DAILY READING
REFLECTION
The Old and the New
By Kim Starr
This passage differentiates between the Old Covenant, the one made with Moses and the Israelites as they escaped Egypt and wandered the desert, and the New Covenant, the one made when God sent his only son, Jesus, into the world to be our savior.
The Old Covenant was written on stone tablets known as the Ten Commandments that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai. It was based on tabernacle sacrifices and was sealed with the blood of animals. Because it was impossible for these sacrifices to take away sin and absolve the people, the sacrifices were offered annually as a reminder of their sins. This covenant kept God’s people at a distance.
God knew that his people needed a different covenant, and this New Covenant is not only for the Jews, but also for the entire human race. It invites us to draw near to the throne of God through the blood of Jesus to receive grace and mercy. It gives us an intimate, personal relationship with God and we get his complete and absolute forgiveness of our sins.
The New Covenant is a better covenant established on better promises and is based on the certainty of God’s Word. It writes God’s laws in our minds and on our hearts. This changes our feelings towards God’s Word. Before, the Bible was a burden, a list of dos and don’ts, and we were often indifferent to it. Now, because of our love for God, it is a joy and delight to keep the laws and read his Word. God also gave us the Holy Spirit to reinforce the laws on our hearts and minds and it helps us obey them from our hearts.
The New Covenant also seals a faithful, unbreakable, and forever relationship between God and his people. God is ours personally. We are his in a very special sense and we have a deep, intimate relationship with him. He bought us with the blood of his son so that we are not our own. We belong to him. There is nothing that can break our relationship with him. Anyone who asks can have their sins forgiven and God does not remember them again. God forgives us unconditionally and we are really, truly free. This enables us to trust God by faith and follow him with a glad heart.
PRAYER
God, you are simply amazing. You gave us this New Covenant so that we could leave the burden of the law behind us and could move on living our lives in the glorious freedom we have as heirs because of what Jesus did for us. Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us obey you with our hearts and minds. Your encouragement to strive against sin is with us every moment of every day. Please continue to remind us how you want us to live and help us to be thankful for what you have done for us. All glory and praise are yours, Lord Jesus. Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
KIM STARR
I have been a member of UALC since I was 2-years-old. Over my life I have participated in, and volunteered for, numerous ministries, programs, and activities, all of which have grown and strengthened my faith. I have been blessed beyond measure by not only being a part of this congregation, but also by being able to worship with three generations of my family.
"God forgives us unconditionally and we are we really, truly free!" I am carrying this in my heart today. ❤️