LIVING HOPE - Reading With the People of God: Part 18ಮಾದರಿ

Jesus Our New Covenant

Israel, at one time in their history, worshiped God under the Mosaic Covenant given to them through Moses. In this Covenant they were to be a holy nation set apart to worship and proclaim who God is, and His love and blessings to the peoples surrounding them. It was a beautiful system God gave them to remind them daily to turn and rely on Him.

The Covenant, filled with promises and blessings from God, had one condition; that they remain faithful to Him and worship Him only. But the people became weary, rebellious, and prideful. They began to treat the Mosaic Covenant as ritualistic and a burden. They became unfaithful to the One True God, and were enticed away into the sensual worship of pagan gods the people surrounding them worshiped. Therefore, they fell out of God’s grace and into His wrath, which the Covenant warned would come upon them.

But God is love, grace and mercy, and so He sends Isaiah to bring them hope and encouragement. Isaiah begins with the Lord calling His people to remember who they are, and defines the character of His chosen people. They are pursuers of righteousness, the ones who seek Him. Isaiah comforts them with remembrances of where they came from and how the Lord God blessed them. He reminds them to recall Who has called them, and promises joy and gladness will be in their future.

The blessing he speaks of is salvation. The blessing of salvation is our eternal comfort and joy. God’s salvation extends to all those who seek the Lord and pursue righteousness. Isaiah declares the Lord’s salvation and justice are on the way and will become a light to the nations. His salvation and righteousness will last forever through all generations. This is what they were to fix their eyes on and put their hope in.

However, for this to happen we need a New Covenant, a New High Priest. Jesus is the fulfillment of the old Covenant and is the New Covenant. He became the Sacrifice for the covering of sin. He has written His laws on our hearts and put them in our minds, Jesus is now our High Priest. His Holy Spirit now dwells in the hearts of Believers. Therefore, we are living temples built on Christ Jesus to proclaim the blessings of God to the people surrounding us.

Primer contributed by Laurie Harry, believer in Jesus Christ.