Cont.
So to summarize the author’s position above, the first covenant became the old covenant, after only three days. Even though the Ten Commandments were given within three days of the supposed “old covenant”, the first covenant was already the old one, about thirteen hundred years before Hebrews was written. It may seem that I am making this up in order to ridicule the author, but that is really what his position would have you to believe.
There are a couple of other things that I would like to draw attention to. One is the “if this, then that” aspect of the language in
Exodus 19. God tells the Israelites that IF they will obey his voice,
then He will be their God.
[5] Now therefore,
if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant,
then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
The if you do this I will do that, does not indicate that a contract or covenant has been entered yet. If there had been a covenant entered into already, then the proposal becomes law.
To use the analogy I used earlier about the bridge to Cuba, if I tendered a proposal, then I and the other party of the contract executed a contract, then that contract is a legal document. It becomes law.
In the case of the Ten Commandments (as well as the body of law that accompanied it) when the covenant was sprinkled with blood, it became law. Bear in mind that the other covenant that the author says was made, has no record of being sprinkled with blood. This is further proof that it was NOT a separate covenant, but was part of the covenant that was the Ten Commandments. Now let’s go to
Hebrews 9 for further evidence.
Heb.9
[1] Then verily the
first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
[2] For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.
[3] And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;
[4] Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and
the tables of the covenant;
Notice in verse one that this covenant is referred to as the first. So when we read the subsequent verses, we are reading the details of the first covenant. In verse four which contains the inventory of the ark of the covenant, we see that it contains the tables of stone, which are referred to as the covenant, or Ten Commandments multiple times in the Bible.
Now let’s go further in the ninth chapter of Hebrews. Remember that Moses sprinkled blood on the people and the ark of the covenant etc. in Exodus. Let’s read . . .
[18] Whereupon neither the
first testament was dedicated without blood.
[19] For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,
This FIRST testament (or covenant) was sprinkled with the blood of goats etc., but the new one of course, with the blood of Jesus. We don’t have any record of another covenant being consummated in Exodus. This is describing the consummation of the covenant that includes the Ten Commandments. It is impossible for it to be another covenant, because it refers to the ark of the covenant in verse four. And we KNOW what went into the ark of the covenant! It was the covenant, also known as, the Ten Commandments. The ark of the covenant was custom built to God’s specifications, specifically to house the Ten Commandments, which are also known as the first covenant.
So this should prove that the Ten Commandments WERE the OLD covenant. This is the one referred to in
Hebrews 8:13. It IS the one that was ready to vanish away almost two thousand years ago!
Threaded Mode
