Christianity is based on the New Testament teachings, mainly Apostle Paul teachings, and Christianity have an understanding that we are under the new covenant and thus rejecting the old covenant that God established at the Mount Sinai- the covenant with the Law of Moses and 10 commandments that his chosen nation Israel agreed to follow and observe.
To understand how covenants usually come to place, let’s have a look at the word “covenant”. Covenant in Hebrew means “bĕriyth”, which comes from a root word meaning “cutting”. Every covenant in the Bible required blood. Covenant also means alliance, covenant, pact, treaty, confederate. This is usually made between two parties or more and often requires biding document. In today’s world we know when a new law or treaty is being established, it’s a process that involves proposing a new law, this is introduced into Parliament, debated, amended if necessary, and then approved by both the House of Commons and House of Lords before receiving Royal Assent to become an Act of Parliament. While a new treaty is negotiated by the government, signed, and then subject to parliamentary scrutiny before being formally ratified, signifying the UK’s commitment to its terms. A very complex legal process.
And how this was done in the Old Testament?
The Old Testament covenant was established over time, starting with Abraham and fully established with Israelites at the Mount Sinai. The first law God gave to Abraham, which was a pre-shadow of the coming law, was circumcision. It’s important to mention this was an everlasting covenant. And what the word “everlasting” means ? – lasting forever.
“And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.” Genesis 17: 7-11
When Moses spent 40 days and 40 night at the Mount Sinai, Moses came back with two stone tablets and written 10 commandments of a moral law that God wanted Israel to follow. After receiving the tablets, all people had to agree to those terms:
“Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.” And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words.” Exodus 24: 7-8
Further in the book of Nehemiah we see the covenant being renewed:
“Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.” Nehemiah 8: 1-3
“Now the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding— these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes.” Nehemiah 10: 28-29
I hope you can see the process here. It was not that Moses said here is the Law and everyone followed. There was an actual ceremonial process with a lot of people being involved and agreement from all was required, sealed and then followed by all. You could really compare it to a political process of the law being established in the House of Commons.
It’s important to mention that the Law was also for any “foreigner” who was residing with Israelites and wanted to observe their feasts and Sabbaths:
“The community is to have the same rules for you and for the foreigner residing among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the foreigner shall be the same before the Lord: The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the foreigner residing among you.’” Numbers 15: 15-16
“The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreigner residing among you.” Exodus 12:49
Now, let’s have a look how the new covenant has been established in the New Testament and what does that means for us. At the famous last supper with His disciples, Jesus said:
“Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” Luke 22:20
“Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” Matthew 26: 27-29
“Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” Mark 14: 23-25
The new covenant was a last sacrifice for the remission of sins and atonement of sins. Jesus was a sacrificial lamb, therefore after this sacrifice there was no need for animal sacrifices as his blood was shed for many and we don’t have to follow the animal sacrifice rituals. Jesus’ sacrifice annuls all animal sacrifices.
During the last supper we know that it was Jesus and his twelve disciples. We do not see any Gentiles, we do not see any law being red or written, we also do not see Jesus confirming that the old Law is from now on being annulled. What we see is the last blood sacrifice ritual for the remission of sins and a promise of a new covenant that will be established “new in the kingdom of God”. In the new kingdom we will still have to follow the same law, the only difference is it will be written on our heart and we will know it naturally. We will still be following the Sabbaths and Feasts ordained by God.
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Jeremiah 31: 31-34
“For as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord,
“So shall your descendants and your name remain.
And it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.” Isiah 66: 22-23
“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.” Zechariah 14:16
“For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.” Ezekiel 36: 24-28
Israel hasn’t been gathered from among the nations just yet, we only see that “as of June 2024, the State of Israel is recognized as a sovereign state by 164 of the 192 member states of the United Nations”. “2025, will mark the year of applying Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank, thus ending “the threat” of a Palestinian state, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Monday, defying international law under which the West Bank is occupied Palestinian territory.”
We see big changes happening to the Israel, a chosen land and nation of God. The Law of God is still standing strong and will continue in the new earth and new kingdom of God. God would not annul his Law as he is unchangeable God. As I demonstrated above, the process of establishing a law was the process involving a lot of people and their verbal agreements, biding documents and a process compared to any legal process we experience today. The only difference is now we don’t have to do animal sacrifices, but we still need to repent of any sins and strife for holiness through the Law. That is why, if you want to follow God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, you have to adhere to the Law of Moses in the same way as if you’ve moved to a different country, you would have to adhere to the law that is there. God’s Law is an everlasting covenant.
By Dagmara Z.