Wkly Bible Study for Dial-Up/Broadband, June 24, 2013

The New Covenant with Israel.

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1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to have faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life:

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: "¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

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Robert R. McLaughlin Bible Ministries

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STUDY TITLE:

The New Covenant with Israel.



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Terms & Abbreviations used:

PPOG = Predesigned Plan of God
Human Good = Evil + Good Deeds while not in fellowship with God
OSN = Old Sin Nature
TLJC = The Lord Jesus Christ
SSE = Spiritual Self Esteem
PVTD = Positive Volition Towards Doctrine
+H - The Happiness of God
NVTD = Negative Volition Towards Doctrine
Doctrine = Bible Truth

To look up other “terms”, go to:

Alphabetical Listing

BEGIN BIBLE STUDY
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotes and references
are from the NASB – New American Standard Bible

We have noted the first three Covenants to Israel:

1. The Abrahamic covenant which emphases the Jewish race.

2. The Palestinian covenant emphasizes the land for Israel.

3. The Davidic covenant emphasizes the promise seed.

The fourth unconditional Covenant which God entered into with Israel (not the Church), is called The New Covenant. It guarantees Israel a converted heart as the foundation of all her blessings. The New Covenant promised to Israel is stated in JER 31:31-32, “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” [the two kingdoms of Israel]. “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 [Mosaic Law], “My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. It won't be a repeat of the Covenant they broke, even though God did His part as their Master. JER 31:33 ““But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” This is the New Covenant that God makes with Israel when the time comes. He will put His doctrine within them, write it on their hearts, and be their God, and they will be His people. JER 31:34 ““And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” They will know God first-hand; He will wipe the slate clean for each one of them. Notice that He'll forget that they ever sinned.

These are provisions for Israel; they are the people of the New Covenant who have believed in Christ alone, by faith alone. The provisions of this covenant are as follows: a) It is an unconditional-grace covenant resting on the five “I will's of God. The five “I will's of Satan, in Isa 14, all had to do with self-exaltation. These are the five “I will's of God, all having to do with the grace of God. Five times (the number for grace), the Phrase “I will is used in JER 31:31-34.

EZE 16:60-62 teaches the same, ““Nevertheless, I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, {both} your older and your younger; and I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant. Thus I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord,”

Who was this said to? Look at EZE 16:1-7, where God affirms His love for Israel in her infant stage. EZE 16:1-4, “Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem, Your origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite, your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing; you were not rubbed with salt or even wrapped in cloths.” In other words, there was nothing good and clean about you.

EZE 16:5-7, ““No eye looked with pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you. Rather you were thrown out into the open field, for you were abhorred on the day you were born. When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you {while you were} in your blood, ‘Live!’ I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ “I made you numerous like plants of the field. Then you grew up, became tall, and reached the age for fine ornaments; {your} breasts were formed and your hair had grown. Yet you were naked and bare.”

In EZE 16:8-14, God reminds Israel that she was chosen and related to Jehovah by marriage, ““Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the time for love [you needed to be loved and wanted]; “so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine,” declares the Lord God. “Then I bathed you with water, washed off your blood from you, and anointed you with oil. [He cleansed them (salvation) “and anointed them with oil referring to the ministry of God the Holy Spirit]. “I also clothed you with embroidered cloth, and put sandals of porpoise skin [leather sandals] “on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk, And I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your hands, and a necklace around your neck. I also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your dress was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil; so you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. Then your fame went forth among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My splendor which I bestowed on you,” declares the Lord God.

But in EZE 16:15, she (Israel) played the harlot. EZE 16:9-15, “But you trusted in your beauty [became arrogant] “and played the harlot because of your fame, and you poured out your harlotries on every passer-by who might be {willing.}”

Their beauty went to their head and they became a common whore, grabbing anyone or anything coming down the street and taking them into their bed or their place of intimacy.

EZE 16:20-34, ““Moreover, you took your sons and daughters whom you had borne to Me, and you sacrificed them to idols to be devoured. Were your harlotries so small a matter? You slaughtered My children, and offered them up to idols by causing them to pass through {the fire.} And besides all your abominations and harlotries you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare and squirming in your blood. Then it came about after all your wickedness ('Woe, woe to you!' declares the Lord God), that you built yourself a shrine and made yourself a high place in every square. You built yourself a high place at the top of every street, and made your beauty abominable; and you spread your legs to every passer-by to multiply your harlotry. You also played the harlot with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, and multiplied your harlotry to make Me angry. Behold now, I have stretched out My hand against you and diminished your rations. And I delivered you up to the desire of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your lewd conduct. Moreover, you played the harlot with the Assyrians because you were not satisfied; you even played the harlot with them and still were not satisfied. You also multiplied your harlotry with the land of merchants, Chaldea, yet even with this you were not satisfied. How languishing is your heart,” declares the Lord God, “while you do all these things, the actions of a bold-faced harlot. When you built your shrine at the beginning of every street and made your high place in every square, in disdaining money, you were not like a harlot. You adulteress wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband! Men give gifts to all harlots, but you give your gifts to all your lovers to bribe them to come to you from every direction for your harlotries. Thus you are different from those women in your harlotries, in that no one plays the harlot as you do, because you give money and no money is given you; thus you are different.”

Therefore, the punishment of dispersion was dealt to Israel in EZE 16:35-52
.

However, this is not the final setting of Israel since there will be restoration (EZE 16:53-63). EZE 16:53 ““Nevertheless, I will restore their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, and along with them your own captivity,” God is going to reverse their fortunes, the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters. After all of their sin, shame, and guilt God says this in EZE 16:60-63, ““Nevertheless, I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, {both} your older and your younger; and I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant. Thus I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord, in order that you may remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth anymore because of your humiliation, when I have forgiven you for all that you have done,” the Lord God declares.

It is any wonder that Paul wrote in ROM 2:4 ““Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” We have learned about this many times. We have learned how important it is to keep persevering until the end, and how the Lord gives positive believers incredible gifts along the way to keep us properly motivated. One of those incredible gifts is the insight into our sorrows and difficulties and trials and how all divine discipline is administered in grace.

So the New Covenant is an unconditional-grace Covenant resting on the five I will's of God.

The New Covenant is also an everlasting covenant meaning that it is eternal.

The New Covenant also promises the impartation of a renewed mind and heart which may be called regeneration (JER 31:33; ISA 59:21).

The New Covenant provides for restoration to the favor and blessing of God (HOS 2:19-20; ISA 61:9). Forgiveness of sin is also included in the covenant (JER 31:32).

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is also included in the New Covenant. Not permanent indwelling, like the Church-age believer, who has God the Father, Son, and H.S. within, but the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to teach the believer (JER 31:33-34; EZE 36:27). There will be materialistic blessings for Israel in the land according to the provisions of the New Covenant (JER 32:41; ISA 61:8; EZE 34:25-27). The sanctuary will be rebuilt in Jerusalem (EZE 37:26-27). War shall cease and peace shall reign according to (ISA 2:4). The fact that this is also a definite characteristic of the Millennium (ISA 2:4). The blood of The Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of all the blessings of the New Covenant (ZEC 9:11). The New Covenant then was made with the Jewish people. Confirmation of this Covenant is given in the statement in ISA 61:8-9, where it is called everlasting, and again in EZE 37:21-28
. The following points are to be observed: a) Israel is to be re-gathered. b) Israel is to be one nation ruled by one king. c) Israel is no longer to be idolatrous but to be cleansed and forgiven. d) Israel is to dwell forever in the land after the re-gathering. e) The covenant of peace is to be everlasting. f) God's tabernacle is to be with them; He will be present with them in a visible way. g) Israel is to be known among the Gentiles as a nation blessed of God.

This covenant then has to do with the regeneration, forgiveness, and justification of Israel. Also there will be the outpouring of the Holy Spirit with His subsequent ministries, and Israel's re-gathering and restoration to the place of blessing.

This covenant is a gracious Covenant that depends entirely upon the five “I wills of God for its fulfillment (JER 31:31-34). This Covenant does not depend upon man. This covenant amplifies the third great area of the original Abrahamic covenant, the area of blessing.

You see, first we have the Abrahamic covenant with its main three promises: land, seed, and blessing. The land is then emphasized in the Palestinian covenant, the seed is emphasized in the Davidic covenant, and the blessing is emphasized in the New Covenant.

This covenant is largely occupied with the question of salvation and the impartation of the new heart. Covenant theologians and the Amillenial view teaches that the reference to the New covenant in the New Testament is proof that the Church is the New Israel. Therefore they teach that there is no need for a future earthly Millennium since the Church is the kingdom now.

They use HEB 8:8-12 to justify their erroneous position. HEB 8:8-13, “For finding fault with them, He says, “Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, When I will effect a new covenant With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers On the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; For they did not continue in My covenant, And I did not care for them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, And I will write them upon their hearts. And I will be their God, And they shall be My people. And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, And everyone his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ For all shall know Me, From the least to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more. When He said, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.”

In reply to this position, it is necessary to observe certain important facts about the New covenant. First of all it should be clear that this Covenant was made with Israel, the physical seed of Abraham according to the flesh, and with them alone (JER 31:31; ISA 59:20-21; JER 32:37-40; JER 50:4-5; EZE 16:60-63; EZE 34:25-26; EZE 37:21-28). It is called the New Covenant because it replaces the old covenant. As we have seen the scripture clearly teaches that the Mosaic Covenant or the Law was made with the nation Israel only (ROM 2:14, GAL 24-25, LEV 26:46, DEU 4:8). There can be no question that the Law pertains to Israel only, and since this old Covenant was made with Israel, the new Covenant is made with the same people (JER 31:25-37).

The sequence of events set up by the prophet Jeremiah in JER 32:37-41 is that Israel will first be re-gathered and restored to the land, and then will experience the blessings of the New Covenant in the land. God cannot fulfill the Covenant until Israel is re-gathered as a nation. Her complete restoration is demanded by the New Covenant and this has not taken place yet.

Principle, fulfillment of the prophecies requires:

1) The regathering of Israel.

2) Their spiritual rebirth.

3) The return of Christ, ROM 11:26-27.

This New covenant then will be realized in the Millennial age, JER 31:34; EZE 32:35; ISA 11:6-9. The covenant can only be fulfilled literally by those with whom it was made and since the Church is not Israel, the Church can not fulfill that covenant.

These four covenants with the nation Israel have been surveyed to show that they are unconditional and eternal Covenants. They are to be fulfilled because of the faithfulness of the One making the Covenants, not the ones to whom the covenant is made!

When the Covenants are studied we find seven great features which need to be understood: 1) A nation forever. 2) A land forever. 3) A king forever. 4) A throne forever. 5) A kingdom forever. 6) A new covenant. 7) Abiding blessings.

Back to our main passage in our corrected translation of Rom 9. So far, ROM 9:1-4, “I am communicating doctrine, I am not lying, my conscience bearing joint testimony with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have a great sorrow and constant pain in my right lobe, for I could wish, that I, myself would be accursed, consequently separated from the Christ, but it cannot be, for the sake of my brethren [the racial Jews], “my fellow countrymen [the national Jews], “according to earthly descent [descent from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,], “who are Israelites, to whom is the adoption, and the Shekinah glory, and the covenants [we have just completed studying those covenants in detail], “and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises,”

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life:
Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.