sermonette: Getting To Know God

The New Covenant vs. The Old Covenant
John W. Ritenbaugh
Given 15-May-04; Sermon #666s; 18 minutes

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We're going to begin in Jeremiah, the 31st chapter in the 31st verse. Jeremiah 31:31 through verse 34. Somehow or another I. was in the wrong place. Behold, the days come, sayeth the Lord, that I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which my covenant, they broke, although I was a husband unto them, says the Lord. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days, says the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be to their. I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them, says the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more. Now this is the prophecy of the New Covenant. It's the one that we have made with God. Now this is repeated in Hebrews the 8th chapter, but it's in a different kind of context. In Hebrews, the 8th chapter, it's part of an argument that is used to persuade people how much better Christianity is than anything that has ever been offered to mankind before. Now in Hebrews 8, Paul says, If verse 7, by the way, Hebrews 8:7, Paul says, if the first covenant had been faultless. Now if you do turn to Hebrews 8:7, hold a finger there and in Jeremiah 31 because we are going to come back there. If the first covenant had been faultless. Now that word faultless is somewhat misleading. Because it might give the impression that somehow or another God made a mistake. That the first covenant had a tragic flaw in it. Well, the Old Covenant had no flaw in it. It was adequate to what God was working out at the time. But a better word might have been that it was deficient. That is deficient when compared to the New Covenant. Now within the context of the entire book of Hebrews, The word gives the sense of dissatisfaction on God's part because the Old Covenant was not good enough. And thus the New Covenant has things added to it. that aren't within the Old Covenant. And It did make things a great deal better for us. Now there is a reason why I began in Jeremiah 31 rather than Hebrews 8. Because of the way that it is translated in Hebrews, I mean, pardon me, Jeremiah 31. I want you to notice verse 33 again. Jeremiah 31 and verse 33. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days, says the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts. Here it is translated inward parts. In Hebrews 8. It says into their mind. Now both are correct. But inward parts, I think makes clear one of the major differences between the two. And one that is exceedingly important, making the New Covenant immeasurably superior to the old. Now in what way? Is it immeasurably superior? Well, for one thing, the Old Covenant. Consisted largely of what one might call or term externals. Now you'll recall that even the design of the tabernacle and the temple revealed that the Israelites were essentially cut off from God. Now this is shown symbolically. God's dwelling place even had a veil hiding him from view. In addition, He was in a building that they, meaning the Israelites, except for the priests performing their services, were not even allowed into. And symbolically they had no access to him whatsoever. The Israelite was forced to perceive God as somewhat distant. And so he was forever a powerful but inscrutable, mysterious, unapproachable being. How directly addressing this deficiency. Verse 34 promises. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother saying know the Lord, for they shall all know me. A prophecy when that was first uttered. In other words, One of the benefits of the New Covenant. is that access to him is open. And those making the New Covenant are no longer cut off in order that they might come to know God. Now is this important? Well in John 17 and verse 3. John 17 and in verse 3. It says there is something that we should all have burned into our minds. And this is life eternal, Jesus said that they might know you. The only true God. And Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. So here in John 17 and in verse 3. Uh, Jesus, in a succinct statement says that eternal life. Which I hope every one of us wants. is to know God. Now how can one get to know God when you can't even get close to Him? So the New Covenant Opens the possibility. For one to move beyond merely knowing about God. To actually knowing him intimately. Now so intimately, That we are actually Preparing to marry him. Now let's consider knowing him or the importance of knowing from a different angle. Now this is from God's angle. In Matthew. The 7th chapter and in verses 21 through 23, Matthew 721 to 23. Again, Jesus is the speaker. Does not everyone that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. And many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesized in your name? And in your name have cast out demons, and in your name done many wonderful works. And then will I profess unto them. I never knew you. You see, this works both ways. We have to get to know God. God has to get to know us. And just like he said to Abraham at one point, now I know. And he got to know him. By his obedient submission. To the requirements that God put him to, and then I will profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity. Iniquity is lawlessness. And anybody who is iniquitous is not going to be known by God. Now how is it possible To get to know Christ. Enough that a marriage can take place. Now what is the process by which two human strangers come to know one another so well that they will marry? Now the process is quite similar in our relationship with God. The process begins with learning things about him. But the process does not end there. But at the same time, learning more and more and more about him should never end. And we should always be seeking more in order to impress upon our minds. What an awesome person. This is that we are dealing with. Well, the key word here It's not just awesome, it's person. I just had One of his greatest, one aspect of his greatness. revealed to me about a month ago. Now we've all heard that God calls all the stars in the heavens by name. And there are hundreds of billions of them. Can you imagine keeping hundreds of billions of names? of stars. In your mind We have learned also with the discovery of DNA. That God has created a process by which every single individual ever born. It is unique What I learned just about a month ago through one of those CSI type programs. Is that the DNA Of every sycamore tree. It is also unique. Now if this is true of sycamores. Why not every tree. Now what this does is open the door to the possibility that every tree in the world. It is unique In much the same manner as every human. It is unique And if it is so with trees. Is it possible that every living thing Though it possesses much in common with others of its kind, is nonetheless also unique from all others. What kind of a mind are we dealing with? This is the mind. That God wants us to become intimately familiar and associated with. Now things like this open the door. To a stronger vitally alive faith. But we cannot merely stop, stop there merely knowing things about him. There are many people who know things about him, but they still do not know him. Now when I was young, I read many books voraciously about significant things on earth. And they fired my mind with imagination and a desire to see them. And one of these things was the Grand Canyon. I did not get to see it until I was 36. And despite all the reading that I had done about those things, there was nothing. That compared with actually seeing it and experiencing it in real life was almost overwhelming. I felt that I was in the presence of a great masterwork of awesome design and power, and I know that I did not even want to speak for fear that somehow it would be disturbed. Now to me this demonstrates that actually experiencing gives an intimacy to knowing. That goes far beyond knowing about. Now there are many people Perhaps very famous people in political life, entertainment, or academia. That we may hear about But it's not until we at the very least make an acquaintance of them and feel the force of their personality while in their presence that we have any chance at all of really beginning to know them. Hearsay is superficial and shadowy, and our knowledge in this case is external. But when we actually experience the presence of or fall under the influence of another's character and personality, then we can begin to say with Job, when he said to God, I've heard of you by the hearing of my ear, but now my eye sees you. Job then had a grasp of God. that he hadn't had before. And that is what is involved in the New Covenant. It is the act of experiencing life with God that changes theology into heartfelt religion and doctrine into facts so that faith blossoms. We must never forget. That God is a person. He doesn't want us to merely know about him. But to be on speaking terms with him and to have a familiar acquaintance with him, to be in loving intercourse with him. Now notice what he says. Notice what he said, I should say in verse 23, because it specifically draws our attention as to why God did not even know that. They were workers. of lawlessness. They did not obey him. They did not share. The same standards and without that, They could not possibly come to know him. Because they would never experience life. In the same way that he did. Let's go back to Psalm 34, and we will finish here. Psalm 34 and verse 8. David wrote Oh taste and see. That the Lord is good. Blessed is the man that trusts in him. Now this is what the New Covenant invites us to do. To taste him By experiencing life in communion with him, never forgetting that he is a person. With character, personality, incredible genius, artistry, and power beyond our imagination. Taste Pictures. The first step toward taking something into The body so that it becomes a part of the strengthening, healing, building, and changing. And it happens through sharing life in study, in prayer, in meditation. and obedience. All aimed. Toward knowing him. And intensifying the community with him.