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THE NEW COVENANT
In talking about a new thing, it means that something must have gone or wax old another thing similar in nature is require. So, if there is a new covenant definitely there must be an old one. But what necessitated the need for another covenant, why did the former one become obsolete and is no longer in use, who are those involved in both the new and old covenants and what is the basis of these covenants?
I intend to answer these questions and more in the cause of these write up. But then, what is a covenant? A covenant is a binding agreement between two parties and it is usually with a seal. The covenants in the bible were sealed with blood.
In Genesis 15, God made a covenant with Abraham and that covenant is THE CONVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION. Here the covenant was enacted (formed) and it brought about the law but it did not come into force until the law (the written code) was handed down to Moses in Exodus. But this covenant had so many faults (Heb 8:7) and that is what brought about the need for a new covenant.
Now, a covenant always involved the death of the testator (Heb 9:15-17) but the two parties to these covenant (God and Abraham) were not directly involved. That is neither of them died. Instead the covenant was enacted on the blood of heifer and pigeon (Gen 15). It was not binding. It could not stand. Either of the two parties could back off at anytime and so it was not a real covenant, it was only a shadow of the reality (Heb 10:1).
This covenant (old) brought about the law that could not save. It made nothing perfect (Heb 7:19). The bible refers to this covenant in Heb 7:18 as been weak and useless. Another place says it is decayed and obsolete (Heb 8:13).Now because of these faults, inconsistencies and weakness, a new covenant had to be introduced. A new order had to come into place and that is why a better hope was introduced (Heb 7:19).
Jesus had to come and die for a new covenant to come into force. This was the fulfillment of the promise in Jeremiah 31:31-34 where God promised to make a new covenant with His people. The new covenant is real and is clearly different from the old that is just a shadow (Heb10:1). The new covenant is strong and effective because it involves the death of the parties involved.
But God and man died in Christ. Ask me how? John 1:1 makes it clear that the word (Jesus) is God and inverse 14 of the same chapter, He became flesh. Therefore when He was on earth, Christ was both man and God. He was man and that was why He could die and the God in Him raised Him up on the third day. Because of the death of a testator, a new covenant has been established. Unlike the Old Testament that wasn’t perfect, the new one is perfect just as its mediator is perfect (Heb5: 12).
The new covenant was enacted in the gospels but did not come into force until Acts 2:4. when the Holy Spirit was given. The new covenant has provided access unto God. It has paved the way for man to be saved unlike the old that couldn’t save. In contrast to the old covenant of condemnation (2 Cor3:9), the new covenant is that of justification and it brings life and righteousness to all who believe in it(2Cor 5:21, 1Cor 1:30, Rom 5:1, Rom 3:28). The new covenant is not reversible; it is binding. It cannot be changed because the two parties that made the covenant are directly involved. God could change His mind about the old covenant because it wasn’t binding and so could be altered. But the new covenant is an eternal one and that is one of the reasons why it is being referred to as a BETTER COVENANT.