Hebrew 8:7 and Deuteronomy 4:13, Exodus 34:27-28 part 3

[Originally posted by the same author at Ang Tinig Sa Ilang website]

NOT A SOUND DOCTRINE

The teaching that the Ten Commandments is flawed, inefficient and insufficient leads to many inconsistencies and disagreement with the fundamental teachings of the Bible.

It Attacks God’s Attribute As The Supreme Intelligent Being

Do you think a perfect God will create a defective moral law, a law that reveals His character and serves as His standard of morality?

Our critics argument here directly violates one of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, that God is Omniscient (All-Knowing). God knows everything, and that includes the future, that is why He is able to create a law that serves as a standard for all humanity in all ages. After all, God’s standard of morality should never change even if its subjects changed their perception or relationship with God.

Sad to say, our critics who claim to be true Christians are not aware of their perfectly unsound and blasphemous doctrine.

To say that God’s law is flawed and insufficient is the same as saying that God’s way of thinking and planning is not perfect at all. It indirectly says that God is not all-knowing and lacks mastery in planning. As a professed Christian, will you agree with that?

My appeal to our critics and their fanatic members is this: after you laid out your reasoning and doctrines, please look over at it again. This time study it in wide perspective and see if it violates [your] fundamental teachings.

It Suggests That God is Not Fair

Others argued that God gave different laws for different people in different ages or times. They said that God gave different set of laws for the generation of Adam and Eve, another law in the time of Noah, and another law for the Christians, etc. The Ten Commandments were the laws given for the Jews and only during their time is what they claim.

True enough, God gave specific laws to individuals or groups of people in different times for a particular purpose. But what do we think is the purpose of the Ten Commandments of God? Is it to make wise the Jews alone?

What we are talking here is the set of laws for His standard of morality, a law that transcends all ages of humanity; and that’s what we can see in the Ten Commandments. In letter and principle, it contains the summary of God’s character the first four commandments is showing respect and love for God, the rest are respect and love for other creatures. So God’s Moral Law is actually summarized into two: love for God and love for others; which again can be concluded in one word: LOVE. (Matthew 22:36-40)

If God’s Moral Law is all about love why give it exclusively only for the Jews? If “the law is good” (1 Tim 1:8) why give it only for the Jews? You see, our critics reasoning that God’s Moral Law is only for the Jews doesn’t really makes sense. Indirectly, they are telling us that God is not fair.

It Tells That God’s Character or Standard of Morality Is Changeable

Others reasoned out that in the Old Testament people can look at women with lustful intent and yet will not sin since it was only during Jesus time that this “looking at woman with lustful intent” was mentioned by Christ as a sinful act.

And they go further by saying that "dishonoring grandparents, great grandparents, or granddaughters" are not yet considered a sin in the Old Testament since it was only the "father and mother" that was mentioned in the fifth commandment. (Please read the Right Attitude to God's Law)

This really sounds too narrowly-minded but honestly it's real. They really use that reasoning just to prove that "there really a change in God's Law".

Again, this teaching makes our God a foolish god. Or should I say their perception to their god is a weak, foolish, and silly god. It's okay if they don't consider themselves as Christians. But their claim is the contrary! They even boasting that they are the true Church of God..and yet unknowingly (or maybe intentionally) they make their god an object of Satan's laughter!

Their teaching leads to direct assault of God’s character. It tells that God’s standard of character or morality can be pulled or pushed or swayed in different times, which suggests that God does not have the power to stand with His own words, that God’s law can be changed depending on the people’s acceptance of it.

Satan Laughs Out Loud

Our critics teaching is very much consistent with what Satan wants us to believe: that God cannot be trusted since He easily change His words or standards.

But that’s not the case with our God. “I change not” declared by Him (Mal 3:6). What was considered as a sin in the Old Testament must still be a sin even in this modern generation, else God will be tagged as a double-standard God; after all we are all in the same humanity and from one family and one Source.

Pro 24:21-22 “My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: for their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?”

It Shows Our Critics’ False Impression and Attitude Towards God’s Moral Law

Our critics’ claim displays their total indifference with the godly people of God, both from Old and New Testament, when it comes to the attitude towards God’s law.

OUR BIBLE	THE CRITICS
King David (Old Testament) “The Law of Jehovah is perfect, converting the soul..” Psalm 19:7 MKJV	No, it’s limited. Aren’t you aware that it’s only TEN?!
Apostle James (New Testament) “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:25 KJV	No way! The law is actually a cursed! I’d rather believe the Pharisees who made the law a burden.
King David again “I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad. Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” Psalms 119:96-97 KJV	Oh how I hate your law! We’re proud to be lawbreakers!
Jesus said “Think not that I come to destroy the law..” Matthew 5:17 KJV	No, you abolished it actually!

Bottomline

The old covenant in Hebrew 8:7 is not the Ten Commandments, rather it is the agreement between God and Israel which happened after the Israel were led out of Egypt..and is recorded in Exodus 19. An agreement needs at least two parties involved.

The people and not the Ten Commandments came short that is why the old agreement or covenant was found to be flawed.

Although chapter 8 is enough, but our linking of Hebrews 8:7-onwards to Exodus 19 helped us understand more the right meaning of Hebrew 8:7. This interpretation does not violate any fundamental teachings of the Bible, rather upholds God’s all-knowing attribute. God never change His standard.

Adopt our critics chaining of Hebrew 8:7 to Deut 4:13 and Exo 34:27-28 and you will experience big discrepancies to the already laid out fundamental truths of the Bible.

Praise God for His Truth!

“Hold your laughing, Satan. The truth will always stand out and will never set you free again!”

Please write your comments here or here.

Hebrew 8:7 and Deuteronomy 4:13, Exodus 34:27-28 part 2

[Originally posted by the same author at Ang Tinig Sa Ilang website]

In part 1 of this series we learned that the word "covenant" in Hebrew 8:7 is NOT the same meaning of the word "covenant" in Deuteronomy 4:13 or Exodus 34:27-28, thus those verses should not be connected in interpreting the "covenant that became faulty" in Hebrew 8:7.

We also found out that Exodus 19:1-8 is the best and reasonable passage to link with Hebrews 8:7-onwards. Let’s continue…

So What Is The Real Message of Hebrew 8:7?

Yes, there’s no need to jump away from the book of Hebrews to get the real message of Hebrew 8:7-13. If one can’t get the message for a particular verse, try to read the surrounding verses, or other books written by the same author first.

What our critics did is that they read Hebrew 8:7-onwards and immediately linked it to Deut 4:13 or Exodus 34:27-28 without taking the real message of Hebrew 8:7 first! If only they adhere to the real message of Hebrew 8:7 (and onwards) it would not be necessary to use outside Hebrew verses.

The chapters of Hebrew 7-10 are enough to get the real meaning of Hebrew 8:7, and we can summarize it this way:

“That the old covenant was flawed because of the people’s laxity in fulfilling their promise (8:7). That is why there’s a need to renew the covenant so that humanity can still have the hope of salvation (8:8, 10). The ceremonies in the earthly sanctuary were symbols used so that men can grasp God’s way of salvation. When the new covenant came these symbols were taken over by the real ones–not by symbols anymore (7:12; 9:1).

So now in the new covenant we have a High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary and that is no other than Jesus Christ. He is now the Lamb that was sacrificed once and for all (7:27; 9:12). His blood completed that covenant (9:14). In this new covenant it is the same law that God wants us to follow. He even wrote it in our minds and hearts instead of putting it away (8:10).”

As we noticed, there is no indication of a "Ten Commandments that was flawed and thus abolished" in the passages above. To come up with that interpretation one will move away from Hebrew 8, and take the word "covenant" in Hebrew 8:7 OUT OF ITS CONTEXT.

OUT OF CONTEXT

Now let's look closer at our critics' interpretation of Hebrew 8:7 and see if it's really in accordance with what the author is saying. Again, this is how they crafted their reasoning.

First, they will emphasize the word "covenant" in Heb 8:7

Heb 8:7-13 “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second…”

After reading completely the whole verses (they are doing this to point out indirectly that they are not omitting or neglecting any part of the verse, which is fine but kind of hypocritical because they will still intentionally use the wrong emphasis), the next importance that they will point out is this verse...

Heb 8:9 "Not according to the covenant 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.."

They also use that verse above to bridge it with the verses from the Old Testament, and then eventually landed on...

Deu 4:13 “And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. “

Exo 34:27-28 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.”

So now they will conclude that it is the "Ten Commandments-covenant that was flawed" in Hebrew 8:7 and thus abolished.

But we found out above (the real meaning of Hebrew 8) that NOTHING, even in the whole chapter of Hebrew 8, suggests about a "Ten Commandments that was flawed and thus abolished". Instead, in Hebrew 8:10, God's law is written in hearts and mind instead of abolishing it.

Here we can see that the word "covenant" in Hebrew 8:7 was taken out of its context by our critics to come up with their crafted doctrine (Ten Commandments was abolished) which is totally not the topic even in the whole chapter of Hebrew 8.

ALMOST NEAR AND YET SO FAR

Their chaining of these verses are very convincing, since most verses talk of the same event and with the same "covenant" words.

In my personal study of this, I temporarily accept their interpretation and see for myself if it will not violate any already laid out fundamental teachings of the Bible..meaning I checked if their interpretation is sound or not. Even with just little research, I found so many errors that violates the fundamental teachings of the Bible. These errors were discussed in part 3 of this series.

So I go back to their chaining of verses and find the problem in their reasoning. Fortunately, the ultimate author of the book of Hebrews, the Holy Spirit, guides me on this and this is what I am sharing now with you.

Now let's use the words of the author of Hebrew himself to expose the poisons of our critics' interpretation. Some of these were already discussed.

God Found Fault in the People, not in the Covenant-Ten Commandments

Again with our critics reasoning, the covenant-Ten Commandments is the one that was found to be flawed, imperfect, lacking so many laws, etc. They even mock us “Where is the law against sniffing cocaine in the Ten Commandments?” Certainly, this kind of thinking asserts their claim that the Ten Commandments lack so many things. That is why for them the Ten Commandments is the covenant that is found to be flawed.

Maybe it’s already obvious for you where to get the truth to iron out this erroneous statements. Yes it’s the immediate verses of Hebrew 8:7!

Heb 8:8-9 “For finding fault with them…because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.”

This is a slumdunk truth against our critics claim. Clearly, it is not the Ten Commandments that is faulty. God found fault in the people that is why the old covenant was flawed. Immediate verses answer our critics’ stand.

The Law Is Written In Our Hearts

Moreover..

Heb 8:10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws 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”

I think there is no need for further explanation. Amen! The verse speaks for itself unless the reader has preconceived thinking against it.

A New Set of Laws?

Now some may argue that the “law” above refers to the “new set of laws started by Jesus”.

• Firstly, it’s not written in the verse that this law is a new law.
• Secondly, let’s all remember that the author of Hebrew was explaining what was prophesied by prophet Jeremiah (31:31). Upon his expounding of this prophecy, the author of Hebrews NEVER gave a hint that this law is a new set of laws! It was his opportunity to tell us that God is giving a new set of law as replacement to the Ten Commandments, but he never did.

Exo 19:5 “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant [Ten Commandments--Deut 4:13], then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: “

The basis of Israel’s being faithful to their covenant with God is their obedience to God’s words, especially the Ten Commandments. In the new covenant it is still the same set of laws, the Ten Commandments, where God wants us to follow. He is putting it in our hearts and mind. Our critics want to take it away from us!

Part 3 of this series talks about the dangers of our critics interpretation of Heb 8:7.

Please write your comments here or here.

Hebrew 8:7 and Deuteronomy 4:13, Exodus 34:27-28 part 1

[Originally posted by the same author at Ang Tinig Sa Ilang website]

Many are connecting Hebrews 8:7 to Deuteronomy 4:13 to prove that the “covenant that is faulty” is the Ten Commandments, thus, the Ten Commandments was made obsolete and are no longer binding in the Christian era.

I personally heard this teaching from Mr. Eliseo Soriano, the Filipino preacher and leader of the Members of the Church of God International commonly known as The Old Path (Ang Dating Daan) who boasts of being a sensible preacher. He even mocks us by asking “Where is baptism in the Ten Commandments? Where is the law against sniffing cocaine and watching x-rated films in the Ten Commandments?” Surely enough, these kinds of reasoning support his claim that the Ten Commandments lack so many laws. And unsurprisingly he used exactly Hebrew 8:7 and Deuteronomy 4:13 to come up with his deceiving crafts.

Another group that adheres to this kind of reasoning is from this website. If you read the first paragraphs of their article you’ll clearly see that they too used Hebrews 8:7 and connected it with the verses in the Old Testament that point to the Ten Commandments as the “covenant” (Exo 34:27-28).

Let’s read the verses again:

Heb 8:7-13 “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second…”

Deu 4:13 “And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. “

Exo 34:27-28 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.”

Hmmm…it seems that they are correct; after all those verses talk about the word “covenant”.

Related But Not Of The Same Meaning

The main problem of our critics’ argument is that the “covenant” in Heb 8:7 is not the same “covenant” in Deut 4:13. The two verses are related but are not of the same meaning.

Deut 4:13 talks about the Ten Commandments as the covenant. This covenant is a thing—a two-table-of-stones.

Hebrew 8:7 talks about a covenant in a broader perspective. It is not a thing that we can touch by our bare hands. It is an agreement, an event where God and Israel declared their promises.

Let’s look at the context of Hebrew 8

Heb 8:8 “For he finds fault with them… not like the covenant that I made with their fathers.. For they did not continue in my covenant..”

Here we can see that this covenant involved two parties: “them” (the Israel) and “I” (God). Even in the new covenant these two parties are still involved.

Heb 8:10 ” For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel.”

So, contextually the covenant in Heb 8:7 is not just a thing. It is an agreement between God and Israel, a covenant in a wider perspective.Therefore it is not wise to connect the covenant in Heb 8:7 with the covenant in Deut 4:13 because the two verses are not pertaining to the same meaning of words.

What Is The Proper Verse From Old Testament To Associate With Heb 8:7?

Let’s get the clue from Hebrew 8:9

“not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.”

So now this covenant that was found to be faulty happened after the Israelites were immediately led out of Egypt. The proper verse to go to (if really necessary) is Exodus 19:1-8 and onwards:

“On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness.”

That is the link from Heb 8:7 to Exo 19. Moving on..

Exo 19:3-8 “..while Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him. All the people answered together and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD.

This is the exact covenant that the author of Hebrews was talking about in 8:7. Here we can see two parties involved giving each other’s promises. Remember a covenant is generally an agreement in its deepest and most valued sense between at least two parties.

A Reasonable Linking of Verses?

Now let’s go back to Hebrews 8:7 and see if that event, the agreement-covenant happened in Exodus 19:1-8, is really the covenant that the author of Hebrews was talking about. Let's read the whole passage first...

Heb 8:7 “For if that first covenant [agreement] had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. For he finds fault with them when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant [agreement] with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant [agreement] that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant [can be the ten commandments (Deut4:13)], and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant [agreement] that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Now, let's analyze it slowly...

Heb 8:7-8 “For if that first covenant [agreement] had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second....Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant [agreement] with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.."

Can you see, so far, any out-of-context or contradictions from our interpretation to what the author of Hebrews is actually saying? I believe none. Rather, we are actually affirming his words.

Since the first faulty covenant is an "agreement" then the covenant to be made should also be an "agreement", as a replacement to the old agreement!

Let's move on...

Heb 8:10-11 "For this is the covenant [agreement] that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, And on their heart also will I write them: And I will be to them a God, And they shall be to me a people...."

Any contradictions now? Again, I believe none. Rather, we are still affirming the writer's words..that "in the new agreement, God will put His laws into their mind and heart". Smoothly, no complications, no contradictions.

"God Does Everything In The New Covenant"

"An agreement needs the promises or words of at least two parties, but in the new covenant (Heb 8:10-11) it is God who does it all. So the word 'covenant' in that verse cannot be an agreement", that's the claim of our critics.

Our answer:

It is true that in the new covenant "God does it all"...for HIS PEOPLE. I highlighted those words to emphasize that God's promises in the new covenant applies only for all those people who positively responded to His calling (John 3:16). The sanctification that is being carried out by the Holy Spirit in the new covenant does not apply to those who willfully, intentionally, and wholeheartedly disobey God (Eph 4:30; Matt 12:31-32).

So this means that a person should take his efforts (respond positively to God's calling) in order for him to be part of God's people, where "God does all the workings". To respond positively is to say "yes" or "no". This is where the "agreement" comes.

Therefore, the word "covenant" in Heb 8:10-11 is still applicable to "agreement" since God wants us to "agree" with His words first, instead of forcing anyone to be with Him.

Part 2 of this series gives the exact meaning of Hebrew 8:7 contextually, without the need of using outside verses from the book of Hebrew, thus ironing out the twisting of truths that our critics did. We will also expose the errors of reasoning used by our critics in interpreting Heb 8:7. We will also expose the weirdness of the end results of their interpretation of the said verse. Hope to see you there!

Please write your comments here or here.