Day 9 – Twelve Days to Christmas – Messiah’s Invitation

9. Partake – Twelve Days to Christmas – Messiah’s Invitation

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Please do read for yourself Isaiah 55:1 – 56:8

Remember from Day 8, that we talked about the City of God to come, where all those who believe will llive and worship the Lord God Almighty for ever! Who is this invitation for? This invitation to join is to all people of all races and nationalities! But they have to respond to the call!

Come, see and taste

“Come”, cries Almighty God through the prophet Isaiah. Come! The gates to my City are open to all who believe! There is no entry charge, its free! This food is free for all! What is this food? It is mercy and pardon. Mercy from God and pardon for sin for all those who respond to the call God has put out.

Everlasting Covenant Disclosed

This is the everlasting Covenant (Isaiah 55:5-6) or the new Covenant we have talked about and was proclaimed by other prophets such as Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Just as each of the previous covenants had a symbol to authenticate the agreement, so does this! Noah’s covenant had the rainbow, Abraham had circumcision and Moses had the sprinkling of blood. This new and everlasting Covenant will also have a sign! The sign is disclosed in 55:13 as a everlastingly transformed universe! Amazing! This is the climax of Isaiah so far! This is why the Messiah Servant must suffer in Isaiah 53! This new everlasting covenant does not cancel the other covenants, but rather fulfills them. The final result of the Messiah Servant’s work will be everything that Almighty God has promised and all promises of God will find their Amen in the Servant.

Everlasting Covenant Result

Because of this New Covenant, even though Israel will go into exile, they will return from it stronger. As in Isaiah 55:4-5, David was made a witness to the covenant and leader of people, so too will Israel. Once restored to the land, this Messiah Servant will come from Israel, and Israel will be used to conquer people spiritually for the Lord.

And this is no dream, hallucination or fantasy as some of the people of Israel would be thinking. But the thoughts and mind of God is so much higher than mere mortal humanity. For as Isaiah 55:8-9 states “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” says Yahweh. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Just as plants grow when rained upon, so too will Almighty God’s plans. His word has gone out and it will not return with nothing (Isaiah 55:11). His word has power to speak the universe into existence. His word will bring a restoration from exile, a redeemed creation and a renewed world (Isaiah 55:12-13). It will be a place of joy and excitement!

Come Quickly Everybody!

It is with a sense of urgency that Isaiah speaks these words of God. Decisions must be made but guest must come! The spiritual food of mercy and pardon is available to all, but the offer must be taken up! If the offer is rejected, then the consequences are disastrous for the person who does not believe. That is why the command to seek while God can be found, for there will come a time when the gates will be closed and no more admittance allowed.

Everlasting Covenant Features

What are the hallmarks of this Covenant? Two of the characteristics are justice and openness

Justice: Isaiah 5:7 tells us that God had looked for justice but found only injustice and suffering. Those who respond to this Everlasting Covenant will need to administer justice and live obedient lives. They are to do this, because God’s righteousness is about be disclosed (Isaiah 56:1). They are to live an obedient life to God, not to earn salvation, but rather as a hallmark of having agreed the New Covenant with God, to symbolize that they are God’s people.

Openness: This offer is open to all! Just as the nation of Israel was always meant to be a light of God to the nations, so too are the people of the New Covenant. They are to be a light to every nation of God’s goodness and glory, extending an invitation to all to join in this life of the New Covenant. They were to accept all those who chose to accept the offer of being bound to God Almighty through this New Covenant (Isaiah 56:3, 6). An obvious example is that of the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8:26-40. This man was a eunuch from a foreign land, and according to Isaiah 56:4-7, he was to be welcomed by other acceptors of this New Covenant. All of this resulting from the Messiah Servant’s work.

Jesus as this Messiah

Lets see again from his own life and words how Jesus is this Messiah Servant.

This Jesus welcomes the burdened: Matthew 11:28-30″Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Are you burdened down with cares, stresses and strains? Come to Jesus today and let him take them..

Are you hungering and thirsting after righteousness? Then come to Jesus who offers Living Water and is the Bread of Life. John 7:37-38 Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.” Or John 6:35 “Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Are you seeking God! Then seek! Ask! You will find! Matthew 7:8 “For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.”

This is Jesus who said in John 12:46 “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness“! What’s more, He said that all those who follow Him are lights to the world as well Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world.” That’s why Jesus gave the command in Matthew 28:18-20 for His followers to go into all the world to tell about Him.

Fulfilling the Covenants

Frequently, this Jesus said that He was to fulfill what was written. One example of this is Luke 18:31-33 He took the twelve aside, and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be completed. For he will be delivered up to the Gentiles, will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit on. They will scourge and kill him. On the third day, he will rise again.”

Primarily though is Jesus’ Words in Luke 22 whereby Jesus instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion. Luke 22:19-20 He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Christians do this regularly as a remembrance of Jesus until He comes again! The bread symbolizes His body broken on the cross and the wine symbolizes His blood shed on the cross. Further more it has other symbolic meanings, all of which symbolize the New Everlasting Covenant – a Covenant guaranteeing salvation! Amongst these meanings are that it

• Symbolizes fellowship with other believers in the worldwide church in openness and integrity
• Symbolizes our dependence on Christ for spiritual life and spiritual food.
• We receive the benefits of His sacrifice as the Suffering Servant.

It signifies in the New Covenant for Christians to tell all others of this offer to come and join. It is also for Christians to live an obedient life to God Almighty, to love justice and be welcoming to all!

Thank you.

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Day 8. Twelve Days to Christmas – Messiah’s Promise

8. Partake – Twelve Days to Christmas – Messiah’s Promise

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Please do read Isaiah 54:1-17

God fulfills every promise He has made!

You may recall back on Day 4 in Isaiah 52, Isaiah started talking about a great homecoming for all those who believed. Then on our Day 5, Isaiah gave a picture regarding the sacrificial suffering of the Messiah Servant. Now in Isaiah 54, we see the reason for the suffering. We see that because of this coming Messah’s suffering and subsequent exultation and vindication, that God will make a New Covenant with all the peoples of the world!

God has always kept the promises He made with people! Promises to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and David were also kept by God! God is ever faithful and always true to His word! And here God reminds them through Isaiah of three promises or covenants He has made: Abraham, Moses and Noah.

Past – Covenant with Abraham!

Here in Isaiah 54:1-3 God reminds the people through Isaiah, that God has always kept His promises to His people! If they looked back at the covenant promises made to Abraham, they would see this (Genesis 12:1-3)! When they go into exile, keep hold of the promises of God and be obedient to Him! God is always faithful and wants their total obedience to Him!

How are these verses of Isaiah 54:1-3, are meant to be a reminder of the covenant with Abraham? The mention of the barren woman (1), tent (2) and descendants (3) would all bring to mind God’s promises to Abraham… The barren woman, would be a reminder that Abraham and Sarah were aged and childless. The tent would act as a reminder that Abraham was a tent-dweller in an alien land. The descendants would remember that they themselves are descendants from Abraham! And God has promised in 54:3 that they will return to the land of Abraham and populate there once more.

The Abrahamic covenant is a link to all of God’s activities and programs until the end of time, when Jesus returns to gather His people to Himself. That is how important it was, particularly to Israel! The covenant had aspects for Abraham personally, as well as aspects that applied to all nations.

Past – Covenant with Moses

Now in Isiaah 54:4-8, God moves to the covenant He made with Moses (Exodus 19v5-8). When as a young nation, Israel was in exile and slavery in Egypt – it was an embarrassment to her. Now as a nation she was like an aged widow, she was due to be in exile again, but in Babylon this time. But just as God made the covenant with Israel on Mount Sinai after escaping from Egypt, so too would God restore her to Himself once again and be her husband and Redeemer.

The covenant with Moses begins with a stipulation “Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me.” (Exodus 19v5). This covenant was to Israel in order that those who believed God’s promise to Abraham would know how to live righteously and obediently.

Past – Covenant with Noah!

Next God talks about his promise to Noah (Genesis 9v1-19)! Now instead of just a covenant with Israel, this is a covenant with the whole world! After the flood, Noah and his descendants spread throughout the world, bringing new life and God’s blessing to all parts. The flood is symbolic of the coming period that Israel will spend in exile, and all of the people of Israel are likened to the family of Noah and their descendants. God will protect them in exile, just as He did Noah and his family through the flood.

God has always kept his promises to Israel! But Israel has not always been faithful!

Future – Promised New City

Now the Lord talks about the future – the now but not yet. A great city is built to house all those who are God’s people as a reward for their obedient faithfulness despite trials, sufferings and persecution! Here Isaiah links also to the coming Messiah! Remember the Messiah was also a Disciple taught by God (Isaiah 50:4), then so were they (54:13)! Just has He had suffered (Isaiah 53:4), so have they (Isaiah 54:11)! Just as He was justified (Isaiah 50:8), so would they be (Isaiah 54:17). Those who serve God Almighty with faithful obedience will share in the sufferings of the Messiah King but also participate in His glory, because they are His children. Because of the Messiah Servant’s sacrificial suffering they will be able to live in the city of God forever! God is going to make a new Covenant with people – and He can be trusted to keep His promises!

How is Jesus this Messiah?

Both the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel talk about the promise of this New Covenant that God will have with all of humanity. What is this New Covenant that God is making?

Four features of this covenant are:

• Regeneration -God will write His law on the hearts of people. (Jeremiah 31v33) • Restoration – God will be their God, and they will be God’s people. (Jeremiah 31v33) • Promised Holy Spirit – God will indwell people and they will be led by Him (Jeremiah 31v 34) • Justification – Sins will be forgiven and removed eternally (Jeremiah 31v34)

What does all this have to do with Jesus? This New Covenant is sealed only through the perfect sacrifice of the God-Man Jesus on the cross as spoken of in Isaiah 53:1-12. His blood ensures the truth of this New Covenant. His death pays the penalty for the sins of all people who say yes to God and His New Covenant. This New Covenant is contrasted with the Old Covenant or the Mosaic covenant (Jeremiah 31v32; Hebrews 8v6-13) because this New Covenant finalizes what the Mosaic Covenant could only point to: the follower of God living in a righteous life conforming to God’s holy character. In this way, Jesus is also the redeemer of the Church and the redeemer mentioned in Isaiah 54:5 & Isaiah 54:7! He is the redeemer spoken about by Job (Job 19:25)!

Relationship!

Jesus Christ is the head of the church! The church is married to Jesus Christ and is frequently described as a bride! Just as the people of Israel were in Isaiah 54! How are the church linked to Jesus Christ?

The Church is the Body of Christ – it is a living organism and not merely an organization (Ephesians 1v22, 23; 4v15-16). We are all baptized into one body (1 Corinthians 12v13) and this body is made up of many parts or believers. Each believer has a vitally necessary and important function (Ephesians 4v15; 1 Corinthians 12v13).

The Church is the Bride of Christ – which suggests the purity, holiness and faithfulness of God’s people. Furthermore it suggests the great love that Jesus Christ has for His Church, the Bride (Ephesians 5v25-32; 2 Corinthians 11v2; Rev 19v7.22v17)

The Church is the Temple of Christ – Christ is building a spiritual temple with Himself as the Cornerstone or foundation. As Christian Disciples we are living stones and God dwells within the temple, filling it with all His fullness (Ephesians 2v22; 1 Peter 2v5)

God keeps His promises – Jesus is proof of that!

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If you find these resources helpful to you, please do prayerfully consider making a donation. You can support via PayPal, the universal and most secure way to donate money online. You do not need to be a member of Paypal to use their facilities. It does cost me money to produce these resources, mainly the storage facility and the bandwidth. I have very little other means of support. By making a donation, you can ensure that countries outside of the West, such as China, Indonesia and Nigeria, will be able to download these resources. Thank you

WISE – Covenant

Partake – Words In Scripture Explored – Covenant

Gday and welcome to Words In Scripture Explored! The word for today is Covenant.

Look at your money! On British money are the words “I promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of five [ten/twenty/fifty] pounds. In fact you can even take old British banknotes to the Bank and cash them in for modern money! Promises!! That’s what a covenant is – a promise between two parties.

Covenants in the Bible

Covenants were common in all kinds of life, and not just between God and humanity. For instance where a powerful nation had taken over a weaker nation, a covenant was in place to give benefits from the powerful nation to the weaker nation, such as protection as well as sanctions if the weaker nation rebelled.

About God’s Covenants

Each covenant between God and humanity showed God promising to do something and commands for mankind to follow! When an Old Testament covenant ended in failure, it was always due to mankind’s inability to obey God! Such as when Adam & Eve ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thereby breaking the covenant made with God. The Edenic Covenant was therefore terminated and now God needed to make another covenant with Adam (Genesis 3v14-21). In the Old Testament we have six covenants between God and humanity: Edenic, Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, and the Davidic. They all had several things about them:.

• God always took the initiative.
• God always gave His solemn promise to fulfil His promise.
• God always waited for a free response from humanity, without coercion or force.

New Covenant

As a Christian Disciple today, you are living under the the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31v31-34)

Four features of this covenant are: God transforming you; God being your God and you being His; God living inside you and leading you; your sins are forgiven and removed

This new covenant is sealed only through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. His blood ensures the truth of this New Covenant. There is no other way for this New Covenant to be sealed except through Jesus’ blood alone. This New Covenant finalizes what the Mosaic Covenant could only point to: the follower of God living in a righteous life conforming to God’s holy character.

Whenever you celebrate Communion or the Lord’s Supper, you celebrate this New Covenant between God and yourself, for it symbolizes this New Covenant, which guarantees salvation! So go tell somebody else today about how God will make them new, forgive them, live inside them, and transform them, if only they come to Him in repentance.

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Covenants 2

60. Partake – The Christian Disciple and Bible Covenants 2

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 2 Corinthians 3v6-8

 

Following on from the Edenic, Adamic, Noahic and Abrahamic Covenants, comes the Covenant given to Moses. But before we continue our journey in Old Testament Covenants, first an explanation regarding some nuances about them.

 

Covenants were common in all kinds of life, and not just between God and humanity. For instance where a powerful nation had taken over a weaker nation, a covenant was in place to give benefits from the powerful nation to the weaker nation, such as protection as well as sanctions if the weaker nation rebelled. There were covenants between equal partners in deals similar to contracts of law today. The Covenant of the Old Testament had several things about them regarding the relationship between God and humanity.

 

Firstly, God always took the initiative – sometimes by surprise as in with Abraham or in Noah’s case, through his obedience.

Secondly, God has promised certain commitments and has given His solemn promise to fulfil His end of the bargain.

Thirdly, God waits for a response from humanity. God does not coerce or force but waits for humanity to take the responsibility of replying and acquiescing to God’s covenantal promises.

 

 

1. The Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19v5-8)

 

 

This is the fifth covenant between God and humanity and also the second theocratic. It commences with the stipulation “Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me.” (Exodus 19v5). This covenant was to Israel in order that those who believed God’s promise to Abraham, could know how to live righteously.

 

This Mosaic covenant covered the three areas of life:

 

The commandments were given so they would know how to correctly relate socially to God (Exodus 20v1-6)

The judgements were given in order that they could relate socially to each other properly (Exodus 21v1 – 24v11)

The decrees dictate their religious life so that God could be approaced by humanity on His terms (Exodus 24v12 – 31v18).

 

This Mosaic covenant however, does not replacethe Abrahamic Covenant, but rather as an addition (Galatians 3v19) to it until the Messiah Christ came and made the perfect sacrifice (Galatians 3v17-19). The Covenants pointed towards this momentous event. The Mosaic Covenant was never meant as a means towards salvation. It was given that they could realize their helplessness of their own efforts, and their need of God’s help. Galatians 3v22-24 Explains that the Law was only a protective fence until through the promised Messiah, humanity “could be made right with God through faith.“

 

6. The Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7v4-17)

 

This covenant is the sixth covenant and third theocratic covenant.

 

The Davidic Covenant promises three things :

 

* A land forever (2 Samuel 7v10);

* A dynasty without end (2 Samuel 7v11, 16)

* A perpetual kingdom (2 Samuel 7v13, 16)

 

2 Samuel 7v12 predicts the birth of Solomon as David’s successor to the throne with his role being to establish David’s throne forever (2 Samuel 7v13). We see this link to Jesus Christ, though the genealogies to both Joseph: a legal right to David’s throne (Matthew 1v1-17) and to Mary: a blood right to David’s throne (Luke 3v23-38).

 

7. The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31v31-34)

 

This covenant is the seventh covenant between God and humanity, and the fourth theocratic covenant.

 

Four features of this covenant are:

 

* Regeneration – On the hearts of people, God will write His law (Jeremiah 31v33)

* Restoration – God will be their God, and they will be God’s people. (Jeremiah 31v33)

* Promised Holy Spirit – God will indwell people and they will be led by Him (Jeremiah 31v 34)

* Justification – Sins will be forgiven and removed eternally (Jeremiah 31v34)

 

This new covenant is sealed only through the perfect sacrifice of the God-Man Jesus on the cross. His blood ensures the truth of this New Covenant. His death pays the penalty for the sins of all people who say yes to God and His New Covenant. This New Covenant is contrasted with the Old Covenant or the Mosaic covenant (Jeremiah 31v32; Hebrews 8v6-13) because this New Covenant finalizes what the Mosaic Covenant could only point to: the follower of God living in a righteous life conforming to God’s holy character.

 

Through all these Covenants we see a God who is willing to interact with His creation and bless it. When first century Christians such as Paul, Peter and John checked all the events surrounding the life of Jesus, they searched their Scriptures (our Old Testament). It was as the Holy Spirit illuminated their minds, that they wrote down and passed on the whole gamut of Old Testament promise which was fulfilled in God’s Messiah and the world’s hope: Jesus Christ and Him alone. That is why it is important for us as twenty-first century Christian Disciples to read our Old Testament as well as the new. For by reading the Old Testament, new light may be shed on our own understanding of the New Testament.

 

For more to think about please do read for yourself: Hebrews 9v24 to Hebrews 10v25. Ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.

 

Q1. What does Jesus Christ’s death and the New Covenant, mean to me as a Christian Disciple?

Q2. Why and how can I, as a Christian Disciple, draw near to God?

Q3. As a Christian Disciple, what and how can I encourage those I meet?

 

As ever, if you have any comments to make on this, please do contact me at partake(at)hotmail.co.uk. Thank you.

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Covenants 1

59. Partake – The Christian Disciple and Bible Covenants 1

 

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. Hebrews 9v14-15

 

If we as Christian Disciples are now under what the writer to Hebrews calls the “New Covenant”, what were the Old Covenants that preceded it? Over the next two Podcasts we shall look briefly at these Old Covenants and also the New Covenant.

Old Testament Covenants

1. The Edenic Covenant (Genesis 2v15-17)

This was the first covenant between God and man. Adam is commanded in the Edenic Covenant to

* Populate the earth (Genesis 1v28)

* Subjugate the earth (Genesis 1v28)

* Exercise dominion over animals (Genesis 1v28)

* Tend and enjoy the garden of Eden (Genesis 1v29; 2v15)

* Refrain from eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2v16-17).

When Adam & Eve ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the Covenant was terminated and the consequence was their spiritual and physical deaths. This failure required God to make a new covenant with Adam.

 

2. The Adamic Covenant (Genesis 3v14-21)

This second covenant between God and humanity, is also titled the covenant with all of mankind, as it lay down the terms and conditions which hold until sin’s curse is lifted (Isaiah 11v6-10; Romans 8v18-23). Because of Adam’s sin, we are all born under the curse of sin.

The terms and conditions of this covenant include:

* Satan is judged although- he will enjoy limited & temporal success (Genesis 3v15), but ultimately he will be judged (Genesis 3v15).

* The first Messianic prophecy is given (Genesis 3v15)

* Childbirth now involves pain and the woman is made subject to her husband (Genesis 3v16)

* The ground is cursed and weeds will grow amongst man’s food (Genesis 3vv17 – 19)

* Physical changes occur and now people sweat when they work all their life (Genesis 3v19)

* Because of the sin and disobedience, people die spiritually, and inevitably physically. (Genesis 3v19).

 

3. The Noahic Covenant (Genesis 9v1-19)

This is the third covenant between God and man given after the flood had wiped out earth’s population, apart from Noah and his family.

The terms of the Noahic covenant are

* Populate the earth is reaffirmed (Genesis 9v1).

* Subjection of the animals to humans is reaffirmed (Genesis 9v2).

* Humans are allowed to eat animal flesh but are to refrain from drinking/eating the blood (Genesis 9vv3, 4)

* Human life’s sanctity is established. (Genesis 9vv5, 6).

* God promises to never to destroy the earth again by flood (Genesis 9v11). But as 2 Peter 3v10 tells us, God will destroy it by fire!

* The rainbow is given as a symbol of this covenant and its existence (Genesis 9v12-17)

 

4. The Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12v1-3)

Whilst the Edenic, Adamic and Noahic Covenants were universal covenants, the fourth Covenant is the first covenant which is theocratic or relating to the rule of God. It is dependent on God alone, who by means of grace in the “I will,”. to bestow promised blessings.

This Abrahamic Covenant is also the basis for the theocratic covenants which follow and provides blessings in three levels:

* Personal level: “I will make your name great; and you will be a blessing” (Genesis 12v2)

* National level: “I will make you into a great nation” (Genesis 12v2)

* Universal level: “all peoples on the earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12v3)

 

Initially this covenant was in broad outline, but God later confirmed it to Abraham in greater depth (Genesis 13v14-7; 15v1-7, 18-21; 17v1-8). The Abrahamic covenant is a link to all of God’s activities and programs until the end of time, when Jesus returns to gather His people to Himself.

 

The personal aspects of the Covenant, particular to Abraham are:

 

* father of a great nation (Genesis 12v1)

* receive personal blessing (Genesis 12v2)

* receive personal honour and reputation (Genesis 12v2)

* He will be a source of blessing to others. (Genesis 12v3)

 

The aspects of the Abrahamic Covenant, pertinent universally are:

 

* blessings on those who bless Abraham and the nation of Israel which comes from him (Genesis 12v3)

* curses on those who curse Abraham and Israel (Genesis 12v3)

* blessings on all the earth through the God’s coming Messiah, who is Abraham’s son and brings universal salvation. (Genesis 12v1-3 and Galatians 3v8)

 

The Adamic, Noahic and Abrahamic Covenants all look forward to the coming of the Messiah, as do the Mosaic and Davidic Covenants. All of history points to His coming. This was all part of Paul’s reasoning from Scripture with the Jews he came in contact with. Of course for Paul, as for us, the Messiah is Jesus Christ.

 

For more to think about please do read 2 Corinthians 3, ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.

 

Q1. As a Christian Disciple, how do the Old Testament Covenants fit together and apply to me?

Q2. As a Christian Disciple, how does God make me competent, and for what purpose?

Q3. As a Christian Disciple, what affect does the ministry of the Holy Spirit have on me?

 

As ever, if you have any comments to make on this, please do contact me at partake(at)hotmail.co.uk. Thank you

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