God Makes A Covenant With Israel (Part III)

by Micky Galloway

Paul appeals to an allegory to show that the covenant made at Sinai was to be done away (Galatians 4:21-31). Here Paul draws an allegory (a description of one thing under the image of another) of Sarah and Hagar and shows that just as Hagar, the bondwoman, was cast out, so also the Old Covenant was cast out (Cf. Genesis 16-21).

(CAUTION: Never carry any point of the allegory beyond the point where the inspired writer carried it.)

Old Covenant	New Covenant

Hagar, Bond woman	Mount Sinai, Old Covenant answers to worldly Jerusalem	Sarah, Free woman	New Covenant, Jerusalem above (Cf. Hebrews 12:22)
Ishmael, born after the flesh	Jews	Isaac, born through promise (verse 29)	Christians (Galatians 3:29; 4:28; Romans 9:6-9)
Bond	Bondage of the Jews under the Law	Free	Christians are free in Christ (Galatians 5:1)
Persecutes	At that time they were persecuting Christians	Persecuted	Christians were persecuted
Cast out, Mother and Son. (Child receives no inheritance with the son of the free woman)	Law and Jews cast out. Jews cannot inherit with Christians (Cf. Hebrews 13:10)	Inherits	Christians are heirs (Romans 8:17)

Let us consider two important questions regarding this allegory. (1) How are Christians “children according to the Spirit” (Galatians 4:29)? We are born of water and the Spirit (John 3:3-5; Cf. Ephesians 5:25-27); begotten by the word of God (I Corinthians 4:15); by one Spirit (the word is the sword of the Spirit Ephesians 6:17) we are baptized into the one body (I Corinthians 12:13; cf. Romans 8:16-17). To be a “child according to the Spirit” does not necessitate some mystical, better felt than told, direct operation of the Holy Spirit upon the heart of the sinner. (2) How does one obtain this “freedom” in Christ? One can be made free from the bondage of sin by a knowledge of the truth (John 8:31-36). One is made free from sin by obedience to that form or pattern of teaching done by Paul (Romans 6:16-18). The “form” of teaching that delivers from sin is set forth in Romans 6:3-11. The “form” is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Paul wrote, “We were buried therefore with him through baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with (him) in the likeness of his death, we shall be also (in the likeness) of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with (him), that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin” (Romans 6:4-6). One baptized into the death of Christ is free from the bondage of sin; he has the freedom that Galatians 4 speaks of.

To be free from sin in Christ, is to be free indeed. To be a child according to the Spirit, heir of all the rich blessings afforded in Christ.

Paul teaches of the “passing away” of the Old Covenant in II Corinthians 3:1-16.

Old Covenant	New Covenant

Written on “tables of stone” verses 3,7	Written on “tables of the heart” verse 3
“Letter” verse 6	“Spirit” verse 6 Cf. Romans 2:28ff
“Killeth” verse 6	“Giveth life” verse 6
“Ministration of death” verse 7 (Cf. Exodus 34:29-35; Exodus 32:28; Romans 8:2)	“Ministration of Spirit” verse 8
“Ministration of condemnation” verse 9	“Ministration of righteousness” verse 9
“Glorious” verse 7	“Exceeds in glory” verse 9-11
“Passeth away” verse 11,13	“Remaineth” verse 11

The Old Covenant was purposed to pass away because Israel had broken the covenant (Cf. Hebrews 8:9). The “liberty” Paul speaks of in II Corinthians 3:17 is freedom from the Law (Romans 7:17; Galatians 4:18), fear (Romans 8:13), law of sin and death (Romans 8:2), sin (Romans 6:18), and corruption (Romans 8:21). In II Corinthians 3:14-15, Paul shows that the Old Covenant is understood to be fulfilled in Christ. In Romans Paul argues that the Jews were dead to the Old Law (Cf. Romans 7:1-7) that they might be joined to Christ. Please note that the law that the Jews were freed from was the Law that included the ten commandments, the Mosaic law.

Jesus said to the Father … “Lo, I am come to do thy will.” The Hebrew writer said, “He taketh away the first (covenant) that he may establish the second” (Hebrews 10:9). From this we see that a part of the will of God for Christ was that he take away the first covenant and establish the second. Jesus came to fulfill the Law (Matthew 5:17-18). This he DID!! It is evidenced from his statement from the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:28-30).

It was prophesied by David that Christ would be both King and Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Psalms 110). The priesthood was changed from the Levitical or Aaronic order to one after the order of Melchizedek. This also necessitated a change in the law (Cf. Hebrews 7:11-12). Melchizedek was both King and Priest before the Law was given to specify the Levitical priesthood. As it was necessary for Christ to take away the Old Covenant in order to change the law and the priesthood, when did he do it? Paul shows that Christ blotted out the “handwriting of ordinances that was against us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 1:14-17). Christ abolished in his flesh the Law that caused enmity between the Jew and the Gentile (Ephesians 2:14-17; cf. Hebrews 10:9-10).

Since the Old Covenant (Law) has been abolished, no one can appeal to it for support of any religious teaching to bind on man today! It was given only to the Jews (cf. Exodus 20:1-2; Deuteronomy 5:1-21) and now even they are free from it. The Jewish law came to an end with the death of Christ on the cross. What then is the value of the Old Covenant (Law) for us now? May we use it or reference it to establish how God has dealt with man in the past? Is it inconsistent to say that we are no longer bound by the Law of Moses and then appeal to passages contained in the Law to teach about God or to establish principles of authority? Paul says it is given for “our learning” (Romans 15:4), it is for “our example” (I Corinthians 10:1-13). The Lord dealt with the nation of Israel in the development of the scheme of redemption. The Old Covenant was a part of that relationship. When the Old Covenant had served its purpose to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:24-25), then it was replaced with a new and better covenant which we now enjoy in Christ.