The old testament makes mention of this new covenant a number of times. His promise was of a Savior, who would come into the world to bring salvation to His people. Most important to note is that with this covenant, no one can come to God except through this promised Savior which is Jesus Christ His only begotten son. Simply knowing about God, growing up in church or living a good life will not save anyone.
The old testament is filled with stories of people going into battles, with God giving His people the strength to overcome and conquering their enemies and taking their land. He also sent prophets to instruct kings to wipe out entire villages. See 1 Samuel 15:3. Some of what I have read in the old testament are draw dropping accounts of what happened to people during those times.
There's also a story of husbands leaving wives with children, because their wives were pagan women who they were prohibited from marrying in the first place. These women were left to fend for themselves and their children who were viewed as illegitimate. This was all so overwhelming for me when I just started out reading through the Bible. There are countless more accounts that we cannot wrap our heads around, except to accept that God is supreme! His thoughts are not our thoughts and his ways not our ways. He will accomplish whatever He sets out to accomplish, as His word tells us in Isaiah 55:8-11
People always went their own way and did things contrary to the law, just as we do today under grace. In those days it was indeed an eye for an eye, people were stoned to death for breaking certain laws and one had to atone physically for their sins. Whew! Thank God for Jesus!
God in all His mercy, because of His never ending love for us and the constant state of sin we were in, decided to reconcile us to Himself. Sin would be dealt with once and for all! This new covenant is all about grace with Jesus being the only atoning sacrifice for sin. God Himself came to us from heaven as His son, suffered on a cross and died, then rose in glory in the most extraordinary plan, so we could be with Him eternally. When He went back to heaven He left us His Holy Spirit to guide, instruct and comfort us while we're here on earth. No more eye for an eye, people being stoned and the killing of animals for atonement. God's master plan abolished all of that.
God's Holy book consists of the old and new testament. There are some bibles with just the new testament. If we didn't have the old testament, we would not be knowledgeable about the beginning of things and what transpired between the time God created man to when Jesus was born. Both books are important for our walk with the Lord.
We must ask for wisdom when reading the Bible so that we understand what applies to our lives in the old testament and what's there for our edification. God speaks to us through His word. In the old testament He spoke to His people through His prophets. There are many situations in our lives today that someone in those days faced. The Lord helps us by bringing some of those situations to our attention, just when we need them.
I have found that sometimes, even as believers, we are not living as though we are under grace. We were forgiven of our sins when we confessed them to Jesus and accepted him as our personal Lord and Savior. We cannot continue to live as though we are under the law. Should we still be stoned when we sin?
It's like we're trying to find workarounds in circumstances when the Lord tells us a clear no, to some things we pray about. When we fail to accept what He is clearly saying, we run to the old testament and pick a scripture from there to justify us going in a direction the Lord clearly does not want us to go in.
There are constant divisions around and amongst us. Politics and religion are never ending ones. Sometimes I wonder how people of the same faith, with one God, can be so much at odds with each other when we are all one family in Christ. Scriptures from the old testament are used to try to win arguments all the time. Just because people in the old testament were led by God to physically fight their enemies, it does not mean we should be doing that today. Jesus teaches us in Matthew 5:44 to love our enemies and bless those who curse us. God's word also says that as much as it depends on us, we are to live peacefully with all men. Romans 12:18
We should be very thankful to be living under God's grace rather than running back to what He has done away with. The punishment under the law was nothing but death and eternal condemnation. Grace and mercy is everlasting and frees us from the punishment and weight of sin.
For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
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