Christian Foundations I Deuteronomy: Covenant Restatement

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Christian Foundations IDeuteronomy Covenant
Restatement

• Cornerstone University

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Introduction

• How does a Christian today understand the words
  of Jesus in Matthew 518?
• I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth
  disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least
  stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from
  the Law until everything is accomplished
• Are we still under the OT Law?

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Introduction

• Fee Stuart recommend some guidelines which may
  help the Christian better understand their
  relationship to Old Testament Law
• Deuteronomy is a new and fresh statement of
  Yahwehs covenant purposes to a new generation
• Deut 12 is a powerful reminder

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OT Law Guidelines

• First, OT Law is a Covenant
• The book of Deuteronomy is made up of form and
  function
• The form follows the standard treaty documents
  (suzerainty treaties)
• The function is to show us the relationship
  between Yahweh (221X) and Israel
• Consider the following outline of that covenant

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OT Law Guidelines

• The Preamble (11-5)
• The Great King presents the covenant text to the
  vassal
• The Historical Prologue (16-449)
• The Great King recounts the past relations
  between the two contracting parties
• The General Stipulations (51-1132)
• The basic principles of expectation of behavior

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OT Law Guidelines

• The Specific Stipulations (121-2615)
• The interpretation or amplification of the
  general stipulations, usually in terms of actual
  cases or precise requirements
• The Blessings Curses (271-2868)
• The results of faithful adherence to or
  disobedience of the terms of the covenant
• The Witnesses (3019, 3119, 321-43)
• List of witnesses to the covenant

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OT Law Guidelines

• Second, the OT is not our Testament
• The OT covenant is not the Churchs covenant with
  God
• We are under a new covenant
• Jeremiah 31 I will make a new c
• Luke 2220 This cup is the new c
• Hebrews 813 He says, A new c
• Hebrews 1224 Mediator of the new c
• Hebrews 1320 of the everlasting c

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OT Law Guidelines

• Third, some stipulations of the Old Covenant have
  clearly not been renewed in the New Covenant
• Try to refrain from using terms like civil and
  ceremonial to explain the distinction
• Jewish thought is more holistic than we are as
  Western thinkers
• Examples food laws, clothing laws, etc.

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OT Law Guidelines

• Fourth, part of the OT covenant is renewed in the
  NT covenant
• Some would call these renewed laws the ethical
  laws which have always been and will always
  continue (absolute truth or truth with a capital
  T)
• Examples love the Lord your Godand neighbor
  Ten Words - Matthew 521-48

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OT Law Guidelines

• Fifth, all of the OT law is still the Word of God
  for us even though it is not still the command of
  God to us
• The NT even has such commands
• Matthew 114 Go back and report to John
• The original audience was the Nation of Israel
• The NT Church does not equal Israel

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Reminders about OT Laws

• The OT laws served as a paradigm (model) for the
  Nation of Israel to follow
• Obedience was tied to the covenant
• Recipients received blessing and the King
  received glory, honor, and praise
• Focus was still on internal obedience rather than
  empty external offerings

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Reminders about OT Laws

• The purity laws are good examples of laws that
  are difficult to understand unless we know the
  culture
• Dont boil a kid goat in its mothers milk (1421)
• Dont mix seed in a field (Lev. 1919)
• The idea was to be separate (holy) from the
  surrounding nations

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Reminders about OT Laws

• The idea of holiness is seen over and over again
• Some activities were instructed simply for the
  purpose of setting the Nation of Israel apart
  from other nations
• Some activities were simply reminders
• Spiritual disciplines today could be seen as a
  paradigm for such separation

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Pentateuch Overview