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| Old Testament and New Testament - Code vs. Output |
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I've been thinking about this for a while and thought that I would put these thoughts down to hopefully make them a little clearer for myself and ask for your thoughts on this.
The Old Testament was the Law and all of the things that God asked Man to do to get closer to Him. There were first the Ten Commandments brought down from Mt Sinai. The Levitical Laws and all of the rest of the Mosaic code of laws that were a huge part of Judaic culture for many generations - those are all recorded in the Book of Numbers. (which was never really clear to me as to why this book was considered a part of the Holy Writ but it's importance will be covered a little later on).
We have many examples of how man could not come close to staying 'on the right side" with God from all of the stories that are presented in the books of Kings and the books of Samuel. Many prophets came from God to let the people know that He was not happy with all that was being done - some even using His name to make it seem 'legit' for the masses of the day.
Fast Forward...>> Now we have the New Testament and in it is the story of a Man... the Messiah... the Christ! He told many that He did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." (Matt 5:17 NIV)
What was He talking about? He knew that there were many who listened to His words and reported back to the Leaders of the day. He also knew that Isaiah said many things about this perfect lamb who would bear the wounds for many.
The laws of God are perfect and are all that we need to be right before God. Nothing more is needed.
"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. (Psalm 19: 7- 8 NIV)
That is where the cry to return to the Old Covenant comes from... "We can get there by following the laws set forth in the Old Testament and secure our place in Heaven. We don't need the Messiah!!!" In reality, nothing could be further from the truth!
God set forth His laws to show us what was necessary - a road map so to speak. He sent the "Top Ten" list down the hill with Moses. I ask you - answer truthfully now - how many reading this can say that since they knew that God existed, they have been faithful to all ten? Don't see any hands raised our there do I? Didn't think so...
God sent many prophets to say that folks had gotten on the wrong path so intense was His desire to have His children get home safely. But none could! We are all under the curse! We cannot because we inhabit flesh and that very flesh makes it impossible to follow the Ten Commandments much less all of the 600 + laws in the Mosaic codes. The Book of Numbers shows us that there were many, many, many before us who could not live up to it either.
The Old Testament and the New... one is not a road map... it is a picture and description of what a man would have looked like to make it to Heaven! It's a picture that was interpreted in many ways and caused many problems among His children.
In simple words, the Old Testament is the code for what a perfect man would be like...
The New Testament is the output when that code is run without errors.
"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Peter answered, "You are the Christ." (Mark 8:29 NIV)
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| To add a comment to "Old Testament and New Testament - Code vs. Output" |
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| July 07, 2008 |
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God is the same yesterday....today....and forevermore...He changes not!
5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
What God meant for the Children of Israel then...He means for the Children of Israel right now in this generation. We are to follow the example of JESUS, Who was GOD in the flesh.....He observed the law...He observed the feast days....He observed the Sabbath days...He observed the dietary laws.....He left the *perfect* example, and then He left the *perfect* sacrifice..... *Himself* to help us along the way.....Will we dot every *I* and cross every *T*....NOOO...not as long as we are in these flesh bodies...but we do have a responsibility to accept Jesus as Lord, and walk as He and all of His apostles and early disciples walked.......
*Man* may have changed some things...but GOD has not changed and *His Word* is forever settled in Heaven!
P.S. The New Testament is full of quotations from the Old Testament...you can't understand the *new* without the *old*...they both go hand in hand ;o) |
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| July 07, 2008 |
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The Old is the New concealed...the New is the Old revealed...
We are on the same page lately...this is what I have been digging into...Bless you LV!! |
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| July 07, 2008 |
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MarJay,That is a wonderful way to express this thought. His example - shown through the Old - was not taken as a blueprint but as an outline of righteous living. You are right that we have that responsibility to accept Him and walk the walk! Bless you!
LaTonya, Great choice of words to illustrate. I have to admit that I read your blog on "The Old Covenant" and felt that I needed to put these ideas into a fixed form for others to expand upon. Thanks for the "kick in the pants" to get me to put it into words. LOL
When talking to people that I come into contact with each day I find it extremely valuable to have already thought through illustrations like this. The "Old vs. New" question seems to get me tongue tied so I really do appreciate the feedback. |
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| July 07, 2008 |
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*gasp* LV, Brother...did you call me LaTonya...hehehe...that's a first...
There is so much to the Old vs. the New...The deeper I dive, the more I seem to want to know...or the hungrier I get...okay...the more I know, the more I know I don't know...did I lose you? Ah...LOL!! I think you get...Bless you and thanks for the post... |
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| July 19, 2008 |
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Oh Suga!!! I am SOOO happy that hunger is hitting you full force!
WOOHOO |
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| July 19, 2008 |
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Thanks, Juan! The point I was trying to establish here by writing it down was just what you've questioned - why did Jesus say "fulfill the law"? He knew that Law as it had been handed down a recorded in the OT. Some translations use "complete the law" or "give them (the law) their full meaning"
He also knew that His own crucifixion would be the beginning of the New Covenant with mankind.
Did he say "fulfill" to get a simplistic idea across to his disciples and those listening to the Sermon at Mount Olive or was He implying more?
Knowing that He would take our sins upon Himself and lay down His very life that we would be able to stand before the throne, was He making a reference to that act of love by saying "fulfilled"?
Similarly, when He stated "It is finished" on Golgotha, was this to state that the references to how man should act but are able to (OT law) - and how He showed what one would have to do to live those laws in the flesh - to be perfect and without sin (NT law)?
These are quite possibly questions that we will not have answered until we cross into glory, but as mentioned above, when people ask me questions, I try to help them understand the meaning found in scripture. When asked why the OT wasn't enough... well, that's when I started studying and praying about this, to better understand it myself. |
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| July 19, 2008 |
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Juan,
I left out a word in the above comment (and we know that words do matter...) the line in the next to last paragraph should have read " how man should act but are not able to..." which of course changes the whole meaning....I'm too wiped after a full week of VBS to have any business trying to type anything logical... LOL
As far as the God of the OT (fear, wrath etc) and God of NT (one of Love), I cannot disagree with your contention. How man has seen God has changed - our perception of His person.
"He changes not!" as Sister Mar Jay wrote above! |
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| July 19, 2008 |
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| Interesting blog LV!! Seems very original to me! |
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| July 22, 2008 |
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Juan, sorry for not answering your question sooner... I wanted to give it some thought before responding. There were many false doctrines in the early days of the church . That would seem to be the reason for the various ecumenical gatherings to sort out what was true and good and what was not (the Council of Nicea in 325 for one example).
We have to look at the time and place. There was no 24 hour a day news cycle then. Much of what was being taught was passed down in a form of oral tradition or as letters from a church leader to one of the churches. Paul saw this cheapening of the Gospel happening in his time and tried to address some of the heresies that had started to creep into the church in several of his letters.
Today, we have more resources than ever before but the fact that we are still inhabiting a fallen world makes the same sort of constant discernment necessary. Some of the same errors that befell the early church are still present in the present. : ( |
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| July 22, 2008 |
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| Thanks, Mike! Just thinking out loud, so to speak. |
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