Expert: Clive Heath - 8/20/2009

Question
Hi,

I have had a Jewish person tell me that the New Covenant cannot replace the Old Covenant because the Mosaic Covenant was supposed to be eternal. He sited the following Biblical quotes to prove his argument. What do you say? How can the New Covenant of grace and of Jesus Christ replace the Old Covenant, when the Old Covenant was supposed to be eternal. Please look at the Bible quotes I have listed below, which someone else has pointed out to me.

GENESIS 17:9-10 - "God said to abraham, 'and as for you, you shall keep my covenant-you and your offsrping after you THROUGHOUT THEIR GENERATIONS"
 
EXODUS 31:16 - "the children of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to make the sabbath an ETERNAL covenant for their generations"

DEUTERONOMY 11:1 - "you shall love H-shem, your G-d, and you shall safeguard his charge, his decrees, his ordinances, and his commandment, ALL THE DAYS"

DEUTERONOMY 28:46 - "they (the commandments) will be a sign and a wonder, in you and in your offsrping, FOREVER"

DEUTERONOMY 29:28 - "the hidden (sins) are for H-shem, our G-D, but the revealed (sins) are for us and our children FOREVER, to carry out all the words of this torah"

PSALM 111:7-9 - "his handiwork is truth and justice, faithful are all his orders, they are steadfast FOREVER, for ETERNITY, accomplished in truth and fairness. he sent redemption to his people; he commanded his covenant for eternity"

2 KINGS 17:37 - "and the decrees and the laws, and the torah and the commandment that he wrote for you, you shall OBSERVE TO DO ALL THE DAYS; and you shall not fear the gods of others""

Thanks: Alex

Answer
Hi Alex,

This is a very deep subject, but I will do my best to simplify and hopefully help.

In Hebrews 8: 7-8 God himself said that he would make another covenant as the first one was not perfect.

But we cannot live under both covenants, so it had to be one or another.

Paul said the Mosaic covenant was done away in Christ, we then became more under the Grace of God than law.

In Romans 10:4-5 it says that our new life begins and ends in Christ and not in the old covenant of law.

We have to realize that as in now days life changes and God has the power to change things as he sees fit to do so, we now live under the forgiveness of the blood of Jesus Christ, whereas the old covenant it was the sacrifice of animals.

I hope this helps if you wish to come back to me please do.

God Bless You

Clive Heath