(5) Christ’s priesthood is after the order of Melchizidek: Psalm 110:4 “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 7:21 “(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord swear and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)".

(6) With the new covenant there came of necessity a new law: Hebrews 7:12 “For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law."

(7) Christ’s law is that we should love one another as He loved us: John 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” Study Matthew 25:32-46.

(8) The New Covenant replaces the Old, which is ready to pass away: Hebrews 8:13 “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."

Recap of Important Points

(1) God always intended to make a new covenant, and the Old Covenant that was to be replaced was the one made to Israel after being liberated from Egypt, the New Covenant was not a replacement for the covenant made with Abraham; (2) The priests of the Old Covenant were only of the tribe of Levi; (3) Christ was not of the seed of Levi, but of Judah; (4) It was prophesied that Christ would be of the seed of Judah; (5) Christ’s priesthood is after the order of Melchizidek as opposed to the Old Covenant preists who were of the order, or lineage of Levi; (6) With the new covenant there came of necessity a new law; (7) Christ’s [new] law is that we should love one another as He loved us; (8) The New Covenant replaces the Old, which is ready to pass away.

The Implications

The Christian under the New Covenant is not under the Old law, and therefore is not judged by it. This means that when you eat pork and shrimp, or when you shave your face, or when you wear multi-fabric garments, you are not breaking God’s law, because that old law is dying, and it is not the standard by which a Christian is judged. Our law is that we love one another.

In many ways, this new law is even harder to keep than the old law. The new law means that when (not if) we are persecuted, and falsely accused, that we stay in love with the one(s) coming against us. This is not only difficult, but it is the polar opposite of the vengeance and vigilante justice that is so glorified in our culture. This is such a stark contrast to the Christian law that we cannot achieve it in full without knowing Christ and what He has done for us.

This lawgiver could have silenced every single person who charged Him falsely by declaring His own innocence, as well as the hidden sin of His accusers. He also could have easily defended His Life and freedom, even to the point of calling legions of angels to fight for Him, but He didn’t. “Love each other as I have loved you” To show His love for His Bride, the church, He suffered beatings; His Beard was pulled out of His Face; He received a crown of very large thorns that were beaten into His Head with a reed; His Back was torn to shreds and then laid onto rough, unfinished wood, while nails were driven into His Hands and Feet; He hung there for hours, with the hot sun beating down on Him, making His energy levels fall even further; after all of this, something happened between the Father and the Son that no human eye was allowed to see, because of the veil of thick darkness that was upon the earth for 3 hours. I will submit that I believe the suffering in the flesh at the hands of the Jews and Romans was nothing compared to what transpired between Father and Son, after all He became sin for us, and took the punishment from the Father for our sins. Meanwhile, all He said of the men that beat Him was, “Forgive them Father, they know not what they do”. If you have read the Hatena Diary entry Types [shadows] of Christ in the Old Testament Part I http://d.hatena.ne.jp/nicholighkun/20120822/1345634931 and Part II http://d.hatena.ne.jp/nicholighkun/20120820/1345482065 then you know that all of this is a sign of His undying love for God and humanity, as well as His official forgoing of His freedom, in order to show His Love for His Master, His bride, and His children. This is how we are to love one another, and this love is not only shown to other Christians, this love is for the world that hates us as well.

When considering the wrongs that we have suffered at the hands of others, we must also consider the gravity of the sins that we have been absolved from. Read Matthew 18:23-35, remembering that money is used to represent sin, since it is a debt that is owed. The first servant represents us. The amount that he owed is the equivelant of 160,000 YEARS wages. Can people pay this by themselves? Of course not, and this is the illustration for each individuals sin debt against God. After being forgiven of such great debt that he could surely never repay, the wicked servant then goes and demands that someone who owes him a comparably insignificant amount (100 DAYS wages) should pay it in full. If God has forgiven us of so much, how can we be so demanding for reparations of sin against us? We are to “freely give what has been freely given” to us. That statement was said in regards to the Holy Spirit, but it works in this case, and it is fully in line with Scriptural teaching.

Matthew 18:35 “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”

Luke 7:41-47 “41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.”