Moses gave the Israelites a COVENANT of law

Key Bible Reference: Exodus 19-Deuteronomy 34

The Old Covenant refers to the covenant between God and the Israelites after they left Egypt.  The Ten Commandments are central to the Old Covenant, but the covenant encompassed many other laws as well.  The Ten Commandments were recorded on stone tablets, preserved in the Ark of the Covenant (a gold box) and affirmed by the blood of animals.  The focus of the laws was “thou shall not” and they were intended to reveal man’s sin and need for a Savior.   Those who obeyed were blessed and those who disobeyed were cursed.  However, God knew the people could not obey the laws, so He instituted animal sacrifices to provide temporary forgiveness and blessings even though they sinned.

Jesus gave us a COVENANT of love

Key Bible Reference: Acts 1-2; Hebrews 8-10

The New Covenant is available to everyone by faith in Jesus.  It is written on our hearts, stored in our minds and made effective by the precious blood of Jesus.  God loves us so much that Jesus left His Heavenly throne to die as our perfect and permanent sacrifice to redeem us from the curse of the law. When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain of the physical temple that protected the Ark of the Old Covenant was torn.  The torn curtain symbolizes our immediate and direct access to God for those who choose to be purified by the blood of Jesus. Through Jesus, our sins are permanently forgiven, we have eternal life, the curse is reversed, and we have the blessings of God!

Connecting the Old & New Testament

Hebrews 8 (NKJV)
⁷ For if that first covenant had been
faultless, then no place would have
been sought for a second.
 ¹⁰ …I will put My laws in their mind
and write them on their hearts; and I will
be their God & they shall be My people
¹¹ all shall know me… ¹²For I will be
merciful to their unrighteousness
merciful to their unrighteousness
I will remember no more.”

Reject the Old COVENANT of the Israelites that said “thou shalt not” and accept the New COVENANT of Christians where Jesus says “I will” (do it for you because I love you).