Participants:
Series Code: SSP
Program Code: SSP210023S
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00:01 Well, it's time for 3ABN Sabbath School Panel again,
00:04 and we're so excited. 00:06 Our quarterly is The Promise, God's everlasting covenant, 00:11 and we're on lesson 10, 00:13 The New Covenant. 00:14 We hope that you have your Bible 00:17 and a quarterly. 00:18 If you don't, you can go 00:20 to ABSG.Adventist.org 00:24 and download a quarterly 00:26 and get your pen and take some notes. 00:28 We've got lots of good Bible information today. 01:04 What a joy it is to open God's Word 01:07 and dig deep for understanding. 01:10 There's so many treasures in this Word, 01:12 and we are glad that you are joining us today 01:15 for Sabbath School Panel. 01:16 Let me introduce the 3ABN family 01:19 that's sitting around the table. 01:20 Jill Morikone? 01:22 Thank you, Shelley. 01:23 Privileged to be here. 01:24 And Pastor John Lomacang? 01:26 Praise the Lord. It's good to be here as always. 01:28 Amen. 01:29 John Dinzey? 01:31 It's a privilege to be here, 01:32 and I praise the Lord for the opportunity. 01:34 Amen. 01:35 And Pastor Ryan Day? 01:37 Always a blessing to be here a part of this panel. 01:39 We are blessed by each one of your presence. 01:42 Jill, could you open with prayer please? 01:43 Sure. 01:45 Holy Father, we come before You 01:46 in the name of Jesus, 01:47 grateful for the gifts of Your Word and Spirit. 01:49 Would You come and teach us just now in Jesus' name? 01:52 Amen. 01:53 Amen. Hallelujah. 01:55 We have finally gotten to the New Covenant. 01:58 Our memory verse today 02:01 is Jeremiah 31:31. 02:05 Behold the Lord says, 02:08 "Behold, the days are coming. 02:10 I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel 02:14 and with the house of Judah." 02:15 So let's do a quick review. 02:18 We've been studying the everlasting covenant, 02:22 which by the way, 02:23 is the foundation of the three angels' messages. 02:26 So this is very pertinent to today's time. 02:31 And to understand 02:32 what is the everlasting covenant. 02:34 Revelation 13:8 says, 02:37 "The lamb slain 02:38 from the foundation of the world." 02:41 Grace, Paul told Timothy, 02:42 it was given to us in Christ Jesus 02:45 before time began. 02:47 And Hebrews 13:20 says, 02:51 "That Christ's blood 02:52 is the blood of the everlasting covenant." 02:56 So from Genesis to Revelation, 02:58 what we're seeing is a progressive unfolding 03:02 of God's everlasting covenant 03:06 in the Messiah, Jesus Christ, God, 03:09 who would become a person, the person of Jesus Christ. 03:14 Each one of God's covenants builds on. 03:17 It's a greater revelation than He showed us before. 03:21 And ever since Genesis 15, right after the... 03:26 3:15, right after the fall, 03:28 God has promised a holy seed, 03:32 the seed of a woman 03:34 who would bruise the head of the serpent. 03:38 And that's what we're seeing. 03:40 I just wanna make this one point. 03:42 Salvation has always been by grace. 03:45 Hebrews 11 says that 03:47 Noah became the heir of righteousness by faith. 03:52 Genesis 15:6 says, 03:54 "Abraham believed God, 03:57 and it was credited to him as righteousness." 04:00 We saw last week that the covenant of Sinai, 04:05 the old covenant 04:07 is actually a continuation of the Abrahamic covenant. 04:12 Because when God heard 04:14 the cries of the Hebrew children, 04:17 He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob 04:23 and he put it into motion. 04:27 Here's what I wanted to... 04:29 Just be sure I say to you 04:30 that Abrahamic covenant 04:32 is frequently referred to as the everlasting covenant, 04:37 and it contains devotion 04:41 to God's moral law 04:44 and salvation by faith in God. 04:48 So we're going 04:50 to just skip over the rest of this, 04:52 but I do wanna remind you of one thing, 04:54 God's covenants are always God's will, 05:00 God's testament. 05:01 It is an absolute error 05:04 to refer to God's covenants as a contract. 05:08 God is the one who makes all the promises 05:12 and invites us to come into relationship with Him. 05:16 And as we enter covenant, 05:19 that covenant does have conditions. 05:23 God wants a relationship of loyal love. 05:29 He wants us to walk in obedience to Him. 05:32 So it's the covenant of, 05:36 kind of like a father and child relationship 05:39 or a husband and bride relationship. 05:41 Let's look at Sunday. 05:43 Our time is going away. 05:44 Behold, the days are coming. 05:49 The nation of Israel 05:51 dismally failed to keep God's covenant. 05:55 They disobeyed, they broke the Old Covenant. 05:59 So God promises a New Covenant. 06:02 Let's look at that word new. 06:06 New isn't... 06:09 The better word would be renewed. 06:12 It means renewed like a new moon. 06:15 It's not a brand new solar body up there. 06:20 A new moon is a new phase of the moon. 06:24 It is the renewed illumination of the moon. 06:30 So when we say New Covenant, 06:33 don't think that God, 06:35 some people seem to think that God just said, 06:37 oh, all of that failed at Sinai, 06:39 wash my hands, we're starting over. 06:42 No, it is the continuation. 06:46 And actually I don't have this, 06:48 but if we look at Luke Chapter 1, let me... 06:52 This just reminds me. 06:53 Let's see if I can find my scripture here, 06:56 Luke Chapter 1. 06:59 And if you go down, 07:00 when it's looking at the promise, 07:05 we're gonna look at verse 69. 07:08 Zachariah is talking about it. 07:10 And he says, he has raised up a horn of salvation for us. 07:14 This is Jesus Christ. 07:16 And then look at verse 72. 07:19 Why is he raising him up? 07:21 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers 07:26 and to remember His holy covenant, 07:29 the oath which He swore to our father Abraham. 07:34 So, and then He goes on. 07:36 He says, "To grant us that we being delivered 07:38 from the hand of our enemies 07:39 might serve him without fear 07:41 in holiness and righteousness before him 07:44 all the days of our lives." 07:46 This is the new renewed covenant 07:50 following the Abrahamic covenant. 07:53 So let's look at Jeremiah 31:31. 07:55 We're gonna take it apart. 07:57 31 through 34, Jeremiah 31, 08:00 "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, 08:02 when I'll make a new covenant with the house of Israel 08:06 and with the house of God." 08:08 Who's making the covenant? 08:09 It's God who instigates the covenant. 08:12 "Not according to the covenant 08:14 that I made with the father in that day 08:15 that I took them by the hand 08:17 to lead them out of the land of Egypt, 08:19 My covenant, which they broke 08:22 though I was a husband to them." 08:25 Do you see that some relational part of the covenant. 08:28 God's inviting us into a covenant relationship, 08:33 but any relationship we talked about this, 08:36 I think last week, 08:38 any relationship has to have boundaries... 08:40 It's... 08:42 And so, God is setting 08:43 boundaries of love around His covenant. 08:47 He says, verse 33. 08:49 "This is the covenant 08:51 that I will make with the house of Israel 08:52 after those days, says the Lord." 08:55 He's talking about the New Covenant. 08:57 I will put My laws where? 08:59 In their minds and write it on their hearts. 09:03 And then God always puts this in and I love it. 09:08 And I will be their God and they shall me My people. 09:12 God is a relational God. 09:15 And then He says, 09:18 I will be their God, 09:20 and they shall be My people. 09:22 Oh, what law? 09:23 He says, 09:25 "I'm gonna write the law on their minds 09:27 and in their hearts." 09:28 We're gonna come back to that, 09:29 to see what law He's talking about. 09:31 "No more. 09:32 He says, shall every man teaches neighbor, 09:35 and every man his brother, saying, 09:36 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me 09:39 in a relational aspect 09:41 from the least of them to the greatest, 09:43 says the Lord. 09:44 For I will forgive their iniquity, 09:46 and their sin I will remember no more." 09:49 The word to know in the Hebrew mind 09:52 was a relational knowledge. 09:55 So God is offering forgiveness of sins 10:00 to those who are in a meaningful relationship 10:04 with Him. 10:05 So what law is He talking about? 10:09 The word law in Hebrew means instruction 10:13 and the Ten Commandment law. 10:17 God's law is eternal. 10:18 We've been studying that. 10:20 It is God's instruction of covenant love. 10:25 How we should love Him with all of our heart, 10:27 soul, mind, and strength 10:29 and love one another as we love ourselves. 10:32 If just to go to a quick comparison, 10:36 we looked, I think last week or the week before, 10:39 the Old Covenant found in Exodus 20:22 10:44 through Exodus 23:22 10:49 had the moral law at the heart of it. 10:51 It had a civil law that was the... 10:56 Say the constitution for the nation of Israel. 10:59 And it was based on the moral law 11:02 to teach the people 11:04 who had lived in a pagan society 11:06 for so long, 11:07 how they should act. 11:11 And then it had a ceremonial law. 11:12 Well guess what? 11:14 Thirty, what we find out is that what the... 11:16 Is what the New Covenant is all about as well? 11:20 We find the moral law 11:22 is the heart of the New Covenant. 11:25 Hebrews 8:10 11:27 God says in the New Testament, 11:30 this is my New Covenant. 11:32 I'm gonna write my laws, 11:34 the moral law 11:36 in your minds and in your hearts. 11:39 There's civil laws. 11:41 Where were the civil laws given? 11:43 The Old Covenant, Mount Sinai, 11:46 the New Covenant, 11:47 the Mount of Beatitudes. 11:49 And they are a An extension or a government 11:54 around those laws. 11:57 But God in the person of Jesus Christ 12:01 came down to establish this New Covenant 12:05 and He fulfilled the ceremonial laws. 12:10 I'm actually gonna go off whatever I'd plan. 12:14 Let's go to Colossians 2:14. 12:16 I wanna show you something. 12:18 In Colossians 2:14, 12:22 He's talking about that 12:24 when Christ was crucified, 12:28 He wiped out the handwriting of requirements against us, 12:32 which was contrary to us 12:34 and has taken it out of the way 12:36 having nailed it to the cross. 12:39 What was contrary to us? 12:41 Ephesians 2:15 says, 12:43 "It was this wall of separation."... 12:46 It is in Deuteronomy 30:20... 12:49 31:26, we saw that 12:52 the Old Covenant had curses in it 12:56 that it was on the outside of the ark 13:01 and it was there as a witness against them. 13:05 We know, 13:06 it wasn't the Ten Commandments. 13:08 And in context, look here he says, 13:11 having disarmed, this is Ephesians 2:15, 13:14 or Colossians 3:15, 13:17 "Having disarmed principalities and powers, 13:20 He made a public spectacle of them. 13:22 So let triumphing over them. 13:26 Let no one judge you in food or in drink 13:28 or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths." 13:34 This is the annual festival Sabbaths, 13:36 which are a shadow of things to come. 13:39 But the substance was Christ. 13:41 Jesus Christ is the body that casts the shadow. 13:45 Everything about the Old Covenant, 13:48 the sanctuary system pointed to Him. 13:52 He is the ultimate sacrifice. 13:54 All those annual Sabbaths pointed to His ministry 13:58 and all the drink offerings 14:00 and the food offerings. 14:02 All of this was nailed to the cross 14:04 because, we now have a renewed covenant 14:09 with the Messiah who has arrived. 14:11 Amen. 14:13 Thank you so much, Shelley. 14:14 What a wonderful set up for the New Covenant 14:17 or the renewed covenant. 14:20 I love that word for it. 14:22 In Hebrew, the word is Chadashah 14:25 and in Greek Kainos, 14:27 but similar words, 14:28 but they both mean new in quality, not in time 14:32 where we get that renewed covenant from, 14:35 I love that. 14:36 Not a New Covenant, 14:38 but God is renewing it with His people. 14:40 We're gonna look at another covenant 14:43 in the Book of Hosea. 14:45 It's not really a different covenant, 14:47 but this is just a covenant. 14:48 So turn with me to Hosea Chapter 2. 14:51 This is actually 150 years 14:53 probably before the New Covenant is introduced 14:56 in Jeremiah Chapter 31, 14:58 but we will notice some elements 15:00 that are similar in this covenant 15:02 that God makes with the people in Hosea, 15:06 as opposed to in Jeremiah. 15:08 Now, the Prophet Hosea, this is, 15:11 he was the last prophet 15:12 before the Northern kingdom fell. 15:14 And he made this strong appeal to the people. 15:18 It was a time of spiritual bankruptcy for Israel. 15:22 Now the tribes had long since split, 15:25 the 10 tribes, the Northern tribes. 15:26 And then, of course, the two Southern. 15:28 So we're talking specifically about the Northern, 15:30 the 10 Northern tribes there of Israel. 15:33 They had idol worship. 15:35 They had set up worship for Baal and Astoreth. 15:38 They had child sacrifice and gross sensuality 15:42 associated with these pagan rights. 15:45 There was injustice and oppression that was common. 15:49 In fact, no commandment of God 15:51 seemed to be kept by the people. 15:54 God's covenant, 15:55 it was clearly broken by the people. 15:58 The theme of Hosea, 15:59 this always gets me is a theme of steadfast love. 16:04 You'll see if love is temporary and fickle, 16:07 it doesn't hurt a whole lot 16:08 because unreturned love or rejection 16:11 is really no issue 16:13 because weak love, 16:14 it simply seeks another object. 16:18 But if love is steadfast, rejection and unfaithfulness, 16:23 it causes great anguish. 16:26 Love goes on 16:27 even when the object of that love 16:30 no longer cares, 16:31 but the person with the steadfast love, 16:33 that love goes on. 16:35 Tremendous suffering results. 16:37 Israel's unfaithfulness to God 16:41 caused unspeakable anguish 16:44 because our God has steadfast love. 16:47 He didn't just say, okay, I'm done with them. 16:49 I'm gonna find a new object of affection. 16:51 Someone else to love, 16:53 it caused unspeakable anguish 16:55 because they had turned their back on Him. 16:58 So we're in Hosea Chapter 2. 16:59 We're gonna pick it up in verse 16. 17:02 In the previous verses, we see that 17:04 the nation of Israel had played the harlot. 17:07 They did their own thing. 17:08 They had children with other men. 17:10 They chased after other lovers. 17:12 Basically, they had forsaken God. 17:15 They had broken the covenant 17:17 and followed other gods 17:19 with a little g pagan gods. 17:22 And we see in Hosea 2:16, 17:24 "And it shall be in that day, says the Lord, 17:26 that you will call Me My Husband, 17:29 and no longer call Me my Master." 17:32 We see the steadfast covenant love of God. 17:35 "For I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals." 17:38 He's saying, 17:39 "I'm gonna remove from you that idol worship." 17:41 "And they shall be remembered by their name no more. 17:44 In that day," what? 17:45 "I will make a covenant for them 17:49 with the beasts of the field, with the birds of the air, 17:51 with the creeping things of the ground." 17:52 Jump down to verse 19. 17:54 "I will betroth you to me for forever. 17:58 Yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness and justice, 18:01 and lovingkindness and mercy. 18:03 I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. 18:06 And you shall know the Lord." 18:10 I see three parallels between this covenant 18:12 in Hosea 2 and the New Covenant 18:15 or the renewed covenant 18:17 that Shelley talked about in Jeremiah 31, 18:19 the first covenant... 18:21 The first parallel is that in both cases, 18:23 the covenant is compared to our marriage relationship. 18:25 We see in Jeremiah, God said, 18:27 "Though, I was a husband to them." 18:30 We see in Hosea that you will call Me my Husband, 18:33 and no longer call Me my Master. 18:36 The second parallel is that they would know the Lord. 18:40 In Jeremiah it says, 18:41 "They shall all know Me from the least of them 18:43 to the greatest of them." 18:45 In Hosea, it just says, 18:47 "You shall know the Lord." 18:49 The third parallel is 18:51 we see a certain renewing of the vows 18:54 or the covenant. 18:55 In Jeremiah, it says, 18:57 "I will make a New Covenant or a renewed covenant 18:59 with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah." 19:02 In Hosea, it says, 19:04 "I will betroth you to Me forever. 19:07 I will betroth you to Me 19:08 in righteousness and judgment." 19:09 There's that marriage relationship, 19:11 that renewing of that covenant or those vows. 19:16 So let's look in our remaining time 19:18 at the heart work that God wants to do 19:22 in your heart and in mine 19:25 under this New Covenant. 19:26 And we're gonna find out that this heart work, 19:28 it went on even in the Old Covenant, 19:31 which is what I love. 19:32 I have seven promises 19:35 that God gave to His covenant people. 19:38 Promise number one, to grant repentance 19:41 and cleansing from sin. 19:43 Let's look at Ezekiel 18. 19:45 We're gonna spend some time in Ezekiel. 19:47 Ezekiel 18:30 19:50 partway through the verse. 19:51 It says, 19:53 "Repent and turn from all your transgressions, 19:55 so that iniquity will not be your ruin." 19:58 Here's a call, heart work to repentance. 20:02 "Cast away from you, all the transgressions, 20:05 which you have committed and get yourselves 20:06 a new heart and a new spirit. 20:09 For why should you who die, O house of Israel?" 20:13 We see this appeal to repentance, 20:15 appeal to turn back, appeal for God 20:18 to give them a new heart and a new spirit. 20:23 And we know even repentance is a gift from God. 20:25 Romans 2:4 says, 20:27 "It is the goodness of God 20:28 that leads us or draws us to repentance." 20:32 The second promise is that God promises 20:34 to write His word in our hearts. 20:36 Shelley already referenced that in Jeremiah 31, 20:39 but I'm gonna show you a different reference. 20:40 This is in Deuteronomy. 20:42 This is gonna show you that the old... 20:44 What we call the Old Covenant 20:47 was also written in the hearts of the people. 20:49 We always say just the New Covenant was, 20:51 Hebrews 8:10 of course says that and Jeremiah 31, 20:54 but Deuteronomy 6:6 says, 20:56 "And these words which I command you today 20:58 shall be in your heart." 21:00 Did you catch that? 21:01 They will be in your heart. 21:03 And in Deuteronomy 30:6, 21:05 it says, 21:06 "The Lord your God will circumcise your heart 21:10 and the heart of your descendants, 21:13 to love the Lord your God with all your heart, 21:16 with all your soul that you may live." 21:17 So this is really under Old Covenant. 21:19 And we say, "Oh, wait a minute. 21:21 But the New Covenant was when the law went in the heart." 21:24 And yes it did in a special way, 21:26 but it also was in the heart 21:27 under that Old Covenant as well. 21:29 Third promise 21:31 is to cleanse us from sin and idol worship. 21:35 We're going back to Ezekiel. 21:36 Ezekiel 36, 21:38 we're gonna end with these passages. 21:39 Ezekiel 36:25, 21:42 "The promise to cleanse you and I from sin 21:45 and idol worship." 21:46 Now we might say, we're not worshiping idols today. 21:48 And maybe not these pagan gods, 21:50 we might not bow down to them, 21:51 but we all have something if you're honest with yourself 21:56 and the recesses of your heart, 21:58 that you might be holding onto above Jesus, 22:02 or that you might be saying, 22:05 "I can't give this to you, God, because I kinda like it. 22:07 And I wanna hold onto it." 22:09 That's called an idol. 22:10 It says in Ezekiel 36:25, 22:13 "I will sprinkle clean water on you 22:14 and you shall be clean." 22:16 He promises to cleanse us. 22:18 I will cleanse you from all your filthiness 22:20 and from all your idols. 22:23 Oh, do you wanna be cleansed? 22:24 Do you wanna be made whole? 22:26 Do you want those idols in your life cast aside? 22:30 God promises that He can do that. 22:32 Promise number four, the next verse, 22:33 "He promises to give you a new heart 22:36 and a new spirit." 22:37 Verse 26, 22:39 "I will give you a new heart 22:40 and put a new spirit within you." 22:42 We don't conjure it up. 22:43 We don't try to get a new heart. 22:45 We don't try to grit our teeth and have a better spirit. 22:48 God gives it to us. 22:49 I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh 22:52 and give you a heart of flesh. 22:55 God takes that out. 22:56 I love that. 22:58 Next verse, this is promise number five. 23:00 He promises to give us His Spirit 23:02 so that we can walk in obedience. 23:05 Verse 27, 23:06 "I will put My Spirit within you 23:09 and cause you to walk in My statutes. 23:13 You will keep My judgments and do them." 23:15 That's obedience. 23:16 He says, "You will do it." 23:18 Why? 23:19 Because His Spirit is within us, 23:20 because He's removed those idols from our life, 23:22 because He's taken out that stony heart 23:25 and given us a heart of flesh, 23:26 a heart that's open to Him. 23:28 Promise number six, 23:30 He's gonna be our God. 23:32 Verse 28, 23:33 "Then you shall dwell in the land 23:36 that I gave to your fathers. 23:37 You shall be My people 23:39 and I, I'm gonna be your God." 23:42 The final promise. 23:43 Number seven, 23:44 He promises to vindicate His name 23:47 before the world. 23:48 We're still in Ezekiel 36, 23:50 but this is verse 23. 23:52 Jump back a couple of verses. 23:53 "I will sanctify My great name," 23:55 you see that, 23:57 "which has been profaned among the nations, 24:00 which you have profaned in their midst and the nations 24:02 shall know that I am the Lord." 24:04 And how do the nations know that He is God? 24:06 When I am hallowed in You, 24:08 in their eyes. 24:10 That means when God changes you, 24:12 when God changes me, 24:14 other people see that our God is a great God 24:17 and He can do anything. 24:18 Amen. 24:19 Glory to God, wonderful study. 24:21 Thank you so much. 24:23 And we want you to stay tuned 24:24 because we're just getting started. 24:27 It's gonna get even better. 24:28 We'll be back in 30 seconds. 24:36 Ever wish you could watch 24:38 a 3ABN Sabbath School Panel again, 24:40 or share it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? 24:43 Well, you can by visiting 24:45 3abnsabbathschoolpanel.com 24:48 A clean design makes it easy 24:50 to find the program you're looking for. 24:52 There are also links to the Adult Bible Study Guide 24:56 so you can follow along. 24:58 Sharing is easy. 24:59 Just click share and choose your favorite social media. 25:03 Share a link, save a life for eternity. 25:07 We've already had such a wonderful, 25:09 beautiful beginning in this study. 25:11 And thank you, Jill, for, that was so touching. 25:14 It touched my heart. 25:15 Now we're going to continue with Pastor John Lomacang. 25:17 Amen. Thank you so much. 25:19 You know, the Old and New Covenant 25:21 is a beautiful topic. 25:23 I wanna dive into it by looking at the scripture 25:26 that is brought out by the author of this lesson. 25:30 It's an amazing focal point 25:32 where he starts in Isaiah 56:6-7. 25:38 Let's look at that together, 25:40 talking about the Old and the New Covenants. 25:42 He says in Isaiah 56:6-7. 25:46 Because a lot of times we think that 25:47 the covenant is only for those 25:49 who are just in the family of God. 25:52 But the Lord starts saying, 25:53 "Wait a minute. 25:55 If I accused the earth and those in it 25:58 of breaking My covenant, 26:01 then My covenant is extended to the earth, 26:03 and those who are in it. 26:05 Notice what He says, 26:06 "Also the sons of the foreigner 26:10 who joined themselves to the Lord to serve Him, 26:13 and to love the name of the Lord, 26:15 to be His servants. 26:16 Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, 26:20 and holds fast My covenant. 26:22 Even them, 26:24 I will bring to my holy mountain, 26:26 and make them joyful in My house of prayer. 26:29 Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices 26:31 will be accepted on My altar, 26:34 for My house 26:36 shall be called a house of prayer 26:37 for all nations," 26:39 or some translation says "for all people." 26:42 Notice what's happening here. 26:44 The covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob to Israel, 26:47 but the Lord opened it up and says, 26:48 whoever, as Galatians says, 26:51 "If you are in Christ, you are Abraham's seed and heir 26:54 according to the promise." 26:55 So He's saying the covenant 26:56 is not for any particular nationality. 26:58 I just gave it to them like 27:00 I gave mail to the people that work at the post office, 27:03 but their job is to get this gospel 27:04 to the entire world. 27:06 And that's why Jeremiah 31:33 is so vitally important. 27:09 He states the covenant 27:11 that he made with the house of Israel 27:13 is not just for the house of Israel. 27:14 And we'll find out what that means in a moment. 27:16 Jeremiah 31:33, 27:18 "But this is the covenant 27:20 that I will make with the house of Israel 27:21 after those days, 27:22 says the Lord: 27:24 I will put My laws in their minds, 27:26 and write it on their hearts, 27:28 and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." 27:31 When we stand on the sea of glass, 27:33 when the redeemed of the age who stand before God, 27:36 the Bible says out of every nation, 27:38 every kindred, every tongue, every people, 27:41 God is saying, you've got a responsibility. 27:43 Those to whom I made this covenant, 27:45 but go into the highways and hedges and compel all. 27:48 What we're gonna see now is when we read about that. 27:51 Now let's go to Galatians Chapter 3. 27:53 When we read about the expansive invitation 27:57 from God's covenant to the world, 27:59 let's see how the Apostle Paul qualifies this very carefully. 28:03 Verse 26 to 29 of Galatians Chapter 3, 28:07 "For you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ 28:10 or Christ Jesus. 28:11 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ, 28:15 have put on Christ." 28:16 No argument there, but he doesn't stop. 28:19 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, 28:21 there is neither slave nor free, 28:23 there is neither male nor female, 28:25 for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 28:28 And if you are Christ's, if you belong to Him, 28:32 then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs 28:34 according to the promise." 28:36 So the promise that the Lord made here 28:38 that not only applies 28:39 through the Ten Commandments to all humanity, 28:42 but the Sabbath... 28:43 But the Sabbath reiterates that. 28:45 So when the Sabbath command was given, 28:47 the Lord says, you nor your son, 28:50 nor your daughter, nor your manservant, 28:52 nor your maidservant, 28:54 nor your cattle, nor the stranger 28:57 that is within your gates. 28:59 When people come to my house 29:00 or would stay with my wife and I, 29:03 we all keep the Sabbath together. 29:05 They're not watching television while we're worshiping. 29:08 The stranger that is within our gates, 29:10 we let them know when they come to visit. 29:11 Most people that come to visit us 29:13 are members of our family 29:14 and understand our faith already. 29:16 But if somebody comes, that's not there, 29:18 we say, well, we honor the Sabbath 29:20 from sunset Friday to sunset Sabbath, 29:22 and the blessing that God extends to us 29:24 blesses them also 29:26 because that covenant 29:27 is not something limited to nationality. 29:30 But I wanna bring something out 29:31 as Ecclesiastes 12:13, once again, 29:33 the expansive nature of the covenant. 29:36 And then I'm gonna make a twist on you 29:37 that you don't see coming. 29:39 Chapter 12, verse 13 and 14. 29:42 Look at how the wise man, Solomon concludes. 29:44 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: 29:47 Fear God and keep His commandments, 29:49 for this is the whole duty of man." 29:51 That's the King James Version. 29:53 "For God shall bring every work into judgment 29:55 with every secret thing, 29:57 whether it be good or whether it be evil." 29:59 So when the Bible says in 1 Corinthians, 30:00 we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. 30:03 This is all nationalities, the commandments of God, 30:06 everyone must give an account. 30:07 So the commandments of God 30:09 are there for all humanity 30:12 to live in harmony with or live in violation of. 30:16 But now the question is, 30:18 we're talking about the New Covenant 30:20 and the question is 30:21 why was a New Covenant necessary? 30:23 Let's go to Galatians 3:19. 30:25 I'm gonna try to move as quickly as Jill does. 30:27 I've always said the clock slows down for Jill 30:29 but I don't know how. 30:30 Galatians 3:19. 30:32 And the question I pose here is very, very, very important. 30:36 How can a temporary ceremonial law 30:39 applied to a permanent priesthood? 30:42 Think of this, Galatians 3:19, 30:45 "What purpose then does the law serve? 30:47 It was added because of transgression, 30:49 till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made, 30:53 and it was appointed through angels 30:55 by the hand of a mediator." 30:57 Notice the temporary nature of the law. 30:59 The ceremonial law had a lifespan 31:02 till the Seed should come. 31:04 In one of our prior lessons, we talked about the Seed, 31:07 therefore, nothing about the ceremonial law 31:10 was intended to be permanent. 31:13 The only aspect of the ceremonial law 31:16 that was intended to be permanent 31:19 in its symbolism was the lamb, the lamb, the sacrifice. 31:24 Let's go on, Hebrews 9. 31:26 Now put on your boots, 31:28 we're getting in deep water here. 31:29 Hebrews 9:9-10. Look at this. 31:32 Once again, talking about the temporary nature. 31:35 "It was symbolic for the present time 31:37 in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, 31:39 which cannot make him who perform 31:41 the service perfect in regard to the conscience. 31:44 Verse 10, 31:46 "Concerned only with foods and drinks 31:48 with various washings and fleshy ordinances imposed," 31:52 and there it is again, 31:53 "until the time of reformation or until the Seed should come." 31:57 So here's the question. 31:59 Another question. 32:00 How can an imperfect law apply to a perfect priesthood? 32:06 Let's go to Hebrews 7:18-19, 32:10 "For on the one hand there is an annulling 32:12 of the former commandment 32:14 because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 32:17 for the law made nothing perfect, 32:20 but on the other hand, 32:21 there is the bringing in of a better hope, 32:25 through which we draw near to God." 32:27 This is gonna get really powerful. 32:29 How do we get closer to Christ? 32:30 Sorry, how do we get closer to God? 32:32 I gave you the answer, but ignore it. 32:35 Act like you didn't hear it. 32:36 The ceremonial law was a shadow. 32:39 It was ritualistic based on faulty animals 32:41 and ceremonies that were inherently imperfect. 32:44 None of those ceremonies in and of themselves 32:46 had any perfection connected to it. 32:48 But Hebrews 10:1, let's go there now. 32:51 "For the law, having a shadow of good things to come 32:54 and not the very image of those things 32:56 can never with those same sacrifices, 32:58 which they offered continually year by year, 33:02 make those who approach perfect. 33:03 For then would they have not ceased to be offered? 33:06 For the worshipers once purged 33:08 would have had no more conscience of sin." 33:11 But look at verse 3 and 4. 33:14 "But in those sacrifices, 33:15 there is a reminder of sins," how often? 33:18 "Every year," why? 33:20 "For it is not possible 33:22 that the blood of bulls and goats 33:23 could take away sins." 33:24 Help me Holy Ghost. 33:26 So if the blood of bulls and goats, 33:27 and calves and lambs, and doves can't take away sin, 33:30 what kind of blood do we need? 33:32 Let's go to Hebrews 7:13-14, 33:36 "For He of whom these things are spoken, 33:39 belongs to another tribe. 33:40 Now I wanna make a very important point 33:42 as I read this, 33:44 the Levitical tribe was never spoken 33:46 of as a permanent fixture 33:49 because the ceremonial law was not a permanent fixture. 33:53 It was only to last until the Seed should come. 33:55 When the ceremonial law ended at the cross, 33:58 when Jesus brought it to an end 34:00 and He also brought the Levitical priesthood 34:02 to an end. 34:03 But how do we have a priest today? 34:05 Jesus didn't come from the tribe of Levi. 34:07 He came from the tribe of Judah. 34:09 Go quickly with me now. 34:10 Verse 13, 34:12 "For He of whom these things are spoken 34:14 belongs to another tribe 34:15 from which no man has officiated at the altar. 34:19 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah 34:21 of which tribe Moses spoke nothing 34:24 concerning the priesthood." 34:25 Now let's get down to the very fact. 34:27 So out of what tribe did Jesus come? 34:29 Hebrews 7:1-3, 34:32 "For this, Melchizedek, king of Salem, 34:34 priest of the Most High who met Abraham 34:37 returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him." 34:40 This is the tribe that Jesus came out of. 34:43 I'm gonna make it very clear. 34:45 So I could run down to the very end of this. 34:46 Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizedek. 34:52 And when you read about Melchizedek, 34:54 he's referred to as the king of righteousness 34:56 and in verse 3 of Hebrew 7 34:59 without beginning of days and without end of life, 35:03 and He remains a priest continually all forever. 35:07 The only way that we can have a permanent priesthood 35:11 is we have to have one who liveth forever. 35:13 And Jesus is He that ever liveth 35:16 to make intercession for us. 35:20 Amen. Amen. 35:21 Well, moving to Wednesday's portion, 35:25 the title is A Better Covenant, 35:29 and this title is taken from 35:31 the fact that in the Book of Hebrews, 35:33 it actually calls 35:34 the New Covenant a better covenant. 35:38 But as you compare the Old Covenant, 35:40 the New Covenant, the bottom line is that 35:41 salvation is by faith in a God who will forgive our sins. 35:47 Not because of anything worthwhile in us, 35:49 but only because of His grace. 35:52 So the question that is asked in the lesson 35:55 is where did the fault lie? 35:57 What's the failure of the Old Covenant? 36:01 Hebrews 8:7-8, 36:03 "For if the first covenant had been faultless, 36:08 then no place would have been sought 36:10 for a second 36:11 because finding fault with them, 36:14 He says, behold, 36:15 the days are coming, says the Lord 36:16 when I will make a New Covenant 36:18 with the house of Israel 36:19 and with the house of Judah." 36:21 So it was not a fault with the covenant, 36:25 but a fault with them. 36:27 Why? 36:29 Hebrews 4:2 helps us 36:30 with the answer to that question. 36:33 "For indeed the gospel was preached to us 36:36 as well as to them, 36:38 but the word which they heard did not profit them, 36:42 not being mixed with faith in those who heard it." 36:46 So we see then that it is because 36:49 they did not mix their experience with faith. 36:53 So it has been asked before we ask again, 36:56 why then was the first covenant made? 37:00 The answer is, for the same reason 37:02 that the law was presented as Sinai 37:05 because of sin. 37:08 So I'm gonna read to you 37:09 that is directly from the lesson. 37:12 The problem with the Old Covenant 37:14 was not the covenant itself, 37:16 but with the failure of the people 37:17 to grasp it in faith. 37:19 Hebrews 4:2. 37:20 The superiority of the New Covenant 37:22 to the old lies in that Jesus, 37:26 instead of being revealed 37:27 only through the animal sacrifices, 37:30 as in the Old Covenant now appears in the reality 37:34 of his death and high priestly ministry. 37:38 In other words, the salvation offered in the Old Covenant 37:41 is the same offered in the new. 37:45 Faith and the sacrifice that God provided. 37:49 So in what way is it better? 37:51 It is better in that everything that has been taught 37:55 through symbols and types in the Old Testament 37:58 has found His fulfillment in Jesus. 38:01 It all pointed to Jesus, the Lamb of God 38:04 that takes away the sin of the world. 38:08 I'm moving now to Hebrews 8:1-2, 38:11 follow me along. 38:13 The New Covenant has a true tabernacle. 38:16 Now it says in Hebrews 8:1-2. 38:19 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying. 38:23 We have such a high priest 38:26 who is seated at the right hand of the throne 38:29 of the majesty in the heavens, 38:30 a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, 38:36 which the Lord erected and not man. 38:38 In other words, the sanctuary on earth 38:41 was just a shadow, 38:42 a copy of the true tabernacle, 38:44 which was, which is in heaven 38:47 of which Jesus Christ is the high priest. 38:50 And you're gonna hear more about that in a moment. 38:51 And I know you're just waiting for that moment, 38:54 but let's go to Hebrews 9:8-14. 38:57 I'm gonna read it quickly because time is moving. 39:01 Verse 8, 39:02 "The Holy Spirit indicating this, 39:04 that the way into the Holiest of All 39:07 was not yet made manifest 39:09 while the first tabernacle was still standing. 39:13 It was symbolic for the present time 39:15 in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered 39:17 which cannot make who performed the service perfect 39:20 in regard to the conscience. 39:22 Concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, 39:25 and fleshly ordinances 39:26 imposed until the time of reformation." 39:29 You've heard this before. 39:31 "But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, 39:36 with the greater and more perfect tabernacle 39:38 not made with hands, that is, 39:40 not of this creation, not of this world. 39:44 Not with the blood of goats and calves, 39:46 but with His own blood 39:48 He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, 39:51 having obtained eternal redemption. 39:54 "Praise God. 39:56 Now notice verse 13. 39:57 This has to be very clear. 39:59 "For if the blood of bulls and goats 40:01 and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, 40:03 sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 40:06 how much more shall the blood of Christ, 40:10 who through the eternal Spirit 40:12 offered Himself without spot to God, 40:15 cleanse your conscience from dead works 40:17 to serve the living God?" 40:20 And see, we want to underline and highlight 40:24 that there has always been only one way to be saved, 40:29 through Jesus Christ. 40:31 I'm going to Acts 4:12, 40:33 and we'll come back in a moment to Hebrews Chapter 10. 40:35 Acts 4:12, 40:37 "Nor is there salvation in any other, 40:41 for there is no other name under heaven given among men 40:45 by which we must be saved." 40:47 That is only through Jesus Christ. 40:50 Hebrews Chapter 10. 40:53 This has already been read. 40:55 We're just gonna highlight that it was those sacrifices 40:59 that were offered, they had to be remembered 41:03 once a year on the Day of Atonement. 41:06 Let's go to Colossians 2:14 quickly, 41:10 for the purpose of underlying something here. 41:12 "Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements 41:15 or ordinances 41:16 that was against us, which was contrary to us. 41:20 And He has taken it out of the way, 41:22 having nailed it to the cross." 41:24 Those are the sacrificial issues 41:27 concerning the Old Covenant. 41:31 All those sacrifices no longer need to be done 41:35 because Jesus Christ, the true sacrifice 41:38 has died for us on the cross. 41:41 He is the true sacrifice for us. 41:44 He is the only one 41:45 that it is only through the blood of Jesus 41:48 that we can be saved. 41:50 So this is why it's a better covenant 41:53 because it fulfills the requirement. 41:56 Hebrews 10:7-12, it says, 41:59 "Then I said, 'Behold, I have come in the... 42:02 I will come in the volume of the book 42:03 it is written of Me to do Your will, O God." 42:07 Previously saying sacrifice and offerings, 42:11 burnt offerings and offerings for sin, 42:13 You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them, 42:17 which are offered according to the law. 42:19 Then He said, 42:20 'Behold, I have come. 42:22 I come to do Your will, O God. 42:24 He takes away the first 42:26 that He may establish the second. 42:29 The New Covenant. 42:31 By the will, we have been sanctified through the offering 42:34 of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." 42:38 No more sacrifices need to be done. 42:40 Jesus has fulfilled them. 42:42 And every priest stands ministering daily 42:46 and offering repeated... 42:47 Repeatedly the same sacrifices, 42:49 which can never take away sins. 42:52 Anyone that offers sacrifices for their sins 42:56 has no value whatsoever at all, 43:00 because the true sacrifice Jesus Christ has come. 43:03 So if the Jews or anyone else builds altars, 43:07 builds a temple to try to sacrifice, 43:10 no value before God whatsoever, 43:12 because it is only through the blood of Jesus Christ. 43:15 Verse 12, 43:16 "But this Man, Jesus, 43:18 after He had offered 43:19 one sacrifice for sins for forever, 43:22 sat down at the right hand of God." 43:26 So now, instead of symbols, 43:28 as it says in the lesson types and examples, 43:31 we have Jesus Himself. 43:33 And so, I move now to Hebrews 7:22-25. 43:38 A lot of scriptures, write them all down. 43:40 It's too late now, 43:41 but I hope you can rewind the tape as they say. 43:43 Hebrews 7:22-25, 43:46 "By so much more Jesus 43:49 has become a surety of a better covenant. 43:53 Also, there were many priests 43:55 because they were prevented by death from continuing. 43:58 But He, because He continues forever, 44:01 has an unchangeable priesthood. 44:04 Therefore He is able to save to the uttermost 44:08 those who come to God through Him, 44:11 since He always lives 44:13 to make intercession for them." 44:17 So it is a better covenant because it has Jesus in it. 44:22 The true Lamb of God 44:24 that takes away the sin of the world. 44:28 And I don't know if you're gonna touch on this, 44:30 but I'm gonna read it really quick 44:31 and you can put some more meat on it. 44:33 How about that? Okay. 44:35 Hebrews 4:14-16, 44:37 "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest 44:40 who has passed through the heavens, 44:42 Jesus the Son of God, 44:44 let us hold fast our confession. 44:47 For we do not have a High Priest 44:48 who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, 44:51 but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 44:56 Let us therefore come boldly with confidence 45:00 to the throne of grace, 45:01 that we may obtain mercy and find grace 45:04 to help in time of need." 45:07 Praise be to God. 45:08 And He is able to say to the uttermost, 45:10 the worst of sinners. 45:12 I don't care how many sins you have done. 45:14 They can be forgiven through Jesus Christ. 45:16 Come to Him with sincerity of heart 45:19 and you will be forgiven and accepted. 45:22 Hmm. 45:23 Amen. 45:24 So I'm looking down here at my lesson 45:26 and pastor stepping all over my scriptures 45:28 and Pastor John Dinzey stepping all over my scripture. 45:31 So it just kind of... 45:32 It's great for do have repetition, 45:34 but as I'm going through this, I'm realizing 45:35 there's so many different angles to go with this. 45:37 So I almost kind of deviated and wrote, 45:41 rewrote my own message here to kind of fit the theme. 45:43 'Cause there was other scriptures that I believe 45:45 really, really fits this theme, 45:47 but there's also gonna be some texts 45:48 we're gonna repeat as well. 45:50 This is obviously Thursday's lesson, 45:52 The New Covenant Priest. 45:54 So this is emphasizing what has already been heard. 45:57 You've heard many times already that Christ is our high priest. 46:00 There's no escaping that. 46:02 And the lesson brings this out. 46:03 It says, "The Book of Hebrews places a heavy emphasis 46:06 on Jesus as our high priest in the heavenly sanctuary." 46:10 In fact, the clearest exposition 46:11 of the New Covenant 46:13 found in the New Testament 46:14 appears in the Book of Hebrews 46:16 with its emphasis on Christ as high priest. 46:20 This is no coincidence. 46:21 Christ heavenly ministry is intrinsically... 46:25 Intricately, excuse me, 46:27 tied to promises of the New Covenant. 46:30 As you have heard all of the... 46:32 Well you guys were like rapid fire through Hebrews. 46:34 I think we just covered the entire Book of Hebrews 46:36 all in just like 20 minutes just then. 46:38 It goes on to say, 46:39 "The Old Testament sanctuary service was the means 46:41 by which the Old Covenant truths were taught. 46:44 It's centered around sacrifices and mediation. 46:47 Animals were slain 46:48 and their blood was mediated by the priest. 46:51 These, of course, were all symbols of the salvation 46:55 found only in Jesus. 46:57 There was no salvation found in them 47:00 and in and of themselves. 47:02 And as you heard very clearly, 47:04 the Bible makes this very clear. 47:05 Of course, Hebrews 10:4 makes it very, very clear. 47:09 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls 47:12 and goats could take away sins. 47:14 And there may be someone watching and says, 47:15 "Wait, hold on. 47:17 It's not possible, then why in the world 47:18 did the Lord choose to use animals, 47:21 you know, if it cannot take away the sin? 47:23 Obviously, as it has been emphasized, many times 47:26 these were symbols. 47:27 In fact, I would like to go to Exodus 12 real quick. 47:29 I wanna just show this because many people say, 47:31 well, why did the Lord... 47:32 Why in the Lord... 47:34 Why in the world would the Lord used animals 47:35 as a symbol? 47:37 And I think that there's needs to be meaning tied to this. 47:39 And, of course, if you were in the situation 47:42 where you had to take the life of an innocent animal, 47:44 that is symbolic for something, 47:46 there was lots of meaning tied to this. 47:47 So Exodus Chapter 12, of course, 47:49 this particular series of text 47:51 is in the context of the Passover. 47:53 But I just wanna read this really quickly. 47:55 Exodus Chapter 12, beginning with verse 3. 47:56 The Lord says, 47:58 "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: 48:00 'On the tenth of this month 48:01 every man shall take for himself a lamb." 48:04 Of course, we know that lamb to be representative of Jesus. 48:07 And He goes on to say, 48:08 "According to the house of his father, 48:10 a lamb for a household. 48:11 And if the household be too small for the lamb, 48:14 let him and his neighbor next to his house take it 48:17 according to the number of the persons, 48:18 according to each man's need, 48:20 you shall make your count for the lamb." 48:23 And then verse 5 and 6 here says, 48:24 "Your lamb shall be without blemish." 48:27 Who does that... Who does that remind you of? 48:29 Obviously, Jesus Christ, now our high priest 48:31 without blemish, He is perfect. 48:33 His sacrifice was perfect. 48:35 It's says, "A male of the first year, 48:36 you may take it from the sheep or from the goats." 48:38 Now notice verse 6 here. 48:39 It says, "Now you shall keep it until the 14th day 48:42 of the same month. 48:43 Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel 48:45 shall kill it at twilight." 48:47 So they would go out 48:49 and they would go out on the 10th day of the month. 48:51 They would go and choose this perfect unblemished lamb, 48:55 of course, all pointing to Christ. 48:56 They would bring it into their home 48:57 for about three and a half days. 48:59 Because by the point they brought it in 49:01 and they killed it at twilight, 49:02 it would be about three and a half days 49:04 pointing to the three and a half year ministry 49:06 of Jesus Christ. 49:08 But here's the thing, 49:09 they would bring that into the home. 49:11 And you could imagine 49:12 the family would get used to it. 49:13 They would feed it. They would nurture it. 49:15 The kids would play with it. 49:16 When they would have to take that lamb out 49:17 and they would have to slaughter that lamb. 49:19 It's pointing us to the fact that Jesus Christ is our lamb 49:21 and His sacrifice should mean something to us. 49:25 It meant something to this family 49:27 to have to take the life of this innocent lamb. 49:29 And that's what this is all about. 49:30 It's saying, not in that lamb in and of itself, 49:33 did that animal take away the sin, 49:35 but what it represents. 49:37 Jesus Christ, our high priest 49:39 of course was also our sacrifice. 49:41 Of course, this is what Hebrews Chapter 8 verses, uh, 49:44 excuse me, 10:8-10 is bringing out as well. 49:48 It says there in Hebrews 10:8-10, 49:51 "Previously saying, 'Sacrifice and offering, 49:53 burnt offerings and offerings for sin, 49:55 You did not desire nor had pleasure in them." 49:58 Of course, they didn't have pleasure, right? 50:00 We just read about it. 50:01 It's horrible thing to even have to think 50:02 about someone doing. 50:04 But he says, "You did not have pleasure in them. 50:05 We are offered according to the law 50:07 or which were offered according to the law." 50:09 Verse 9, 50:10 "Then He said, 50:12 'Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God. 50:13 He takes away the first 50:15 and that He may establish the second. 50:18 By that we will have... 50:20 By that, will we have been sanctified 50:23 through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ 50:27 once and for all. 50:28 So Jesus is that final sacrifice. 50:31 He is now our high priest, Hebrews 9:26. 50:35 And we're gonna come back to Hebrews 9 in a moment, 50:37 but it says here in Hebrews 9:26, 50:39 again, emphasizing this same point. 50:41 He then would have to... 50:43 "Would have had to suffer 50:44 often since the foundation of the world, 50:47 but now once at the end of the ages, 50:49 He has appeared to put away sin 50:51 by the sacrifice of Himself." 50:54 Of course, all of this is pointing us kind of back. 50:57 We're here in Hebrews, New Testament 50:59 and we're looking back 51:01 all the way back to Genesis 3:15. 51:03 This is Jesus Christ that same Seed, 51:05 that powerful Seed, 51:07 which the covenant spoke about, 51:08 which the covenant is all about. 51:10 And He offered Himself to be that sacrifice for us. 51:14 In fact, this also reminds me 51:17 of the beautiful promise that we have, 51:19 or that was given to Israel 51:21 in the prophecy of Daniel Chapter 9. 51:23 If you go back and study this prophecy of the 70 weeks 51:26 there in Daniel Chapter 9, 51:28 he was told that 70 weeks are determined for your people. 51:31 And there's six things listed there. 51:32 They were to anoint the Most Holy, 51:34 they were to be ready to receive as a nation 51:37 Jesus Christ as their Messiah. 51:40 And notice what it says in Daniel 9:27, it says, 51:43 "Then he shall confirm, that's Christ, 51:45 He shall confirm a," what? 51:47 "A covenant." Which covenant? 51:50 Which covenant? 51:51 The everlasting covenant. 51:52 We're going back to Genesis 3:15. 51:55 We're going back to Christ as that coming Seed. 51:58 And here it is, He shall confirm a covenant 52:00 with many for one week, 52:01 but in the middle of that week, 52:02 He shall bring it in to sacrifice an offering. 52:06 And what breaks my heart is there is, 52:08 you know, it's just the truth. 52:09 There's many, many people in the world 52:10 that do not accept. 52:12 We have a whole nation of Orthodox Jews 52:13 that don't accept Christ as the Messiah. 52:16 And it's interesting because right now, 52:18 if you go over to Israel, 52:19 the number one law that governs that culture, 52:22 that governs that religion is known as the Talmudic law 52:26 and within the Talmud law, 52:27 there's something there 52:28 that a lot of people are not aware of. 52:30 I think I've brought this out before, 52:31 but for the purpose of this lesson, 52:32 I wanna repeat it because I find it significant, 52:34 Notice that the enemy is behind trying to eclipse 52:38 and keep Christ as Messiah 52:40 and High Priest from His people. 52:43 And so this is something that is known 52:44 as the rabbinic curse 52:46 and notice what this says in the rabbinic curse 52:48 within the Talmudic law. 52:50 It's says, "May the bones of the hands 52:51 and the bones of the fingers 52:52 decay and decompose of him 52:55 who turns the pages of the Book of Daniel, 52:58 to find out the time of Daniel 9:24 to 27 53:02 and may his memory rot 53:04 from off the face of the earth forever." 53:07 You have an entire nation of Orthodox Jews 53:10 even still to this day 53:11 that will not study the scriptures, 53:15 more specifically Daniel 9:24-27. 53:18 Why? 53:19 Because it points to He 53:20 who came to confirm the covenant. 53:23 And in the midst of that week, 53:25 He brought them into sacrifices and offerings 53:28 pointing to Himself as the Messiah, 53:31 the coming High Priest that is now transitioned 53:33 into the heavenly sanctuary. 53:35 This is powerful. 53:36 In fact, Matthew 27:51, we've read it many times. 53:40 It says, "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice 53:42 and yielded up His spirit. 53:43 He died on the cross." 53:45 And then it says in verse 51, 53:46 "Then behold, the veil of the temple 53:48 was torn into from top to bottom. 53:52 And at that moment, the historian Josephus writes 53:54 that the high priest Caiaphas 53:56 came out of the temple at that time, 53:58 as he was about to bring the knife down on that lamb, 54:00 when really the true lamb of God 54:02 had already given His life up on the... 54:04 Upon Golgotha's Hill 54:06 and out comes the high priest Caiaphas 54:08 screaming to the top of his lungs, 54:09 Ichabod, Ichabod, 54:11 signaling that the glory of the Lord 54:13 had left the temple, 54:15 because Christ was the ultimate fulfillment. 54:17 In bringing that veil, the temple veil 54:20 was torn from top to bottom, 54:22 signifying that Jesus Christ is the completion of all 54:25 to the sacrificial system 54:27 that now His ministry has changed. 54:29 He's no longer that sacrifice anymore. 54:32 He's completed the sacrifice. 54:33 Now He is in the heavenly sanctuary 54:36 ministering on our behalf. 54:38 I wanna end with Hebrews 9:11-12. 54:41 This is a powerful text 54:43 that I believe really solidifies this. 54:45 Hebrews 9:11-12, 54:46 "but Christ being come on... 54:49 Become a high priest of good things to come 54:51 by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, 54:54 not made with hands," 54:55 that is to say not of this building, 54:58 "neither by the blood of goats and calves, 55:01 but by His own blood, He entered once into the," 55:05 and I'm reading the King James Version, 55:07 which I believe is a more accurate translation here. 55:10 "He entered once into the Holy Place, 55:13 having obtained eternal redemption for us." 55:17 Praise the Lord 55:18 that we have a high priest, Jesus Christ, 55:20 who still ministering for us today. 55:22 He is the New Covenant high priest 55:25 Jesus Christ our Lord. 55:27 Amen. 55:28 Amen. That's right. 55:29 Whoa! 55:31 This has been such an encouraging lesson, 55:34 and we hope you're doing it. 55:35 I wanna give each one of you, just a moment 55:38 to make a comment about your day. 55:40 Mine was heart work on Monday, 55:42 and I just wanna quote from Psalm 51:10, 55:45 "Create in me a clean heart, O God, 55:47 and renew as steadfast spirit within me." 55:50 God wants to do heart work. 55:52 He wants to create in us the image of the divine. 55:56 Amen. That's right. 55:57 And speaking of the blood of Jesus 55:59 that He shed for our redemption, 56:01 the writer of Hebrews writes in Hebrews 9:15, 56:03 "And for this reason, 56:05 He is the mediator of the New Covenant 56:07 by means of death 56:09 for the redemption of the transgressions 56:11 under the first covenant, 56:13 that those who are called may receive the promise 56:16 of the eternal inheritance." 56:18 Praise God for that. Amen. 56:20 Amen. 56:21 Well, the Bible tells us 56:22 that Jesus came and took our place, 56:25 so that we can have a place in heaven. 56:27 And I want to encourage you to understand 56:30 that Hebrews 7:25, 56:32 "He is able to save to the uttermost. 56:34 The worst among us, Jesus is able to save." 56:38 And if that's you, I say I'm the chief of sinners. 56:40 But if you think you are, 56:42 Jesus is waiting to forgive you. 56:44 Amen. Praise the Lord. 56:45 Well, we're on Hebrews 1:19, on Hebrews, right? 56:47 Hebrews 12:1-2, 56:50 "Therefore we also, since we are so surrounded 56:52 by such a great cloud of witnesses, 56:54 let us lay aside every weight 56:56 and the sin, which so easily ensnares us 56:58 and let us run with endureth the race that is set before us 57:02 looking unto Jesus, 57:03 the author and finisher of our faith, 57:05 who for the joy that was set before Him 57:07 endured the cross, 57:08 despising the shame 57:09 and has sat down 57:11 at the right hand of the throne of God." 57:13 Hallelujah. 57:15 This just came into my mind. 57:18 Many of us are familiar with Isaiah 53, 57:21 the suffering servant song, 57:25 but there's actually four servant songs in Isaiah. 57:29 That's right. 57:30 And one of those is Isaiah Chapter 42. 57:34 This whole thing is a messianic servant 57:38 is who it's talking about. 57:39 And listen to this, verse 6. 57:43 42:6, "I the Lord have called You," capital Y. 57:48 This is talking about Jesus, His servant. 57:51 "In righteousness, I will hold your hand. 57:53 I will keep you and give you 57:57 as a covenant to the people, 58:00 as a light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes, 58:03 to bring out prisoners from the prison." 58:07 Jesus is the New Covenant. 58:10 Join us next time as we continue. |
Revised 2021-06-03