Our Weekly Devotionals

God's temporary solution for sin (Old Covenant)

What is the Old Covenant?

As I started explaining in part 2 of these series, after Adam and Eve caused sin to come into the world, God needed a solution for the sin problem, but his solution would take time, so he provided a temporary solution. What was this temporary solution?

God in his mercy eventually established what is called the “Old Covenant.” This was given through a man called Moses who rescued his people Israel from Egypt where they had eventually become slaves for over 400 years.

This covenant introduced the “10 commandments”, laws given by God to man and in addition several rules and regulations to govern the life of the Israelites including worship of God and how to seek forgiveness for sins (This is what is covered in books like Numbers, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy).

The problem with the Old Covenant

The old covenant however resulted in men not walking in the “spirit of the law” but rather fulfilling it “legalistically.”  Men missed the point of the laws and thought that by offering sacrifices they would “earn redemption.”

Men therefore continued to sin against the Lord in their hearts - despite offering “sin and other offering.” They did not understand that God was always interested in obedience not sacrifices and so, time after time a game of “cat and mouse” took place. Men sinned, then God threatened judgement, men repented, God being merciful forgave them, then they forgot and went back to their old ways. This story of “cat and mouse” is what eventually got recorded as the “Old Testament” which are the first 39 books that we have today in the Bible.

This story of “cat and mouse” was also meant to serve a purpose for our generation of these last days – it was meant to show us who we really were, that is rebels, so that the one who is humble and can see themselves truly for what they are, rebels with hearts made of stone – can turn to God and ask, “What is the permanent solution for my sin?”

It is also during this Old Covenant or Old Testament time that God in his mercy sent his messengers (prophets) – men and women who strived to live Holy lives. They warned the people to repent in their hearts, which means to turn genuinely/sincerely from sin.

In one example the prophet Jeremiah records a message from God like this:

 “He told me to go and say to Israel, “Unfaithful Israel, come back to me. I am merciful and will not be angry; I will not be angry with you forever. Only admit that you are guilty and that you have rebelled against the Lord, your God. Confess that under every green tree you have given your love to foreign gods and that you have not obeyed my commands. I, the Lord, have spoken. “Unfaithful people, come back; you belong to me. I will take one of you from each town and two from each clan, and I will bring you back to Mount Zion.”

Despite man’s rebellion, God however promised that there would come a time when instead, His laws would be written on men’s hearts - not on tablets of stone (as the Ten Commandments had been).

He also promised a king called David a descendant who would be king forever: “When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”

As the Old Testament came to an end, it became clear that God would send a Messiah, but we were still left with a dilemma; the Old Covenant had failed, and man was still as sinful as ever. What would God now do?

To be continued.

Your brother in the Lord and a servant of Jesus.

D E Wasake.

P.S If you loved this story and the summary I have given of the Old Testament, tell someone about it. Invite them to subscribe to our newsletter!