While He Tarries Ministries
The difference between the old & new Testament Covenants

1. The ratification of the covenant
2. The sacrifices as a covering
3. The High Priests
4. Old versus New Testament Priest actions
5. The sacrifices and sin

1A. The Old Testament was ratified by the blood of bulls

• Exodus 24:8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.

This is the end of a section of scripture starting in Exodus 19 where the Lord came down on Mt. Sinai and gave Moses what we call the 10 commandments which actually was probably closer to 100 commandments and judgments.
At the end of this in chapter 24 Moses is confirming the commandments with the blood.

• Hebrews 9:19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hisop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,
  20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
  21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
  22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding blood is no remission.

1B. The New Testament was ratified by the blood of Jesus.

• Luke 22:20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you.

Old Testament: The old covenant was ratified by the blood of bulls and goats.

New Testament: The new covenant was ratified by the better blood of Jesus Christ.

In both cases (Old and New Testaments) it was ratified by the blood of a sacrifice. This Old Testament covenant had nothing to do with how good we are or had been at the time of the covenant.

2A. Old Testament sacrifice provided only an annual covering

• Leviticus 16:29 This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or stranger who soujourns among you.
  30 For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.

Starting at the beginning of the chapter it tells the process that takes place to use the blood on the mercy seat to make atonement for their sins.
But since the blood of goats and bulls is only a covering and cannot really atone for their sins they have to go through the same ritual every year.

2B. The blood of Jesus provided an eternal covering

• Hebrews 9:11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.
  12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
  13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
  14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Old Testament: provided only an annual covering on day of atonement

New Testament: obtained an eternal redemption for us

3A. Old Testament High Priest entered Holiest only once a year

No one else permitted to enter the Holiest, ever, not even other priests.

• Leviticus 16:30 For on that day shall the Priest make an atonement for you.
• Hebrews 9:7 But into the second went the High Priest alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.

3B. New Testament High Priest (Jesus) entered the Holy of Holies once

• Hebrews 9:27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. (See also Hebrews 9:28, Hebrews 10:10).

4A. Old Testament High Priest entered the Holiest in fear of death

• Leviticus 16:2 And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: -- also Exodus 30:20, 21
• Exodus 39:25 And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe---

They did this under God's instructions, so that they could hear the high priest did his duties under the veil.
They also tied a rope to his leg so that if he went into the holiest and had sinned and he fell dead, they could drag him out of the holiest.
This was the only way to get him out because no one else could go in.
God was serious about his rules and you can read off and on in the OT where people did fall dead for disobeying his exact rules.

4B. New Testament priests (believers) can enter the Holiest anytime by the blood of Jesus. See 1 Peter 2:9 and Hebrews 10:19 below.

• Hebrews 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law into their hearts, into their minds will I write them;
  17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
  18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
  19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus. (You can also read verse 20 thru 22.)

5A. Old Testament sacrifice could not take away sins

• Hebrews 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

5B. New Testament sacrifice took our sins away once for all.

• Hebrews 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

And thus we see how the Passover applies to the Old Testament and New Testament.
We see how the Passover symbolism was fulfilled in the New Testament.
Isn't that neat!!

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