Monday, December 29, 2008
The New Covenant (point 1)
We should first note that the New Covenant is made with the Houses of Judah and Israel. Jeremiah 30-33:26 (with the proclaimed new covenant in the midst of these chapters) centers around the restoration of Judah and Israel. "Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel." (31:4) The New Covenant speaks of restoration.
And as James, Peter and Paul confirmed with the apostles and elders: "After this I [God] will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old." (Acts 15:16-17 quoting Amos 9:11-12)
"As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:5)
"Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, 'The LORD will surely separate me from his people' ... For thus says the LORD: 'To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant--these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples." (Isaiah 56:3-7)
"Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope." (Hebrews 3:5-6)
Must read: Eph 2:11-22
"You know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth." (1 Tim 3:15)
Therefore, the House of Israel will be restored, that is God's Assembly, his church, and it will now include the rejected eunuch and foreigner. This is not a theology of replacement but a theology of restoration or re-establishment!
(see posts back in June 2006 for a detailed analysis of the church)
And as James, Peter and Paul confirmed with the apostles and elders: "After this I [God] will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old." (Acts 15:16-17 quoting Amos 9:11-12)
"As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:5)
"Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, 'The LORD will surely separate me from his people' ... For thus says the LORD: 'To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant--these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples." (Isaiah 56:3-7)
"Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope." (Hebrews 3:5-6)
Must read: Eph 2:11-22
"You know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth." (1 Tim 3:15)
Therefore, the House of Israel will be restored, that is God's Assembly, his church, and it will now include the rejected eunuch and foreigner. This is not a theology of replacement but a theology of restoration or re-establishment!
(see posts back in June 2006 for a detailed analysis of the church)
Friday, December 26, 2008
New Covenant (Introduction)
So far my thoughts have been scattered. However, the more I study the New Covenant the more I realize how important and crucial it is in understanding the full theology of the Bible. Therefore, I am starting over and laying out my ideas more clearly (for my sake more than anything).
The New Covenant is unconditional. This cannot be seen clearer than with the five "I wills" (not "I might" or "I could").
The New Covenant is unconditional. This cannot be seen clearer than with the five "I wills" (not "I might" or "I could").
- "I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah."
- "I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts."
- "I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
- "I will forgive their iniquity."
- "I will remember their sin no more."
(from Jeremiah 31)
We will take each point one at a time!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
New Covenant Part B
For the Levite, bearing the ark of acacia wood that contained the old covenant was burdensome. For the righteous Levite it was a glorious burden, but a burden nonetheless. The old covenant could only be transported by way of foot. The ark could not be touched and remained veiled for most of the time. In accordance to the words of the covenant, a heavy burden was placed on the Israelites.
However, now under the new covenant we do not carry around heavy tablets of stone. We carry around the Spirit of the living God, a tablet on human hearts. And while the ark resided within a physical temple, now the Holy Spirit resides with us, a "temple (Gk. naos not hieron) of the living God." For God said:
"I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almight." (2 Cor. 6:16-18 quoting Lev. 26:11-12; Jer. 32:38; Ezek. 37:27; Isaiah 52:11; Ezek. 20:34, 41; and 2 Sam. 7:8, 14)
However, now under the new covenant we do not carry around heavy tablets of stone. We carry around the Spirit of the living God, a tablet on human hearts. And while the ark resided within a physical temple, now the Holy Spirit resides with us, a "temple (Gk. naos not hieron) of the living God." For God said:
"I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almight." (2 Cor. 6:16-18 quoting Lev. 26:11-12; Jer. 32:38; Ezek. 37:27; Isaiah 52:11; Ezek. 20:34, 41; and 2 Sam. 7:8, 14)
