'Rightly Dividing the Word'
Old Covenant with Fault
Jer 31:31-32 "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.
Though God led the Israelites out of Egypt like a husband to them, still they broke the Mosaic law of the Old Covenant, because this first covenant was not faultless.
For the perfection of men, a more perfect New Covenant was needed to replaced the weak Mosaic law of the first Covenant.
Heb 8:7,13 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second... In that He says, "A new covenant ," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
New Covenant for Perfection
Heb 7:18-19 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
The Mosaic law was found to be weak and unprofitable in making men to be perfect, which is the will of God. Since the law could not make the Jews to be perfect, God replaced it with New Covenant to allow the Jews, themselves, to draw near to God, giving them a better hope or opportunity of their perfection.
Mat 5:48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."
New Covenant of His Blood
Mat 26:28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
At the death of Jesus on the cross, He shed His blood for the remission of sin. He fulfilled the prophecy of the coming New Covenant where by the grace of God their sins would be forgiven.
Jer 31:33-34 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... 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."
All things Have Become New
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Jesus, having established the New Covenant of His blood and also having fulfilled and annulled the Old Covenant, Himself, had replaced the following:-
1. The Temple of God in Jerusalem was replaced by new Temple of God - physical Body of Jesus (Word made flesh) and Christians.
2. The blood of the New Covenant was from Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God
3. Leviticus Priesthood was replaced by Jesus, the Melchizedek priesthood
Heb 7:17 For He testifies: "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."
4. The weak Mosaic law was replaced by the word of Jesus, which is spirit and life.
Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.
5. The Sabbath and Jewish Feasts were fulfilled and made obsolete by Jesus.
I Cor 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Since God is dwelling within us, we can only keep His Sabbath and Feasts by our obedience and sincerity in worshipping Him in Spirit and truth.
Beware of God's Curse
Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them."
God had warned us not to observe or keep any part of the weak and unprofitable law, which will defile our walk of perfection with Him.
