Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth
The truth about the covenants G-d made with mankind 2.
Let’s now turn to the marriage covenant that HASHEM made with the nation of Israel. This is essentially the only covenant that HASHEM is busy renewing with both houses of Israel. One of the most important doctrines the living Messiah has revealed to us, His latter day congregation, is that of the marriage covenant made with the united nation of Israel and its renewal. Unfortunately many confused the word ‘covenant’ with ‘testament’. To begin with, a testament is not the same as a covenant and it is important to understand the difference. A testament is a written legal instrument by which a person bequeaths or wills certain of his possessions to another person when he dies, or when the other party reaches an agreed milestone – such as when the son of a farmer turns 25 years of age, he inherits his father’s farm, as described in the father’s will/testament. It is usually not in payment or a reward for work or responsibilities performed. But a covenant is a mutual agreement, a legal undertaking to do or not to do a certain act; a document describing the terms of the agreement. In Scriptural language a covenant is an agreement, by which one party promises certain rewards or payments in return for certain stipulated performances by the other party.
So it is clear that the covenant made with Abraham to depart from the land of his birth for a territory of Canaan was a binding agreement, which HASHEM made with Abraham. Another requirement that Abraham had to fulfill was as his part of the covenant to circumcise the foreskin of his flesh as a sign of the everlasting covenant between G-d and him. If Abraham and his descendants would comply, then G-d, in turn, bound Himself to fulfill the specific promise in His covenant with Abraham. Notice that no death had to take place to make this covenant binding as would have been necessary if it was a testament. G-d’s covenant was confirmed with Isaac (Genesis 26: 2 – 5) and Jacob (Genesis 27: 27 – 30) whose name was later changed to Israel. Years later, due to a great famine in the land of Canaan, where Israel lived, the patriarch (Jacob) and his family moved to Egypt, where they grew into a large nation. Through circumstances beyond their control the nation of Israel eventually became enslaved to the Egyptians.
Turning to Exodus 2: 23 – 25, we see that G-d looked down on the nation of Israel enslaved in Egypt and He remembered His covenant with their forefathers, as follows: ‘Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to G-d. (24) So G-d heard their groaning; and G-d remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (25) And G-d saw the sons of Israel, and G-d took notice of them.’ Eventually HASHEM released the children of Israel from bondage through a series of miracles and led them out of Egypt. Forty seven days after the Israelites left Egypt, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in front of the mountain (Exodus 19: 1 & 2). G-d, through his servant Moses proposed a covenant with the nation of Israel; in the covenant G-d promised to make them a great nation, provided they would obey Him.We see from Exodus 19: 8 that the people immediately agreed, saying: “All that HASHEM has spoken we will do! Notice, these forefathers of ours were so confident in their own ability to obey that they readily agreed to the covenant with G-d. Because the Israelites expressed their desire to enter into a covenant agreement with G-d, He informed Moses to tell them to consecrate themselves and be ready for the third day, the sixth day of the third month (the 6th of Sivan). On the third day, amid an awesome display of lightning, thunder and thick clouds churning over the mountain, G-d’s powerful voice thundered out the basic law of His government – the great spiritual law defining His way of life. The covenant made at Sinai – called the “Old Covenant”by deceived Christianity today – imposed upon the nation of Israel certain terms and conditions to be performed. The people were to obey the Ten Commandments and for obedience their reward would be that G-d would make them a nation above all people. Notice that these promises were national and material, but also contained spiritual blessings, as can be seen from Exodus 19: 5 and the first part of verse 6, in this way: ‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; (6) and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’
G-d then proceeded to write these commandments with His own finger on two tablets of stone. We read from Deuteronomy 6: 1, 4 & 5 what HASHEMG-d said to Moses after He gave the Ten Commandments to the Israelites, as follows: “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which HASHEM your G-d has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it. (4) Hear, O Israel! HASHEM is our G-d, HASHEM is one! (5) And you shall love HASHEM your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might!” G-d gave Moses additional instructions how to apply the Ten Commandments in the form of civil statutes and judgments, and instructed Moses to write these statutes and judgments together with the Ten Commandments in a book called ‘the book of the covenant’ (as per Exodus 24: 4 & 7). Therefore these additional laws became part and parcel of the covenant that G-d made with Israel.But we see from verses 5 – 8 of Exodus 24, that the covenant had to be ratified or confirmed with blood before it became binding, in this way: ‘And he sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to HASHEM. (6) And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. (7) Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that HASHEM has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” (8) So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which HASHEM has made with you in accordance with all these words.” Once a covenant is signed, sealed or ratified, it cannot be added to as Rav Shaul explained in Galatians 3: 15, saying: ‘Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations; even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it.’
The covenant made at Mount Sinai was typical of a marriage contract between a man and a woman. It was symbolically a marriage agreement between (the Word of) G-d and the nation of Israel. As the arm of HASHEM who dealt with the nation of Israel in the Tanach, the Word of G-d – the husband – promised to materially provide for and protect the nation, or congregation of Israel. The nation as his wife, in turn agreed to remain faithful to Him - to refrain from adulterous relationships with the gods of other nations around them. Israel as a nation accepted the role of a wife, to obey her Husband G-d. The blessings that HASHEM would provide for His bride is given in Leviticus 26: 3 – 13 and Deuteronomy 28: 1 – 14. However, we see the curses that would befall them if they disobeyed HASHEM, given in Leviticus 26: 14 – 19 and Deuteronomy 28: 15 – 68.As mentioned before, G-d’s spiritual law existed long before Adam and Eve were created. But Scriptural record shows that knowledge of G-d’s law was only available to a special few in ancient times. Those whom HASHEM called individually to perform a special work in His service – the prophets and patriarchs of old knew and kept G-d’s Ten Commandments, statutes and other laws. We see the example of Abraham mentioned in Genesis 26: 5, as follows: ‘Because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.” Abraham did not only obey the commandments, no he also obeyed G-d’s statutes and laws. The statutes and other laws of G-d actually magnify, or reveal specific applications of the Ten Commandments. The judgments that HASHEM gave along with His other laws are for the protection of everyone’s legal rights. The judgments are binding decisions on G-d’s previously revealed law. These decisions are used to settle future disputes and to render a sentence or verdict.
The examples given in Exodus 16: 28[1] and 18: 15 & 16[2] show clearly that G-d revealed laws to the nation of Israel in Exodus 20 that were already in force. Clearly Israel could not refuse to obey laws that did not exist! Both these instances occurred before the nation reached Mount Sinai – before the covenant was made through Moses. Therefore the Scriptures shows that the commandments, statutes and judgments, all based on the principle of love toward G-d and love toward fellow man – were in force prior to the establishment of G-d’s marriage covenant with the nation of Israel! This being the case, why did G-d have to reveal His law to the children of Israel when establishing His covenant with them? Simply because people had strayed so far from the truth by the time of Moses, that G-d had to reveal His laws and statutes again or anew to the Israelites. Ancient Israel had lost much, if not most of the knowledge of G-d’s way in Egyptian bondage. Since the Ten Commandments, the statutes and the judgments were already in force, the only thing new about them at Mount Sinai was the written codification thereof which G-d presented to the people after rehearsing them with His own voice. The civil statutes and judgments were also revealed to Israel to show how the Ten Commandments should be applied to the physical nation. An important point to remember is: Since G-d’s Ten Commandments, statutes and judgments existed before the covenant was made with Israel, they were definitely not abolished in 31CE when Y’shua died.
When G-d brought Israel to the foot of Mount Sinai, He gave the Ten Commandments to them. He allowed Moses to declare His statutes and judgments to Israel, when they were scared to hear His voice. These statutes and judgments, as we’ve seen, magnify the Ten Commandments. However, we see that the physical ceremonies and sacrifices did not begin at that time. The only sacrifice mentioned in the book of the covenant was instituted in Egypt, as may be understood from Exodus 23: 18, in this way: “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread; nor is the fat of My feast to remain overnight until morning.” This is obviously talking about the Passover that was instituted in Egypt, weeks before to protect the first born in Israel, when HASHEM killed the first born in Egypt. It was repeated in the covenant made at Sinai, but it was not instituted by that covenant!In addition we see that when HASHEM spoke the terms of His covenant to Israel after they were brought out of Egypt, He did not give them instructions for a sacrificial system of laws, as witnessed in Jeremiah 7: 22 – 23, as follows: “For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. (23) But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your G-d, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you’” G-d did not command sacrifices to be offered originally. This explains why the temporary sacrifices, instituted after the first covenant was made and ratified at Mount Sinai, were not perpetuated after Messiah became the sacrifice in respect of sin, to reconcile us back to the Father. Only the Passover continued, but with different symbols, as we now keep it in remembrance of Messiah’s death, until His return. The reason why the Passover is continued is that it began before the covenant that HASHEM made at Mount Sinai.
The very fact that Y’shua substituted unleavened bread and wine for the Passover lamb only, and not for the Levitical offerings, is one proof that the ceremonial offerings were temporary and no longer in affect. Further proof of these facts are given in Galatians 3: 19, in this way: ‘Why the (sacrificial) Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed should come to whom the promise had been made.” Rav Shaul explains that the temporary rituals and sacrifices were afterward ‘added because of transgressions’ – because G-d’s spiritual law was being broken by the Israelites. When G-d made His covenant with ancient Israel, He wrote the Ten Commandments on two tablets of stone. At that time He also had Moses write His civil statutes and judgments in a book. But this book did not at first, contain the laws of burnt offerings and sacrifices. G-d had these added later, as a separate part of the civil statutes, because the Israelites had begun to transgress G-d’s laws.The keeping of these ritualistic laws required a great deal of additional work, as witnessed by the first seven chapters of Leviticus. That is essentially why they became known as the ‘works of the law’ as may be seen in Scriptures like Galatians 2: 16. But we see from Galatians 3: 19 that these additional (sacrificial) laws lasted until Messiah’s sacrifice, as already quoted. Notice especially the words “until the seed should come”. Rav Shaul further explains the purpose of the sacrificial laws in verse 24 of Galatians 3, as follows: ‘Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Messiah, that we may be justified by faith.’ These physical sacrificial laws foreshadowed the sacrifice of Messiah and were a ‘reminder of sin’ to teach the people the need for Messiah— the true Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5: 7), who would eventually pay the penalty of human transgression for all mankind, at which time these sacrificial laws would cease. These temporary ritualistic laws did not define sin as the rest of Torah do; they were simply reminders of sin and the fact that atonement comes through the shedding of blood. The Torah laws which explain what sin is, are the ones we are to keep in the spirit as well as the letter today. These ritualistic laws had no further use when the Lamb of G-d died for the sins of the world, and when the Set-apart Spirit became available for those called out of the world by G-d. However, be aware that they did not cease because they were part of the original marriage covenant between G-d and Israel. They were added after the first covenant was ratified!These rituals ceased to be needed only because the true sacrifice for sin had been offered!
The original marriage covenant made at Sinai was between the ancient nation of Israel and G-d. We know that ancient Israel became two separate nations, namely the house of Judah and the house of Israel. The house of Israel was not faithful to her part of the marriage agreement. The people turned from worshipping G-d and followed the customs of the heathen, serving their false gods. They broke their part of the marriage covenant by committing spiritual adultery, and as a result HASHEM divorced them as witnessed in Jeremiah 3: 6 & 7. Since G-d is Set-apart He cannot co-exist with sin, and He was forced to separate His ‘wife’ from Himself, as we read from Isaiah 59: 1 & 2, in this way: ‘Behold,(HASHEM)’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. (2) But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your G-d, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.’ HASHEM tells us about the latter day descendants of Israel in Isaiah 50: 1, saying: “Where is the certificate of divorce, by which I have sent your mother away? Or to whom of My creditors did I sell you? Behold, you were sold for your iniquities, and for your transgressions your mother was sent away.” The relationship became so bad that HASHEM was finally forced into divorcing His own people – the ten northern tribes of the house of Israel. G-d punished the nation by sending them into captivity into Assyria as witnessed in 2 Kings 17: 6 – 19. Even though HASHEM also sent the house of Judah away, He did not do so permanently. They eventually returned and preserved G-d’s Set-apart Days, Torah, and the Hebrew language throughout the ages.
This brings us to the second reason for Messiah’s death. When Messiah died, knowing that He would be resurrected three days and three nights later, His dying words on His impalement stake in John 19: 30 had two meanings. When Y’shua said: “It is finished” or transliterated in Hebrew ‘Kallah’ He meant that His life as a human came to an end, but it also means ‘My Bride’. By saying the words ‘My Bride’ He meant that since He died, He is now free to remarry His bride again, because as called out members of His congregation of first fruits to be born again at His return, we from the lost ten tribes, who were immersed into His saving name have also died to sin, as explained in Romans 6: 3 – 7, as follows: ‘Or do you not know that all of us who have been immersed into Messiah Y’shua have been immersed into His death? (4) Therefore we have been buried with Him through immersion into death, in order that as Messiah was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, (6) knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; (7) for he who has died is freed from sin.’ Rav Shaul continues explaining the Law if divorce and remarriage for us as in Romans 7: 1 – 4, saying that because both Y’shua died and the called out congregation of G-d has also died with Him in immersion, He is now free to remarry us, as follows: ‘Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law),(of an adulterous woman), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? (2) For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. (3) So then if, while her husband is living, she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she is joined to another man. (4) Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Messiah, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for G-d.’ By teaching those whom HASHEM called out of the world at this time, we are in fact preparing more potential children of G-d for His everlasting Kingdom.
But similar to the way in which Moses ratified the original marriage covenant with the nation of Israel, Y’shua had to ratify the renewed marriage covenant with His blood, as He also said when He partook of His last Passover, before His blood was shed and He died on the execution stake the very next day, in Luke 22: 20, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” A second witness comes from 1 Corinthians 11: 23 – 25, where Rav Shaul said: ‘For I received from the Master that which I also delivered to you, that the Master Y’shua in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; (24) and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (25) In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”’The marriage covenant is in the process of being renewed between the remnant of the lost ten tribes of Israel, called out of the churches of the world at this time, and who accept Y’shua Messiah as their Passover Lamb, by being immersed into His saving name. This is when we die to sin and be reconciled to the Father and Brother Judah to become part of the commonwealth of Israel , chosen by Y’shua as His bride-to-be. He betroths us to be remarried to Him if we remain faithful to the end, by teaching fellow believers as He said in Matthew 24: 44 & 45, in this way: ‘For this reason you be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. (45) Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their (Spiritual) food at the proper time?’Y’shua continued telling His disciples in the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25, that when He returns as the Bridegroom one day, not all of those whom He has betrothed will be ready!
This is also why HASHEM talks about making a new or renewed marriage covenant with both houses of Israel in Jeremiah 31: 31 – 33, saying:‘Behold, days are coming, declares HASHEM, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. (32) not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them, declares HASHEM. (33) But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares HASHEM, I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their G-d, and they shall be My people.’ Notice that even though HASHEM tells us through Jeremiah that He will make a new (marriage) covenant with both Judah and Israel, He will only have to write His Torah upon the hearts of those from the house of Israel, since our Jewish brothers are already obeying Torah. This also means that the laws given in the original covenant will be written in our hearts and minds.Under the first marriage covenant made at Sinai, G-d wrote the Ten Commandments on two tablets of stone. The people could see the law with their eyes, but it was not within their hearts and minds. A prevalent teaching by many in Christianity claims that the fault with the old covenant was the Torah – that the old law was abolished for a new law. However we read the reason why the original covenant with Israel failed in Hebrews 8: 6 – 8, as follows: ‘But now He (Y’shua) has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the Mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. (7) For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. (8) For finding fault with them, He says, “BEHOLD DAYS ARE COMING SAYS HASHEM, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH.” Yes, the original covenant failed because of the weakness of the people (house of Israel), and not because Torah was defective. According to Malachi 3: 1 Messiah was prophesied to be the Messenger of the New Covenant. The terms of the New Covenant are part of the gospel of the Kingdom of G-d that Y’shua also preached, as may be seen in Mark 1: 14 & 15. Just as Moses was the mediator of the first marriage covenant, so is Messiah the mediator of the New Marriage Covenant. And just as His marriage with Israel at Mount Sinai set up the physical kingdom of Israel, so the marriage of Messiah’s congregation will be set up the spiritual Kingdom of G-d. The good news of that coming marriage actually is the Gospel Y’shua preached – the coming Kingdom of G-d!
The first covenant was made with a people upon their promise to obey. But, because they disobeyed, they were dispersed amongst the nations of the world. The New Covenant shall be made only with Spirit-born people who, during their mortal lives remained faithful to Torah (for the house of Judah), or will have been begotten of the Set-apart Spirit by being immersed into Y’shua’s saving name, and already proved their willingness to obey G-d (for the house of Israel)! The original marriage covenant was made with sinning mortals. The New Covenant will be made with righteous immortal children of G-d. Those, whom G-d called to enter into the New Covenant marriage, are now busy preparing themselves to become the bride of Messiah at His return. Others in past ages who were called, chosen and faithful until death, have already been prepared by G-d and are waiting to be resurrected from the dead when they too, will enter into the New Covenant marriage with Messiah along with those who will still be alive at Messiah’s return. At the time of the first resurrection and Messiah’s coming in power and glory, He will marry repentant, forgiven, sin-free ‘Spiritual Israel’, born into the Kingdom of G-d. Torah will not only be in our documentation any longer, but will be part of our being, in our hearts (belief system) and minds (our thinking). That is when the New Covenant will be in full effect. We see from Ezekiel 43 that even though there will be the exact same offerings during the millennium rule of Messiah, that were offered during the time of Moses, it will be of a memorial nature. It will simply point back to the value of Y’shua’s once for all sacrifice. The sacrificial offerings that the Israelites for so long failed to offer validly, will be offered acceptably, at which time they will fully understand the value of the Lamb of G-d, to which it was intended to point. Baruch HaShem!
[1] Exodus 16: 28: ‘Then HASHEM said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My instructions?”’
[2] Exodus 18: 15 & 16: ‘And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of G-d. When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and make known the statutes of G-d and His laws.”’