God has always shown love for mankind. From the very beginning, He desired to give only good things, but man chose to go his own way. People who see 'Old Covenant vs New Covenant' as a dramatic shift usually don't give enough emphasis to God's unconditional love. At first, God provided animal sacrifice as atonement for sin. Later, He provided His own son as the way to salvation.
The 'old' agreement was initiated by God. He called Abram to leave Haran and go to an unknown land. The Lord promised to make Abram into 'a great nation' and to make him a 'blessing' to all people. Abram took his wife and all he owned and headed out on the basis of these promises.
The actual agreement is made by the Lord in answer to Abram's request for assurance that he would really get what God promised. Genesis, chapter 15, contains the details. Abram is asleep when a blazing torch, representing the Lord, passes through a sacrifice laid out by Abram. God once again promises to give him the land 'from Egypt to the Euphrates'. Abram apparently sees and hears in a dream state, because he is reassured.
The Lord renewed His covenant with Isaac, Abraham's son by his wife Sarah, and later with Jacob. Many people consider the law of Moses part of this agreement. However, others consider the law as simply a set of rules, much like the regulations that govern our lives today. We can't drive a car in any way we choose, for example, but must follow the rules of the road.
God did not give the law to make things harder for His chosen people. He gave them good rules; however, He knew that they would not be either able or willing to keep them perfectly. He therefore made a way for atonement through a sacrifice of animal blood. God has always wanted to give man all the good things He has for him, to show His unconditional love. However, the problem of sin must be dealt with in order to maintain justice.
The first agreement was eternally binding. However, the scriptures of the Old Testament are full of prophecies about the messiah which foreshadow the new agreement. This covenant is in the blood of Jesus, which was shed for all men and is sufficient sacrifice for sin. The new rules state that, to gain forgiveness of sin and eternal life in God's kingdom, people need to believe that Jesus died for their sins, to ask for forgiveness, and to surrender dominion over their life to God.
The old and new covenants are different, but the intent of God does not change. He wants relationship with man, but He cannot exist with sin. God's love is unconditional and everlasting, but He retains the right of judgement and the right to define the way to salvation. He requires men and women to accept responsibility for personal sin and accept the sacrifice that atones for it. This preserves justice, another attribute of God.
The heart of a man or a woman has always been key to having a father-child relationship with the Lord. No sacrifice, whether of an animal or the willing one made by Jesus Christ, is acceptable unless true repentance and surrender exists on the side of man.
The 'old' agreement was initiated by God. He called Abram to leave Haran and go to an unknown land. The Lord promised to make Abram into 'a great nation' and to make him a 'blessing' to all people. Abram took his wife and all he owned and headed out on the basis of these promises.
The actual agreement is made by the Lord in answer to Abram's request for assurance that he would really get what God promised. Genesis, chapter 15, contains the details. Abram is asleep when a blazing torch, representing the Lord, passes through a sacrifice laid out by Abram. God once again promises to give him the land 'from Egypt to the Euphrates'. Abram apparently sees and hears in a dream state, because he is reassured.
The Lord renewed His covenant with Isaac, Abraham's son by his wife Sarah, and later with Jacob. Many people consider the law of Moses part of this agreement. However, others consider the law as simply a set of rules, much like the regulations that govern our lives today. We can't drive a car in any way we choose, for example, but must follow the rules of the road.
God did not give the law to make things harder for His chosen people. He gave them good rules; however, He knew that they would not be either able or willing to keep them perfectly. He therefore made a way for atonement through a sacrifice of animal blood. God has always wanted to give man all the good things He has for him, to show His unconditional love. However, the problem of sin must be dealt with in order to maintain justice.
The first agreement was eternally binding. However, the scriptures of the Old Testament are full of prophecies about the messiah which foreshadow the new agreement. This covenant is in the blood of Jesus, which was shed for all men and is sufficient sacrifice for sin. The new rules state that, to gain forgiveness of sin and eternal life in God's kingdom, people need to believe that Jesus died for their sins, to ask for forgiveness, and to surrender dominion over their life to God.
The old and new covenants are different, but the intent of God does not change. He wants relationship with man, but He cannot exist with sin. God's love is unconditional and everlasting, but He retains the right of judgement and the right to define the way to salvation. He requires men and women to accept responsibility for personal sin and accept the sacrifice that atones for it. This preserves justice, another attribute of God.
The heart of a man or a woman has always been key to having a father-child relationship with the Lord. No sacrifice, whether of an animal or the willing one made by Jesus Christ, is acceptable unless true repentance and surrender exists on the side of man.
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