Hebrews 8:8-13… Drawing lines in the Sand… part 2

B. The covenant is the marriage covenant that remains INSIDE the Torah.

8 For finding fault with them (the people of the first marriage), he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant (marriage) with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

9 Not according to the covenant (marriage) that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

So, here we see both Paul, and from the warning of Jeremiah, explaining the marriage bond between the people and God, as prophesied, and as history, to the people who had agreed to the Siani marriage covenant. AND that the reason things went ‘south’ in the marriage was, and is, that the bride (people or “church”) went astray and NOT the husband.(God) Jeremiah says “will come” (future) and Paul says “have come”. (present)

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, (the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua) saith the Lord; I will put my laws [Torah] into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

Perfect opportunity to understand Paul’s statement in Romans 4:15 “for where no law is, there is no transgression.” Writing things on our heart (our inner man) , that is either memorization or a constant revisiting of the material.

• Romans 12:2 (KJV) “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
• Acts 15:21 “ For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.”

Over and over again (about 50 times) we read in the Gospels, “Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law [Torah]?” Why would he do this? Why would he remind them to look back at the instructions. Because the instructions contain all the covenants (including marriage).

Yeshua/Jesus lives out all 12 steps in a Hebrew wedding right before their eyes.

12 Steps to a Hebrew Wedding

C. The Torah is for ALL; as well as, for ever.

• Exodus 12:49 “One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.”
• Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew (natural born) nor Greek (sojourner) , there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
• Malachi 3:6 “For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”
• These are the peculiar people God calls out.
• Exodus 19:5 “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
• 1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light”
God tells us in Ezekiel who will comprise the House of Judah and the House of Israel…. using sticks.
• Ezekiel 37:16 “Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions:”
• Ezekiel 37:19 “Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.”
Because Yeshua/Jesus is the “Root of Jesse”, the reference to the Tree of Life, and where in the Bible describes men as trees allegorically, we (people) then become the sticks.
• John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

• Paul confirms this for us in Romans Chapter 11…

11:16-26 “For if the firstfruit [Jesus] be holy, the lump [humanity] is also holy: and if the root [Jesus] be holy, so are the branches [humanity]. And if some of the branches be broken off [divorce of Judah and Israel], and thou, being a wild olive tree [sojourner], wert grafted [assimilated] in among them, and with them partakest [believers/do the instructions of] of the root [Jesus] and fatness [grace] of the olive tree;[Tree of Life/Salvation] Boast not against the branches [natural born]. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.[becoming a burden to the faith in Yeshua/Jesus] Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off [this happened so as], that I might be grafted in.[given the sojourners grace/salvation as was demonstrated at Passover in Egypt] Well; because of unbelief [not following the instructions] they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural [born] branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. [a sojourner] Behold therefore the goodness and severity [this word means COST – let than sink in a minute – what did it cost God?] of God: on them which fell [disobeyed], severity [a HUGE cost]; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: [being a sojourner they didn’t know the penalty of the law, sin equalling death, nor did they know the cost. It would be more difficult for them to imagine the lifetime of animal sacrifice and that Jesus made that ultimate payment for the penalty.] otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief [actually do what God tells them/Torah], shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. [a personal /individual marriage proposal] For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? [Even though the natural born has been divorced, the same rule applies to them, that being, they too can make a personal marriage covenant through Jesus Christ.] For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, [revealing a prophecy] lest ye should be wise in your own conceits;[think that you came up with it on your own] that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. [the grafting/binding of the sticks] And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness [breaking Torah] from Jacob:[Israel]”

Hebrews 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, [via the Holy Spirit, who will lead them to Truth] from the least to the greatest.

• Matthew 5:18-20 King James Version (KJV) “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law [Torah], till all be fulfilled. [completed/made eternal] Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,[who were teaching man-made traditions on par with the commandments of God] ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. [Those that have entered into the marriage and are faithful and have the testimony of Christ.]

13 In that he saith, A new covenant (marriage), he hath made the first old (divorced). Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.(1st marriage)

This is the absolution of the first marriage covenant NOT the absolution of the Torah. He had to say it contemporaneously as the Temple still stood and the Pharisees were still forcing animal sacrifice. This was a very big business to them. Thus their hatred for Yeshua when he said he would destroy the Temple and raise it again in 3 days.

First they laughed at him by telling him how long it took Solomon to have it built. The western mind misses the fact this statement is not in chronological order. Obviously the three days Jesus refers to are the death, burial and resurrection. This creates the “home” for the Holy Spirit in which to reside.

Just like any human would do when building a house, they wait for it to be complete before they move out of the old one. In 70 AD YHVH moved out, and in the vacuum of His absence the walls came down, by the hearts and hands of worldly greed and temporary power, Satan’s specialty.

Is it any wonder that David said in Psalm 119:97 “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.” David saw the law [Torah] as the thing that set him apart, made his identity.

Much like the wedding band we wear today, some wear it with pride and joy and other simply feel the weight of it on their hand. Again, some see it as a promise to love, honor and cherish, while others see it as line of demarcation limiting them from some imaginary freedom they are somehow missing. Another huge tactic of Satan.

Psalm 119:165 “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.”

Could anything be more comforting to a bride than to know she will be taken care of for the rest of her life? What would a bride do if someone, anyone else said to them their husband was a jerk? Would they care? When they know they are their husbands #1?

Finally, The High Priest and the Mediator was established at Mt Sinai between God and humanity according to the first marriage. The same with the new marriage covenant as it will be established at the death, burial and resurrection of the Bridegroom. This too is live fulfilment of prophecy.

• Acts 3:22 “For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear [be obedient] in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.[Torah]

• Deuteronomy 18:14-16 King James Version “For these nations [people], which thou shalt possess[shall inhabit], hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners:[man-made traditions] but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; According to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.

This is the moment of betrothal for the first marriage covenant. Your individual betrothal happens when you lay down your reigns to your life and submit to the authority and protection of the Bridegroom. Yeshua Jesus fulfills both roles.