Covenants
Many people do not realize this, but at one time there was a major effort to either get rid of the Old Testament or just ignore it. The Jewish people would continue to use the Torah, but it was not for modern day Christians. Where did this attitude come from? From today’s reading from the Letter to the Hebrews. Here is the quote:
When he speaks of a “new” covenant,
he declares the first one obsolete.
And what has become obsolete
and has grown old is close to disappearing.
At first glance it appears that the author of Hebrews is claiming that the Old Testament is no longer. That God has broken the covenant with His people and started a new covenant through His Son. We need to know a few things about God. What God says is always true. What God says is true forever. God cannot deny Himself. If He makes a covenant it is a covenant forever. However, we, as human beings, we do not always speak the truth. And we do deny ourselves. We, then, are the ones who broke the covenant. And we broke many of God’s covenants.
Thankfully, God is forgiving and merciful. This means what God has spoken in the Old Testament is and always will be true. The Old Testament has not ceased or become obsolete. The covenant we broke with God has become obsolete. God finally had to make the final covenant through the death of His Son on a cross. This covenant will never be broken or become obsolete.
As we study the Bible, we begin to see how the Old Testament foretells the coming of Christ, our redemption, and God’s love for us. Those words from Hebrews caused a lot of pain and suffering because of our erroneous interpretation. I would think anytime we read something from the Bible and hear it declared as divisive or leading to separation we rethink what we are saying. Those are not attributes of our God but who we are. This is a week we celebrate Christian Unity. Take some time to pray for that unity only God can give us through grace.
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen