The Old Testament Covenant
The Bridegroom’s Father chooses the bride
God the Father chose a man named Abram, who believed God. Abram and all of Abram’s descendants were chosen to be the bride. The bride (national Israel) was comprised of all Jews – those who believed the Lord God and those who didn’t. Genesis 15:6 (NIV) Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Note: The Old Testament (1st marriage covenant) saints received righteousness “on credit” with their faith in God. The bill for that righteousness would be paid by the death and resurrection of their promised Messiah.
Messiah: Pre-incarnate – Incarnate – Resurrected
Who is this promised Messiah?
Genesis 3:15 (AMP) “And I will put enmity (open hostility) Between you and the woman, And between your seed (offspring) and her Seed; He shall [fatally] bruise your head, And you shall [only] bruise His heel.”
God stated He would put hostility between Satan, including his offspring (demon angels), and the woman (seemingly Israel), as well as Eve’s Seed (Messiah/Christ). Satan is the evil power behind the serpent that deceived Eve and therefore caused Adam to sin. Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God. Immediately, sin and death entered our world. But God had a plan. Humbling Himself, He would come into our world as the baby Jesus – Emmanuel (God with us) for the purpose of saving us from our sins.
Messiah – Son of God & Son of man
The promised Messiah was and is God’s Son. He is the Second Person of the Trinity who was born to a young Jewish virgin named Mary. She conceived this child, named Jesus, by the Holy Spirit (the Third Person of the Trinity). This God/man Jesus came as the Suffering Servant to save us from an eternal death and torment due to our sins. By His death (crucifixion on a cross), burial and resurrection, Jesus the Messiah conquered sin, death, and Satan.
God the Father declared the Messiah to be His Son
Jesus the Messiah is eternal, with no beginning and no end. God declared Him to have a title above men and angels – “The Son of God”. This title states His deity and relationship to the Father.
Psalm 2:7 (NKJV) “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
Hebrews 5:5 (NKJV) So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.”
In the verses above, God the Father was not speaking of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem. He was speaking of the day Jesus was resurrected from the grave so all mankind could be redeemed by believing in Jesus. Alive and seated at the right hand of His Father in heaven, Jesus is exalted with glory, majesty and honor. He has been appointed and anointed King. And, Jesus will return to reign and rule the earth and its inhabitants from Jerusalem one day soon.
All three Persons of the Trinity were present at Jesus’ baptism.
Mark 1:9-11 (NKJV) It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
At His baptism, Jesus was ordained by God the Father and anointed with the Holy Spirit to begin His earthly ministry. Luke 4:18 (NKJV) “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed;
Messiah (Yeshua/Jesus) – the same yesterday, today and forever
Hebrews 13:8 (TLV) Yeshua the Messiah is the same yesterday, today, and forever. In Egypt, the Israelites believed and obeyed God by applying the blood of a perfect, unblemished lamb to their door posts. By doing this, they were protected by God and saved from the destroyer. Exodus 12:23 (NLV) For the Lord will pass through to kill the Egyptians. But when He sees the blood around your door, the Lord will pass over the door. He will not let the one who destroys come into your houses to kill you. This was a foreshadowing of the incarnate Messiah (God in the flesh) – the perfect, sinless Passover Lamb. His shed blood on the cross (altar) has provided salvation for all who believe in the resurrected Messiah. Yeshua/Jesus, the Lamb of God, was the fulfillment of the first Passover in Egypt.
The Law was fulfilled in Messiah (Jesus)
Jesus never sinned. Therefore, He fulfilled the Law by keeping it perfectly. Jesus is also the fulfillment of prophecies about Himself. Matthew 5:17 (NIV) “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Those who place their faith in the Son of God (Jesus Christ) are free from the bondage of trying to keep the law perfectly and free from the bondage of sin and Satan. John 8:36 (NIV) So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. With faith in our Savior Jesus, we are forgiven of past, present and future sins forever. However, this does not mean we are free to sin. We are to pattern our lives on Christ.
Could God’s Son, the pre-incarnate Messiah, be the husband of Israel?
John 5:37 (NKJV) And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. If no one has ever seen the Father or heard His voice, then it must be the pre-incarnate Messiah (Christ) who speaks and is seen in the following verses as well as other verses in the Bible. (Other names for Messiah are Yahweh and Elohim.)
Exodus 33:21-23 (NOG) Then Yahweh said, “Look, there’s a place near me. Stand by this rocky cliff. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a crevice in the cliff and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take my hand away, and you’ll see my back, but my face must not be seen.”
Genesis 8:15-16 (NOG) Then Elohim spoke to Noah, “Come out of the ship with your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives.
We know it is Jesus, the resurrected Messiah (Christ) who makes the new and better 2nd marriage covenant with those who have faith in Him. So, the same pre-incarnate Messiah (Christ) must have made the 1st marriage covenant with Israel – divorced and then remarried spiritual Israel as we will see.
The unconditional Abrahamic Covenant
Genesis 12:1-3 (NOG) Yahweh said to Abram, “Leave your land, your relatives, and your father’s home. Go to the land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation, I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you, I will curse. Through you every family on earth will be blessed.” (The pre-incarnate Messiah was speaking to Abram.)
For more understanding, visit What is the Abrahamic Covenant?
Abrahamic Covenant promises were made to Abraham and fulfilled in his Seed, Messiah (Christ)
Galatians 3:16 (NKJV) Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. These covenant promises were established long before the Mosaic law was given. The law was interjected between the promises and the fulfillment of the promises. The sinless Messiah (Christ) is the fulfillment of the law having kept it perfectly. Works righteousness through the law could never bring about the manifestation of the promises, but faith in Messiah (the Seed) does.
God’s promises to Abram and his descendants
Genesis 17:3-11 (NOG) Immediately, Abram bowed with his face touching the ground, and again Elohim spoke to him, “My promise is still with you. You will become the father of many nations. So your name will no longer be Abram [Exalted Father], but Abraham [Father of Many] because I have made you a father of many nations. I will give you many descendants. Many nations and kings will come from you. I will make my promise to you and your descendants for generations to come as an everlasting promise. I will be your Elohim and the God of your descendants. I am also giving this land where you are living—all of Canaan—to you and your descendants as your permanent possession. And I will be your Elohim.” Elohim also said to Abraham, “You and your descendants in generations to come are to be faithful to my promise. This is how you are to be faithful to my promise: Every male among you is to be circumcised. All of you must be circumcised. That will be the sign of the promise from me to you.
Once again, it was the pre-incarnate Messiah who spoke to Abram and promised posterity, a priesthood, and a promised land through God’s persistent grace. (All that was promised to Abram can be seen in Genesis – Chapters 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, and 22.)
Circumcision – a sign of the Abrahamic Covenant
Abraham’s descendants (the nation of Israel) were to be circumcised. This would be a sign they were part of God’s physical blessing in the world and set aside from those of the world. It also showed their fertility and future were in God’s hands. Circumcision involves the shedding of blood. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (plus all of their Jewish offspring) were to be circumcised and keep this covenant with God. By arranging for the circumcision of the children, the wives were also adhering to this covenant with God.
The time for marriage had come
Ezekiel 16:8 (NLT) And when I passed by again, I saw that you were old enough for love. So I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.
God’s 1st Marriage through the Mosaic Covenant at Mount Sinai
On the day of Pentecost (Shavuot), the law (the Ten Commandments) was given by God to the Israelites on two stone tablets through Moses. The people accepted this marriage contract by basically saying, “I do”. Exodus 24:3 (NKJV) So Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the Lord has said we will do.” Again, the pre-incarnate Messiah was the One who met and spoke with Moses.
The Israelites thought they could obey the law of the marriage covenant, but soon discovered they couldn’t. On the day Moses received the law, Israel sinned by worshipping the golden calf and breaking the first two commandments. (1st Commandment – You shall have no other gods before me. 2nd Commandment – You shall not make for yourself any idols.) As punishment by God, about 3,000 Jews died that day. Exodus 32:27-28 (NCV) Then Moses said to them, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says this: ‘Every man must put on his sword and go through the camp from one end to the other. Each man must kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’” The people from the family of Levi obeyed Moses, and that day about three thousand of the Israelites died.
[On Pentecost (50 days after our Messiah’s death, burial and resurrection), about 3,000 Jews came to believe the good news of Jesus Christ, were baptized and began living their eternal life. Acts 2:41 (NOG) Those who accepted what Peter said were baptized. That day about 3,000 people were added to the group. ] The law kills, but with faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, we live forever!
Note: Pentecost is also known as Feast of First Fruits, Feast of Weeks or Shavuot. It is believed this first celebration took place at Mt. Sinai when the law, including The Ten Commandments, was given to the Israelites by God through Moses. The Jews celebrate Pentecost 50 days after the second day of Passover. The church celebrates Pentecost 50 days after Easter (including that Resurrection Sunday).
Exodus 34:22 (NCV)“Celebrate the Feast of Weeks when you gather the first grain of the wheat harvest. And celebrate the Feast of Shelters in the fall.
For more understanding, visit Shavuot: The Giving of the Law
Discover the true biblical commandments by visiting What are the Ten Commandments?
The Nation of Israel – unfaithful to God through spiritual infidelity
Jeremiah 2:2 (NLT) “Go and shout this message to Jerusalem. This is what the Lord says: “I remember how eager you were to please me as a young bride long ago, how you loved me and followed me even through the barren wilderness.
Hosea 4:12 (NKJV) My people ask counsel from their wooden idols, and their staff informs them. For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray, and they have played the harlot against their God. In Egypt, Israel’s “adoptive father” Pharaoh, enslaved them and led them astray to worship idols.
God divorced the northern kingdom of Israel (temporarily), but not Judah
God temporarily divorced the northern kingdom, Israel (which included ten tribes). He did not divorce the southern kingdom, Judah (which included the tribes of Judah and Benjamin). This is because the promised Messiah would come from the Tribe of Judah. Jeremiah 3:12 (AMP) Go and proclaim these words toward the north [where the ten tribes have been taken as captives] and say, ‘Return, faithless Israel,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not look on you in anger. For I am gracious and merciful,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not be angry forever.
Judah’s last King is Jesus, and He is King forever.
Judah fulfilled the line of the Seed through King David and his descendants all the way to Jesus’ birth. Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He paid the price for the sins of Judah, Israel and all mankind. Jesus had no sin, yet died for our sins. His battered body and shed blood was a one time sacrifice to atone for all our sins (past, present and future) forever. On the third day after Jesus was crucified, He rose from the grave. Jesus our resurrected Messiah lives! He is still the God/man Jesus and is seated at the right hand of His Father in heaven.
For remarriage, either a death or a divorce must take place. In this case, God was temporarily divorced from Israel. And with the death of the husband of Judah (Messiah’s crucifixion), the resurrected Messiah was free to enter into a new and better marriage covenant.
God is faithful
Isaiah 54:5-8 (NIV) For your Maker is your husband—the Lord Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—a wife who married young, only to be rejected,” says your God. “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord your Redeemer.
The Old Testament/Covenant speaks of a New Covenant God will make with His chosen people.
Jeremiah 31:31-32 (NIV) “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them” declares the Lord.
Are you trying to live under the law (the Ten Commandments) but failing? The law can’t save anyone. It’s purpose is to make our sins obvious and show us the need for atonement. Come to know the Messiah Savior (Jesus) – the Lamb of God who paid the price for our sins once and for all. Get started by visiting SIN – Who Cares?
Read about God’s 2nd Marriage – Eternal Life
| Bible Versions: AMP (Amplified Bible), ESV (English Standard Version), KJV (King James Version), MSG (The Message), NOG (Names of God Bible), NCV (New Century Version), NET (New English Translation), NIV (New International Version), NKJV (New King James Version), NLV (New Life Version), NLT (New Living Translation), RGT (Revised Geneva Translation), RSV (Revised Standard Version), TLB (Living Bible), TLV (Tree of Life Version), YLT (Young's Literal Translation) |
