The Mosaic Covenant was made with the chosen nation, Israel, after the Exodus and at Mt Sinai. It was made to be a “schoolmaster” to bring Israel to Christ Jesus, the Saviour of the world.
INTRODUCTION
The Mosaic Covenant is the most complicated and the most difficult of all covenants to interpret. The elaborate wording of the covenant, the prolific and intricate details of the sacrifices, priesthood and sanctuary and the complete governing of the national life of Israel by the sabbaths and religious festivals make it the fullest expression of a covenant in Scripture. Its explicit external forms, when rightly interpreted, illustrate the more implicit elements of other covenants. However, both in the early Church and today, much confusion has arisen concerning the purpose of this covenant and its relationship to the other covenants. This is illustrated in Acts 15 and in the Epistles to the Galatian and Hebrew believers.
Why was this covenant given? Did it annul the Abrahamic Covenant? How does the New Covenant affect it? Is it in effect today? How these questions are answered has great theological and eschatological implications.
With whom was the Covenant made?
The Mosaic Covenant was made strictly and only with the chosen nation of Israel (Exodus 24:7, 8; Deuteronomy 5:1–5; 1 Kings 8:9, 21; Jeremiah 31:31–32; Romans 5:12–14 with John 1:17; Romans 9:4, 5).
When was the Covenant given?
The Mosaic Covenant was made 430 years after the Abrahamic Covenant (Galatians 3:14–18). It was given to Israel in the wilderness after their deliverance from Egypt. Before this time it was not in effect but was preceded by other covenants of grace and faith.
Why was the Covenant made?
There are two parts to the reason why God gave the Mosaic Covenant; that which pertains to Israel’s probation and that which pertains to the purpose of God.
Nation on Probation
As Abraham’s seed was multiplying and becoming a nation in Egypt, according to the promise, they forsook the Lord and worshipped the idols of Egypt. They failed to maintain their covenantal relationship with the Lord and thus found themselves in bondage (Exodus 1:7–12; Joshua 24:14; Ezekiel 20:5–9).
Exodus 1–4 records the birth and call of Moses who would turn Israel back to God and deliver them from Egyptian bondage. This deliverance was based on the covenant of grace and faith made with their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In remembering the covenant God showed himself to be a covenant-keeping God by revealing His covenant name to Moses and promising to bring Israel into the covenant land (Exodus 2:23–25; 3:6, 13–17; 6:1–8). God even gave Moses signs to perform so that Israel would believe in the covenant promises (Exodus 4:1, 5, 8, 9, 27–31). However, God sought to kill Moses for failing to maintain the Abrahamic Covenant seal of circumcision in his own family. He could not deliver Israel on the basis of the covenant his own family was not keeping (Genesis 17:9–14; Exodus 4:24–26; Acts 7:8).
Exodus 5–12 records the falling of the ten plagues of judgment on Egypt and the miraculous preservation and deliverance of Israel in connection with the Passover Feast. This was all in fulfilment of the promise God made with Abraham in Genesis 15. On the basis of grace and through their faith and obedience Israel experienced the benefits of the Abrahamic Covenant in their deliverance from Egypt.
This renewal of the Abrahamic Covenant placed the nation on further probation. God took them from Egypt into the Wilderness to prove them and to know what was in their heart (Deuteronomy 8:2, 3, 15, 16). Between Egypt and Sinai God gave them four tests of faith and obedience. In each case they failed. They failed at the test of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:10–12, 31). They failed at the test of the waters of Marah (Exodus 15:23–26). They failed at the Wilderness of Sin (Exodus 16:1–12) and they also failed at the test of Rephidim (Exodus 17:1–7).
Though only a few weeks removed from the miracles of Egypt, their ungrateful and murmuring complaints exposed their evil hearts of unbelief (Psalms 78:1–54; 106:1–15). This generation that came out of Egypt proved themselves to be a perverse, crooked and forward generation, “children in whom there is no faith” (Deuteronomy 32:5, 20, 28, 29).
Their subsequent history shows them provoking God ten times (Numbers 14:22). Though they promised God to obey all His commandments (Exodus 19:8; 24:3, 7), the Lord lamented the fact that there was no such heart in them to obey (Deuteronomy 5:28, 29). Even after receiving the Mosaic Covenant this generation rejected the covenant land and wandered in the Wilderness for 40 years until they all had died (Numbers 13–14 with Hebrews 3–4 and Jude 5). All of this is evidence of the failure of the nation on probation.
In boasting about their ability to obey, this generation fell from the ground of grace and faith to the ground of law and works. Thus, God gave them a covenant of law and works to expose their helplessness and inability to keep covenant apart from the grace of God.
World in Court
Under the Abrahamic Covenant God chose Israel out of the nations to be a model nation through which He could reveal His redemptive purposes, His character and His way of life to other nations (Deuteronomy 5:6–8, 31–33).
In representing all other nations before God, Israel’s failure illustrated and confirmed the guilt of all the world, both Jew and Gentile, before God (Romans 3:19).
Through the Mosaic Covenant God brought the whole world into the “courtroom” of His just judgment where the Divine attributes of righteousness, truth, mercy and peace were to be revealed. This judgment was to prepare the way for the New Covenant.
Following are twelve aspects to the Divine purpose for the giving of the Mosaic or the Law Covenant.
1-To set forth the Divine standard of righteousness (Psalms 19:7–10; Romans 7:12–14).
2-To give a clear external definition of sin because of the inadequacy of man’s conscience (Romans 3:20; 7:7; 1 John 3:4).
3-To show Israel the exceeding sinfulness and deceitfulness of sin (Romans 7:11–13; Galatians 3:19).
4-To expose to all men their guilt before God (Romans 3:19).
5-To preserve the nation of Israel and the chosen Messianic seed line from total corruption by other nations (Galatians 3:19).
6-To shut Israel up as a nation “in custody” under a schoolmaster and thus prepare them for Christ’s coming (Galatians 3:22–25; 4:1–3).
7-To illustrate the two major ways of God’s dealings with man, which are seen in perfect balance in His own being: Law and Grace (John 1:17).
8-To foreshadow and typify all the truths of grace and redemption in the ceremonial law, and to typify the person and the work of Christ (Romans 2:20; Hebrews 10:1; Colossians 2:17).
9-To provide in the ceremonial law a temporary atonement (covering) for sin by which Israel could approach God in worship and upon the basis of which He could dwell in their midst (Hebrews 9–10).
10-To illustrate more fully and clearly in visible and temporal form all the elements involved in covenantal revelation (Romans 2:20).
11-To show all the world that none can be justified (made righteous) by the Law, but only through grace and faith (Romans 3:19–22; 9:30–32; 10:1–6; Galatians 3:10–16).
12-To show that the Law Covenant could not give life, but that only the New Covenant “in Christ” could (Galatians 3:12 with Leviticus 18:5).
What is the Relationship of the Mosaic Covenant to the Abrahamic Covenant?
In the early Church there was much confusion concerning the relationship of three great covenants: the Abrahamic, the Mosaic and the New Covenants. Paul gave the solution by pinpointing the relationship of the Mosaic Covenant to the Abrahamic Covenant. The five parts to this answer that are given in the Epistles are listed below:
The Mosaic Covenant did not annul nor replace the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant. The Abrahamic Covenant had been made irrevocable by its promises being confirmed with an oath (Galatians 3:8, 9, 14–18; Hebrews 6:13–20).
The Mosaic Covenant was added to or “placed alongside” the Abrahamic Covenant because of Israel’s transgressions (Galatians 3:19).
The Mosaic Covenant once instituted was to run parallel or co-exist with the Abrahamic Covenant. For this reason, the prophets spoke of the covenants co-existing in their day (Galatians 3:15–19; Ezekiel 16:59–63). The Mosaic Covenant and the Abrahamic Covenant both flow into the cross; their ceremonial elements being fulfilled and abolished and their spiritual and eternal elements being fulfilled in the New Covenant.
The Mosaic Covenant was imposed or “laid upon” Israel to prefigure the person and work of Christ (Hebrews 9:9, 10).
The Mosaic Covenant was temporal, given until Christ the seed of Abraham would come and until the time of reformation which would be brought about by the New Covenant (Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 9:10).
The Abrahamic Covenant, which was everlasting and irrevocable, was not annulled by the Mosaic Covenant, which was temporarily imposed upon Israel until the time when the New Covenant would fulfil the Abrahamic Covenant and abolish the Mosaic Covenant. Thus the Abrahamic Covenant was the transcending eternal covenant while the Mosaic Covenant was the temporary additional covenant.
The WORDS of the Covenant
The Mosaic Covenant contains more words than any other covenant given in Old Testament times. Numerous chapters are given to record the words of this covenant (Exodus 20–40; Leviticus 1–27; Numbers 1–10; 15; 18; 19; 28; 29; 30–36), Deuteronomy 1–34). All these words could be classified under the three major divisions of the Law: Moral, Civil and Ceremonial.
The Moral Law
This consisted of the Ten Commandments written on two tables of stone. These were particularly called “His Covenant” and “The Ten Words” (Deuteronomy 4:13, 23; 10:1–5). The Ten Commandments set forth the Divine righteous standard of morality for human conduct in relation to both God and man (Exodus 20; 34:27, 28).
The Civil Law
This multiplied variety of regulations were simply amplifications of the basic principles stated in the Moral Law (Exodus 21–23 being sample chapters). These applications of law governed every area of Israel’s life; civilly, socially, economically, personally and legally.
The Ceremonial Law
This detailed and explicit set of laws governing the sacrifices, the priesthood, the sanctuary and the festival occasions provided atonement for the sins and uncleanness of Israel, individually and nationally. It foreshadowed the person and work of Christ in grace.
The Promises of the Covenant
Promises of Blessing
In that Israel was to receive the promises of blessing in the Abrahamic Covenant, the Mosaic Covenant was primarily an addition of conditions to the receiving of those blessings. While the Abrahamic Covenant was primarily a covenant of promise the Mosaic Covenant was primarily one of conditions. Thus the statements of promise found in the words of the Mosaic Covenant are actually affirmations of the promises God made in the Abrahamic Covenant. These promises involve personal, national, geographical and spiritual blessings (Exodus 23:25–33; Leviticus 25; 26).
Promises of Cursing
Though no specific curses are uttered at Mt Sinai, the consequences of unbelief and the punishments for disobedience were clearly spelled out to the first generation out of Egypt (Exodus 22:22–24; Leviticus 26:14–46). Though the prophet Balaam could not curse Israel, whom God had blessed, they could bring the curse of punishment upon themselves by breaking the conditions of the covenant (Numbers 22; 23; 24; Galatians 3:10). The curses of the broken covenant were fully spelled out in the curses of the Palestinian Covenant which was given to the second generation as an extension of the Mosaic Covenant.
The Terms of the Covenant
In that the Mosaic Covenant was primarily adding conditions to the irrevocable promises of the Abrahamic Covenant, it is filled with numerous “ifs” which become the terms of the covenant. Though under previous covenants the terms involved an obedience that arose out of faith, under this covenant the term was an obedience that arose out of the works of self-effort. Thus faith obedience was replaced with legal obedience (Leviticus 18:5; Galatians 3:10–12). Under this covenant Israel could obtain the promise of life only by fulfilling the works of the law to obtain righteousness (Deuteronomy 6:25; Leviticus 18:5; Romans 10:1–5; Galatians 3:21). However, under other covenants they could receive righteousness by faith in God’s promises and therefore be able to do His will (Galatians 3:11; Romans 4:1–5). The Mosaic Covenant said “Do and therefore live” while the New Covenant says “Receive life and therefore do”. The Mosaic Covenant promoted righteousness by works rather than righteousness by faith.
It was Israel’s arrogant self-confidence that provoked God to impose these kinds of terms upon them. Israel boasted “All that the Lord hath said, we will do” and thus moved themselves off the ground of faith to the ground of law and works (Exodus 19:7–9; 24:3, 7; Deuteronomy 5:26–29). In doing this Israel as a nation showed their ignorance of God’s righteousness, and for 1500 years tried to establish their own righteousness by the Law, refusing to submit themselves to the faith righteousness of the Abrahamic Covenant (Romans 10:1–3; Philippians 3:6–9; Isaiah 64:6). The following is a summary of the terms of the Mosaic Covenant:
The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1–17; Deuteronomy 5:1–21)
The Ten Commandments were written on two tables of stone, one listing the commandments governing man’s relationship to God and the other concerning man’s relationship to man. They are called “The Ten Words”.
Relationship to God
No other gods before Him.
No graven images to be made or worshipped.
No taking the name of the Lord in vain.
Keep the Sabbath day holy to the Lord.
Relationship to Man
Honor father and mother.
No murder.
No adultery.
No stealing.
No False witness.
No coveting.
Obedience
The giving of these commandments automatically required Israel’s obedience to them. This was a legal obedience which demanded strict adherence to the commandments. If they obeyed the commandments there was blessing but if they disobeyed there was a curse (Deuteronomy 11:26–28; 13:4; Jeremiah 11:1–10).
Love
The only heart that this kind of obedience could arise from was a heart of love for the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4–6; 10:12, 13, 16; 30:6–8). It was only as they loved, feared and served the Lord that they would be able to perfectly obey His commandments.
The heart condition required to be able to perfectly fulfill these terms of keeping God’s commandments out of loving obedience was not within Israel’s reach because of the law of sin that was at work in their hearts (Deuteronomy 5:28, 29; Romans 7:7–22). Israel’s history under the Mosaic Covenant proved that unless God changed man’s heart he would never be able by self-effort to develop a perfect heart of loving obedience toward the Lord. Their failure to keep the law was intended to prepare them for the New Covenant which would bring them “a new heart and a new spirit” and would enable them to obey God (Ezekiel 36:24–27). While the Mosaic Covenant commandments were written externally on tables of stone by the finger of God, the New Covenant commandments are written internally on the tables of our heart and mind by the spirit of God (Jeremiah 31:31–34; Hebrews 8; 2 Corinthians 3). The Mosaic Covenant gave commandments to keep, but no power to keep them, while the New Covenant not only gives the standards of God’s righteousness but also the changing and enabling power of God to fulfill them (Romans 8:1–6). Human effort alone could never accomplish what could only be done by the grace and Spirit of God.
The Oath of the Covenant
The Mosaic Covenant was not made irrevocable by a confirming oath. This sets it in contrast with the Abrahamic Covenant which was made everlasting and irrevocable by the giving of an oath (Galatians 3:15–17; Hebrews 6:13–17).
The Book of the Covenant
The Scriptures record that this covenant was specifically written in a book. This “book of the covenant” was sprinkled with blood, and was to be read in the audience of the people. It was later placed in the side of the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 24:7, 8; Hebrews 9:19, 20; Deuteronomy 31:24–26).
The BLOOD of the Covenant
The Sacrifice of the Covenant
The Mosaic Covenant has the fullest and most detailed description of sacrifices of any covenant. This illustrates the significance of the sacrifice of a covenant and typifies the importance of the atoning work of Christ.
The Body
A careful study of the sacrificial ritual reveals how exacting God was about what happened to the body of the sacrifice. At times the body was to be burnt upon the altar. At other times it was to be burnt outside the camp. On other occasions God, the priest and the offerer shared portions of the body of the sacrificial victim. These complex requirements find their fulfilment in the sacrifice of the body of Jesus (Matthew 26:26–28; Hebrews 10:1–10; 13:11–14).
The Blood
God was also very particular about how the sacrificial blood was handled. At times the blood was sprinkled upon the furnishings of the Tabernacle, though most often it was upon the brazen altar. On the Day of Atonement the blood was brought within the veil and sprinkled upon the Mercy seat. These rituals find their fulfilment in the blood of Jesus (Matthew 26:26–28; Hebrews 9; 13:11–14).
The Offerings
The Five Offerings (Leviticus 1–7).
The burnt offering-voluntary
The meal offering-voluntary
The peace offering-voluntary
The sin offering-compulsory
The trespass offering-compulsory
The Two Birds for the cleansing of leprosy (Leviticus 13; 14).
The Daily Sacrifices (Numbers 28:1–8).
The Sabbath Day Sacrifices (Numbers 28:9, 10).
The Festival Sacrifices (Leviticus 16:23; Numbers 28; 29).
The Sacrifice of the Red Heifer and the Waters of Purification (Numbers).
This elaborate sacrificial system with its multiplied continual sacrifices was given for two major reasons. First, it was to illustrate that no amount of continued animal sacrifices could effectively take away man’s sinfulness. Second, it was to point to Christ’s perfect, sinless and once-for-all sacrifice that could take away man’s sinfulness (Hebrews 9; 10). It was the multiplicity of sacrifices that caused the Mosaic Covenant to become known as “the blood covenant” (Zechariah 9:11; Exodus 24:6–8; Hebrews 9:19, 20).
There are five major truths which God revealed in the blood of the covenants.
The blood has a voice (Genesis 4:10; Hebrews 12:22–24).
The blood is the life (Genesis 9:4–6; Deuteronomy 12:23).
The blood is given as an atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:10–14).
The blood is the evidence of out-poured life (Deuteronomy 12:16, 23, 24).
The blood is the evidence of judgment on sin by death (Exodus 12:13; Leviticus 16:15, 16).
The Mediator of the Covenant
Though the Adamic, Noahic and Abrahamic Covenants were characterized by patriarchal priesthood, the Mosaic Covenant gives the fullest demonstration of priestly service. The mediating priesthood involved two particular persons and then the entire tribe to which they belonged.
Moses
Moses, of the tribe of Levi, acted as the king of the people of Israel and thus became the mediator of the words of the covenant (Deuteronomy 33:15). He was the law-giving mediator between God and Israel (Acts 7:31, 38, 53; Galatians 3:19, 20; Deuteronomy 5:22–27).
Aaron
Aaron, also of the tribe of Levi, acted as the priest of the people of Israel and thus became the mediator of the blood of the covenant (Hebrews 5:1–5). He was the atoning mediator between God and Israel (Exodus 28; 29; Leviticus 8; 9). It was from Aaron’s household that the succession of High Priests ministered for Israel.
Levites
Upon Israel’s failure to enter into the national priesthood in being “a kingdom of priests”, God chose the tribe of Levi to minister before Him (Exodus 19:1–6; Genesis 49:5–7; Deuteronomy 33:8–11; Numbers 3). It was to this tribe that God gave “the covenant of priesthood” (Malachi 2:4–10; Nehemiah 13:29; Numbers 25:10–13). The Book of Leviticus was given primarily to describe their priestly duties and ministrations in relation to the people, the sacrifices and the sanctuary of the Lord.
The dual king-priesthood of Moses and Aaron prefigured the Priesthood of Christ after the Order of Melchisedek (Hebrews 3:1; 5:1–5; Psalms 110; Hebrews 7). The Levitical Priesthood prefigured the priesthood of all believers in Christ (1 Peter 2:5–9; Revelation 5:5–9; 1:6).
At the time of the New Covenant a great company of Levitical priests became obedient to the faith and thus entered into the Melchisedek Priesthood of Christ (Acts 6:7).
The Sanctuary of the Covenant
The sacrificial system and the priesthood ministry both centered in the sanctuary of the covenant, the Tabernacle of Moses. All that was illustrated in the Tabernacle of Eden, and the Patriarchal Altars was embodied in the Tabernacle of Moses. The primary purpose for this Tabernacle is expressed in Exodus 25:8; “And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them”. The details concerning the building of the Tabernacle are recorded in Exodus 25–40.
The Most Holy Place
This inner chamber was the actual dwelling place of God. The only article of furniture it contained was the Ark of the Covenant. Upon its blood-stained Mercy seat the very presence and Shekinah glory of God dwelt. God’s redemptive covenant name was invoked upon the Ark (Exodus 25:10–22; Numbers 7:89; 2 Samuel 6:2).
In the Ark were the Tables of the covenant, Aaron’s rod that budded and the golden pot of manna (Hebrews 9:1–4; Exodus 34:27, 28; Deuteronomy 4:13; 9:9–15). In the side of the Ark was the Book of the covenant (Exodus 24:7, 8; Deuteronomy 31:24–26).
The High Priest entered this place only once each year on the great Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16; Hebrews 9).
The Holy Place
This second chamber was before the Holiest of All and was separated from it by a veil. It contained the golden altar of incense, the golden candlestick and the golden table of shewbread (Exodus 40; Hebrews 9:1–Aaron’s household daily ministered in this place attending to the furniture (Hebrews 9:1, 2, 6).
The Outer Court
This third area, which surrounded the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, was enclosed by a curtain fence. It contained the brazen altar and the brazen laver, the places of ceremonial cleansing by blood and water (Exodus 27:1–19; 30:17–21). Here the Levitical priesthood performed its daily sacrifices and ceremonial cleansings for themselves and the people (Hebrews 10:1–11).
All that pertained to the sacrifices, priesthood and sanctuary ministrations belonged to that division of the law spoken of as the ceremonial law. This ceremonial law was actually an illustration of the grace of God and a foreshadowing of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ under the New Covenant. The mediatorial work of the High Priest and the blood-stained Mercy seat in the sanctuary covering the moral law were both illustrations of grace under law. It was only on that basis that God could dwell with Israel even under this Mosaic Covenant. At the establishing of the New Covenant by the cross of Christ, all that which pertained to the shadow of the ceremonial law was fulfilled and abolished. The spiritual reality in Christ remains (Colossians 2:14–17; Hebrews 10).
The SEAL of the Covenant
The sign or seal of the Mosaic Covenant was the weekly Sabbath day. It is distinctly spoken of as a sign between God and the nation of Israel (Exodus 31:12–17; Ezekiel 20:10–26; Leviticus 19:30; Nehemiah 9:14; Leviticus 23:3).
The Lord reminded Israel of the fact that He made the heaven and the earth in six days work and then sanctified the seventh day as a day of rest. This seventh day of rest in creation became the pattern for God requiring the Israelites to work six days and then rest on the seventh day, the holy Sabbath. The Sabbath was to be observed perpetually throughout their generations. Anyone who violated the Sabbath would surely be put to death (Exodus 31:16).
The Sabbath in the Old Testament
There are a number of important facts concerning the seal of the Mosaic Covenant which need to be noted to see how it finds its fulfilment in the New Covenant.
There is no mention of keeping the Sabbath day from Adam to Moses. That is, under the Adamic, Noahic, and Abrahamic Covenants we have no mention of the Sabbath for about 2500 years.
The first specific mention of keeping Sabbath is found in Exodus 16:23–26 concerning the gathering of the daily manna and this was spoken to the nation of Israel.
The keeping of the Sabbath was the fourth commandment of the Decalogue given to Israel at Mt Sinai (Exodus 20:9–11; 31:18).
It is the fourth commandment of the Decalogue that God took to be the sign and seal of the Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 31:12–17; Deuteronomy 5:12–15). Each of the covenants had their own sign and seal and God did not take the sign or seal of other covenants and make such the seal of the Mosaic Covenant.
Though the ten commandments are spoken of as the Moral Law, the fourth commandment concerning the Sabbath was actually a ceremonial law. It was this “ceremony” that was attached to the Mosaic Covenant as its seal.
There were other special Sabbaths given to Israel besides the weekly Sabbath. These Sabbaths were the holy days of the Festivals of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles, and these Sabbaths fell in their appointed weeks as well as the weekly seventh day Sabbath (Leviticus 23:7, 8, 21, 24, 27–39).
Relative to the land of promise, there were Sabbath years also. Every seventh year, and every fiftieth year were Sabbath years of rest for the land. These Sabbaths of rest for the land pertained to the conditions of the Palestinian Covenant (Leviticus 25:1–22).
The tragic history of the chosen nation shows how they failed to keep the Sabbaths, both for the people and the land, thus breaking the sign and seal of the Mosaic and Palestinian Covenants.
The Scripture clearly states that the reason for the Babylonian Captivity was the failure of Israel to keep the Sabbaths of the Lord. The Sabbath days and years became burdensome to them and they despised them and thus brought Divine judgment upon themselves (2 Chronicles 36:21; Ezekiel 20:1–26; Nehemiah 13:15–22; Ezekiel 22:8, 26; 23:38; Isaiah 56:2, 6, 12; Jeremiah 17:21–27).
The Sabbath in the New Testament
The New Testament shows clearly how the Jews had misinterpreted and corrupted the Sabbath. They crucified their Messiah, the very one who came to bring to them by the New Covenant the reality of the Sabbath of the Mosaic Covenant (Matthew 12:9–50, 10–14; John 5:1–18; 9:1–14).
The New Testament also reveals that the Sabbath is fulfilled in Christ and that the believer under the New Covenant is no longer obligated to keep the Mosaic Covenant Sabbaths.
Following are a number of important facts from the New Testament concerning the seal of the Sabbath and its relationship to the New Covenant seal.
Jesus clarified the fact that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. The day was given for man’s benefit, and man was not given for the benefit of the day. Man needs physical rest and recuperation, as well as time for spiritual refreshment (Mark 2:27, 28).
Jesus presented Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath. He is higher than the keeping of a day. The Jews kept the letter of the Sabbath, with numerous additions, and missed the spirit of the Sabbath, even crucifying the Lord of the Sabbath. They exalted a day of rest above the only person that could give them true rest (Mark 2:27, 28).
Even in Old Testament times when Israel kept the Sabbaths God condemned them for their hypocritical observances (Isaiah 1:10–17; Lamentations 2:6) and predicted the cessation of their feast days and Sabbaths (Hosea 2:11). Paul taught that the holy days, new moons and Sabbath days were merely a shadow of things to come and had been abolished at the Cross (Colossians 2:11, 16, 17).
All of the moral commandments of the Mosaic Covenant are repeated and endorsed in the New Testament, with only one exception, the ceremonial fourth commandment concerning the Sabbath. This “ceremony” was never stated as a requirement for New Testament believers.
Paul clearly tells us that the Old Covenant was old, decaying and ready to vanish away. It was a ministration of death and was to be done away with (2 Corinthians 3:1–18; Hebrews 8:6–13). The New Covenant has its own sign and seal, even the true and spiritual rest, which is the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 28:9–11; Acts 2:1–4). To take the Sabbath day and impose its keeping upon Christians today, Jew of Gentile, is to take the sign and seal of the Old Covenant and add it to the sign and seal of the New Covenant. It then becomes a confusion of covenants.
Even as the seals of the other covenants find their fulfilment in the seal of the New Covenant, so the Sabbath rest is fulfilled in the New Covenant rest. The New Testament clearly shows that the seal of the New Covenant is the receiving of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13, 14; 4:30). This is true spiritual rest (Isaiah 28:11, 12).
In Christ the believer finds true Sabbath rest. He ceases from his own works and rests in the finished work of Christ. It is “in Christ” that there is everlasting rest. This fulfills “the perpetual covenant” of Sabbath rest. It is not in the keeping of a day but in the receiving of a person—Christ Jesus our Lord—that one finds the rest of God (Matthew 11:28–30).
SUMMARY
The Mosaic Covenant finds its perfect fulfilment in the Lord Jesus Christ. He was the only Man who ever perfectly kept the law in all its requirements. He fulfilled and abolished in His cross all that which pertained to the ceremonials and the externals of the law. That righteousness, which is in the law, which is holy, just, good, spiritual and perfect, finds its fulfilment in Christ Himself re-living His sinless life in the believer “who walks not after the flesh but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1–4). Christ’s new law of love to God and man, written on the tablets of the heart, by the Spirit, enable the believer to live that life that is pleasing to God.