Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 3 & 4; Hebrews 9; Amos 3; Psalms 146 & 147
Hebrews 9:18-20 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
God made a covenant or a testament with his people, Israel. This testament was dedicated with blood. Moses gave the people the law and then he took the blood of animal sacrifices and sprinkled the book and the people (Exodus 24:5-11). Moses then told the people, “This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.” Those words from Moses are important. They signified to the people of Israel that God had made this testament with them.
That testament is one of several testaments that God made with his people Israel. The testament was binding upon the people in that they were to obey all the words that Moses had given to them. This included the Ten Commandments. It did not take long for the people to realize that they could not keep their part of the covenant because of their sinfulness. The New Testament explains this to us:
Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.
God never intended for people to save themselves by keeping the law. God always intended to send his Son, but he wanted the people to know their need of a Savior. The prophets foretold a day when God would make a new testament with his people.
Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah.
This new covenant also had to be dedicated with blood. But the blood of an animal can never take away sin. So Jesus became the sacrifice to shed his blood to dedicate the covenant that God would make. God told the Israelites their part of the covenant was to keep the law. The New Testament is in the blood of Jesus and our part is to trust in Christ alone for salvation. Jesus gave us a way to constantly remember his death and the New Testament in the Lord’s Supper. He said:
Matthew 26:26-28 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Do those words of Jesus sound familiar? He said, “This is my blood of the new testament.” Thank God for the New Testament in the blood of Jesus!
In Christ,
Rody
