Old Testament and Covenants

It amazes me to see Christian pastors still preach on the Old Testament.  Maybe shocked is a better word.  They forget Jesus himself says it is "fulfilled" which is to bring to an end.  An end, hmmm, an end of what.  The end of sacrifice and death.  The death he took on the cross.  The death he took for me, for you, for everlasting life.  

This does not mean we cannot study and learn from the Old Testaments and Covenants.  There are nuggets of truth and wisdom.  We cannot get to the new without understanding the Old. The old starts from the lawlessness of Genesis to the laws from Exodus to Malachi.  

The Old Testament is full of great stories and characters we can relate to and understand their situations.  The book of Proverbs is great for guidance and wisdom.  You want to sing a song of praise, worship, joy, sorrow, and glory read Psalms.  A major tragedy strikes read Job.  You want to read about men and women of strong faith giving their lives and doing works for God read about Joseph, Daniel, David, Ruth, Esther, Abraham, and many others.  The books of Isaiah, Jeremiah and the 12 minor prophets prophesize about the coming Messiah Jesus Christ.  

There is the one question one could say, what about the Covenants.  Each of these covenants were fulfilled which includes Adam's, Noah's, Abraham's, Moses, Aaron's, and David's.  Jesus set a course to sail on the earth by being born to a woman which allowed Jesus to walk on earth giving everlasting life that the Old Testament and Covenants could not provide to Jews and Gentiles.     

What about the covenant with Noah about destroying the earth with a flood?  Jesus tells us the end through a prophecy by John in Revelation.  The rainbow is still a reminder, but we can take comfort that all the melting of ice through global warming will not be enough to flood the entire earth.  We have that promise.  

The writer of Hebrews talks at length about the Covenants to the Jewish people.   

Hebrews 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second....13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

Hebrews 10:4 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.  2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Hebrews 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

There is a section in Ephesians 2 written by Paul discussing to the Gentiles (non Jewish people) that the blood of Jesus Christ gave them access to Christ.  Jesus death on the Cross gave them the promises of God in the Old Testament and Covenants bringing salvation to Jews and Gentiles.  

Ephesians 212 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

The Old Testament Characters used their faith in God to do great works.  It was not easy, some faith was tested and tried, some had strong faith while others extremely low but over time built up a strength of courage in their faith.  What was true in the Old Testament is true today in the New Testament.  A person who follows Jesus Christ needs to have faith and through this faith do works for the glory of God.  Read James 2 which talks in depth about faith and works.  

The Holy Bible is full of truth that we can rest assure when Jesus says through the Spirit of God, the breath of God, that the Old Testament and Covenants are fulfilled, they are indeed fulfilled.