Traditional 'Proofs'
How we don't
read carefully
Old
Covenant, Moses, Old Covenant confirmation, Hebrews 9
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Most
Bible students are aware that a covenant was made at Mt. Sinai, also known as
Horeb (Deu 4:15). They are typically not aware that other covenants
were made as well. The connection between the Sinai covenant and the
Old covenant is actually very flimsy.
Mt. Sinai is of course, where
God spoke directly to the Children of Israel. Indeed this must have
been an awesome event. The crux of this covenant is the Ten Commandments.
This is why Exodus 34:28 and Deuteronomy 4:13 identify the Ten
Commandments as the "words of the covenant" and "His
covenant". It is the crux and foundation of God's instruction
to Israel.
However, the Ten Commandments
were not the only terms of this covenant that God made with Israel at
Sinai. To quiet their fears, the people of Israel requested that God
break off speaking to them directly. They requested that He speak
through Moses. (Ex. 20:19) Exodus 20:22 then continues the terms of
this covenant. The terms and additional judgments (Ex.21:1) continue
through chapter 23:19. The rest of chapter 23 is mostly promises that
would come as a result of obedience. Obedience was assumed. This
is apparently the entire covenant God and Israel made at Sinai. Moses
then wrote down all that God had said. (Ex 24:4,7).
A covenant in ancient times
was a very serious matter. The covenant we often think of is the
marriage covenant. Nowadays, those are ratified and discarded so fast
we have little respect for a covenant. This was not so in ancient
times.
So the day after writing the
terms, Moses built an altar and evidently gathered all the people
together. He took blood from some oxen that had been offered and
sprinkled it on the altar. He read all the terms again, this time
directly from what he had written, which is recorded for us in
Exodus 20-23:19. (see Ex. 24:4-7) The people again agreed and were
sprinkled with the blood of the young bull confirming the covenant. (vs. 7-8)
The traditional Christian will
connect this account with the confirming of the Old Covenant described in
Hebrews 9:18-21.
"Therefore not even
the first covenant was dedicated without blood. 19For when Moses
had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law,
he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and
hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20saying,
"This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you." 21Then
likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the
vessels of the ministry."
Do you notice anything
different and/or odd about this description of the confirming of the Old
Covenant? Most people do not, so the traditional belief is
perpetuated.
However, according to
Hebrews, Moses didn't sprinkle ox or young bull blood on the people, he sprinkled calf and
goat blood on both the people and the scroll. Then he turned and
sprinkled the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. Where is
the Tabernacle in the Exodus 24 account? In fact, it did not exist!.
The plans weren't even given to Moses until after the confirmation
of Exodus 24:8. (see Ex 24:15-27:21 Actually the plans for the tabernacle were likely given many weeks later. See Tabernacle Timing)
Also according to Hebrews,
Moses didn't read from the book or scroll of the covenant, he spoke every
precept of the law. The text Moses read, most of Exodus 20:1-23:19,
mentions nothing of sin offerings, the priesthood of Aaron and the Levites,
the existence of a temple, the curses of the law or even
circumcision. Every one of these were vital precepts of the Law.
How could Moses have spoken every precept of the Law without mentioning these
fundamental aspects of the Law?
Is someone confused, or are
these merely minor details just describing the same event in general
terms or two different angles?
The fact is, this account of
the ratifying of the Old Covenant in Hebrews cannot be describing the
ratifying of the covenant made at Horeb (Sinai) as described in Exodus
24. Did Hebrews make a mistake? Is it confused? To what
covenant could Hebrews possibly be referring?
"These are the words of the covenant which the LORD
commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He made
with them in Horeb." (Deu. 29:1)
Traditional Christianity typically lumps
this second covenant made between Israel and their Creator in the
wilderness together with the Sinai Covenant. However, Paul clearly stated in Galatians 3:15, "...Though it is only a man's covenant, yet if
it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it." So once
confirmed, even error prone men did not tamper with a covenant. This is
still true of some legal documents today. The Sinai covenant consists
only of Exodus 20-23. This second covenant is independent of the Sinai
Covenant. It is the only covenant that really fits Hebrews'
description. It is described in
Deuteronomy, beginning in 1:1 and drawing toward a conclusion in chapter
29:1. This covenant is never called 'His Covenant'. It
acknowledges His Covenant existed prior to this covenant (Deu 4:12-13,
23). His covenant was made 39+ years earlier at Mt. Sinai.
Generally
speaking, Deuteronomy is the text of Moses' speech to the Children
of Israel just before they went into the Promised Land. This was over
39 years after the Sinai covenant.
Deu 29:9 " Therefore keep the words of this covenant,
and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.....vs. 12that
you may enter into covenant with the LORD your God, and into His
oath, which the LORD your God makes with you today.... 14 I make
this covenant and this oath, not with you alone, 15but with
him who stands here with us today before the LORD our God, as well as with
him who is not here with us today...... 21And the LORD would separate
him from all the tribes of Israel for adversity, according to all the curses
of the covenant that are written in this Book of the Law"
Chapter 30 continues. 10"if you obey the voice of the LORD your
God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this
Book of the Law, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart
and with all your soul...19I call heaven and earth as witnesses
today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and
cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live."
Chapter 31 continues.9 "So Moses wrote this law and
delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of the
covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel...24So
it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a
book, when they were finished, 25that Moses commanded the Levites,
who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying: 26"Take
this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant of
the LORD your God, that it may be there as a witness against you."
On the day Moses spoke these words of Deuteronomy to
the children of Israel, God made a second covenant with the people.
This covenant was placed near the crux of the Sinai covenant, the Covenant of
the Lord, but it did not displace the Covenant of the Lord. It repeated
the foundational terms or 'words' of the Sinai covenant for the historical record, but this covenant
was not the Sinai covenant. It was binding on Israel just as the Sinai
covenant was, and Israel agreed to perform it, (Deu 26:16-17) but the Sinai
covenant, was clearly a different covenant. "These are the words of the covenant..., besides the covenant which He made with them in Horeb".
(Deu 29:1) One thing, besides another thing is not one thing, but
two things jointly applicable.
So what is the difference? In simple terms,
the difference is the difference between Exodus 20-23 and the entire Book of
the Law, Genesis though Deuteronomy. Fully understanding the details
surrounding this can greatly expand your understand of the mind of
the Creator. For instance, why two covenants with
Israel?
"MY Covenant" is indeed the Ten Commandments just as
Exodus 34:28 and Deuteronomy 4:13
say. "This Covenant", made just before entering the Promised Land, is a
different covenant. It is clear when one carefully examines Deuteronomy, its message and
function.
Other scriptures have
also been misunderstood by traditional Christianity.