(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)
“Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, Yahweh says, “Don’t listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of Yahweh’s house will now shortly be brought again from Babylon;’ for they prophesy a lie to you. Don’t listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and live. Why should this city become a desolation? But if they are prophets, and if Yahweh’s word is with them, let them now make intercession to Yahweh of Armies, that the vessels which are left in Yahweh’s house, in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, don’t go to Babylon. For Yahweh of Armies says concerning the pillars, concerning the sea, concerning the bases, and concerning the rest of the vessels that are left in this city, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon didn’t take when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem— yes, Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says concerning the vessels that are left in Yahweh’s house, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem: ‘They will be carried to Babylon, and there they will be, until the day that I visit them,’ says Yahweh; ‘then I will bring them up, and restore them to this place.’””
(Jeremiah 27:16-22)
“Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people have received the law), what further need was there for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is of necessity a change made also in the law. For he of whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord has sprung out of Judah, about which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. This is yet more abundantly evident, if after the likeness of Melchizedek there arises another priest, who has been made, not after the law of a fleshly commandment, but after the power of an endless life;”
(Hebrews 7:11-16)
God didn’t lie. God DOESN’T lie. When God makes a promise, it ALWAYS comes to pass. He was preparing His people, He wasn’t trying to trick them. If they would go where He said – even though they didn’t want to. If they would submit to the ruler He said – even though they didn’t want to. If they would take the consequences of their own firm choices – even though they didn’t want to. If they would listen to Him and obey – even though they didn’t want to. They would be saved. Saved from death. Saved from undue suffering. Saved to learn to keep covenant. Saved to return and be restored. They had to take His word for it and obey in humble submission. It didn’t LOOK like victory, but it would end up being a victory. It would end up the way they hoped it would be from the beginning. Their choices had robbed them of God’s will, but they could return to that point by obeying Him. They had to trust Him.
Jesus didn’t came to change the Law in the sense of throwing it out and starting again. In fact, all of His teaching and the teaching of all the apostles is based in the Law. What changed was the priesthood, which changed the sacrificial system. Unworthy priests who had to cover their own sin before covering the people were changed to a priest who was perfect, holy, and spotless – no sin. The sacrifice that priest made was acceptable in every way for every blood offering, so it only needed to be made once. Instead of daily sacrifices to cover sin, a single once-for-all cleansing of sin took place. The system was satisfied, the debt paid, the penalty accepted. Now there was freedom to live out the Law. To obey and walk in righteousness purchased by that sacrifice. To engage what God had for us. But we weren’t seeing the daily sacrifices. We weren’t seeing the blood shed right in front of us. We have to trust. We have to trust He was the right sacrifice, He was the right priest, and we are right before God because of what Jesus did. We have to trust Him.
Summary
The New Covenant isn’t about not doing the things the Old Covenant proclaimed. It is about the sacrifice that saved us, that cleansed us, and that transformed us being the vehicle through which we CAN obey the Law. How do we keep from sinful thoughts? Replace them with His thoughts (1 Corinthians 2:16). How do we keep from sinful actions? Let Jesus live through us even as we live in Him (Galatians 2:20). How do we keep from sinful words? Grow His fruit in our hearts so that the Fruit is what comes out in every interaction we have (Galatians 5:22-23). We do it in Jesus. He is the sacrifice. He is our priest. He is our mediator. He is our confidant. He is our shepherd. He is our bridegroom. He is Messiah. He is our everything. In Jesus we can do it. Outside of Jesus we can’t. That is the New Covenant. We have new hearts. New minds. New natures. We are in Him and He is in us. And if we keep that foremost in our minds and choose Jesus every time, we will live exactly as He said we could and should. The battle is in our minds. The fight is whether we will choose to stay connected to Jesus in every situation, every day, all day and all night long. Live in Him and let Him live through you. He isn’t lying. Everyone else might disagree, but He is MORE THAN ENOUGH and He NEVER lies.
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