Lesson 6

What Is the Old Covenant?

Read Deuteronomy 5:1–5. A “covenant” is a contract (we also sometimes refer to God’s covenant as a “testament”). The “Old Testament” or “Old Covenant” refers to the contract God made with Israel when Moses was alive. The terms were too wonderful for them to refuse. Notice that God did not make this contract with everyone in the world. The Old Testament was only for Jews.

If the covenant was with Jews only, how did it benefit Gentiles (everyone who is not a Jew)? Read Deuteronomy 28—what did God expect Israel to do? What was God’s part? What would happen if Israel did not keep their part?

Some of Israel’s covenant commandments were religious and some were civil. Religious laws included who could be priests, where and when they could worship, and how to be holy. Civil laws had to do with government and citizenship—slavery, property, and disease (Exodus 21–22; Leviticus 13).

Read Exodus 34:28 and Deuteronomy 4:13. Were the Ten Commandments part of God’s Old Covenant with Israel, or were they laws for the whole world?

The Old Covenant Is Abolished

Read Jeremiah 31:31–34. What did Israel do to cause the Old Covenant to come to an end? Read Hebrews 8:1–13. Did the Old Covenant already come to an end? If so, when? Is the New Covenant only for Jews? Read Romans 9:6–8.

Since the Ten Commandments are part of the Old Covenant that has become obsolete, is it OK to steal and murder today? Why not? What worship laws are in the Old Covenant but not found in the New Covenant? Are there New Covenant laws about tithing? What about incense and priests? Is there a New Covenant law about the Sabbath day? How are music laws different between the Old and New Covenants? Where are the laws for worshiping God today if the Old Covenant is obsolete?