HF133 - God's Last Will and Testament
To: Hebraic-Foundations@yahoogroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date: Mon, November 1, 2004
Subject: Bible Study HF133 - God's Last Will and Testament
Hebraics,
There are distinctions in the new covenant that are important for God's people to understand. The primary distinction is that the new covenant is much more than a covenant in the same sense that we understand former covenants. The new covenant is actually the final will and testament of God Himself. It has to do with the disposition of all that God has. Let's look at it.
This is Bible Study HF133 - God's Last Will and Testament.
A number of times in the Mosaic writings you come across the term 'everlasting covenant.' Certainly the context has to decide what the term means. However, the basic meaning of the Hebrew word 'olam', translated as 'everlasting', does not in itself speak of time without end. It is a masculine noun that speaks of a very long time. It is sometimes used simply to express a person's lifetime.
Here are examples of how 'olam' is used:
"... then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently (olam)." (Exo21:6)
"But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, 'I will not go up until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord and stay there forever (olam)." (1Sam1:22)
"Joshua said to the people, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, "From ancient time (olam) your fathers lived beyond the River..." (Joshua 24:2)
So when you see the term 'everlasting' applied to the word 'covenant' in the writings of the former testament, the term is not to be equated with what is ascribed to the new covenant being God's eternal covenant.
In many cases the term 'everlasting covenant' speaks of a covenant that will have its ultimate fulfillment in the covenant of Christ. An example is where the Lord says to Abraham, "I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants [seed] after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants [seed] after you." (Gen17:7)
Here we have play on words. The Abraham covenant would carry itself through the Hebrew peoples until it came to the One of whom it belongs. Paul carefully explains this; "Now the promises spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as referring to many, but rather to one, 'And to your seed,' that is, Christ." (Gal3:16)
Jacob also speaks to this in his prophecy over Judah; "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples." (Gen49:10)
Where it says 'Until Shiloh comes' can also be translated as 'Until he comes to whom it belongs.' The ancient targums understood this to refer to the Messiah. The Talmud also uses Shiloh when referencing the Messiah.
But there is another word of great interest here. Where it says, "To him shall be the obedience of the peoples," the term for obedience is yaqqahah (pronounced hik-kaw-haw') speaks of an inner submission of the heart, a willing obedience, which further speaks of a tranquility of heart. What we are seeing here is the 'Abba! Father!' experience that becomes the heart cry of every person born of Jesus Christ.
I've spent a measure of time talking about former covenants not being eternal covenants in the same sense as the covenant of the cross. Now let's see why this distinction must be made. First of all, consider the aspect of 'blood' as applied to the covenants. In every Old Testament covenant we had animal sacrifices playing a part. These were substitute blood sacrifices. But the blood of animals could only serve as a symbol.
The animal was not an eternal sacrifice. The life of the animal was not eternal life. The blood of the animal could not deal with the spiritual side of man's need. Contrast this with the new covenant being called an eternal covenant because the blood of the covenant was and is God's blood.
Paul reminded the Ephesian elders of this when he said, "Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God WHICH HE PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD." (Acts 20:26-28. Caps for emphasis only.)
Now in contrast to the covenant of Moses where the blood of the sacrifice was to be sprinkled on the people. The Bible says this sprinkling only pertained to the flesh. In the new covenant we have the very eternal life-blood of Jesus sprinkled on the hearts of the believing ones, those who truly confess Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior.
The blood of the animal had no effect on the spiritual nature of a person under the Law of Moses. Quite the contrary in the new covenant. The sprinkled blood of Jesus changes the very inward nature of the person upon whose heart it has been sprinkled. It is the life of Jesus that enters into and fills the heart of the person sprinkled.
Thus we hear the apostolic writer say, "Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen." (Heb13:20,21)
Now we need to come to what I said was the primary distinction of the new covenant. The new covenant includes all the ideas that are bound up in former covenant language, but takes on an added dimension. The new covenant is actually the last will and testament of God Himself.
This is where the term 'testament' has to be understood in the light of the cross. A last will and testament is only in force when there is the death of the testator, that is, the one who makes the will. Only through death does the will carry any legal force. Once the death has happened the testament becomes fixed. It cannot be changed. It is then probated. All dispositions have to be in accord with the one who made the will.
How hear what the Word of God says:
"For where a covenant [will or testament here] is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. For a covenant [will or testament here] is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives." (Heb9:16-17)
When Christ died on the cross His final words were, "It is finished." These words mean that the last will and testament of God are to be put into effect. Out of the cross came the disposition of God's will. Our inheritance reaches from this life into eternity future. Listen to these Scriptures:
"This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. This is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:39,40)
"So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God." (1Co3:21-23)
"The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ..." (Rom8:16,17)
"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" (Rom8:31,32)
"For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us." (2Co1:20)
As we continue with the issue of last will and testament, let me add one more dimension that belongs to the new covenant - the term 'adoption as sons.' You find this expression used in more than one place in the apostolic writings. Once again the context has to determine how the term is being applied.
Paul uses the term in one place to allow us to understand that we were adopted in eternity to be God's children. That is, God actually knew us intimately even before the foundation of the world. And so we are born again because of our adoption in eternity. This is a difficult area to grasp because we are limited in our thinking to space and time. Not so with God.
Some wish to understand this in the since of foreknowledge, in that God already knows everyone who will receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and based on that knowledge, they are spoke of in the sense of adoption. Whatever the case, God already knows perfectly every person who will ever be born again.
The adoption as sons speaks of the Father's love from eternity. Paul says, "Just as He chose us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will." (Eph1:4,5)
And so we see how the expression the 'adoption as sons' carries over into the deep of God's love. He fixed His love on us from the beginning. Did not John say that we are not saved because we loved God? We are saved because God loved us. This statement reaches back into eternity past.
How strong is God's love for us? Paul said that there is nothing that can separate us from His love. His last will and testament firmly states this fact.
How about it folk? Have you been reading God's will lately? Did you know that a primary work for the Holy Spirit in a believers life is to open our understanding to hear the words of the will. Jesus said, "But when He, the Spirit of truth [God's realities], comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come."
Now follow more closely; "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you." (John 16:13-15)
The idea behind the Holy Spirit's disclosure has to do with explaining God's will for us.
Well -- There is much more to be said concerning God's last will and testament, but for the purpose of this study I'll leave off my part for now.
The study is open. Feel free to contribute or ask questions.
Blessings,
Buddy
Lawrence E. (Buddy) Martin, HF Host
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web: http://www.christianchallenge.org/
"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)