Part 7

~~Fall of the OT covenant~~

Before I pick up with verse 22, I want to back up and show some Scriptural connections with some of the above verses.

In Lam 3:7 it said God hedged her about so she could not get out. Hosea 2:6-Therefore, behold I will HEDGE up thy way with THORNS, and make a WALL, that she shall not find her paths.

This is speaking of v5-her ‘mother who played the harlot’. Now we know this is the old whorish Jerusalem. So this is the one he said he hedged up so she could not get out. He cut off that old law which is the same as Jerusalem.

In verse 10 God said he was as a lion in secret places. Check this with Hosea 5:14-For I will be unto Ephraim [any doubt about who is being spoken of?]-As a LION and as a young lion to the house of Judah: [any doubt about who is being spoken of?]-I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him. Who? Judah. This is God saying He tore that law system, including Jesus the first man Adam, and did away with it.

V15-I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

6:1-Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

V2-After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight

V3-Then shall we know if we follow on to know the LORD; His going forth is prepared, as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

Now this is Judah saying that they will return to the Lord after he had torn them. They are speaking of the resurrection of Jesus, when in the third day after his death, he would raise up some of those OT saints and take them over into the New Jerusalem = the NT Gospel.

Also, it speaks of their coming into the NT Church on the day of Pentecost.

Remember in Lam.3:4 he said he broke their bones; compare to Isaiah 38:13-I reckoned till morning, that, as a LION, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.

Compare v6 with Psalm 88:1:6-v5[Jesus speaking] Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave.v6-Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Remember he said God had brought him into darkness and not into light? This is the interpretation of that verse.

Now Lam. 3:22-26-22. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. [They are saying here that God did not do away with them completely, because of His mercy in bringing them into the NT there on the Day of Pentecost.]

23. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

See, a new morning or day started at the resurrection of Jesus. The day of Grace started.

24. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

25. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

These verses are showing that there is hope in seeking God and waiting to come into the new day of Grace.

V27-It is good for a man that he bear the YOKE in his youth.

Is. 52: 2. Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

This speaks of Jesus’ resurrection. When He arose, this was freeing him from the dust body. It also pictures the resurrection of all God’s true people that we will be delivered from this body of corruption. Sit down, O Jerusalem = this is calling Jesus Jerusalem, for this is the name of the Lord. This is the beginning of the New Jerusalem. This is Grace coming in. Loose thyself from the ‘bands’ of thy neck. This band was that yoke of law; of human dust frame. Those under that yoke of law and consequently a body of dust, were the captive daughters of Zion. When we come into grace, then later put on the glorified body, this will complete our being freed of those bands of law and human flesh.

Acts 15:10-Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a YOKE upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

He is calling that LAW a YOKE TO HARD TO BEAR-A YOKE OF IRON-A HEAVY CHAIN.

Why is it good for him to bear the YOKE in his youth?

Youth is childhood.

Gal. 3:23-But BEFORE FAITH came, we were kept under the law [THE YOKE]-shut up [he had shut them up, remember?]-Unto the FAITH which should AFTERWARDS be revealed.

After what? They had been shut up as a child= under the yoke = law.

V24-Wherefore the LAW [yoke]-was our SCHOOLMASTER [who goes to school? Children]-to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by FAITH.

V25-But after that FAITH is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. [Law; yoke].

Now for some glory; revelation!

Paul’s writings are very much misunderstood by the church world.

1Cor. 13:9-For we KNOW in PART, and we prophesy in part.

V10-But when that which is PERFECT is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

The LAW was that which was in part. Their prophecies were only in part; for they did not have the full glory = the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.

V11-WHEN I WAS A CHILD,

[I will finish this in a minute; but look at this]-Hosea 11:1-WHEN ISRAEL WAS A CHILD, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

When Paul was an Israelite = in the law= then he was a child = under the schoolmaster= the law = knew in part = could only prophecy in part-see?

Now, Paul is a Christian.

V12-When I was a child, I spake as a CHILD, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. BUT when I became a MAN, [a man-child; in Christ]-I put away childish things.

Now, people of God, He just revealed this to me.

Paul is NOT speaking here of himself [as he was not in Romans 7] he is speaking of the Spiritual condition of mankind in both places.

The church world has misunderstood this passage and run wild with it. Lots of people even say this shows that the wonderful, much needed gifts of the Spirit have been done away with because we have the completed Scriptures to read. In other words people, they would have us believe the only thing we can have from God today is a book to read.

Paul is saying after he came to Grace, = spiritual man-hood, he put away the childish things of the law. Of seeing in part. Of knowing in part. Of seeing darkly.

V12-For now we SEE through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

This makes it look as if he is saying that now, as a true Christian he is only seeing [understanding darkly] but no! It is the same speech as in Romans 7 where he is speaking of mankind under the law as though it were of himself personally.

Here, Paul is saying to those people who were still holding onto law [as most of those churches in that day were] he is saying this as if it were them [for this is their condition] Now we [them; not Paul] see = understand- through a glass darkly. Now why was this?

11Cor. 3:13-And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:

V14-But their minds [understanding] were BLINDED; = [dark]-for until THIS DAY remaineth the same veil [blindness; darkly]-untaken away [see it was STILL IN THAT CHURCH] in the reading of the Old Testament; which veil is done away in Christ. [When one becomes a MAN].

V15-But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.

[Now this does not imply that to read the words of the OT Books blinds one; it means that if as you read, you see it as law, that is the blindness. The very same words can speak grace to you if you have a spiritual mind. The carnal mind [the mind that sees law] cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God, for to him it is foolishness. The Law demands death and immediate punishment for every transgression, so forgiveness is totally foreign to a law minded person.]

V16-Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.

V17-Now the Lord is that Spirit: [the Holy Ghost]-and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

V18-But we all, [who? Those who have turned to the Lord and had the veil taken away; became a man]-with OPEN face beholding [seeing] as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into this same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord

Changed from that glory of the ministration of death by Moses to the glory of the Spirit by which we see openly, face to face. Glory! Thank you my God for this great revelation!

This shows that those who turn to the Holy Ghost are NOW seeing the glory of the Lord plainly, face to face. This is NOT something still out in the future.

28. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.

Is. 53: 7. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

This shows that all forsook Jesus at the cross and He stood there all alone. Remember how it says he openeth not his mouth? That is this silence. He did not try to defend himself and set himself free. He went to that cross willingly for us. It shows that he had borne the yoke of the law upon himself in his youth, or his stay on earth under that law covenant.

29. He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.

This shows that Jesus lived here is the dust frame of humanity. It also speaks of his going down into the grave where the body turns back to dust. This was the only hope for humanity to be redeemed back to God.

30. He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.

Is. 50: 5. The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.

6. I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

This shows that it is Jesus who gave his cheek to those who smote him.

Col. 2: 13. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

These verses in Col. prove that as Jesus died on that cross he also killed or did away with that law yoke. Yet it is very evident from all Paul’s writings that the church of his day had already healed that head of law which had been killed with that sword of the Lord and were again entangled with that yoke of bondage. So it is until this very day. I dare say there is not one church in America today which is living purely under grace. Their leaders declare you must be at a certain ‘church’ at a certain time. They declare you are under obligation = law--to be at your own home ‘church’ when they have their programs. You are not FREE to go where ever you feel led to go or desire to go. They take away the freedom Jesus gave you. They declare you MUST tithe, thus bringing you back under the OT law. They never study the NT Church in the Book of Acts and see that they were not under the law. They worshiped God every day. They gave 100% of their goods and themselves to the Lord. They were not under a law, or constrained to do this. They were to do it out of a willing heart. This is all God accepts under Grace. A law puts you back under that yoke of bondage, which Jesus freed you from. So by going back to law, you FALL away from Grace and Christ is of no effect unto you. And you sacrifice this glory of being under the power of Christ to have your little church programs. You are bound to their law, so they can have their churches full and get your money to spend on their buildings, which God despises. See the setting up of a man-made house for the Lord to dwell in is of the old covenant, which He did away with. All of these things put you back under that bondage of the yoke of law. Peter told us in Acts 15 that we are NOT to go back and keep the Law of Moses. Yet every church today thinks they must still go by that law. What a shame!

31. For the Lord will not cast off for ever:

Zech. 11: 4. Thus saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;

5. Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.

6. For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbor's hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.

7. And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.

8. Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.

9. Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.

10. And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant, which I had made with all the people.

11. And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the Lord.

This shows the shepherds [the possessors of God’s people; their pastors] slay them [they slay them by taking them back into bondage of law]-and hold themselves not guilty, for they are getting their riches and their little programs upheld. Jesus took his two staves and broke them. In doing so he cut off three shepherds. What were these shepherds? The cut off prophets priests and kings of the OT. These were the shepherds of the OT. See that they hated Jesus and he also hated them. They are the very ones who persecuted Jesus all his days and finally had him killed.

Verse 9 He said he would not feed them but would let them die. This is saying the same thing we have already shown that there was no food left in that Old Covenant.

He took his staff Beauty and cut it asunder thus breaking his covenant with all the people. Since we know the Word said Grace is an everlasting covenant, this has to be the covenant of law he cut off. The poor of the flock what waited upon him was the NT Christians. This was those who came out of that dead old law covenant and came into Grace.

~~ By: Jo Smith ~~