"MY PEOPLE ARE DESTROYED FOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE"
HOSEA 4:6

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C .. Who did God protect Cain from when He sent him away and marked his forehead so that no others would harm him? Who did Cain marry. It is confusing because of course if Adam and Eve are the first, and Cain was their son how is it that there were others on earth that would have harmed him? For me these questions are very confusing, can you help?

Dear Donna, ....Cain, the firstborn of Adam and Eve, was about 129 years old when he murdered his younger brother and was cursed by God and had a mark placed on him. By this time Adam and Eve had many children who inter-married and produced families of their own, probably many thousands. Cain married one of his sisters or possibly one of their daughters. This was acceptable because the Law had not yet been given to Moses. The Giants were sons of the fugitive Cain before the Flood. Ham had married a Giantess and after the Flood was the Father of the Giants. Note that Noah called him "Cain" when he cursed Ham.

Thank You for your reply. I guess it just did not occur to me that Cain was an older man when he was sent out. I appreciate your response and wish you all the very best.

C ... Hi! I am in 7th grade and in social studies we are making a travel brochure. We had to pick from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Eastern River Valleys, and Canaan. I picked Canaan. My questions are : What kind of ancient people lived there? and . Why would it be interesting to visit. Dear Ashley, ...Dating from about 2500 B.C. Canaan was the land west of Jordan.The name derived from the ancestor, Canaan, ...... Genesis 10:15-18 who was a son of Ham, ... Genesis 9:18,10:6 Ham's wife was called the Mother of the Canaanites or "nation of Giants". The sons of Canaan included the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites and Hivites. They worshipped Astarte, a sex Godess dressed in Hollywoood style semi- nude clothing, and Baal. One of their High Places of worship later became Bethel. They were traders, in particular trading in purple dye. Barley was the main crop.

C... Is the Church really spiritual Israel?

Dear Mel, I have heard all this and also that Jesus was an American Indian. This man-made theory was developed by well meaning people to "help God out" after Israel had been out of their land for thousands of years and it looked like they would NEVER return. God doesn't need anyone's help to fulfill His predictions. He does require our obedience. ... hope this helps,

Dear E.L. ....No,... Even though many Arabic nations have wealth beyond our wildest imaginations because of their Oil reserves, we are not to sell the things of God to unbelievers. This is out of the will of God and could well be a fatal mistake as it was in the case of two friends of mine who sold their Christian Radio station to a secular group changing the format to "Contemporary Young Adult" which includes Pornographic, Adulterous, Suicidal and Blasphemous music. They both perished shortly thereafter in a private plane crash.

Dear Lisa, Circumcision, was a necessary part of Jewish life. It symbolized the commitment of oneself to God's covenant with Abraham ... Genesis 17:9 and a spiritual circumcision of one's own heart ... Jer 4:4 At the Last Supper Jesus made a New covenant and signed it in His own Blood on the Cross thereby abolishing the Abrahamic covenant. Circumcision is not a part of the Gospel of Jesus and has nothing to do with Salvation or going to Heaven ...hope this helps.

Dear RJ,...There are 42 Calenders in use today. The earliest calender was developed in Mesopotamia for agricultural use. ... Julius Caeser replaced this with the Roman calender in 46 B.C..... The Roman Emperor Justinian established a new calender in 526 A.D. reckoning time from the birth of Christ ( A.D. Anno Domini ). ... The Gregorian calender, widely used today, was ordered by Pope Gregory the XIII in 1582 to fix the observance of the Christian Easter and was officially adopted by England and it's colonies about 1750....Jews frequently use the term B.C.E. (before the common era) rather than B.C., that is "Before Christ" ( Christ means the Messiah ) as they have not generally accepted the fact that the Messiah was born.

Dear Dolphy

The legal code of the United States does not specify an official national calendar. Use of the Gregorian calendar in the United States stems from an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1751, which specified use of the Gregorian calendar in England and its colonies. Years are counted from the initial epoch defined by Dionysius Exiguus, and are divided into two classes: common years and leap years. A common year is 365 days in length; a leap year is 366 days, with an intercalary day, designated February 29, preceding March 1. Leap years are determined according to the following rule:

Every year that is exactly divisible by 4 is a leap year, except for years that are exactly divisible by 100; ... these centurial years are leap years only if they are exactly divisible by 400.... As a result the year 2000 is a leap year, whereas 1900 and 2100 are not leap years. These rules can be applied to times prior to the Gregorian reform to create a proleptic Gregorian calendar. In this case, year 0 (1 B.C.) is considered to be exactly divisible by 4, 100, and 400; hence it is a leap year.

The Gregorian calendar is thus based on a cycle of 400 years, which comprises 146097 days. Since 146097 is evenly divisible by 7, the Gregorian civil calendar exactly repeats after 400 years. Dividing 146097 by 400 yields an average length of 365.2425 days per calendar year, which is a close approximation to the length of the tropical year. Comparison with Equation 1.1-1 reveals that the Gregorian calendar accumulates an error of one day in about 2500 years. Although various adjustments to the leap-year system have been proposed, none has been instituted.

Within each year, dates are specified according to the count of days from the beginning of the month. The order of months and number of days per month were adopted from the Julian calendar.

Dear Antony, there is no need to guess on the date of Jesus birth. The Bible makes it clear that it was 6 months before Passover in late October during the Feast of Tabernacles. At the Temple in Jerusalem.

The angel Gabriel appeared to Zachariah, the Priest, as he ministered in the Holy Place. Gabriel announced that John the Baptist would be born to Zachariah and Elizabeth, Mary's cousin. Elizabeth became pregnant in June. In late December, at the Feast of Hanukkah, the same angel Gabriel appeared to Mary up in Nazareth and announced that she was to be the Mother of Jesus the Messiah. From this annunciation we get the first part of the song, "Ave Maria" or "Hail Mary".

A decree of the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus caused Mary and Joseph to make the difficult trip around the Sea of Galilee and across the Jordan River and follow its eastern banks down to Jericho and then cross the Jordan again and climb up the steep winding path to Jerusalem, turning south to Bethlehem, the city of King David's birth. The Roman census always occured between August and October. This fact confirms the actual birth of Christ as occuring during the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day - the "great day" of the Feast of Tabernacles. Forty days after His birth Mary was purified in a ritual bath. Mary made the offering of two pigeons (squab), the offering of a poor person ( I watched Emeril Lagasse prepare squab recently on the Food Network.). it was the Feast of Sukkot or Tabernacles in late October and the Temple Shepherds were watching their flocks of Passover Lambs born to be offered as a sacrifice for sin. It was at this time and in this very place that Jesus the Messiah was born.

Daniel's prophecy, ( given in Babylon just north of Kuwait.) further establishes the birth date of Jesus as follows: Forty-two months was the period from the anointing of Jesus the Messiah until He was cut off or crucified at Passover in April. Backing up forty two months from the death of Jesus would bring us to the baptism and anointing of Jesus in October. Then backing up thirty years ( according to Jewish Law and Custom, Jesus could not teach until age thirty ) we come to October again, the actual date of His birth. For Bible students the 483 years ( 69 weeks of years ) mentioned by Daniel is the period from the dedication of the rebuilt Temple by Ezra in October of 458 B.C until the anointing of Jesus at his baptism in October of 25 A.D.

The wise men came and their gifts gave the family wealth in compact form which would sustain them for two years in Egypt where they went to flee the wrath of Herod. They returned to Nazareth after Herod died on March 13, 4 B.C . The date of Herod's death n secular history is why Bible Scholars put Jesus' birth at 5-6 B.C. The year 1 A.D.is not when Jesus was born. The exact year is not known but is probably 4 TO 6 B.C....see the historical error below
In the 6th century the Roman monk and astronomer Dionysis Exeguus, reformed the calendar to pivot around he birth of Jesus He dated the Nativity 753 years from the founding of Rome calculated to the date King Herod died. But Dionysis miscalculated because Herod died (749 years after the founding of Rome ) in 4 BC. Christ was born a year or two before Herod died.

After Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, Hebrew Christians began to associate Light, Jesus, the Temple and Hanukkah with the Annunciation to Mary. ( not the Birth of Jesus ). Read our article on Hanukkah at www..wcie.net/bible.studies.htm/hanukkah.htm. The center branch of the menorah stands taller than the other eight. It is called the shamash, or "servant," light and was the early Christians' way of illustrating John 1:9: "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the World." Four times in the Gospel of John, Jesus claimed to be the "light of the world" (John 8:12; 9:5; 11:9; 12:35). and in Chapter 10:22 , during the Feast of Dedication--( Hanukkah ). Read our article at www.wcie.net/bible.studies.htm/therealjesus.htm ....

Dear Lynne, Caleb and Joshua in Deuteronomy 1:35-38

Dear Renate, The animal sacrifices stopped in 70 A.D. when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. Since the animal sacrifices are a perpetual sacrifice for sins, Orthodox Jews would like to restore them and are training Levites to do so but they need to rebuild the Temple first because it is the only place they are allowed to do this. They really should be looking to Jesus, "the Lamb of God" who was sacrificed once on the cross for the sin of the World, thereby doing away with the Old Testament symbolic ceremonial rituals.

What is the best way to live life according to the Israelites ?

Dear Sean,...the purpose of Israel was to bring forth the Messiah. Their lifesyle was to follow the 613 commands of God ( see www.biblestudent.com ... click on 613 ) .... The problem is that shortly after Jesus the Christ (Messiah) was rejected by the majority of his own people, the Levitical Priesthood was destroyed and has never been restored; thus there is NO atonement for sin to those who try to follow the 613 commands. This constitutes a real problem! You should look into the history of Jesus which is also on the same page. Many Gentiles " Christians" which means "believers in the Messiah" fail to realize their very name means this. ... Jewish believers in Jesus the Messiah prefer to be called "completed Jews" ............Thank you for the help--Sean

Dear Tom ... As far as keeping them as a means of Salvation This was done away with on the cross of Jesus where He wrote the New Covenant with His own Blood. The Ceremonial Laws performed by the Levites and Priests were shadows and types of Jesus (the Lamb of God) and served as a Schoolmaster to teach and bring us to Jesus the Messiah , our Great High Priest. The remaining Civil, Dietary and Moral Laws remain (at the very least) as a guide to a morally clean, healthy and prosperous lifestyle. I have seen Preachers go out of their way to avoid teaching them and even violate them to prove a point. but I am not inclined to do so.

Dear Lena,... Cush, a son of Ham, was the Father of Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, Sheba, Dedan and Nimrod....Genesis 10 :6... These became various Ethiopian tribes that settled south of Egypt and also as far as Arabia, Babylonia and India.

Dear Don, (Holy) Communion was instituted by Jesus as a Remembrance Ceremony (or Sacrament) while eating His last Passover meal. Jesus said the bread represented His Body which was given for us and the wine represented a New Testament or New Covenant ( as in last will and testament) written and signed in His Blood which was shed for us .. read Luke 22: 14-20 and 1 Cor. 11:23-26 . This is a Sacred and Holy ceremony where we partake of His nature, but I do not not feel it is the literal body and blood, however, I have no problem with those that do.... As to the whole meaning we must look to the Old Testament Passover ceremony itself. Peter and John (Luke 22:9) at about 3:00 p.m. had taken a lamb to the Temple to be killed and then prepared (roasted) for the Passover meal. You recall from the movie "The Ten Commandments" that on the first Passover the Israelites were also required to kill a lamb and eat it while it's blood on their doorpost protected them from the Death angel and freed them from the bondage of the Egyptians. So, in like manner, the Blood of Jesus protects us from Eternal punishment and frees us from the bondage of sin. John the Baptist called Jesus "the Lamb of God" or Agnus Dei who takes away the sin of the whole world!

C ... What are the different covenants of the Bible?

 A covenant is an "agreement between two parties containing their promises each to the other", according to Webster's Dictionary. ...God considers the breaking of human agreements as a breaking of his covenant. (Eze. 17:18-19; Mal 2:10). He requires his people to be faithful to the agreements they make with one another. The word "testament" is interchangeable with "covenant". The King James Version sometimes translates the Greek word diatheke as "testament" and sometimes as "covenant". Many translations use "covenant" exclusively.

The covenants of the Bible are of two types: A conditional covenant is a proposal of God to man whereby He promises to grant special blessings to man providing he fulfills certain conditions. Man's failure to do so often results in punishment. An unconditional covenant is a sovereign act of God whereby He unconditionally promises to bring to pass definite blessings and conditions. This covenant is characterized by " I will."

Throughout Israel's history, covenant was an important concept. They were the "people of the covenant land" (Eze. 30:5); their ruler was "the prince of the covenant" (Dan 11:22). An attack on the Jews was considered an attack "against the holy covenant" (11:28, 30). Paul noted that one of the advantages of the people of Israel is that they had the "covenants of the promise" (Rom 9:4; Eph 2:12). . ALL the spiritual blessings are ours in Jesus the Messiah whether we are Jews or Gentiles. And through His death on the cross we reap spiritual benefits that would never be ours otherwise.

The Covenants with Israel

Only one of the five covenants made with Israel is conditional: the Mosaic Covenant. The other four are all unconditional: the Abrahamic, the Land, the Davidic, and the New Covenant. The nature of the unconditional covenants made with Israel: First, they are literal covenants. Secondly, the covenants are eternal and are not altered by time. Thirdly, it is necessary to emphasize that these are unconditional covenants, which were not abrogated because of Israel's disobedience. Because the covenants are unconditional and totally dependent upon God for fulfillment, their ultimate fulfillment can be expected. The fourth is that the covenants were made with a specific people: Israel. ... This point is brought out by Paul in Romans 9:4. This passage clearly points out that these covenants were made with the covenanted people and are Israel's possession. Ephesians 2:11-12 states these covenants belong to the people of Israel and Gentiles were considered strangers from the covenants. When Jesus the Messiah was crucified, the middle wall of partition, was broken down. That is why Gentile believers today are partakers of Jewish spiritual blessings..

Agreements should be kept. God promised to keep His part of the covenant (Lev 26:9); He remembers it (26:45; 1 Chron. 16:15-17; Psalms 105:8; 106:45; 111:5). He will not break the covenant (Lev 26:44; Judges 2:1) or forget it (Deut 4:31); He promised to keep his "covenant of love" (Deut 7:9, 12; 1 Kings 8:23; 2 Chron. 6:14; Neh. 1:5; 9:32; Dan 9:4). His covenant people are special to him (Ps 50:5). His covenant will endure forever (111:9); He swears it with an oath (105:9-10; Eze. 16:8).

He confirms his covenant by giving blessings (Deut 8:18). He blesses those who obey (Ps 25:10, 14). A psalmist, asking for intervention, asked God to have regard for the covenant (Ps 74:20). Jeremiah asked him to remember the covenant (Jer. 14:21). And he intervened because of the covenant (Zech. 9:11), and in the greatest remembrance, sent redemption through Jesus - a horn of salvation in the family of David (Luke 1:68-75). ... The Israelites were exhorted, "Be careful not to forget the covenant" (Deut 4:23; 2 Kings 17:38). They were told to be monotheistic (2 Kings 17:35). And some Israelites did keep the covenant (Ps 103:18). Levi was commended for guarding the covenant (Deut 33:9); a psalmist claimed to be true to the covenant (Ps 44:17). God commended the eunuchs and the foreigners who held fast to the covenant (Isa. 56:4, 6).

But Israel was for the most part unfaithful, just as God told Moses they would be (Deut 31:16, 20, 27). He pronounced curses on those who would violate the covenant (Lev 26:15, 25; Deut 17:2; 29:21), and the resulting national disasters would be a witness that the people had abandoned the covenant (29:25). ... They violated the covenant soon after entering the promised land (Josh 7:11, 15) and were again warned of the curses of rebellion (23:16). But they violated the covenant (Judges 2:20). Apostasy reigned throughout the period of the judges and again in the reign of Saul. David was faithful, and Solomon began that way, but he eventually stopped keeping the covenant (1 Kings 11:11).

The nation became so corrupt that Elijah thought he was the only faithful one left (1 Kings 19:10, 14). The history of the northern kingdom is summarized: "They rejected his decrees and the covenant" (2 Kings 17:15; 18:12; Hosea 6:7; 8:1). So they were sent into captivity; God was faithful to his promised curses.

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

Of great importance today are the covenants that God made with the patriarchs and the nation of Israel. God called Abram out of Mesopotamia and promised to give his offspring the land of Canaan (Gen. 12:1-7). Abram went to Egypt, returned to Canaan, was generous to Lot, rescued Lot and gave tithes to Melchizedek (Gen. 12-14). ... God then reaffirmed his promise that Abram would have offspring (15:1-4). God promised that Abram's descendants would be as numerous as the stars (15:5). This was a phenomenal promise, but "Abram believed the Lord, and God credited it to him as righteousness" (15:6). Paul develops this further in Rom 4 and Gal 3.

God then repeated his promise to give Abram the land of Canaan, and Abram asked for evidence (Gen. 15:7-8). So God asked for some animals, and Abram cut in half a heifer, a goat and a ram, and also offered a dove and a pigeon (15:9-10). He arranged the pieces, but did not burn them. God caused Abram to fall into a deep sleep, and in a dream God affirmed that Abram himself would not possess the land, but his descendants would. A smoking firepot and a blazing torch then passed between the pieces of the sacrificed animals. In ancient custom, people making a covenant walked between the halves of a sacrificed animal as part of their oaths (Jer. 34:18-19 shows this ancient custom, as does the Hebrew idiom for making a covenant --- literally, cutting a covenant). ... In this dream and covenant, God was giving Abram evidence that his descendants would possess the land of Canaan. See also Neh. 9:8 and Gal 3:17.

Many years later, God confirmed his covenant again, changing Abram's name to Abraham, since he would be the father of not just one nation, but of many nations (Gen. 17:1-6). He promised to renew the covenant with Abram's descendants --- not only that they would be numerous, but also that he would be their God (17:7). This is more than the original covenant promised. God also required more from Abraham and his descendants: Circumcision was to be the sign of the covenant (17:9-14). The covenant was both renewed and expanded. Circumcision &emdash; cutting the foreskin &emdash; was a continuing reminder that God had cut a covenant with Abraham and his descendants. This covenant is referred to in Acts 7:8 and Rom 4:11. ... God promised that Abraham would have children not only through Hagar but also through Sarah (Gen. 17:15-17), and God promised to renew the covenant with Isaac (17:19-21).

The Abrahamic Covenant: ( Genesis 12:1-3,7; 13:14-17; 15:1-21; 17:1-21; 22:15-18.) . In this covenant Abraham stood for the whole Jewish nation. First, a great nation was to come out of Abraham, namely, the nation of Israel (12:2; 13:16; 15:5; 17:1-2, 7; 22:17b). Secondly, he was promised a Land; specifically, the land of Canaan (12:1, 7; 13:14-15, 17; 15:17-21; 17:8). Thirdly, Abraham himself was to be greatly blessed (12:2b). Fourthly, Abraham's name would be great (12:2c). Fifth, Abraham will be a blessing to others (12:2d). Sixth, those who bless Israel will be blessed (12:3a). Seventh, those who curse Israel will be cursed (12:3b). Eighth, in Abraham all will ultimately be blessed (12:3c; 22:18). Ninth, Abraham would receive a son through his wife Sarah (15:1-4; 17:16-21). Tenth, his descendants would undergo the Egyptian bondage (15:13-14). Eleventh, other nations as well as Israel would come forth from Abraham (17:3-4, 6); the Arab states are some of these nations. Twelfth, his name was to be changed from Abram to Abraham (17:5). And thirteenth, Sarai's name was to be changed to Sarah (17:15). These provisions are: to Abraham; to the Seed, Israel; and to the Gentile Nations.

Through which son would the Abrahamic Covenant be confirmed? God revealed that it was to be through Sarah's son Isaac (Gen. 26:2-5, 24). Concerning Jacob, Isaac had two sons, and God chose to confirm the covenant with Jacob, as seen in Genesis 28:13-15. Next, it was confirmed through all of Jacob's twelve sons, who fathered the twelve tribes of Israel (Gen. 49).

The Tomb of Abraham and Sarah at Hebron

At Bethel, God gave similar promises to Jacob (28:10-15; 35:11-13). ... God referred to his covenant with Jacob and his covenant with Isaac and his covenant with Abraham, as if they were three distinct covenants (Lev 26:42), but he could also refer to them as one single covenant, since they contained the same promises (Ex 2:24; 2 Kings 13:23). The same basic covenant was renewed with each generation. Peter mentioned the covenant that God made with the fathers (plural), characterized by the promise given to Abraham (Acts 3:25). This covenant is also referred to in Ex 6:4-5.

The Land Covenant is in Deuteronomy 29:1-30:10. and is distinct from the Mosaic Covenant: "These are the words of the covenant which Jehovah commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which he made with them in Horeb." ... First, Moses prophetically spoke of Israel's coming disobedience to the Mosaic Law and subsequent scattering over all the world (Deut. 29:2-30:1). The remaining provisions speak of various facets of Israel's final restoration. Secondly, Israel will repent (Deut. 30:2). Thirdly, Jesus the Messiah will return (v. 3). Fourthly, Israel will be regathered (vv. 3-4). Fifth, Israel will possess the Promised Land (v. 5). Sixth, Israel will be regenerated (v. 6). Seventh, the enemies of Israel will be judged. And finally, Israel will receive full blessing; specifically, the blessings of the Messianic Age (vv. 8-10). ... The importance of the Land Covenant is that it reaffirms the title deed to the Land as belonging to Israel. Although she would prove unfaithful and disobedient, the right to the Land would never be taken from her.The Promised Land is described for us in detail in the Bible "The Lord said to Abram 'Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever... Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you'" (Genesis 13:14-17). "The Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying, 'To your descendants I have given this Land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates'" (Genesis 15:18-21). "I will fix your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River Euphrates" (Exodus 23:31). The entire Land of Israel, including Judea and Samaria (the "West Bank"), Gaza, the Golan Heights, and all of Jerusalem, was given by the Lord to the people of Israel in perpetuity.

The Covenant at Mt. Sinai

God remembered the covenant he had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and he brought their descendants out of slavery in Egypt. While they were on their way to the land of Canaan, God made a covenant with them at Mt. Sinai. As their ruler, he gave laws, and they agreed to keep them. "If you obey me fully and keep my covenant," he told them through Moses, "then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.... You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex 19:5-6).

The Ten Commandments formed the core of this covenant. "The words of the covenant --- the Ten Commandments" --- were written on tablets of stone (Ex 34:28). Although the covenant was equated with the Ten Commandments (Ex 34:28; Deut 4:13), the covenant included all of Ex 20-23. The Lord wrote "the law and commands I have written for their instruction" (Ex 24:12). ... The tablets of stone were called the "tablets of the covenant" (Deut 9:9, 11, 15; Heb. 9:4). They were placed in the ark of the covenant (Ex 25:16, 21; 31:18), thus giving a name to the ark, and the covenant was said to be inside the ark (1 Kings 8:21; 2 Chron. 6:11).

The people said they would do everything the Lord had said (19:8). After God spoke the Ten Commandments, the people asked Moses to be their mediator for the remainder of the covenant (20:1-19). Through Moses, God then gave regulations about altars (20:22-26), servants and slaves (21:1-11), murder and sins against others (21:12-32), sins against personal property (21:33-22:15) and other laws of social responsibility (22:16-27; 23:1-9). There were rules about blasphemy, cursing, offerings, firstlings (22:28-30), Sabbath years and days, Holy Days and offerings (23:10-19). God spoke all these laws, and then promised to give the people the land of Canaan (23:20-31).

While the Abrahamic covenant stressed God's promise. The Sinaitic covenant, stressed human responsibilities. Moses told the people the laws, and the people said, "Everything the Lord has said we will do" (24:3). And Moses wrote it all down.

The next day, they had sacrifices, Moses read the book of the covenant, and the people again agreed to obey (24:4-7). So Moses sprinkled blood on the people, saying, "This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words" (24:8). As Heb. 9:18-20 says, the first covenant was put into effect with blood. An animal was cut, and the people came under the covenant by being sprinkled with its blood.

In this covenant, the people agreed to be servants of God, and he agreed to protect them. The covenant was made not only with Israel as a nation, but also with Moses as its leader (Ex 34:10, 27). Many of the laws in Ex 34 are quoted from Ex 23. It was a covenant renewal with some variations. Heb. 9:1 says that original covenant also included regulations for worship and the sanctuary (Ex 25-30). The covenant was further developed as time went on.

Although the Sabbath was part of the Ten Commandments (20:8-11), and part of the larger covenant (23:12), it was made its own covenant in Ex 31:16. Just as circumcision was an everlasting covenant and a sign of Abraham's covenant (Gen. 17:10-11), the Sabbath was also called a sign and an everlasting covenant (31:12, 16-17). Just as circumcision was a covenant in conjunction with the Abrahamic covenant, the Sabbath was a covenant in conjunction with the Sinaitic covenant.

Also in conjunction with the Sinaitic covenant was the weekly showbread, which was also called an everlasting covenant (Lev 24:8). An everlasting covenant was made with the priesthood also (Num. 18:19; 25:13). Grain offerings were covenantized, since God commanded, "Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings" (Lev 2:13).

Covenant renewals

When the Israelites were ready to enter the promised land, Moses repeated to them the laws of God (Deut 1:1-5). He rehearsed some history, reminded the Israelites to obey God and worship Him only, and he repeated the Ten Commandments. Although the people he was talking to were either not yet born or only children at Horeb (Mt. Sinai), Moses said that God had made the Sinaitic covenant with them, not with their parents (5:2-3).

Moses not only repeated the Ten Commandments, but gave numerous other laws as well (Deut 6&endash;26). After he described blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, he led the people to covenant anew with God to be his people. Most of the book of Deuteronomy then forms the "terms of the covenant the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb" (29:1). The covenant was renewed and expanded. This Deuteronomic covenant was built on the foundation of the Sinaitic covenant, the Ten Commandments.

Moses reminded the people that they were making a covenant with the Lord not only for themselves but also for their descendants (29:12-14), and he exhorted them to be faithful to this covenant (29:9). This was a confirmation of the covenant God had made with the patriarchs (29:13) &emdash; it was a development from that patriarchal covenant. Moses wrote down the Deuteronomic law, and it was placed beside (not in) the ark of the covenant (31:9, 24-26).

The covenant was renewed in the days of Joshua (Josh 24:1-24), Asa (2 Chron. 15:12) and in the days of Joash (23:16). Hezekiah planned to make a covenant with God (29:10). Josiah and the Jews renewed the covenant, apparently the Deuteronomic law (2 Kings 23:3; 2 Chron. 34:31-32). Jeremiah called the people to obey the terms of the covenant they had made when their forefathers came out of Egypt (Jer. 11:2-6). In Jeremiah's day, the people made a covenant with God (34:15), but they were going back on it, and God would treat them "like the calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces" (34:18). ... Yet another covenant was made in the days of Ezra, in which the people agreed to put away their foreign wives and children (Ezra 10:3).

The Davidic Covenant ... (II Sam. 7:11b-17; I Chron. 17:10b-15).

This covenant was made between God and David, who stands as the head of the Davidic house and dynasty, the rightful claimant to the Davidic throne in Jerusalem. ... First, David is promised an eternal dynasty (II Sam. 7:11b, 16; I Chr. 17:10b).; it will always be in existence. ... Somewhere in the Jewish world members of the House of David still exist. Second, one of David's own sons, specifically Solomon, was to be established on the throne after David (II Sam. 7:12). Third, Solomon would build the Temple (II Sam. 7:13a). Fourth, the throne of David's kingdom was to be established for ever (II Sam. 7:13b, 16). It was not Solomon himself who was promised to be established for ever, but the throne upon which he would sit. Fifth, Solomon would be disciplined for disobedience, but God would not remove His loving kindness (II Sam. 7:14-15). Earlier God did remove His lovingkindness from King Saul because of disobedience. But the promise is made that although Solomon may disobey and require God's discipline; God's lovingkindness will never depart from him. Sixth, Jesus the Messiah and His throne, house, and kingdom will be established for ever (I Chr. 17:11-15). The emphasis in the II Samuel passage is on Solomon, but in the I Chronicles passage it is on Jesus the Messiah. In the I Chronicles passage, God is not speaking of one of David's own sons to be established upon the throne for ever, but the Seed of one of his sons coming many years later. Furthermore, in this passage it is the Person Himself that is established upon David's throne for ever, not merely the throne. The emphasis in I Chronicles is not on Solomon, but on Jesus the Messiah. That is why this passage does not mention the possibility of sin as the II Samuel passage did, for in the case of the Messiah no sin would be possible. So Jesus the Messiah, as well as His throne, His house, and His kingdom are to be established for ever. ... The importance of the Davidic Covenant is that it amplifies the Seed aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant. According to the Abrahamic Covenant, Jesus the Messiah was to be of the Seed of Abraham. This stated that He was to be a Jew and could be of any of the twelve tribes. Later, in the time of Jacob, the Seed aspect was limited to a member of the Tribe of Judah only (Gen. 49:10). Now it is further narrowed to one family within the Tribe of Judah, the family of David.

The New Covenant prophesied ... recorded in Jeremiah 31:31-34.

The Sinaitic covenant had regulations for worship, but it could not transform the heart or the conscience (Heb. 9:9), ... Therefore, God predicted a new covenant. He hinted at it even in the old &emdash; he said that, after his people had been sent into captivity because they had broken the covenant, he would regather them and "circumcise your hearts" (Deut 4:25-31; 30:4-10). ... The prophets predicted a new covenant between God and mankind.

In a messianic prophecy fulfilled by Jesus the Christ, Isaiah noted that God would make the Servant "to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles" (Isa. 42:6; 42:7 is similar to 61:1, which is quoted in Luke 4:18). The Servant himself would be the covenant --- he would be the basis of the relationship for both Jews and Gentiles. This was fulfilled in Jesus, for he shed his blood, and it is only through him that we may enter God's holy presence. Mal 3:1 predicted that the Lord would be the messenger of the new covenant.

Isaiah again predicted that God would make the Servant to be a covenant for the people in the day of salvation (Isa. 49:8). Just as God had sworn to Noah that he would never again destroy the earth with a flood, he will never remove this "covenant of peace" (54:9-10). "Come to me, all you who are thirsty," God calls (55:1), a scripture fulfilled in Jesus the Christ (John 7:37). "Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you" (Isa. 55:3). ... "The Redeemer will come to Zion," Isa. 59:20 prophesies, "to those in Jacob who repent of their sins." God will make a covenant with these repentant people. His Spirit will be upon them, and his words will remain in them (59:21). They will keep the covenant because they will be changed on the inside. ... Isaiah 61 was also fulfilled by Jesus. God's Spirit was upon him, so he preached good news, freedom and comfort (61:1-2; Luke 4:18-21). Isaiah predicted a nation of priests (61:6) who will receive a great inheritance (61:7). God will "make an everlasting covenant with them" (61:8).

Jer. 31:31-33, is quoted in Hebrews. Jeremiah predicted a new covenant, which the people will not break, because God's law will be in their minds and hearts. All the people will know the Lord, their sins will be forgiven (31:34), and God will never reject the people (31:35-37). ... In other prophecies of regathering, Jeremiah predicted an everlasting covenant (32:40), in which the people will never turn away from fearing God (32:38-40; 50:5).

Ezekiel also foresaw that God would remember the covenant and regather the people; he will then "establish an everlasting covenant with you." He will make atonement for the people, and they will be repentant (Eze. 16:60-62). After gathering them, he will make "a covenant of peace" with them, an everlasting covenant (34:25; 36:27; 37:26). Hosea 2:18 describes a similar covenant. ... All these prophets predicted a new covenant, a new basis of relationship with God. This covenant will not need to be replaced. It will be an everlasting covenant of peace, a covenant of reconciliation.

Jesus the Messiah and the new covenant

At the Last Supper, Jesus proclaimed that the wine-cup represented his own blood, which would be the blood of the new covenant (Mt 26:28; Mk 14:24; Heb. 10:29). The cup represented the "new covenant in my blood" (Luke 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25). Just as the Sinaitic covenant was sealed with blood, so also the new covenant was ratified when Jesus' blood was poured out on the cross. We renew that covenant and reaffirm our commitment to it when we drink the wine and eat the bread, remembering the Lord's death until he returns. The Lord's Supper is a visible and tangible reminder of the covenant.

The new covenant is superior to the old, for it has been founded on better promises (Heb. 8:6). The old covenant could never make anyone perfect; no one could meet its righteous demands.

Jesus the Christ is the Messenger and Mediator of the new covenant (Heb. 8:6; 12:24). He is also the sacrifice --- he himself is the new covenant. His teachings are the requirements of the covenant. Faith is required for participation in it. The Holy Spirit is given to transform the heart, and eternal life is the promised inheritance. It is an eternal covenant (13:20), guaranteed by Jesus (7:22). His blood has made us perfect, and he is making us holy (10:10, 14). The new covenant has phenomenal promises, and all who believe them are counted as righteous. They are considered as faithful to the terms of the covenant. Their allegiance (loyalty and obedience) is given to Jesus the Christ. ... Our relationship with God is based on the new covenant. God takes away our sins (Rom 11:27). God's Spirit gives us life (2 Cor 3:6). He puts the terms of the covenant within our hearts and minds so we can be faithful to him (Heb. 8:7-10; 10:16). We may therefore "receive the promised eternal inheritance" (Heb. 9:15).

Terms of the new covenant

The book of Hebrews explains that the animal sacrifices, are discontinued and done away. Many laws of the old covenant are continued into the new. The Tenth Commandment, for example, is quoted in the New Testament. As an example, we should still obey Ex 22:22: "Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan." Even though this commandment is not quoted in the New Testament, the principle is still valid. .. Other laws are transformed in the way we apply them. Ex 22:19, for example: "Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal must be put to death." The prohibition is valid, but the church cannot enforce the punishment. Today, we would put such a person out of our fellowship until repentance, instead of killing the offender. The principle is taught in Gal 3:17: "The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise." Paul is not singling out ritualistic laws here. He is talking about the entire package of laws that was given four centuries after Abraham. The Sinaitic laws cannot do away with the promises God gave to Abraham. ... In other words, once a promise has been given, conditions cannot be added (3:15). God did not use their disobedience to abandon the promises he had given to Abraham.

The Galatian Christians had received the Holy Spirit by believing the gospel (3:2, 5). By believing, they became children of Abraham (3:7, 29) and partakers of his blessing (3:9, 14). The Galatian believers had the same covenant with God that Abraham did, and so do Christians today. Paul is explaining that our inheritance depends on promise (3:18), not on the law of Moses. We are children of God by faith, not by law (3:26). Our relationship with God is based on faith and promise, just as Abraham's was. We are justified by faith and saved by promise --- by grace. Laws that were added at Sinai cannot change the promise given to Abraham, nor can those laws change the promise given to us, since we are Abraham's children by faith. God gave his oath to Abraham. The promise still stands.

No one obeys perfectly. Everyone breaks the law. Law cannot give life (Gal 3:21, 10-12). All it can do is condemn us. So what was its purpose? It was added because of transgressions and was to be a Schoolmaster to show us the way to Jesus the Messiah " The law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith" (3:24). The law helps us see what sin is, our need for forgiveness, our need for grace, our need for a Savior, and our need for faith. ... "Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the Schoolmaster of the law" (3:25).

By establishing the new covenant, Jesus did away with many ceremonial laws, but he also reaffirmed many moral laws and stressed that obedience should begin in the heart. He also added commands not found in the old covenant at all. The new covenant has many new laws of its own.

Righteousness by faith

No one can be declared righteous by observing the law (Rom 3:20). The law itself cannot give eternal life (Gal 3:21). But the gospel reveals a way in which we can be declared righteous --- a way that was predicted by the Law and the Prophets (Rom 3:21; Acts 10:43). "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe" (Rom 3:22). We can be "justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (3:24).

God gave his only Son as a sacrifice so that God can, according to his perfect justice, declare believers justified &emdash; righteous (3:25-26). No one can boast about observing the law, since the only way anyone can be justified is "by faith apart from observing the law" (3:28). We are accounted as righteous on the basis of faith, and we are given salvation by grace. If we don't believe that salvation is a gift, then it won't be given to us. If we want to be judged by our works, we will be found guilty. But if we believe that salvation comes only by grace, God forgives our sins because Jesus died for us; it is because of his one great sacrifice that God can forgive all our sins. We are counted as acceptable to God if we have faith in Jesus Christ. ... "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God" (Rom 5:1-2).

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but live according to the Spirit" (8:1-4). As we remain in Christ Jesus through faith in him, we are counted among the righteous, not among the condemned.

In Gal 4:21-25, Paul drew an allegory based on Abraham's two sons. Hagar represented the covenant made at Sinai, Children of this covenant are slaves, under the law. In contrast, Sarah represents the new covenant, from above, because her child was the product of promise. Although faith is accompanied by works (Rom 1:5; 6:17; 12:6-21; James 2:14-17), it is the faith and not the works that is the basis of our justification and the basis of our relationship with God --- the basis of the new covenant in Jesus Christ.

 Old and new in Hebrews

The book of Hebrews explains more about the old covenant and the new. Jesus is our eternal High Priest, but he is not a priest according to the old covenant rituals, since he is not a Levite. So the change in priesthood implies a change in the nature of rituals and sacrifices (Heb. 7:12-14). ... The former ceremonial regulation, with its Levitical assignments, was "set aside because it was weak and useless (for the ceremonial laws made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God" (7:18-19). The new covenant has better promises, and by it we are reconciled to God by the death of his Son. We have guaranteed access to God through Jesus the Messiah, our High Priest. Because Jesus lives forever, he is able to save us all (7:24-25).

The new covenant's better promises include forgiveness, a cleansing of the conscience, which the old covenant could not do. Each person will know God (8:6-12); the people will be able to meet the conditions of the new covenant. The animal sacrifices and regulations about ceremonial cleanness have been superseded by real forgiveness and cleansed consciences (9:13-14).

The blood of Christ, the blood of the new covenant, is able to cleanse our consciences, so that we may serve God (9:14). We have direct access, and we receive a better inheritance --- eternal life --- which we already possess as a down payment guaranteeing our future. Christ was sacrificed once, bearing our sins. He has made us perfect (10:14). He has declared us righteous. Can we believe these promises of God? If we do, we have the faith of Abraham.

"Therefore, brothers," the writer of Hebrews continues, "since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus...since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith" (10:19-22). ... Moreover, our faith-based relationship with God has practical consequences in our relationships with other people: "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another --- and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (10:24-25). ... Because of who Jesus is and what he has done for us, we ought to do something in response. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God --- this is your reasonable service" (Rom 12:1).

"You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" (1 Cor 6:20). "Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain" (1 Cor 15:57-58).

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