ERK
Puritan Board Freshman
What is the biblical response to JMac's view here on the New Covenant. In sum, he is saying that non-jews benefit from the NC, but that it isn't made with them. The blessings of the NC come to non-jews through Christ, but the NC is directed toward Israel in a future restoration.
From JMac's sermon on the New Covenant (Heb. 8:1-13)
"Third thing, the new covenant is with Israel. It is with the Jews. And this is what I meant when I said this morning God has never made a covenant with Gentiles – as far as I can see, never will. The new covenant is not made with the Church; it is made with the same people the old covenant was made with. It is made with Israel.
You say, “Well, what are we doing?”
Well, we’re beneficiaries of the old covenant just like Gentiles could be beneficiaries – we’re beneficiaries of the new covenant just like Gentiles could be beneficiaries of the old covenant. But notice, it couldn’t be any clearer, “I will make a new covenant with the Church” – is that what it says? No – “with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.”
And the amillennialist – those are people who don’t believe in any kingdom or any restoration of Israel – comes along and says, “Well, when the Jews executed Christ, they forfeited everything.”
Not so, friend. God said, “I will make a new covenant with Israel and Judah.” That’s both sections of Israel. Right?
You say, “I thought the Northern tribes got lost.”
They may have gotten lost, but God knows where they are. They may be lost to some people, and there may be a lot of weird explanations about who they are, but they’re not lost to God. And God has made His covenant with His people. It’s an important note. You see, nowhere in Scripture do you read that God ever made a covenant with Gentiles. In Romans chapter 9, it says this, “Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants” – covenants between God and His people Israel.
You say, “Well, does that mean that we’re not blessed?”
No, it doesn’t. It doesn’t. God said to Abraham, “In thee shall all the nations of the world be” – what? – “be blessed.” In Genesis 12, when God established Israel, He made an unconditional covenant with Abraham to bless his seed and to bless the world through his seed. God said, “I’ll not only bless you, Abraham, I’ll bless the whole world through your seed.” And that was an unconditional promise. God didn’t say, “Abraham, if you will promise me to do this four times a day, and run over there, and do that, and do this, then I’ll do it.” He just said, “I’ll do it.” And then God said, “Well, now in order for them to receive this blessing, they’ll have to follow my standards.”
So, God set up a Mosaic covenant to go with the Abrahamic covenant, and the Mosaic covenant gave them the morality to go along with God’s desire that they might experience the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant. The Abrahamic covenant said, “I’m going to bless you.” The Mosaic covenant said, “If you obey my laws, then you’ll get the benefits of the Abrahamic covenant.” But what happened? Israel kept breaking the Mosaic covenant and thus they kept forfeiting God’s blessing, and they’re still forfeiting it today – aren’t they? – by breaking the Mosaic covenant and by rejecting the fulfillment of the Mosaic covenant, Jesus Christ.
You say, “Well, then did God cancel the Abrahamic covenant? Did God just say, “That’s it, no more blessing for Israel”? He can’t do that. If God could cancel one of His promises, He can cancel any one of them, which puts us on pretty precarious ground.
And so, God says, “I know what I’ll do; I’ll just get a new one. I’ll get a covenant that’ll be able to do what the old one couldn’t do.” And so, He got the new covenant. And it could do all that the old could not do. And you know what the Bible says? Let me read you some thrilling, thrilling things. God wants to bless men, and He says, “If they would only follow My standards, I’d bless them.” But they blew the Mosaic covenant; so, they forfeited the Abrahamic blessing. So, God gave a new covenant. And when you come into the new covenant as a beneficiary - you’re a Gentile; you can experience all that’s in the new covenant as a beneficiary of it, even though it’s made with Israel. Listen to what happens, Galatians 3:7, “Know ye therefore that they who are of faith, the same are the sons of Abraham.” See, when you believe in that that Jesus Christ has done, you become a spiritual son of Abraham. And the Abrahamic covenant is fulfilled in you and in me when we accept the principles of the new covenant. “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, ‘In thee shall all nations be blessed.’” Listen, “So then they who are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.”
The Abrahamic covenant is fulfilled in my life. And the Abrahamic covenant isn’t some mystical, weird thing.
You say, “Oh, I’ve heard about that. What does it mean?”
It just means God promises to bless. And it’s fulfilled when we accept the new covenant and we become spiritual children of Abraham.
Verse 14 says, “That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ.” It is through Jesus Christ that the Abrahamic blessing comes to us through the new covenant in His blood. We receive all the promised blessing of God. Listen to the end of chapter 3, “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
You know, I have become a beneficiary of the Abrahamic covenant, though I’m not even a Jew. Because by receiving the new covenant, the promised blessing through Abraham has become mine. I’m not a Jew. I am only a child of Abraham by faith.
You say, “Well, when is Israel going to get in on this? I mean they’re not making it into the Abrahamic covenant as fast as the Gentiles.”
That’s right. They will. During what period of time does Israel get saved? During the tribulation. And then comes their kingdom. Romans 11:26 and 27 say, “So all Israel shall be saved.” Their day’s coming."
From JMac's sermon on the New Covenant (Heb. 8:1-13)
"Third thing, the new covenant is with Israel. It is with the Jews. And this is what I meant when I said this morning God has never made a covenant with Gentiles – as far as I can see, never will. The new covenant is not made with the Church; it is made with the same people the old covenant was made with. It is made with Israel.
You say, “Well, what are we doing?”
Well, we’re beneficiaries of the old covenant just like Gentiles could be beneficiaries – we’re beneficiaries of the new covenant just like Gentiles could be beneficiaries of the old covenant. But notice, it couldn’t be any clearer, “I will make a new covenant with the Church” – is that what it says? No – “with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.”
And the amillennialist – those are people who don’t believe in any kingdom or any restoration of Israel – comes along and says, “Well, when the Jews executed Christ, they forfeited everything.”
Not so, friend. God said, “I will make a new covenant with Israel and Judah.” That’s both sections of Israel. Right?
You say, “I thought the Northern tribes got lost.”
They may have gotten lost, but God knows where they are. They may be lost to some people, and there may be a lot of weird explanations about who they are, but they’re not lost to God. And God has made His covenant with His people. It’s an important note. You see, nowhere in Scripture do you read that God ever made a covenant with Gentiles. In Romans chapter 9, it says this, “Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants” – covenants between God and His people Israel.
You say, “Well, does that mean that we’re not blessed?”
No, it doesn’t. It doesn’t. God said to Abraham, “In thee shall all the nations of the world be” – what? – “be blessed.” In Genesis 12, when God established Israel, He made an unconditional covenant with Abraham to bless his seed and to bless the world through his seed. God said, “I’ll not only bless you, Abraham, I’ll bless the whole world through your seed.” And that was an unconditional promise. God didn’t say, “Abraham, if you will promise me to do this four times a day, and run over there, and do that, and do this, then I’ll do it.” He just said, “I’ll do it.” And then God said, “Well, now in order for them to receive this blessing, they’ll have to follow my standards.”
So, God set up a Mosaic covenant to go with the Abrahamic covenant, and the Mosaic covenant gave them the morality to go along with God’s desire that they might experience the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant. The Abrahamic covenant said, “I’m going to bless you.” The Mosaic covenant said, “If you obey my laws, then you’ll get the benefits of the Abrahamic covenant.” But what happened? Israel kept breaking the Mosaic covenant and thus they kept forfeiting God’s blessing, and they’re still forfeiting it today – aren’t they? – by breaking the Mosaic covenant and by rejecting the fulfillment of the Mosaic covenant, Jesus Christ.
You say, “Well, then did God cancel the Abrahamic covenant? Did God just say, “That’s it, no more blessing for Israel”? He can’t do that. If God could cancel one of His promises, He can cancel any one of them, which puts us on pretty precarious ground.
And so, God says, “I know what I’ll do; I’ll just get a new one. I’ll get a covenant that’ll be able to do what the old one couldn’t do.” And so, He got the new covenant. And it could do all that the old could not do. And you know what the Bible says? Let me read you some thrilling, thrilling things. God wants to bless men, and He says, “If they would only follow My standards, I’d bless them.” But they blew the Mosaic covenant; so, they forfeited the Abrahamic blessing. So, God gave a new covenant. And when you come into the new covenant as a beneficiary - you’re a Gentile; you can experience all that’s in the new covenant as a beneficiary of it, even though it’s made with Israel. Listen to what happens, Galatians 3:7, “Know ye therefore that they who are of faith, the same are the sons of Abraham.” See, when you believe in that that Jesus Christ has done, you become a spiritual son of Abraham. And the Abrahamic covenant is fulfilled in you and in me when we accept the principles of the new covenant. “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, ‘In thee shall all nations be blessed.’” Listen, “So then they who are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.”
The Abrahamic covenant is fulfilled in my life. And the Abrahamic covenant isn’t some mystical, weird thing.
You say, “Oh, I’ve heard about that. What does it mean?”
It just means God promises to bless. And it’s fulfilled when we accept the new covenant and we become spiritual children of Abraham.
Verse 14 says, “That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ.” It is through Jesus Christ that the Abrahamic blessing comes to us through the new covenant in His blood. We receive all the promised blessing of God. Listen to the end of chapter 3, “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
You know, I have become a beneficiary of the Abrahamic covenant, though I’m not even a Jew. Because by receiving the new covenant, the promised blessing through Abraham has become mine. I’m not a Jew. I am only a child of Abraham by faith.
You say, “Well, when is Israel going to get in on this? I mean they’re not making it into the Abrahamic covenant as fast as the Gentiles.”
That’s right. They will. During what period of time does Israel get saved? During the tribulation. And then comes their kingdom. Romans 11:26 and 27 say, “So all Israel shall be saved.” Their day’s coming."