The Almighty is a covenant maker and keeper. Covenants matter because humans have dominion in the earth, and spirits cannot operate legally here unless humans give permission. So both the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness needs covenants in order to carry out their agenda for human beings.
A well written covenant will usually explain the rules that each party needs to be bound by and the consequences if it is not obeyed. So all good covenants have boundaries. This means that when one is entered into both parties commit to upholding these rules where applicable.
Many covenants were made by The Almighty as recorded in the scriptures. There were covenants made with Adam, Abraham and Israel. Israel broke the covenant that The Almighty made with them via Moses . This meant that they lost privileges and received curses/consequences that were attached to keeping the covenant.
And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.”
When Isreal broke The Covenant they were given ” The Book of the Law” which was just rules that they were told to live by which did not involve an agreement from The Creator of what He would do. Since after a covenant is broken another one can not be remade with the same parties, if the wife has been with someone else. The punishment for Adultery was death and so Messiah died in our place so a new covenant could be made with Isreal.
And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of everlasting inheritance.
hebrews 9 v 15
The word/law is The sword of The Spirit
The Spirit uses the law to convict us of sin in our conscience.
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God/Elohim.
ephesians 6 v 17
These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. says The Most High.
Isiah 28 v 13
Messiah said” Iwas sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
He came to make a new covenant with Isreal. One that required that the laws be kept from the heart. So no longer were the deeds of the flesh enough to meet the requirements of The Most High..
For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.
galations 3
Before the coming of this faith,[j] we were held in custody under the law,(The book of the law) locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Mashiach came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.”(The book of the law)
Galations 3
Covenants are contracts that govern Relationships: The new covenant allows us to use faith in order to obey from the heart.
The problem with The flesh is that it is rebellious and does not want to obey or keep covenant. In order to subdue and override the flesh, while protecting our free will, a new covenant was made. One that had better promises because Messiah was The High Priest after the order of Melchizedek and his blood cleanses the conscience so that The Holy Spirit can dwell in us. Helping us to obey and keep the commandments.
Covenants are agreed upon by 2 or more parties. They protect the rights and freedom of all parties involved. Faith does not remove the need for the commandments. Faith allows us to access the help we need in order to obey them from the heart. If we have a fallen tree that is blocking our drive way, we can use a manual saw or we can use an electric saw. The difference between the flesh being obedient and obedience by faith is that faith accesses divine power. The tree/sin still needs to be cut but we have spiritual help.
For it is by grace/favor you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God/Elohim, 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s/Elohim’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus/ Yahshya Hamashiach to do good works, which God/Elohim prepared in advance as our way of life.
ephesians 2 v 9
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God/Elohim. It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God/Elohim. 2 Corinthians 3 v 5
The Set Apart Spirit loves the law
And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God/Elohim has given to those who obey Him.”
2 Corinthians 5:v5
As pointed out earlier the new covenant has laws, which are more strict than the Book of the law. Sin now happened in the heart like it did under the first covenant. So in order for The Spirit to dwell in our hearts we must obey from the heart.
David prayed: Create in me a clean heart, O God/Yah, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
psalm 51
He understood in His day that his heart needed to be renewed so he could be allowed to keep The Holy Spirit within him.
Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace/favor to those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God/Elohim, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.…
ephesians 4 v 30
Here we clearly see that sin in the heart offends The Holy Spirit. This is why The Father wants the torah written in our hearts. This is why David said he hid the word in his heart so he would not sin.
This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel
Hebrews 8
after that time, declares the Lord/ Ahayah.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God/Elohim,
and they will be my people.
WE ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God/Elohim, and that the Spirit of God/Elohim dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God/Elohim, him shall God/Elohim destroy; for the temple of God/Elohim is holy, which temple ye are.
1 cor 3 v 16-17
The law is only hated by The Lawless
We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God/Elohim, which he entrusted to me.
1 timothy 1 v 8-11
Only rebellious people who are lawbreakers hate the law. A thief would like it if stealing was ok and there was no law saying thou shalt not steal. Those of us who do not want to steal or be stolen from love the law. The question therefore we must ask ourselves is why have we used paul’s writings out of context to justify lawlessness. Could it be that we are a rebellious and stiff necked people.
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord/ Master, master, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
mathew 23 v 7
They are ungodly/unrighteous people, who pervert the grace/favor of our God/Elohim into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ/Yashya Hamashiach our only Sovereign and Lord/ Master.
5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord/ Ahayah at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.
They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.”
19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. Jude 1
But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. John 7 v 49
Covenants have both rules and relationship
Rules without relationship leads to rebellion. Relationship without rules lead to abuse. Covenants ensure that the interest of both parties is protected and both can be assured that consequences will follow if their rules are violated. Since The Almighty is perfect and we are imperfect whenever we are in covenant with Him, we are the ones that need the rules.
However He has graciously sent The Holy Spirit to help us and given his word/law to provide rules and consequences. All that is required of us is that we trust in the finished work of Messiah by faith and access the help of The Holy Spirit by faith. They were given to help us to obey and keep covenant.
Abraham who is called the father of faith kept the commandments and on top of that obeyed the voice of The Most high.
5because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”
GENESIS 26 V 5
The Messiah also kept the commandments and obeyed the voice of His father.
I say only what the Father who sent me has told me to say. For I have not spoken from myself, but the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what I should say and what I should speak; Because I did not speak out of Myself, but the Father having sent Me— He has given Me a commandment as to what I should say and what I should speak.
OHN 12 V 49
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. HEBREWS 4 V 15
Keeping the commandments is the bare minimum. Why would we object to doing the minimum. We who were born in sin and need our minds renewed, cannot be led by The Spirit all the time because we don’t even know His voice nor do we know the word. The minimum gives us somewhere to start.
If the law was done away our bodies would not get sick when we sin
…but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
James 1 v 14-15
Every law carries consequences which are referred to in the scriptures as blessings and cursing. So for example fear and anxiety is believed to cause high blood pressure.
And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not from faith; for whatsoever is not from faith is sin.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God /Elohim is eternal life in Christ Jesus/ Yahshya Hamashiach our Lord/ master.” Romans 6 v 23.
Sin is first conceived in the heart through a thought, often planted by the enemy. This thought is often in violation of the laws/word of The Almighty. If I entertain the thought it captures my mind and makes a path that sends my body into response. This response is often detrimental to my body if allowed to continue over and over.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God/Elohim for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God/Elohim, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ/ Mashyach,
2 CORITHIANS 10 V 4-5
We are uniquely designed to need boundaries in order to function at our best and to be in health.
He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord/The Almighty your God/Elohim and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord/The Almighty, who heals you.”
exodus 15 v 26
And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord/Mashyach will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. James 5 v 15-16. Anytime the scripture refers to sin or repentance it is referring to the law.
The disciples understood the connection between sin and illness. As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” John 9 v 1-3