What two external gifts does the New Covenant promise?
(Jer. 31:31-38; Eze. 20:11; Matt. 5:17-20; Rom. 2:28-29; Heb. 8:6-13) Blog May 30-June 05, 2021
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: As the representative of all humanity, Adam freely chose to brake God’s creation covenant. God did not then abandon the human race; instead, he offered us a covenant of grace in which he promised to provide a new Representative for humanity – the Seed of the woman. By means of sacrifice and obedience Jesus fulfilled God’s will in our place. The covenants made with Noah, Abraham, and David, like that made after the fall (Genesis 3:15), were also promissory covenants in which a person becomes a partaker on condition of faith alone. The covenant God made with Israel at Sinai, like that made with Adam before the fall, was based on human performance. They were obligatory covenants because in them humanity was to render perfect obedience to God.
New Covenant Proposal (Deut. 5:29; 27:26; Jer. 31:31-34; Eze. 20:11; Heb. 8:6)
1. According to Jeremiah why did God promise to make a new covenant with his people? God promised to make a new covenant with his people because they broke the first covenant he made with them at Mount Sinai.
2. What does the book of Hebrews say was the problem with the covenant made at Mount Sinai? God says it was the promises that were the problem with the covenant made at Mount Sinai.
3. What did God promise at Mount Sinai? At Mount Sinai God promised to be a husband & God to his people.
4. When God uses the term “husband” what is included in its meaning? According to God a husband is to be a protector, provider, pastor, & procreator for his spouse.
5. What did God’s people promise in the covenant made at Mount Sinai? God’s people promised to be obedient to the Ten Commandment words of God’s covenant given at Mount Sinai.
6. Why did God’s people not keep their promise to keep the Ten Commandment covenant? Because they made a promise that they were unable to keep, for their hearts were sinful.
7. How might the terms of the Sinai Covenant be summarized? The terms of the Sinai Covenant were, “Obey and live.”
Covenant Enactment (Psa. 40:8; Dan. 9:27; Matt. 26:26-28; John 8:29; Eph. 2:8; Heb. 8:6-12; 10:5-10; 1 Pet. 1:19)
8. What were the terms of the New Covenant? The terms of the New Covenant were the same as those of the Old: perfect obedience to be rendered by the human party.
9. What is the difference between the Old and New covenants? In the Old Covenant the people promised to obey whereas in the New Covenant Jesus as our Substitute promised, as our Representative, to obey.
10. What are the “better promises” of the New Covenant? The promises Jesus made to the Father as recorded in Psalm 40 & Hebrews 10 & demonstrated in John 8 & 1 Peter 1.
11. In order for Jesus to fulfil God’s will as the covenant Keeper in our place what must he be & do? He must have an unblemished, sinless, human nature, live a perfect, spotless, human life, & suffer & die for the sins of humanity.
12. According to Daniel, when was the New Covenant confirmed? During the seven years between the Baptism of Jesus & the stoning of Stephen.
13. What emblems did Jesus give that portrayed the New Covenant? The bread & the wine of his last supper that represented his perfect life & atoning death.
14. If the New Covenant is only made “with the house of Israel” how can gentiles be included in it? Only believers in Jesus are the true children of Abraham, “for he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly… But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly.”
15. By what means does a person become a partaker of the New Covenant? By means of faith in Jesus.
16. What is faith? Faith is believing the promises of God & accepting Jesus as your Substitute & Surety as the means (not basis) for receiving all God’s blessings – it is not a work on our part but rather is a gift from God that we personally can exercise like opening the eye or receiving a gift.
17. Why is the seventh day Sabbath a fitting sign for the New Covenant? Because it is a symbol of resting in the work that Jesus has finished in our behalf.
New Covenant Blessings (Jer. 31:31-34; Eze. 11:19; Acts 3:19; Heb. 8:6-13; 10:5-18; 1 John 2:20, 27)
18. What two internal gifts does the New Covenant promise? The New Covenant promises that the Ten Commandments will be written in the heart & that the Holy Spirit, as a resident instructor, will indwell those included in the covenant.
19. Where does the New Testament speak of this Resident Instructor? In 1 John 2.
20. What two external gifts does the New Covenant promise? The New Covenant promises the forgiveness of sins & the blotting out of sins.
21. Where does the New Testament speak of the blotting out of sins? In Acts 3 & Hebrews 10.