ETERNAL COVENANT

PART II

The Bible says, “The blood on the door-posts will be a sign to mark the houses in which you live. When I see the blood, I will pass over you and will not harm you.” (Exodus 12:13)

Job was a righteous man, blameless, upright and one who feared God and shunned evil.  (Job 1:1)

God made him a prosperous man - seven sons, three daughters and owned thousands of sheep, camel, ox and other possessions. He was called the greatest of all people in the East. (Job 1:3)

Though Job was affluent, he was concerned about the lifestyle of his children. His seven sons would take their turns holding feast in their homes and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

His heart was so troubled about their spiritual condition that when the day of feasting was over, he would rise early morning and offer burnt offering for each of his children.

For Job thought that-- it may be that one of them might have sinned and cursed God in their heart, and so he offered it regularly for the purification of his children.  (Job 1:7-10)

Here we see the obedience of a faithful man to the Law of Moses, who followed the instruction of God, on behalf of his family and descendants.

If anyone obeys the instruction- to cover you and your family with Lord’s Blood- God will surely honor your faith.

It is a spiritual example to be followed by one and all, so that the calamities will reduce and slowly our good God will honor you and bless your land.

In (Levi. 14:1-10), The Lord gave Moses the following regulations about the ritual purification of a person cured of a dreaded skin-disease. On the day he is to be pronounced clean, he shall be brought to the priest, and the priest shall take him outside the camp and examine him. If the disease is healed, the priest shall order two ritually clean birds to be brought together with a piece of cedar wood, a red cord and a sprig of hyssop. Then the priest shall order one of the birds to be killed over a clay bowl containing fresh spring water. He shall take the other bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the red cord and the hyssop in the blood of the bird that was killed. He shall sprinkle the blood seven times on the person who is to be purified from the skin-disease, and then he shall pronounce him clean. He shall let the live bird fly away over the open fields. The person shall wash his clothes, shave of all his hair, and have a bath; he will then be ritually clean. He may enter the camp, but he must live outside his tent for seven days. On the seventh day he shall again shave his beard, his eyebrows and all the rest of his hair on his body; he shall wash his clothes and have a bath, and then he will be ritually clean. 

In the above chapter of the Old Testament, leprosy refers to a variety of skin disease. It is also a symbol of sin.

The cleansing of a leper prefigured God’s further plan to cleanse all mankind from sin.

·        A leper to be cleansed was to be brought to the priest. The priest shall then order two ritually clean birds to be brought together with a piece of cedar wood, a red cord and a sprig of hyssop.

Each of these instructions reminds us the work of Christ for the remission of sin. In the New Testament, we see the priest going outside wall of Jerusalem to crucify Jesus Christ.

·        The symbol of two birds stands for the death and resurrection. Cedar wood and red cord points to the Cross and scarlet to his suffering.

·         The hyssop is a plant which is used in purification ceremonies. In Exodus 12:22 it says, “Take a sprig of hyssop, dip it in the bowl containing the animal’s  blood, and wipe the blood on the door-posts and the beam above the door of your house.” So in the new covenant sprig of hyssop symbolizes our faith, by which we pray “by faith in your merits…..”

·        “Then the priest shall order one of the birds to be killed over a clay bowl containing fresh spring water” When the first bird was killed the blood was caught in an earthen vessel with water in it which means that Christ shed his blood in an earthen vessel i.e. his human body. The priest took the living bird along with the cedar wood means Christ’s cross, the scarlet of his suffering.

·        The slain bird’s blood was mixed with the water in the earthen vessel signifying cleansing by the Word of God.

·        He shall take the other bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the red cord and the hyssop in the blood of the bird that was killed. He shall sprinkle the blood seven times on the person who is to be purified from the skin-disease, and then he shall pronounce him clean means after our sins are cleansed by the Blood, we will be able to witness the Resurrection in the living bird that is released.

“He shall let the live bird fly away over the open fields.”

·        Finally, the person may be permitted into the camp --- similarly, if you have been purified by the precious Blood of Christ, you are also worthy to enter the Kingdom of God.

This is just one example of how the Old Testament is a shadow of the New Covenant.

“So let no one make rules about what you eat or drink or about holy days or the New Moon Festival or the Sabbath. All such things are only a shadow of things in the future; the reality is Christ.” (Col. 2: 16-17)