Why the Sacrifices in the Sinai Covenant

[Arial]

God made a covenant of promise with Abraham that all nations would be blessed through his seed. (Gen12:1-3) This covenant was unilateral, meaning it was an agreement between two parties, God and Abraham, in which only one of the parties has the responsibility to act. In this agreement only God has that responsibility to fulfill the promise. The covenant had three main parts. The promise of land (Gen 12:1) which turned out to be Canaan (Gen12:6-7). The promise of descendants as numerous as the sand on the seashore who would bless the whole earth, and that his descendants would become a great nation with mighty kings. (Gen17:6) And that God would bring blessing and redemption to all people through Abraham's people. God made this promise again to Isaac (Gen 21:12; 26:3-4) and Jacob (Gen 28:14-15)

The covenant given at Sinai was bilateral, a covenant of obligation, and had to do with keeping the land. This did not annul the covenant of promise with Abraham, but it was through this temporary covenant of Law and obligation that the covenant of Abraham was being fulfilled. In the Sinai covenant were laws concerning the approach to God in worship of Him, something a sinful man cannot do. These are found in the Levitical priesthood laws and regulations. It is in this portion of the Law that we most vividly see the shadows and types of Christ who fulfills the Abrahamic covenant of promise. The animal sacrifices provided a temporary covering for sins of the people approaching God, that they might do so. It adhered to the decree of God, "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." All the duties of worship were performed by the tribe of Levi, the sacrifices attended by priests, the sacrifice of atonement, by only the high priest, and once a year. Only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies where the presence of God dwelt, and that once a year. And he had to first make atonement for his own sin.

The purpose was for sinful man, who cannot approach a holy God, to be able to do so. It was necessary for God in His mercy and forbearance to provide this means in order for His decrees and His promises to Abraham to be fulfilled according to His plan of redemption as it moved forward to the promise of the Seed. Now that the seed has come, a way of true and perfect righteousness through which mankind can come into the presence of God has been provided, apart from temporary means.

Jesus performed the perfect righteousness that is required to dwell with God, then laid down this righteousness on the cross carrying vicariously the sins of His people, paying the just requirement for them, death. But because there was no fault, no blemish, in Him, He rose again to life and returned to the Father. as priest and king. For all those who put their trust in Him, His righteousness is counted as their own, and they can come before His very throne of grace, to receive grace and mercy in their time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore com boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

 

[Comingfrom]

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.
Psalm 51:17

Offer unto God thanksgiving;
and pay thy vows unto the most High:
Psalm 50:14

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house,
and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 3:10

 

[Studyman]

In the Holy Scriptures, the Spirit of Christ instructs us to "test and prove" all things. "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." To take the sermons of "another voice" as truth without comparing it to God's actual Words, would be a Sin, a direct refusal to follow the instructions of the Spirit of the Christ which inspired these Words.

So in the interest of being a Faithful servant of Christ, let's compare the foundational principle of your sermon, to what the Words of God actually say.

God made a covenant of promise with Abraham that all nations would be blessed through his seed. (Gen12:1-3) This covenant was unilateral, meaning it was an agreement between two parties, God and Abraham, in which only one of the parties has the responsibility to act.

Gen. 12: 1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

So here is a commandment from the God of the bible. God spoke to Abram and gave him instruction to "DO" something. That is, leave his comfort zone, his family traditions and religions, to leave the life he was born into.

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Here God is telling Abram what will happen if Abram does as God instructs.

4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

Here is Abram showing that he believed in God, we know this by his "works".

It's important to remember that God also gave Adam and Eve instruction, and also Cain. The difference between Abram here, and Adam and Cain, is that Abram heard God's Sayings, and was a "DOER" of His Sayings, while Adam and Cain, who also "heard" the sayings of God, were "NOT DOERS" of God's Sayings. Now some imply in their preaching that Abram had no say in the matter. Implying that God gave him the promise and then forced him to leave his father. But it seems if all Scriptures are taken into account up to this point in the Scriptures, God instructs men, and if they believe Him, they obey. If they don't believe Him, they will not obey. Abram believed, and we know this by his "works". Adam and Cain did not believe, and we know this by their "works". And so the Scriptures about God "Who will render to every man according to his deeds:" are proven true from the very beginning.

Let's continue.

Gen. 17: 1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

Here again, God is giving Abram instruction and explaining what will happen if Abram follows the instruction. If Abram doesn't believe God, he will "Not DO" as God instructs. If Abram believes God, he will "DO" as instructed, his obedience being the "works" that proves his belief/faith.

Gen. 18: 18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Again, God knows the end from the beginning. He knew that Abraham would "DO" as instructed "so that" God could fulfill HIS Promise to him. Did God "make" Abraham obey as the founding principle of your sermon implies? Or did both Abraham and God enter into a free will Covenant in which both parties had obligations to each other. One party, God, who provided the instruction and promises, and the other party, Abraham, who was obligated to believe God, in order to receive the promises.

And what does the Holy Spirit of God who inspired these Scriptures tell us happened between God and Abraham? He tells us in His Instruction to Abraham's Son.

Gen. 26: 2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:

Here was the instruction again.

3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

And here is the Promise again. And why were these blessings promised to Isaac?

5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

So what did Isaac "do" after he heard these sayings of God? Was he a "hearer" of God's sayings only, or did he hear, and was also a "DOER", like Abraham?

6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar: (as the LORD had spoken unto him)

As Jesus Himself said "If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham."



So there are many more Scriptures which show the "works" of Faithful Abraham, but to keep the post shorter, I have only posted a few.

Therefore, the founding principle of your sermon regarding the agreement or covenant between God and Abraham, " in which only one of the parties has the responsibility to act.", is proven untrue. According to what is actually written, not only did Abraham have a responsibility to listen and be a "doer" of God's Sayings, he did, and "Because of his works", Isaac and his seed was blessed.

There is another foundational pillar of your seron that needs addressed. I will address this on a different post. I understand you cannot accept these things, but for others reading along, I post this perspective so that they might be careful not to adopt this world's religious philosophies that are contrary to the Holy scriptures.

 

[Studyman]

The covenant given at Sinai was bilateral, a covenant of obligation, and had to do with keeping the land. This did not annul the covenant of promise with Abraham, but it was through this temporary covenant of Law and obligation that the covenant of Abraham was being fulfilled.

Since the foundational pillar of your sermon has been proven wrong according to Scriptures, and a little leaven leavens the whole lump, how can what is built on a falsehood, not also be a falsehood? So you believe the Covenant God had with Abraham was different than the Covenant God made with Abraham's Children.

Let's see what is actually written.

Gen. 6: 9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Gen. 17: 1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Duet 18: 13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

1 Kings 8: 60 That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else. 61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

Matt. 5: 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Phil. 3: 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Even the Words of Jesus Himself and Paul are furthering the instructions of God and Moses and the Prophets regarding our obligation to God. How was God's instruction to Abraham to walk before HIM, any different than Christ's exact same instruction? Or Moses instruction to Abraham's Children?

Men have an obligation to God whether they believe it or not. Your preaching that God's instruction to Abraham was different than God's instruction to Abraham's children is simply not true, according to Scriptures. What you refuse to accept, is the difference between "many" who came out of Egypt, and Abraham. Abraham believed God, but "many" of the Israelites did not believe God, even though HE warned them.

Duet 30: 19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

As a result, they didn't walk before Him in the Commandments of God like their father Abraham did. Or as Jesus says, "they didn't "DO" the Works of Abraham". They Transgressed. Because of this transgression, God "ADDED" a Priesthood Covenant with Levi on Israel's behalf, that Abraham wasn't under. This Priesthood Covenant was to be in place "Til the seed should come". This is the Covenant that became obsolete, not the Covenant God made with Abraham and his children.

This is why it is so important to "prove" all the religious voices of this world, especially those who come in Jesus' Name. AS Paul writes;

2 Tim. 3: 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith (Belief) which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Not Gameliel, not Constantine, not Huss or Calvin, not Russel or White or Wesley. Certainly not Robert Pate or GA. But the Holy scriptures, "ALL of them" should be the standard by which we live. As the Jesus of the Bible teaches.

"Man shall live by Every Word which proceeds from the mouth of God"

How can a person understand what the Spiritual Symbolism of sacrifices are, when the foundation of their religious philosophy is founded on the religious opinions of one man or another, whose doctrines run contrary to what is actually written?

I know many, who come in Jesus' Name, can't consider such things, nevertheless, it seems good to share a perspective of someone who does.

 

[Arial]

In the Holy Scriptures, the Spirit of Christ instructs us to "test and prove" all things. "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." To take the sermons of "another voice" as truth without comparing it to God's actual Words, would be a Sin, a direct refusal to follow the instructions of the Spirit of the Christ which inspired these Words.

So in the interest of being a Faithful servant of Christ, let's compare the foundational principle of your sermon, to what the Words of God actually say.

I am breaking this up into parts, as you make it necessary for the responder to produce another tome upon your tome, which in turn, produces another tome etc. When we read a newspaper, each article has a headline. This headline tells us what the article is about and what we can expect to find in it. The title or headline, of the OP is Why the Sacrifices in the Sinai Covenant. There is more than one topic in the Bible, and you have per usual, conscripted yet another to promote your particular gospel, obedience for justification. So, I will address it as you also present it as proof that a portion of one sentence isn't true. That being that in the unilateral covenant that God made with Abraham, only God was required to act.

The only one required to act means that, in this case, it is God's responsibility to fulfill the promise. His fulfilling the promise was not conditional upon Abraham doing anything. The fact that Abraham did do things, otherwise he would have died long ago sitting in that same spot, does not make these things a condition of the covenant. That this is so, is shown in Gen 15: 17-18, in which it shows the cutting of the covenant. Where both parties have an obligation in a covenant (bilateral) both parties pass through the animals (the shedding of blood). This was true even in ancient international treaties. In this covenant with Abram, only God passes through the animals. God alone assumes all responsibility of carrying the promise through to the end. It is not even based on faith, let alone obedience. Though in it God proves His faithfulness. Abraham longed to see our day, all the days after Christ's life, death, and resurrection, when the promise was fulfilled, and though He didn't see it, He never lost faith that God would do as He promised. And He did. Now it is faith in Jesus' having fulfilled it that one is joined to Him, that His righteousness is counted as our own, even as Abraham's faith in God was accounted to him as righteousness.

 

[Arial]

Gen. 12: 1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

So here is a commandment from the God of the bible. God spoke to Abram and gave him instruction to "DO" something. That is, leave his comfort zone, his family traditions and religions, to leave the life he was born into.

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Here God is telling Abram what will happen if Abram does as God instructs.

Yes, Abram is proving his faith in God, but this is before the covenant was made. Part of what Abram believes is that God will make him a great nation. He believes Him, but it is not the covenant. God is telling him what he is going to do, and how else was Abram to believe something and act on it, unless God told him. God didn't tell him "If you do this, I will do that." He simply told him to do it and Abram did.

4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

Here is Abram showing that he believed in God, we know this by his "works".

Yes. Faith without works is dead. But also works without faith are dead. The scripture is showing us who Abram is.

It's important to remember that God also gave Adam and Eve instruction, and also Cain. The difference between Abram here, and Adam and Cain, is that Abram heard God's Sayings, and was a "DOER" of His Sayings, while Adam and Cain, who also "heard" the sayings of God, were "NOT DOERS" of God's Sayings.

This is irrelevant to the situation, just a distraction back into your trying to support something with something that doesn't support it. To go into it with you would move the conversation into another whole set of tomes that have nothing to do with the headline of the OP.

Now some imply in their preaching that Abram had no say in the matter. Implying that God gave him the promise and then forced him to leave his father.

I certainly never implied such a thing. So, who are these "some" and what do they, or this, have to do with the conversation?

But it seems if all Scriptures are taken into account up to this point in the Scriptures, God instructs men, and if they believe Him, they obey. If they don't believe Him, they will not obey. Abram believed, and we know this by his "works". Adam and Cain did not believe, and we know this by their "works". And so the Scriptures about God "Who will render to every man according to his deeds:" are proven true from the very beginning.

Obviously. Does that conclude that we achieve perfect righteousness by our works? You are distracting from the meaning of a covenant of promise. Even Abraham sinned, badly and often, beginning with Hagar. You fold works and promise into each other.

Gen. 17: 1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

Here again, God is giving Abram instruction and explaining what will happen if Abram follows the instruction. If Abram doesn't believe God, he will "Not DO" as God instructs. If Abram believes God, he will "DO" as instructed, his obedience being the "works" that proves his belief/faith.

This is not the same covenant and not for the same purpose, except in the working out of the promise. There is a separate cutting as ratifying this covenant, and it is as a sign only, as to Abraham's descendants, who would, in the future, be a part of the covenant of works at Sinai, concerning keeping the land of Canaan, and through whom the covenant of promise would also be fulfilled. Gen 17:7-13

 

[Studyman]

I am breaking this up into parts, as you make it necessary for the responder to produce another tome upon your tome, which in turn, produces another tome etc. When we read a newspaper, each article has a headline. This headline tells us what the article is about and what we can expect to find in it. The title or headline, of the OP is Why the Sacrifices in the Sinai Covenant. There is more than one topic in the Bible, and you have per usual, conscripted yet another to promote your particular gospel, obedience for justification. So, I will address it as you also present it as proof that a portion of one sentence isn't true. That being that in the unilateral covenant that God made with Abraham, only God was required to act.

The only one required to act means that, in this case, it is God's responsibility to fulfill the promise. His fulfilling the promise was not conditional upon Abraham doing anything. The fact that Abraham did do things, otherwise he would have died long ago sitting in that same spot, does not make these things a condition of the covenant. That this is so, is shown in Gen 15: 17-18, in which it shows the cutting of the covenant. Where both parties have an obligation in a covenant (bilateral) both parties pass through the animals (the shedding of blood). This was true even in ancient international treaties. In this covenant with Abram, only God passes through the animals. God alone assumes all responsibility of carrying the promise through to the end. It is not even based on faith, let alone obedience. Though in it God proves His faithfulness. Abraham longed to see our day, all the days after Christ's life, death, and resurrection, when the promise was fulfilled, and though He didn't see it, He never lost faith that God would do as He promised. And He did. Now it is faith in Jesus' having fulfilled it that one is joined to Him, that His righteousness is counted as our own, even as Abraham's faith in God was accounted to him as righteousness.

I know what Calvinism preaches, and what its foundations are. I was comparing your preaching of it, to what the scriptures actually says, that you have pretty much ignored. Any religion that preaches a man who is joined to the Lord, doesn't have an obligation to the Lord, is a deception. Your sermon began with a deception; "This covenant was unilateral, meaning it was an agreement between two parties, God and Abraham, in which only one of the parties has the responsibility to act.

This is simply not true, according to the Scriptures as they pointed out in my post.. Abraham had both the capacity to ignore God's instruction, as did Eve, or accept God's instruction, as did Noah.

For the one action, "So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him" there was a Blessing, for the other action, "she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat," there was a curse. Abram chose the Blessing.

God expected the same exact thing from Abraham's Children, at least according to His Word. "that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, (As did Abraham) that both thou and thy seed may live:”

And Jesus taught the same thing. "but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."

As it is also written; “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

As did Abraham.

 

[Arial]

19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Again, God knows the end from the beginning. He knew that Abraham would "DO" as instructed "so that" God could fulfill HIS Promise to him. Did God "make" Abraham obey as the founding principle of your sermon implies?

You simply cannot, and do not, understand that God's sovereignty and man's responsibility to Him both exist but are not conflated. You absorb God into His creation. And therefore, you make everything about law and man's responsibility. You make all of God's actions and plans conditional, and conditional on the creature. There is no grace or mercy in this. It is enough that the scriptures say that God knows, and that even though they did the doing, their doing is not a condition of the promise being fulfilled, for He has already made the covenant giving no conditions to it. And that God made Abraham obey is not the founding principle of the OP. It is not even suggested or implied except in your own head. Which doesn't count as a statement of fact.

Or did both Abraham and God enter into a free will Covenant in which both parties had obligations to each other. One party, God, who provided the instruction and promises, and the other party, Abraham, who was obligated to believe God, in order to receive the promises.

Abraham did not enter into a covenant agreement at all. If you read it, you will see that. God made a covenant of promise with Abraham because He wanted to. The fulfillment in Christ is by grace, just as its beginning was, by grace.

Here was the instruction again.

3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

And here is the Promise again. And why were these blessings promised to Isaac?

5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

So what did Isaac "do" after he heard these sayings of God? Was he a "hearer" of God's sayings only, or did he hear, and was also a "DOER", like Abraham?

6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar: (as the LORD had spoken unto him)

As Jesus Himself said "If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham."



So there are many more Scriptures which show the "works" of Faithful Abraham, but to keep the post shorter, I have only posted a few.

If Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had not obeyed God then of course what came to pass would not have. But they did. And God knew they would. That does not make their obedience a part of the covenant of promise. Again, you find law in everything you read. If you started with the promise, instead of only looking for the law, you would not do that.

So there are many more Scriptures which show the "works" of Faithful Abraham, but to keep the post shorter, I have only posted a few.

Therefore, the founding principle of your sermon regarding the agreement or covenant between God and Abraham, " in which only one of the parties has the responsibility to act.", is proven untrue. According to what is actually written, not only did Abraham have a responsibility to listen and be a "doer" of God's Sayings, he did, and "Because of his works", Isaac and his seed was blessed.

Abraham met his responsibilities, responsibilities we all have to our Creator, but responsibilities were not a part of the covenant of promise. Do you see any listed when God made the promises? God made the promises and the told Abraham what he needed to do. You actually make light of covenant, and I think that is because you really have no idea of what a covenant is, and you certainly make no distinction as to types of covenants that exist in scripture or have any concept of the purpose of each. The covenant of promise with Abraham is being fulfilled through the Sinai covenant but remains distinct. It runs through it and shadows its fulfillment. But it is not absorbed into it as to lose distinction.

 

[Arial]

Since the foundational pillar of your sermon has been proven wrong according to Scriptures, and a little leaven leavens the whole lump, how can what is built on a falsehood, not also be a falsehood?

It hasn't been.

So you believe the Covenant God had with Abraham was different than the Covenant God made with Abraham's Children.

Let's see what is actually written.

Gen. 6: 9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Gen. 17: 1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Duet 18: 13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

1 Kings 8: 60 That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else. 61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

Matt. 5: 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Phil. 3: 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Even the Words of Jesus Himself and Paul are furthering the instructions of God and Moses and the Prophets regarding our obligation to God. How was God's instruction to Abraham to walk before HIM, any different than Christ's exact same instruction? Or Moses instruction to Abraham's Children?

The covenant God made with Abraham is completely different than the Covenant at Sinai with Abraham's descendents. The first was a promise by God to do something, but contains no stipulations given as to whether God fulfills that promise or not. The second is a promise of God that the would keep the land He promised Abraham, with Him being their God IF they did certains things. And God also promising to bring destruction on them and send them into captivity IF they didn't do those things. See the difference? And this is what happened. They were scattered, They had no king and they came under the oppression of one foreign government after another. Yet He kept a remnant for Himself, and brought them back into the land in accordance to His covenant of promise to David, and according to His promise to Abraham.

Your choice of scriptures to prove your point, are merely proving what Paul says about the law. That it justifies no one and never did. Why? The key word is PERFECT. No one ever did that but Jesus. Not even Noah, or Abraham, or Isaac or Jacob or David, or Moses etc. We see Biblical evidence of everyone of them breaking God's law. What made them "righteous" was the faith in God that was behind their obedience, even though the obedience was not perfect. It was the faith that caused them to obey. You missed the faith in the OT and therefore you miss it in the NT.

There is nothing wrong with our obligations to God, and nothing wrong with meeting them. What is wrong is thinking we can do it perfectly, and in doing so, inherit the kingdom. And you have moved the discussion completely away from the issue at hand---covenant--- to nothing but law and law keeping. As always.

Men have an obligation to God whether they believe it or not. Your preaching that God's instruction to Abraham was different than God's instruction to Abraham's children is simply not true, according to Scriptures. What you refuse to accept, is the difference between "many" who came out of Egypt, and Abraham. Abraham believed God, but "many" of the Israelites did not believe God, even though HE warned them.

Duet 30: 19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

I said the covenant was different. I have not refused to accept the many who came out of Egypt and Abraham. Not that that is what this is about. It is you who do not know who Abraham's true children are. Or that the fact that the Abrahamic covenant lives and moves through the Sinai covenant, does not cause it to lose its distinction, for it is this very thing that separates the true descendents of Abraham from those who are not. And it separates them finally in the New Covenant, which is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant in Christ, by grace through faith.

As a result, they didn't walk before Him in the Commandments of God like their father Abraham did. Or as Jesus says, "they didn't "DO" the Works of Abraham". They Transgressed.

Abraham also transgressed the commandments of God and it didn't take him long to do so. (Enter Hagar.) So what do you suppose Jesus meant?

Because of this transgression, God "ADDED" a Priesthood Covenant with Levi on Israel's behalf, that Abraham wasn't under. This Priesthood Covenant was to be in place "Til the seed should come". This is the Covenant that became obsolete, not the Covenant God made with Abraham and his children.

Not because of any particular transgression by any particular people, but because of transgression. To make a temporary way of forgiveness until the covenant of promise was come to consummation. In patience and mercy. And if you will look in your Bible where God is giving the covenant Law, you will see that the priesthood aspect of it is part of the whole. That portion of the Sinai Law was about worship. As the OP says. That became obsolete, as did the whole law as covenant law. The Law that is the character of God is never obsolete, but keeping it will not save us anymore now than it did before. Because it requires perfect obedience. What saves is Christ's perfect righteousness when it is accredited to the person by grace through faith. ANd just as Abraham's faith was proved by his works, so does the one who is in Christ through faith prove that faith by his works.

This is why it is so important to "prove" all the religious voices of this world, especially those who come in Jesus' Name. AS Paul writes;

2 Tim. 3: 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith (Belief) which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Not Gameliel, not Constantine, not Huss or Calvin, not Russel or White or Wesley. Certainly not Robert Pate or GA. But the Holy scriptures, "ALL of them" should be the standard by which we live. As the Jesus of the Bible teaches.

This is just as empty an argument and support now as it was the first time you used it. If you are going to name names, why do you leave your own name off of your list? This thread is not about your self proclaimed religious voices.

How can a person understand what the Spiritual Symbolism of sacrifices are, when the foundation of their religious philosophy is founded on the religious opinions of one man or another, whose doctrines run contrary to what is actually written?

Yet you seem to think, for some reason, that all religious voices besides yours are wrong, and your religious voice is the one we should listen to. See how empty and vain that argument is?

 

[Arial]

I know what Calvinism preaches, and what its foundations are. I was comparing your preaching of it, to what the scriptures actually says, that you have pretty much ignored. Any religion that preaches a man who is joined to the Lord, doesn't have an obligation to the Lord, is a deception. Y

This thread is not about Calvinism or any ism or any religious philosophy, or Poor Eve who gets blamed for everything while Adam goes in the back and smokes his pipe (canyon echoes of misogynism). So try your darndest to keep it out. As to your argument against me, I do not now and never have preached that a man who is joined to the lord doesn't have an obligation to the Lord. So you fight with a strawman and refuse to stay on the subject of COVENANT. Not LAW. COVENANT.

Your sermon began with a deception; "This covenant was unilateral, meaning it was an agreement between two parties, God and Abraham, in which only one of the parties has the responsibility to act.

This is simply not true, according to the Scriptures as they pointed out in my post.. Abraham had both the capacity to ignore God's instruction, as did Eve, or accept God's instruction, as did Noah.

Are you deaf? I have already told you what it means that only one party acts. Only one party is obligated to fulfill what is promised.

For the one action, "So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him" there was a Blessing, for the other action, "she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat," there was a curse. Abram chose the Blessing.

Covenant SM. Do you know what it is? The subject is about the COVENANT with Abraham. Not the LAW of God.

God expected the same exact thing from Abraham's Children, at least according to His Word. "that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, (As did Abraham) that both thou and thy seed may live:”

And Jesus taught the same thing. "but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."

As it is also written; “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

Did God include those things in the COVENANT He made with Abraham?

Yes, Jesus said those things. And I believe them. Did the people who He said that to, keep all the commandments perfectly? Do you? Does anyone? Has anyone? Wait a second. I believe that must be why Jesus came, to rescue a people from this terrible plight of not being able to save ourselves from this body of sin and death. In the most astonishing and glorious act of pure love, He came as one of us, live in our fallen and dark world right along side the same temptations we have, but for the singular purpose to save us for the Father, He did not sin. Not once. ANd then He died on the cross bearing all the sins of all His people, so that God's justice against those sins was satisfied. But the grave could not hold Him, and now as our high priest in heaven, He opens the most holy of holies to all who trust in HIs work alone, that we might come before HIs very throne of grace to worship Him, in spirit and in truth. For He took our sins upon HImself, and gave us in their place His righteousness. ANd did you hear Jesus say, that if we love the Lord our God with all our heart, and strength, and love our neighbor as our self, that in this we have kept ALL of the commandments? For on these two, all the others rest.

 

[1Mind1Spirit]

Adam and Cain did not believe, and we know this by their "works".

In order for this to be true Adam would have to have been deceived.
Scripture says otherwise.
King James Bible
And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

Your understanding of the beginning is flawed.

 

[Arial]

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.
Psalm 51:17

Offer unto God thanksgiving;
and pay thy vows unto the most High:
Psalm 50:14

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house,
and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 3:10

Just because a scripture mentions sacrifice or thanksgiving or tithes, does not mean it relates to the particular topic of the OP.