Good morning. Would you turn
to 1 Kings chapter 8. I want to read the first verse. Then Solomon assembled the elders
of Israel and all the heads of the tribes. This is after the
construction of the temple was finished. The chief of the fathers
of the children of Israel unto King Solomon in Jerusalem, that
they may bring up the ark of the covenant, that ark that had
been made some 400 some years before. That they might bring
up the arc of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David,
which is of Zion. Now the phrase I want us to look
at is the arc of the covenant of the Lord, the covenant of
the Lord. Let's pray together. Lord, we come into your presence
in Christ's name and we ask that we might have. Your presence. And your blessing. And that you
might teach us of that covenant. And teach us what it means to
say with David, although my house be not so with God, yet have
the Lord made with me an everlasting covenant. Lord, teach us of your
covenant, forgive us of our sins, and maybe we'd be found in Christ.
We pray for your blessing on the worship services today for
us and for all your people everywhere. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Now this chapter, 1 Kings 8,
is about the dedication of the temple that represented God's
presence. And we're going to be spending
several weeks in this chapter. This talks about Solomon's prayer
for the temple and how the children of Israel were to pray toward
that temple any time they got in trouble and the promises that
came as a result of that. But what I want us to consider
is this statement in verse 1, the Ark of the Covenant of the
Lord. Now most people when they think
of the Ark of the Covenant, what do they think of? Raiders of
the Lost Ark. It was a famous movie and The Ark had these supernatural
powers people looked at. I like the movies. I like Harrison
Ford and all the stuff he does, but it has nothing to do with
the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. And what I want us to think
about is just this statement, the Covenant of the Lord. The
Covenant of the Lord. Now, what's a covenant? Well,
the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of a covenant
is 35 years ago, Lynn and I made a covenant with each other. It's
the covenant of marriage. Certain promises are made in
a covenant between two parties. The covenant of the Lord. Now this covenant is what the
Bible is all about. If you want to know what the
Bible is about, it's about the covenant of the Lord, the covenant
God made with Christ and the covenant he made with everybody
that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is what the Bible is all
about. The covenant of God. God is a covenant God. Now turn to Galatians chapter
four for just a moment. When Paul is talking about Abraham
and Sarah and Isaac and Ishmael and Hagar, he says these things
in verse 24 are an allegory. They're given to teach us something
for these are the two covenants. And notice that language. These
are the two covenants. There are only two covenants
that were made. The first was made with Adam. in the garden. And you remember
that covenant, it went like this, don't eat of that tree, the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil, and you'll live forever.
If you eat, you'll die. Actually, he didn't say if you
eat, he said when you do, you'll die. And then there's a covenant
that God made with Christ before time began. And in this covenant,
He made with Christ, he said, you represent these people. You
save these people and they're going to be your eternal bride. Now, one covenant was with Adam. The other covenant was with the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, this covenant that was made
with Adam is seen in several different ways in the Bible.
It's, you think of the covenant of Sinai, the 10 commandments.
It's really the same thing. It puts salvation. ultimately
dependent upon what you do. That's the covenant works. This
do and thou shall live. Now that covenant is doomed for
failure. You know why? Because me and
you are in it. That is why that is doomed for
failure. Anything that's dependent upon
me or you, is doomed for failure. Do you know that about yourself
enough to know that that's so? If something in salvation is ultimately
dependent upon you doing something, it's going to fail. But salvation
dependent upon what Christ does, that's a guarantee of success.
Now these are the two covenants. First, salvation dependent upon
what you do. Second, salvation depended upon
what Christ had done. Which do you find to be the most
attractive? These are the two covenants. Now, the first covenant
is not, the first covenant of works is actually not as old
as the new covenant. You see, the one was made in
time with Adam and the other was made before time. with the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, this is illustrated. He's
called in Hebrews 7.22, the surety, the surety of a better covenant. Now, you know what a surety is.
A surety is someone who stands responsible for somebody else.
I'll guarantee, I'll make it good. I'll be responsible. That's
what the surety is. First time I ever got a loan,
My grandfather signed as a surety. I borrowed $600, and my grandfather
signed as a surety because they didn't trust me to be able to
pay it back. You're going to have to have a surety. My granddad said, I'll
be responsible. Now, I made every one of the
payments. One of the most liberating times, $67 a month payment. I remember that was such a heavy,
crushing burden, and how free I felt when I paid my first debt.
I can remember that. But the surety, my grandfather,
if I couldn't pay for it, he'd be responsible for it. He'd have
to take care of it. Now turn to Genesis 43 for a
moment. This is given to illustrate how
the Lord is the surety of this covenant. God made a covenant
with him before time began and he stood responsible for my salvation
as my surety. Look in Genesis 43 verse nine.
Now this is when Judah is saying he'll stand responsible for Benjamin. And I want us to notice how Benjamin
doesn't say anything. I like that. Benjamin doesn't
have a thing to say. Look at this in verse eight of
Genesis 43. And Judah said unto Israel, his
father, send the lad with me and we will arise and go that
we may live and not die. Both we and thou and also our
little ones, I will be surety for him. Of my hand shalt thou
require him. If I bring him not unto thee
and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame forever. Now that's exactly what the Lord
Jesus Christ said regarding me and all of his people. before
time began in this everlasting covenant that we're speaking
of. He said, I'll be surety for them. Now you think about these
two covenants, the one made with Adam in the garden, salvation
contingent upon what I do, conditioned upon what I do. This do and thou
shalt live. And the covenant God made with
Christ before time began. That's the covenant of the Lord
that we read of. And in that covenant, Christ
stood as my surety and said, I will bear all the responsibility
of his salvation. I love thinking about that, don't
you? The Lord taking complete responsibility for my salvation. You don't read Benjamin saying
anything. Benjamin didn't say, yeah, I'll go with him. No, Benjamin
didn't say a word. Everything was said by Judah. And you know, the Lord came out
of the tribe of Judah. This was given to illustrate him. Now,
the first time the word covenant is mentioned is in Genesis chapter
six, verse 18, with regard to Noah. God said, I will establish
my covenant with thee, and thou shalt go into the ark. Now that's
the I wills and thou shalts of the covenant. I will establish
my covenant with you, he says to Noah, and you shall, because
I've made this covenant, you shall go into the ark. He didn't
say you can if you want. He said you shall go into the
ark. And that's the way God's covenant
works. I will. And you shall. Not I will if you will or I won't
if you won't, but I will. Oh, the power of that. And you
shall. And then we read of the covenant
God made with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. And this was given
to represent this eternal covenant. He promised them this land. And
you can read about it in Genesis chapter 12 and 15 and 17. He keeps talking about this covenant
that he's made with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. Now turn with
me to Exodus chapter two for a moment. Exodus chapter 2 verse 23. And it came to pass
in the process of time that the king of Egypt died and the children
of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage and they cried and
their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage and God
heard their groaning and God remembered his covenant. How many times in the Psalms
do you read where the psalmist said, remember the covenant,
have respect under the covenant. Well, God remembered his covenant
with Abraham and with Isaac and with Jacob. And God looked upon
the children of Israel and God had, what's that word? Respect
unto them. Now that's what this covenant
does. I don't know that the children of Israel knew anything about
this covenant. But they cried and God heard their cry. I don't
even know if they knew who they were crying to, but they were crying
by reason of their bondage. They were miserable. And God
remembered the covenant he made and it made God have respect
toward them. Now this is the same covenant
that David spoke of in second Samuel 23 verse five, when he
said, although my house be not so with God. And he could have
been talking about his family. His family was a mess. And he knew it was all his fault
too. The Lord said the sword's never going to depart from your
house. And he spoke of his house and he knew his family was a
mess. And he could have been talking
about this house. Although this house be not so with God. And it's not. Although my house
be not so with God yet. Although, yet, he hath made with
me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure. That's the covenant of God. It's
ordered in all things and sure. And David said, this is all my
salvation. And it's all my desire. Now that
is the expression of the heart of every believer. This covenant
made with Christ that's ordered in all things insure. In spite
of me, this is all my salvation. And it's all my desire. It's
all I want. Oh, the covenant that God made with Christ. And
the first time the word is used in the New Testament is when
the Lord brought into place Lord's table. And he said, these words,
this is the new Testament. Same word as covenant. This is
the new Testament in my blood. Twice in the book of Hebrews,
we read of this phrase, the blood. of the everlasting covenant. Now remember that arc is the
arc of the covenant of the Lord. And it's with reference to what
is called in the scriptures, the blood of the everlasting
covenant, the covenant God made with Christ and said, you're
going to shed your blood for these people, for them to be
saved. And he said, I'll do it. That's the blood of the everlasting
covenant. Now, let me repeat. The first
was doomed for failure. If anything's dependent upon
me, it is not going to work. I just know that. The second
is guaranteed for success because it's dependent upon the ability
of the Lord Jesus Christ to perform what the father gave him to do.
It's all dependent upon his ability and he has omnipotence. He has
the ability to perform this covenant. The first was made in time. The
second was made before time, before there was ever a creation,
before there was an angel, before there was anything according
as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. Now, what I'd like to spend the
last few minutes of our time is looking at what Hebrews eight
says about this covenant. Would you turn with me in Hebrews
chapter eight? Now whoever wrote Hebrews knew
the scriptures, Old Testament scriptures, I think like nobody
else. I have a tendency to think maybe Apollos wrote it because
it says he was mighty in the scriptures. I know Paul didn't
write it because he said he signed every one of his epistles and
there's no signing to Hebrews. He doesn't give his name to it,
but whoever wrote it. Well, they were mighty in the
scriptures and look at the way they spoke or he spoke of this
covenant. I look in Hebrews chapter eight,
verse six. But now have he obtained the
Lord Jesus, a more excellent ministry by Matt, by how much
also he is the mediator of a better covenant. which was established
upon better promises. Now, I love this. This covenant
made with Christ is a better covenant. It has better promises. Well, what about this first covenant?
What was wrong with the first covenant? Well, I like what Paul
said in Romans 8, what the law could not do. in that it was weak through the
flesh. The problem even with the law, the problems with me
and you, flesh can't do anything to abide with the commandments
of the law, what the law could not do. So the covenant of the
Lord Jesus Christ that God made with him is a better covenant,
which is established upon better promises. Now, what is better?
Salvation dependent upon what you do or salvation dependent
upon what Christ has done? Which one is better? It's easy
for me to answer that. I'd hold lots rather my salvation
to be dependent upon what Christ has done than what I have done.
Now look in verse seven. For if the first covenant had
been faultless, the covenant of works Then should no place
have been sought for the second." Now, what was the fault of the
first covenant? He couldn't save. Look in Hebrews chapter 7, beginning
in verse 16. Hebrews 7, verse 16. The priest
of the order of Melchizedek, verse 16, which is the Lord Jesus
Christ, who is made not after the law of a carnal commandment,
he calls the Levitical priesthood, the law of a carnal, fleshly
commandment. but after the power of an endless
life. For he testifieth, thou art a priest forever after the
order of Melchizedek. For there's barely a disannulling
of the commandment going before for the weakness and the unprofitableness
thereof." Now that's what he calls the first covenant. That's
what he talks about, calls the Levitical priesthood. That's
what he calls the Ten Commandments. He talks about the weakness and
the unprofitableness of it. It can't do anything to save.
Look in verse 19. For the law made nothing perfect,
but the bringing in of a better hope did. By the witch, this
better hope, we draw nigh to God. We come into his very presence.
Now, verse 7, back again in our text, Hebrews 8, verse 7. For
if the first covenant had been faultless, then should no place
have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them,
God found fault with it. You see, he knew it wouldn't
save. For finding fault with them, all the aspects of the first covenant.
Here's a, listen to this scripture, John 1 17. The law was given
by Moses. Now God gave the law to Moses,
didn't he? But it still says the law was given by Moses, but
grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No grace in the law,
grace and truth. came by Jesus Christ. Now, verse
eight, for finding fault with them, he saith, behold, the days
cometh, saith the Lord, when I'll make a new covenant with
the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. Now he's
talking, this new covenant he's speaking of is a reference to
the covenant that was made before time began, but they just hadn't
entered into it. They didn't understand it. Not
verse nine, 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, because they continued not in
my covenant, I regarded them not, saith the Lord." Now here,
what a blessing to be taken by the hand and pulled out of Egypt
and delivered. God did that. He took them by
the hand. You know what he didn't have
though? Is their heart. If God takes
you by the hand, you're going to be the same. He might pull
you out of one place to another, but it hadn't really done anything
for you. You just changed from one place to another, but you're
still the same. You still have the same old wicked
heart. And that's what the Lord is saying.
I didn't have regard for them because I took them by the hand. This doesn't have anything to
do with grace or mercy or love. I took them by the hand, pulled
them out, but they continued not in my covenant because their
heart remained the same. They didn't have the new heart
that I give. Verse 10. For this is the covenant. This is the covenant of the Lord.
For this is the covenant that I'll make with the house of Israel
after those days, saith the Lord. Instead of just taking them by
the hand, I will put my laws, plural, into their mind and write
them in their hearts. Now this is a whole lot better
than being taken by the hand. He said, I will put my laws in
their hearts and I'll write them, the writing of God in their minds. When he's talking about these
laws that he puts in the heart, understand this, he's not talking
about the Ten Commandments. Everybody born into this world,
according to Romans chapter 2, is born with the law written
on their hearts. Everybody knows that it's wrong
to kill. Everybody knows that it's wrong
to steal. Everybody knows that it's wrong
to lie. Everybody knows that sexual sin
is wrong. All cultures, all peoples, everybody
knows this naturally. And that's why when I hear about,
well, we need to be taught to live, you already know how to
live. Now you do. I can say that to anybody. You
already know how to live because the Bible says God's law is written
in your heart. Well, I wasn't taught to live
properly. You already knew how to live.
That's not the problem. I hate it when people say that.
We need to be taught to live. No, you need to be taught to
die is what you need. That's what I need. But this thing of
the law is written in everybody's heart. So when God says, I'll
put my laws plural in their heart. Well, think of physical life.
We have certain systems that are there when there is true
physical life. We have a nervous system. I can't remember. There's 10
systems, a muscular system, a skeletal system. As a matter of fact,
when they had that, you remember a few years ago when they had
that thing, a Rupp Arena of the 10 systems, and they had the
dead people. I can't remember how it worked,
but it was very interesting. Paul's looking at me like, well,
I think they had Chinese prisoners, but they were embalmed, and they
would show the different systems. I don't know why I'm going with
that, but I enjoyed it. You saw the circulatory system, the respiratory
system. There's a bunch of different
systems that have to be in place for there to be life. Well, for
there to be spiritual life, God's laws, God's principles must be
put in your heart that are behind spiritual life. In the scripture,
in the New Testament, we read of six laws. The law of righteousness,
the law of sin, the law of faith, the law of love, the law of liberty,
and the law of Christ. There's a scripture for every
one of these things, but here's the point. If I have spiritual
life, I'm going to have a law of righteousness written in my
heart where I can't be satisfied with anything but perfect righteousness. I can't, my conscience cannot
accept anything, but that which satisfies God. There's a law
of righteousness written in my heart. I've got a law of sin. I can't see myself in any way,
but this I find in a law, Paul said that when I would do good,
evil is present with me. Now when you have life, you've
got that law to where you see that sin all the time. There's
the law of faith. You know I cannot not believe.
Try to, if you're a believer, try to not believe that Christ
is enough. You can't do it. You've got a law of faith in
your heart that prevents that. You have the law, the law of
your old nature makes the unbelief always there, but you've got
true faith always there too. What about the law of liberty?
I can't handle being placed in bondage. I can't handle any part
of salvation being dependent upon me. I mean, I just, I hate
it. I can't have it. I've got a law
of liberty in me that won't accept that. I just can't. The law of
love, I can't help but love God as he's revealed in the scriptures.
It's natural to me. I love the Lord Jesus Christ
and his salvation. What about the law of Christ?
If a man be overtaken in a fault, you would your spiritual restore
such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself, lest you
all so be tempted and so fulfill the law of Christ. Now, these
laws, these it's just like the physical laws that make me alive,
you know, the law, the principles I have that Every believer has
these laws placed in them, God writing them on their heart that
causes them to continue in the faith. Now let's go on and read
and look at this covenant. Verse 10, for this is the covenant
that I'll make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord.
I'll 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. If God be for us, who can be
against us? I'm going to be to them a God.
He's my God. He's my God. I'm his people.
This is the heritage of every believer because of this covenant.
Look in verse 11. And they shall not teach every
man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, Know the
Lord, for all shall know me from the least to the greatest. You
see, he's the one who does the teaching. And every one of my
people will know me. I'm going to make sure they know
me, not just know about me, but they're going to know me as their
God, as their Savior, as their Lord, as their King, as their
husband. Every one of them shall know
me from the least to the greatest. And here's how it comes. For
I will be merciful. Verse 12. For I will be merciful. And that word merciful is propitious. Remember when the public in the
temple said, God be propitious to me, the sinner. Do something
about my sin. And you know, that is continually. Lord, do something about my sin.
something about it, take it away, give me a new heart, create in
me a clean heart, deliver me from myself, save me from myself.
But here God says, I will be propitious. And a propitiation
is a sin removing sacrifice. I will be propitious, not I will
be if This is the covenant I'll make with them when I'll take
away their sins, God says. In Romans 11, I'll take away
their sins. Now here's this covenant. I will be perpetuous. That's God's promise. And their
sins and iniquities, I will remember no more. And the reason he doesn't
remember them is because there's nothing there to remember. You
see, Christ removed those iniquities by his perpetuatory sacrifice,
and now God says, I don't remember any sin. He's not like me. I forget stuff
all the time. You can ask Len how bad I am
about forgetting things, but God never forgets like that.
The reason he doesn't remember my sins is because there's nothing
there to remember. They've been removed by the perpetuatory
sacrifice of Christ. Verse 13, in that he sayeth a
new covenant, the new Testament in his blood, the everlasting
covenant, he hath made the first old and that which decayeth and
waxeth old is ready to vanish away. Now that's God's testimony
concerning the covenant of works. It decays and it waxes old and
it's ready to perish. Now, why would someone want that
covenant in comparison with the new covenant? There's only one
reason somebody would want that covenant. The Lord's never done
anything for them. If the Lord's done anything for you, you know
that all of your salvation is found in the blood, the person
of the everlasting covenant made with Christ before the foundation
of the world. And you say, with just as much
conviction as David did, although my house be not so with God,
yet hath he made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things,
ensure, and this is all my salvation and all my desire. That's every
believer's common experience with regard to this covenant.
Don't you love this phrase, the covenant of the Lord?