My Covenant View, Parallel or Contrast?

Many Christian’s place a stark contrast between the Old and New Covenants, and this contrast is one of the main causes for their erroneous interpretation of the Bible. [New Testament only].

Are the Old and New Testaments in contrast with one another or are they to be viewed more as parallels?
When I ask this question I am not saying that the Old and New Covenant are exactly the same. We are told that the New Covenant is a better covenant founded on better promises [Epistle to the Hebrews].

The New Covenant is the fulfillment of the Old. In the New Covenant, the long awaited Savior has come. He has accomplished the work of redemption. He has died for His people, rose again, ascended into heaven and now sits at God the Father’s right hand, where He [Jesus] now reigns.

What I want to talk about here is the similarities or parallels between the two covenants, to show that they are not two totally different, or contrasted creatures.

Both the Old and New covenants were sovereignly instituted by God Himself. Both covenants contain God’s promises, commands, and warnings. Both covenants contain blessings [for faith and the obedience that flows from it] and curses [for unbelief and the disobedience that flows from it]. Both covenants require an adult to profess faith before entering the covenant. Both covenants have the household of a believer enter the covenant as well [including infants]. The Old Covenant had an initiatory sign in which all covenant members were to take [circumcision]. And the New Covenant likewise has an initiatory sign that all covenant members are to take [Baptism]. The Old Covenant included believers’ children into the covenant even though they could not yet exercise their own faith. Instead they were to receive the covenant sign and be raised and nurtured into a mature faith by means of God’s word, and the sacrificial ceremonies and festivals [including spiritual food and drink], prayer, and fellowship in the covenant community.

Because God has not annulled this commandment, we are to view it as still binding. Children of believers’ are to receive the covenant sign [which is now Baptism, circumcision has been done away with], and are to be raised and nurtured into a mature faith by the means of God’s word, the Sacraments, prayer and fellowship in the Church.
Both Old and New Covenants reveal to us that it is possible for a person to be really “in covenant” with God, and yet not receive the blessings of that covenant. Both Covenants require faith from its members in order to receive the blessings of that Covenant. If a person does not trust in God’s promises, follow God’s commands, and take heed to God’s warnings, then they will not inherit the blessings of the Covenant [Old or New]. It is important to note that faith to believe God’s promises, obey God’s commands and heed His warnings are a gift from God, and not something that inherently comes from within man]. Both the Old and New Covenants deal with the whole man. Both have commandments that deal with the outward actions as well as the inner hearts motivation.

I have talked to some of my Baptist brethren who tried to free themselves from the Old Covenant’s obligations by saying that Old and New are totally different. The Old dealt with the outward and the New deals with the outward and inner. To quickly deal with this I will only give a few passages. In the 10th commandment [given to the Old Testament people] God tells His people not to “covet”. This is a command that deals primarily with the inner man. When Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment in the Law He quoted from Deut 19 “to love the Lord your God with all you heart, soul, strength and mind.” In both of these passages we see that the Old Covenant did not deal with the outward only.
Finally, when we read Hebrews 3&4 and 1 Cor 10 we are encouraged [as Christians] not to follow the same “bad” examples as Old Covenant saints. We are not to follow in their unbelief, complaining, lusting, etc. But we are also shown in these passages that they received the gospel [as did the Christians], they were “all” baptized [as were the Christians], they “all” [children included] ate and drank “spiritual” food [as did the Christians], they had Christ [as did the New Covenant people of God]. We are not told to stop baptizing and taking the Lord’s supper but we are told not to be unbelieving as Israel was, not follow in their sinful lusts. It is interesting to note that the only ones who entered the Lromise land [from those who left Egypt] would have been the children who were now grown. So they ate the spiritual food and it strengthened them to eventually receive the promise land. While the rebellious, disobedient adults took the same spiritual food and drink and were destroyed because of their unbelief and sinful lusts.

In God’s covenant of blessing He gives “means” or instruments to bring forth this blessing. He gives His word, prayer and the sacraments as instruments of blessings. Unfortunately, the very things that God gives for blessings can become the very opposite if they are received in unbelief, unthankfulness and rebellion.

But this does not take away from the goodness of the gift, it merely shows the lack of goodness in the receiver of that gift.