Unlocking the Old Testament Covenants Part 4 - New Covenant and Wrap Up - ENCORE

This is the final episode in our four-part series on the Old Testament Covenant.    We learned in the last three episodes that God preserved the world through Noah, initiated redemption through Abraham, formed a special people through Moses and promised a king through David. In this episode of the Bible Basics podcast, where we'll find God spelling out his ultimate plan of redemption - the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.  Trust us, this is an episode you wouldn't want to miss!

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Unlocking the Old Testament Covenants Part 1- Introduction
Unlocking the Old Testament Covenants Part 2- Noah & Abraham
Unlocking the Old Testament Covenants Part 3 - Moses & David

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Note: All scripture references are from the NIV translation unless otherwise indicated.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:13 New Covenant
• 9:23 Covenants Wrap Up

Transcript

Jacqui: 0:11

Welcome back everyone. If you're new here, we are thrilled to have you join us. I am so excited to say this is the final episode in our series on the Old Testament Covenants, and we've learned so much. We learned in the last three episodes that God preserved the world through Noah, initiated redemption through Abraham, formed a special people through Moses and promised a king through David. Stay tuned to this episode of the Bible Basics Podcast, where we'll find God spelling out His ultimate plan of redemption the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Well, welcome everyone. I'm your host, Jacqui Adewole, and this is the Bible Basics Podcast, where weekly, we break down the Bible into understandable, bite-sized chunks. We've explored God's covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses and David. With each covenant, God's promises and plans to save the world become clearer and clearer, until we finally see that redemption can only come through Jesus Christ. So we're going to now delve into that New Covenant, a covenant that was foretold by the prophets and fulfilled through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The covenant brings hope and salvation to all who believe.

Jacqui: 1:47

Recall from part two of the series on covenants that the blessings of the Mosaic covenant were conditional. They relied on Israel's strict obedience. Israel also had to perform sacrifices to atone for sin. If you look at the historical books of the Bible, particularly Samuel, Kings and Chronicles, you'll see that Israel didn't keep their side of the covenant agreement. They didn't obey God's law. Not because there was something wrong with the law, but because there was something wrong with their hearts. The law revealed their sinfulness and their inability to obey it. As a result, god brought down curses on the people. Ultimately, he sent them into exile in Babylon. But before he does it, in about 586 BC, God promises a new covenant.

Jacqui: 2:51

86 BC God promises a new covenant. Let's begin by reading Jeremiah, chapter 31, verses 31 through 33. The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with my people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, declared the Lord. This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel. After that time, declares the Lord, I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor or say to one another know the Lord, because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord, for I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. Jeremiah is prophesying that God would make a covenant with Israel and Judah, and he goes on to say the new covenant would be unlike the one he made with their ancestors. That's a reference to the Mosaic covenant.

Jacqui: 4:01

There are three key promises in this new covenant forgiveness of sins and eternal life, the indwelling Holy Spirit and a new heart. We'll start with forgiveness of sins. God is saying that his people no longer need to rely on animal sacrifices or rituals. Instead, they'll be able to receive forgiveness and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. The New Testament scriptures are clear that the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament could cover or atone for sin, but could never take away sin. It's only the blood of Christ that is capable of removing sin. The ultimate gift eternal life can only come through Jesus Christ. Life can only come through Jesus Christ. Second, there's a new heart.

Jacqui: 4:59

A fundamental shift takes place in the new covenant, a transformation of the heart. In the Mosaic Covenant, God's law was written on tablets of stone, but now it's inscribed on man's heart and in their minds. The focus shifts from outward obedience to an inner change. The prophet Ezekiel expands on the new covenant promises in chapter 36, verse 26. It reads I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. The third profound aspect of the new covenant is the role of the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, god dwells in the hearts of believers. The Spirit guides, comforts and empowers us to live in accordance with God's will. Ezekiel 36: 27 reads and I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

Jacqui: 6:05

Moving to the New Testament Gospels, we see Jesus Christ sitting with his disciples at the Last Supper, the night of his betrayal. He spoke of the cup and said this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. This is from Matthew 26: 28 in the New King James Version. Luke's account refers to this cup as symbolizing the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you. Mark 14, 24 says this is the blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many Many in this case, means the covenant is for the benefit of all those who believe, both Jew and Gentile. The new covenant is not limited to a specific group or nation. It's extended to everyone who believes Specific scripture references regarding Gentiles being included are Acts 10, Ephesians 3: 6, and Romans 11. The covenant was sealed by Jesus' sacrificial death. The cup of the Lord's Supper symbolizes the blood of Christ's sacrifice. Every time we gather to celebrate the Lord's Supper or communion service, we're celebrating the new covenant, the wonderful.

Jacqui: 7:36

Now there are three final points about the new covenant I'd like to share. First, the New Covenant is unconditional. There are no conditions attached to these promises. God, through the work of his faithful son, jesus, both gives and fulfills the promises. Our part is to simply believe, to trust in God's promises. The second thing I want to share is about the sign of the new covenant. While the old covenant had circumcision as its outward sign in the flesh, the new covenant sign is a new heart and a new spirit. Scripture refers to it as a circumcised heart, an inward transformation. The third thing I wanted to share is the duration of the covenant.

Jacqui: 8:27

This new covenant is everlasting, as foretold by Jeremiah. It's a covenant in which the people will never turn away from fearing God. As we conclude today's episode, let's summarize the new covenant. God promises forgiveness of sins. The Holy Spirit will dwell in us and God's word will be in our mind and on our heart. Most importantly, through this unconditional and everlasting covenant, god gives us the opportunity to receive salvation as a free gift. Everyone who believes in Jesus will be saved from eternal damnation. John 3:16 beautifully captures this promise, for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Jacqui: 9:23

Well, we've come to the end of our series. You now have an overview of the five key divine covenants God's promises to Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and the New Covenant inaugurated by Jesus Christ. In the midst of life's challenges, hold on to the faithfulness of God. When trials come our way, be ready. Know that we have a God we can trust.

Jacqui: 9:52

The covenants show his faithfulness. They demonstrate his desire to be in relationship with his people and his plan for our salvation. His promises are not limited to the pages of history. They're for you too. Can you visualize now how the covenants progressively build upon one another, forming a backbone and a context for practically every page of the Bible. They provide a narrative thread that runs through the Bible, connecting stories, events and characters into a coherent and meaningful storyline. They provide the framework for understanding God's relationship with his people and the unfolding of his plan for redemption. From the covenant with Noah to the new covenant in Christ, each successful covenant builds upon the previous ones, culminating in the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. All we have to do is believe. Thank you for tuning in. If this has been beneficial to you, please share it with others, subscribe or follow, and all of you Apple podcast listeners, drop us a review.