COVENANT

COVENANT

Caused by  a combination of malaria and power cuts! Sorry.

At the dedication of the new Temple constructed by Solomon (his workers really!), he offered many burnt sacrifices to God as required in the Feast of Tabernacles.

It was an amazing occasion!

Solomon's action teaches us:

(a) A picture of Jesus: our Great High Priest offering Himself to the father. Also, of the beautiful prayer of Jesus in which He confirms the New Covenant.

(b) Our self sacrifice is required: Being willing to die to our self, our own desires, taking up our cross and doing the Father's will, then we will experience all the promises and blessings of the New Covenant.

Continual repetition of day and night.

God set the sun, moon and stars in place to divide night and day as signs - as the sign of the Davidic Covenant. This is a constant reminder of the faithfulness of our covenant keeping God.

A picture of the faithfulness of God and the certainty of His promise of Jesus to make a NEW COVENANT with all mankind.

(b) Which family will we belong to?

The promise to Abraham for his seed was split into two. The 'stars of heaven' (the heavenly minded seed) and the 'dust of the earth. (earthly minded seed)

There is a present day dealing, cleansing and separation amongst God's people represented by the 'spirit of judgement' and the 'spirit of fire'.

There are two types of Christians:

Believer: Carnally (human) minded. One takes the free gift of life but doesn't change their lifestyle.

Disciple: Disciplined for God. Allowing God to change us as He takes us through different life situations.

(c) It is the heavens who rule. God is raising a group, a company of kings and priests to rule and reign with Him from His throne of creation.

He will come and reign!

And the overcomers will reign with Him.

I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.

Christ in us, the hope of glory!

Disobedience of the Jews to the House of David ending in the death of Jesus on the Cross.

All the Old Testament covenants, from the time of Adam onwards, point to the coming of Jesus and the final 'New Covenant' that God would make with His creation - you and me.

As this is the final covenant, we simply have the option to accept or reject it. There is no other alternative. After we die, there are no more chances. This is it!

God is faithful, even when we are not!

We can see how, throughout thousands of years of history, God has given His chosen people chance after chance as they repeatedly fell foul of their human nature and disobeyed Him.

We need to learn from history!

WHO WROTE THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS?

The consensus of scholarly opinion is that the Dead Sea Scrolls constitutes part of the library of a sect of Jews called the Essenes. There has been much debate on the etymology of the name Essenes and numerous theories have been presented. One theory is that it is derived from Assaya, "healers" but this fails on etymological grounds. Another is that it derives from Osa ha-Torah "Keepers of the Torah," The most likely origin for the name Essenes, Greek , is the Aramaic HASAYYA, the equivalent of the Hebrew Qedoshim, meaning "Holy Ones." This opinion is generated by the content of the texts known as the sectarian scrolls. What we know of the Essenes comes from three sources; Flavius Josephus (37-101 CE), Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE), and Philo of Alexandria (app. 15BCE-50CE).

Let us look at what Josephus has to say:

Wars of the Jews II.VIII.2-13

2. For there are three philosophical sects among the Jews. The followers of the first of which are the Pharisees; of the second, the Sadducees; and the third sect, which pretends to a severer discipline, are called Essens. These last are Jews by birth, and seem to have a greater affection for one another than the other sects have. These Essens reject pleasures as an evil, but esteem continence, and the conquest over our passions, to be virtue. They neglect wedlock, but choose out other persons children, while they are pliable, and fit for learning, and esteem them to be of their kindred, and form them according to their own manners. They do not absolutely deny the fitness of marriage, and the succession of mankind thereby continued; but they guard against the lascivious behavior of women, and are persuaded that none of them preserve their fidelity to one man.

3. These men are despisers of riches, and so very communicative as raises our admiration. Nor is there any one to be found among them who hath more than another; for it is a law among them, that those who come to them must let what they have be common to the whole order, — insomuch that among them all there is no appearance of poverty, or excess of riches, but every one's possessions are intermingled with every other's possessions; and so there is, as it were, one patrimony among all the brethren. They think that oil is a defilement; and if any one of them be anointed without his own approbation, it is wiped off his body; for they think to be sweaty is a good thing, as they do also to be clothed in white garments. They also have stewards appointed to take care of their common affairs, who every one of them have no separate business for any, but what is for the uses of them all.

(To be continued next week.)