Podcasts about Mosaic covenant

Why did God place the Ten Commandments inside the Ark of the Covenant—and then cover them with the mercy seat and sacrificial blood?In this episode of Shadows to Substance, Pastor George Sayour examines one of the clearest pictures of law, grace, and redemption in the Old Testament.From the tablets of the Law to the mercy seat and sacrificial blood, the Ark points beyond itself to the fulfillment found in Christ. Drawing from Exodus 25, Hebrews 9–10, John 1, Matthew 5, and Romans 10, George shows how the Mosaic Covenant's types and shadows anticipate the substance: Christ fulfilling the Law, providing atonement for sin, and giving righteousness to those who receive Him by faith.

In episode 502 of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony and Jesse begin what promises to be a multi-part deep dive into the Parable of the Good Samaritan — one of the most culturally embedded and theologically rich stories Jesus ever told. But before a single character hits the Jericho road, the hosts ground listeners in something easily overlooked: the charged context in which this parable is told. A lawyer — trained, confident, adversarial — steps forward not to learn but to test. What follows is a masterclass in how Jesus turns the law back on those who wield it as a weapon. This episode covers Luke 10:21–36, explores the covenant of works and covenant of grace, the noetic effects of sin, and why the Good Samaritan is far more than a lesson in being a helpful neighbor. Buckle up. Key Takeaways The lawyer's question is self-contradictory from the start. Asking "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" smuggles a works-righteousness assumption into the very grammar of the question. Inheritance by definition is received, not earned. Jesus does not give the lawyer a new paradigm — He reorients him to the true one. The covenant of grace is not a New Testament innovation. It runs through every Old Testament covenant administration. The lawyer should have already known this. "Do this and you will live" is not a Pelagian concession. Christ is holding out the law's own terms — perfect, total, unrelenting obedience — not to suggest it is achievable, but to expose its impossibility and drive the lawyer (and us) to the only alternative: mercy. "Desiring to justify himself" is more complex than it first appears. Tony argues that the desire to fulfill the covenant of works is not inherently wicked — it is the misguided belief that one can which is the problem. This distinction creates room for reading Christ's response as genuinely merciful instruction, not merely rebuke. The noetic effects of sin mean accurate theology can be deployed in service of self. The lawyer knows the right answers and still uses them to avoid repentance. Correct doctrine alone does not save. The fundamental human problem is not ignorance — it is the will's bondage and the heart's self-love. The parable is primarily Christological, not merely ethical. Jesus is the Good Samaritan. The story is not first about mercy ministry; it is about who binds up our wounds when we are left for dead on the road, unable to save ourselves. The priest and the Levite are not exonerated by their ritual obligations. Considerable ink has been spilled trying to justify their passing by on grounds of Levitical purity concerns. The parable refuses that exit. Everyone in the story — and everyone listening — already knows what the right thing to do was. Key Concepts The Covenant of Works Is Not a Black Box One of the more quietly important arguments Tony makes in this episode is that the covenant of works was never meant to be mysterious or inaccessible. When Jesus responds to the lawyer's question by asking, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" — He does so with a visible assumption: there is a clear, knowable answer, and the lawyer should be able to give it. And he does. Love God completely, love your neighbor as yourself. The covenant of works was always coherent and comprehensible. The problem has never been that its demands were obscure. The problem is that no one — save the Mediator — has ever kept them. Jesus is not introducing a new ethical framework. He is forcing the lawyer to confront a standard he has always known and has never met. The Lawyer as a Warning to Reformed Christians Jesse closes the episode's first movement with a pointed and personal application that cuts across theological self-satisfaction. The lawyer is not a caricature of ignorance — he is a portrait of someone with accurate, affirmed theological knowledge who instinctively deploys it in the service of self-justification the moment he senses conviction. Jesse names this directly as a danger particularly acute in Reformed circles, where doctrinal precision can become a subtle mechanism of self-defense rather than an occasion for repentance. The Reformation's great recovery of grace must not become a new form of the very disease it diagnosed. Knowing the right words about total depravity, the covenant of grace, and the mediator does not exempt anyone from the need to actually be humbled by them. Theology is not armor against repentance — it is, rightly received, the road toward it. Context Is Not Just Setup — It Is Part of the Lesson Tony and Jesse both emphasize that Luke 10:21–24 is not merely throat-clearing before the real content begins. The theological statement embedded there — that the Father has hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to little children, that no one knows the Son except the Father or the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him — is the hermeneutical key to everything that follows. The lawyer approaches Jesus as one rabbi testing another. But Luke has already told his readers that this is not a conversation between equals debating interpretive options. It is the Lawgiver being questioned by someone who does not recognize Him. The parable that follows is not just an answer to a legal question. It is a revelation — the kind that only happens when the Son chooses to give it. Memorable Quotes You do not want to pit the law against the one who has given the law, the one whose character is represented in the law — because you're always going to get owned, and you'll get owned before you realize you've just gotten owned on multiple levels. - Jesse Schwamb Jesus is trying to sort of reorient them back to the true paradigm of grace that is present under all of the Old Covenant administrations. It's not so much a matter of developing a new framework and imposing it on this guy. It's really trying to say, 'Listen — think about this for a second. Think about the fact that, yes, you know you have to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole strength, your whole mind, and you have to love your neighbor as yourself. You've answered correctly. If you can do those things, you will live.' — with the subtext: and of course you cannot possibly do those things. - Tony Arsenal The fundamental human problem is not primarily ignorance, but the will's bondage and the heart's self-love. It's a problem no amount of correct discipline or doctrine alone can fix apart from some kind of regenerating grace — which is exactly what Jesus is going to illustrate for us in the mercy he's about to display in this parable. - Jesse Schwamb Full Transcript Tony Arsenal: [00:00:00] This parable is not primarily about us figuring out how to do mercy ministry. Like, that's important. It's probably an outcome of this. It's probably something for us to think about. But really, this is actually Christ saying, like, "Hold on a second here, dude." Like, "Let's just think about this." Do you need someone who is going to tell you to pick yourself up off your bootstraps and cross to the other side of the street and leave you to your own devices? Or do you need someone who's gonna throw you on their donkey, who's gonna bind up your wounds, who's gonna pay the innkeeper, and is gonna pledge to pay everything that is owed for your salvation? Right? That's not too on the nose here, I think. Welcome to episode 502 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm [00:01:00] Jesse  And I'm Tony, and this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey, brother.  Jesse Schwamb: Hey, brother. Well, we've got a big one to talk about on this episode. We're marching further and further into all of the glorious parables Jesus told as part of His teaching. And as you and I kind of joked before we began, I mean, what did you call it? Did you say this is, uh, the big daddy?  Tony Arsenal: It's the big daddy, one of the big daddy parables.  Jesse Schwamb: It's one of the big daddy parables. Now, this one is probably second maybe only to the prodigal son. Yeah But in terms of its ubiquity and its kind of just common knowledge in culture, this one ranks right up there. And before I reveal what it is, which you may already know, I was thinking how so many times we look at the Beatitudes as expression of a master class in Jesus teaching the law, and I think that's true. But as I was reading and thinking about this particular parable, I thought, "I don't know. I think this one is, uh, right up there," because [00:02:00] this is like law on law. It's double law. Yeah It's law coming back at the law giver who's trying to use the law to test Jesus, and then Jesus tests him with the law that He himself gave His people. It's... I'm already getting too excited- ... and we've got something to do before we get there. But we're talking about the parable of the Good Samaritan. And so I can't imagine, can I just make a prediction up front? I, you know where I'm going with this, and probably everybody else does. Uh, this is gonna be like two conversations-  Tony Arsenal: At least ...  Jesse Schwamb: probably.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah, at least two.  Jesse Schwamb: Is that fair? Because I realize we, of course, wanna get to the parable itself, and oh, my goodness, how much ink has been spilled. Even going back to, like, if you read, like, Augustine or, like, the early church, like the Patristics, the Church Fathers, there are so much that could be said, and maybe some stuff that just shouldn't be said about all the allegorical potential intent here about these characters. But [00:03:00] there's so much amazing stuff that happens in the opening of this, that's not just the setup, but it is its own lesson, and I'm real excited actually to talk about that with you before we even get into, like, all the good stuff that everybody expects that you wanna talk about. So we're gonna do it all. Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Jesse Schwamb: We're gonna do it all, but it'll take time.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. I'm interested to see if we're even on the same page about where to start reading, 'cause I, I think we might not be, and that's gonna be fun. So we'll, we'll let it fly and see what happens. It'll be our own little, uh, podcast game.  Jesse Schwamb: But, uh, I think- Well, I mean, we're gonna be in Luke chapter 10, but I guess to your point, we should be starting in Luke chapter one to get to this. Yeah.  Tony Arsenal: Exactly. But  Jesse Schwamb: we, we do have to back up quite a bit, and I was gonna ask you about that. Yeah. But I, apparently we're just gonna play that on the fly and see where we go.  Affirmations Denials Segment Jesse Schwamb: But of course, the Reformers had their five solos. Chalcedon had its, what, seven withouts. We've got opinions, and we're just as confident about ours, so of course it's time for affirmations, denials, where we affirm something that we think is good or awesome or [00:04:00] we wanna recommend, and we deny, again, something that is not so great or maybe just plain annoying. So before we talk about the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Tony, what do you got for us on this episode? Are you affirming with something, or are you gonna come in with a denial?  Tony Arsenal: Well, I've got two affirmations. That's fine. One is just- I will allow it ... a declaration of joy, and one is, like, a real affirmation. I, I just can't... It would be remiss of me not to share with our podcasting family that my son August and my daughter Adeline, uh, joined the visible church today as- Hear, hear ... uh, non-communicant members. Uh, Augie and Addie were baptized on the 16th of August of 2026, uh, into the visible church, into the name of Jesus Christ. Uh, was, it was just a great service. Um, it's funny because I've been- been talking with Augie. One of the thing with toddlers when you're doing something big like this is you kinda have to talk about it and practice and rehearse, rehearse it and, and get them ready for it. And up until maybe, like, I don't know, three days [00:05:00] ago, every time it would come up he would be saying, "I don't wanna be baptized. I don't wanna be baptized." And, um, you know, I, I, I, you know, I don't wanna force him to do something, but also, like, I make him eat vegetables. But, um- ... he, I, I think it was nerves, and I think something clicked in his head and all of a sudden he was very excited to be baptized. So, um, it was great. We've been talking about, you know, what baptism is, God's promise to you that if you trust him he'll save you. And so today he- Right ... he was like, "God's gonna make a promise to me to save me." So he was very excited. Nice. And he did a great job just standing quietly and listening to the pastor talk. Uh, and Addie was, was, was just a beautiful little girl, and she, um, she loved it as well. So that's just a bonus affirmation. I don't know that I could get through a podcast without gushing over that.  Glorify App and Devotionals Tony Arsenal: Uh, but the, the affirmation I have, uh, this is an, an app that I think some of our listeners may have heard of. Um, some may roll their eyes at it, to be honest with you. Um, I stumbled on this because, uh, you have an Oura Ring, don't you, Jesse? Jesse Schwamb: I do.  Tony Arsenal: You [00:06:00] do, yeah. So for those who don't know, an Oura Ring is like a little wearable ring that's like a, almost like a fitness tracker, but it tracks biometrics, pulse rate, temperature, all these different things, sleep. Um, there's a startup, uh, that has been doing a GoFundMe or a funding kind of thing for, uh, what they're calling like a Christian version of an Oura Ring. So it does a lot of the same things, sleep tracking, basic biometric tracking. Hmm. But it also has like alerts built in, and it's tied into an app that they use for devotionals. So it'll, it'll remind you to pray. It'll remind you, you know, bring you to an app to do a devotion. But the app it uses is a standalone app that I looked up, and it's called Glorify. Have you ever heard of this app before this evening? I have heard of  Jesse Schwamb: this, yeah.  Tony Arsenal: So Glorify is just a small devotional app. Uh, it's not much different than you would expect based on the name. It is connected to this, uh, to this Glorify ring, which again is, is sort of like an Oura Ring tied into this app. But this app basically is, is [00:07:00] designed to help you complete short daily devotional exercises, and they're usually very brief. They're based on a very brief, um, a very brief passage of scripture. Today's passage, uh, c- there's a quote. So today's quote is from Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It says, "True love does not consist in finding the perfect person, but in faithfully loving an imperfect one." Not sure why this devotional app is using a romance, uh, quote from Bonhoeffer of all people. But that was today's. Um, and the passage is Proverbs 5:15-17. So it's a, it's a devotional based on two verses, which is fine. So you read the passage. There's a very brief devotional on that passage, and then sort of a guided prayer, and they have both premium and free models. The premium model includes like you can listen to the devotional, you can listen to the prayer. Um, but just for example, today's prayer, it, it's very simple. "Loving Father, thank you for, uh, thank you because you're faithful and unchanging. In a world [00:08:00] marked by broken promises, disposable relationships, you remain the same. Teach me to reflect that faithfulness in my relationships. Help me to love with perseverance, grace, and commitment following the example of Christ. Protect marriages, strengthen families, restore what needs healing. May every relationship be marked by respect, truth, and genuine love. Shape in me a heart of integrity that honors you in both the small and significant choices of life. In Jesus' name, amen." So I think what I love about this, and this, I mentioned last week that there was, this is kind of like, sort of like the fluffy evangelical devotions. Like- Right ... there's not a ton of like solid doctrinal meat- But like, it's still nourishing. And sometimes we need a little bit of help. Sometimes we don't know what to pray, we don't know what to read, we're not sure. Sometimes in, I think in our Reformed circles, we feel like if we're not reading large portions of scripture and reading deep theological treaties or long, complex devotionals, that we're really not doing anything, and that's just not the [00:09:00] truth. So I've been using this in addition to other devotional studies I'm doing. I don't do it every day. I mean, there's some like streak functionality, kinda like habit tracking type stuff that's built into it. Um, but it's nice. It's nice to be able to pick it up, read a very short scripture, a brief devotional thought, and then have some guided prayer. I know one of the reasons I don't pray as often as I ought to is because I struggle to know what and how to pray. So even having some written prayers, I mean, this is why the Psalms are good, things like the Valley of Visions are good. Um, having some pre-written prayers that you genuinely pray but you're not having to come up with in the moment can really help. Right. So the app is called Glorify. I know it's available on iPhone. I'm not sure about Android. I'm sure it probably is. I'm sure they wanna have a pretty broad ecosystem. Um, and, and it's good. Again, it's, it's not anything fancy. It's not anything like super technical. Uh, and as I kind of alluded, like some of it's a little weird. Um, I, I didn't read the proverb. I think maybe the proverb is about romantic relationships, why they're, why they're tying in that, um, Bonhoeffer quote in, in the prayer. [00:10:00] But, um, even that, like it's pretty innocuous. And the quotes, like you don't have to read the quotes. It's not like you have to have to do that. Um, you could jump in, just read the scripture or just read the devotion and just do the prayer and you would be fine. So check it out. It's called Glorify, available on iPhone for sure. I'm pretty sure it's on, on Android. And maybe it's something you add daily, you know, this kinda thing like you do when you're on the bus or you're waiting at the grocery store, something quick you can do when you might be wasting that time just sorta sitting around or scrolling Twitter. Again, Twitter's fine. You can use your leisure time as you see fit. But if you wanna fill it with something like this, something that is more spiritual, then this would be a good option to just add a little bit of, uh, a little bit of nourishment to your diet where you might not otherwise be getting it  Jesse Schwamb: I have no proof of this, but I just keep saying it anyway. It might be that we're living in the golden age of really great- ... daily worship resources. Like, something to actually cultivate, not just, like, a devotional nugget, but something that actually leads you into a pattern and a habit of [00:11:00]worship, giving your attentive focus on Jesus. And I love that. So, uh, uh, 'cause I was just thinking, like, I was trying to look back on some of our past affirmations here. We've talked about the book Walking in Faith. I just gave everybody Awake My Soul last week. You're coming in with the Glorify app. I- we've talked about Dwell, if not recently, we've talked about that for some time. It's like a great Bible reading app, and there's lots and lots of new features, by the way, coming out on that- Yeah that are fantastic. And then, yes, all these other great prayers. I, I see, like, these books on prayer, like, actually, I'm sorry, like, prayer books, I guess, as, like, a great way to kinda... It's like a jumper for your car. You know what I mean? Like, just gets you started. What a, what a lovely thing to come into a place and have a launching pad. And I've been using a lot of Into His Presence, which is a collection of Puritan prayers, sometimes because, for instance, this just happened, where I wanted to pray for someone who was just going through a rough time, a good friend of mine. And I went to that place to kinda start and frame, knowing that I was gonna sit down with him and pray, how I might be able to do that well and [00:12:00] effectively. And these things are just, like, really phenomenal resources. It's just an amazing time to have all these things at our disposal. So that's another great option. It's, it's really more about, like you and I have talked about, Tony, like, whatever gets us into that pattern, whatever gets us, like, authentically experiencing under our own volition, coming in the discipline of sitting before God in daily worship with that expression being pretty broad in its representation- Yeah is to really include something of devotional time in the scriptures, memorization, metabolation, metabolizing. Metabolation, I'm just gonna make that up as, like- ... what happens when you, when you take the scripture and metabolize it into your own life. Meditating on it and, you know, again, maybe looking through the confessions and creeds that have shaped our distilled understanding of what the scripture teaches so that we're enhancing and edifying our mind. We're also engaging the heart, and then we're engaging God and ourselves in communication with Him through prayer. I'm all for anything [00:13:00] that gets us into those rhythms, reminds us of the importance of them, and like we talked about last week, makes it so that when we think about what it means to be married to Christ, so to speak, it's not just about whipping out some kind of marriage certificate to prove that, but that we actually have a frame and a behavioral pattern that fits a married person, that- Yeah how they act, how they think, how they behave, how they communicate, they're never too far away from their lovely spouse in some way or another. And so I think that these tools are great ways to get us exactly into that kind of mindset and practice.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah, absolutely. And like I said, like, I think- In our Reformed circles, we can, you know, we, we tend to be maybe a little eggheaded, and we, we tend to be a little more intellectual and, and a little more, I don't know, studious. And there's nothing wrong with that. Um, but I think sometimes it can breed a sort of, uh, elitism and arrogance. Sure. Uh, this is a perfectly valid devotional tool. Yes. Mm-hmm. And, and I think, [00:14:00] you know, kinda like the old adage, like, well, what's the best translation of scripture? Well, whichever one you're gonna read. Exactly. Like, what's the best devotional tool? Whichever one you're gonna use, whichever one's actually gonna bring you into the Word, uh, on a, on a regular basis. Um, and again, like, two verses of the scripture is two verses of the scripture that you might- Right ... not have other spent time, otherwise spent time reading. And it really is short enough, and it saves your progress. Like, you can do, you can do the quote in the morning, and then you can check the scripture on the way to the, you know, the word work, on a stoplight or whatever. Um, if you have the, the paid subscription, you can listen to this stuff, you know, on the, the bus or whatever. Um, so check it out. Glorify app, they have a ring they're making. It's in funding, I guess, if you wanna check it out, you can check that out too. I am neither affirming nor denying whatever this Glory ring is, Glorify ring. But, um, but yeah, the app is great. The, the app is free, and it's, it's worth even just checking out and adding once in a while to your day  Jesse Schwamb: The glory ring or the glorify ring sounds like almost too Tolkien, even for me  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. It's the one ring to rule all of your devotions. [00:15:00] Uh, and in the, and in the morning bind them. Jesse, save me from the trail I was about to go on, and, and I was gonna speak in the language of Mordor, I think, on accident. Uh, save us from this. What are you affirming or denying?  Jesse Schwamb: That's  Tony Arsenal: beautiful. Please tell me it's the language of Mordor. Elvish AI and Music Pick Jesse Schwamb: Uh, no, but can I just say at the risk of really taking us really far afield so early on, which is not necessarily off-brand for us, I have done this... I, I don't know if I should be ashamed by this or I should be excited by this. But- ... um, the Elvish tongue in the Tolkien universe-  Tony Arsenal: Oh, no. ...  Jesse Schwamb: is like, there's several... If you're super nerdy, you'll know there's like several different kind of iterations or formulas of it, and there's no, like, official language like Klingon, but there ha- it has been studied, and basically, like, it's kind of like the Eugene Peterson of the language. Like, there's, like, just kind of a dynamic equivalent or an expression of words. Anyway, all that to say- ... there's several languages that, uh, Microsoft Copilot will just not [00:16:00] translate because it says, like, "This one, this language doesn't actually exist. There's not enough for me to do anything." Let me tell you something. Tolkien Elvish is not one of those languages, and I actually built an agent, because I have a coworker who can, uh, who can appreciate all this stuff, that takes a text, translates it into this kind of academic high-level Elvish from Tolkien, and then translates it back to English. That makes anything you're saying way better and far more poetic and just absolutely amazing. So if you wanna have some fun, go and do that with whatever your favorite AI model is. Anyway, that's free of charge. Real quick, my affirmation is more music. It just turns out I've found this band, and I've been listening to them a lot. The band's name is Thronebreaker, which is just a phenomenal name, I think, for any group. Uh, it's amazing. Uh, th- this is... I'm gonna read you their description from Spotify. It just says, "Thronebreaker is Christian metalcore built for the bruised, the doubting, and the ones still fighting their way home." And what I've really been [00:17:00] loving about them is it is kind of like Wolves at the Gate adjacent. It's really lovely music. It is melodic, so it's, there's not just that there's that kind of hard edge, but that is present in it. But, uh, the music is really lovely and beautiful, and in part that's because they're going through this, like, drip of releasing music where they're taking, like, old hymns or maybe songs if you're of a certain age like I am of kind of childhood Sunday school- And they're taking the lyrics, not the melody, and they're reimagining them. So they have two versions of Jesus Loves Me that they just released. They have the old We're Gonna Cross, a song called Glory to the King Most High. These songs are just saturated with gospel. Like, they're just all power, all encouragement, and all authority represented in Jesus Christ. They're incredible, and I've j- where I've, what I've been really blessed by is these two versions of Jesus Love Me are just fantastic. Like, they're orchestral. There is a children's kind of chorus at one point, and it got me [00:18:00] singing that song again, and really, maybe to what you were saying before, Tony, like sitting in those three words, which are really phenomenal words to hear. And so I have been surprised at how moved I've been by what really I, I first understood, of course, as a children's song with simple truth that seems, you know, depending on how long you've known some part of the gospel, obvious. And yet I found them all new again, and a, a really lovely way of just sitting in the truth of God in music that I didn't expect to find. So if you're interested in any of that or maybe just curious of what it would sound like if a Christian metalcore band took Jesus Loves Me and turned it into their genre, then honestly you should just go check out Throne Breaker. I mean, you pretty much have to at this point.  Tony Arsenal: I, I don't ever have anything to add to your musical affirmations or denials, 'cause I, I just don't. What I do have to add is that Throne Breaker actually sounds like some sort of really [00:19:00] amazing, like, mace-type weapon in Lord of the Rings. Yes.  Jesse Schwamb: Yes,  Tony Arsenal: it does. Or like a big hammer that a dwarf carries. And I would also like to say that if you ask Google Gemini to translate something into Tolkien English, it not only will do it, it will tell you how to pronounce it.  Google Elf: A ava aini Ilai amel i trona se.  Tony Arsenal: What do you think that was, Jesse?  Jesse Schwamb: No idea.  Tony Arsenal: First of all, that was elevated Quenya, a Quenya. Yes.  Jesse Schwamb: Yes, that's  Tony Arsenal: the one. Classic Quenya.  Jesse Schwamb: Yes.  Google Elf: A leta Ilai amel aima.  Tony Arsenal: I would be willing to bet... Actually, let's do this.  Jesse Schwamb: Ugh.  Tony Arsenal: Uh, we don't give out prizes very often. Uh, I will say to anyone who can tell me what that is, the first person that emails, uh, or, or goes into the Telegram chat, we'll do this. We'll be professional podcasters and drive people to one of our channels. Here we  Jesse Schwamb: go.  Tony Arsenal: The first person who goes to our telephone, our Telegram chat and tells me what that [00:20:00] means, what that, uh, Elvish means, will get a Reformed Brotherhood T-shirt.  Jesse Schwamb: Oh, that is big.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Jesse Schwamb: That-  Tony Arsenal: So I'm gonna, I'm gonna play it one more time.  Jesse Schwamb: Okay, here we go. Everybody listen. Every- All right, pull over. Stop your vehicles. Here we go.  Google Elf: A leta Ilai amel aima.  Tony Arsenal: There it is, everybody.  Jesse Schwamb: I'm not being a cry- I have a guess, but I, I, I wanna try to win the T-shirt, so I'm gonna- Yes ... wi- withhold. All right. Uh, yeah, that's, that's super fun. Did it, um... Did you also translate it back into English from that  Tony Arsenal: just to see- No, I'll do that later, 'cause that would give away the, that would  Jesse Schwamb: give away the prize. Yeah, it's, it's... We'll have to save that for next week, because that, that is the fun. It creates, like, what I was doing to, to have fun with this coworker is take very technical, like, work-related emails, and I would send it through. It would go through that iterative process, and I actually loved how it, it was talking. Like, it wa- this was an email about risk, and it, it gave, like, these beautiful grand metaphors that didn't sound corny or cheesy. That's the beautiful thing. That's amazing. It [00:21:00] was like true Elvish. Like, you were just like, "I wish I spoke that way all the time about, about risk." And it, like I said, it wasn't just like... You could, you could obviously throw something in and be like, "Make this Shakespearean," or, you know, "Make this, you know, sound like, you know, Milton." This is way better. This is way better, because it's not, like, actually trying to manipulate what you're saying. It's takes, like, the dynamic equivalent of what you said, then translates it back with way more kind of poetic infrastructure while maintaining, like, the essential meaning that you have. I'm, I'm selling this too hard. Everybody just has to go out and try it. So, all right, you know what's at stake here, but here's how you have to win this. If you want a chance, if you want a chance at winning this, you gotta go to t.me/reformedbrotherhood, t.me/reformedbrotherhood, and that link will take you to the Telegram app and our little corner of it, and you're gonna find there's a bunch of chats there. You gotta go to the affirmations or denials chat, and then you gotta put in what is the translation of what Tony just played.[00:22:00] I just love... Isn't it amazing, though, that, like, y- as you discovered, there's more than one version of Elvish available? Yeah. And they do differentiate between the various kinds. This is a big deal. I learned there are actually scholars who have, like, again, filled in kind of like the details of the language- Oh, yeah taking as a basis what Tolkien had there. Yeah. So I think that this is the best. We couldn't have conceived of this if we'd actually tried and planned for it, so-  Tony Arsenal: It's true ...  Jesse Schwamb: it's just better that it all happened in, in real time. It's true. And, and speaking of which, I think now we get to have the fun of figuring out, uh, where in Luke chapter 10 are we gonna begin? Or should we just start in Luke 1 and just let's see how far we can get reading  Tony Arsenal: in this- I could have, I could have Google Gemini read it in elevated Kenya, Quenya I did try to get it to put it in Sindarin, and it wouldn't do it for some reason. I'm not sure. Maybe this anti-Sindarin bias in Gemini,  Jesse Schwamb: man. Disappointing.  Tony Arsenal: It's disappointing.  Jesse Schwamb: Dis- disappointing. So let's kick off some Good Samaritan talk, which again, I think is gonna take us [00:23:00] through maybe in the next couple of conversations, in part because, like I said, we're not even gonna start at, uh, verse 25 because there is so much more that needs to be said, I think, before that. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I, I think actually the proper place to start this, and I, I'm guessing Jesse probably, whether he was there or not, he probably figured out where I was going, uh, over the course of the last 20 minutes or whatever. Um, I actually think the proper place to start, at least one of the proper places to start, is in verse 21. Yeah. Um, and I- we'll talk about why that is. And I'll... I'm gonna read here, um, 21, uh, through the end of the parable. Uh, and this is Jesus talking. He says in this, uh... Well, it, this is, um... Yes, uh, I'll just read it here. "In the same hour He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for such was Your gracious will. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one who knows who the Son is except... No, no one knows who the Son is [00:24:00] except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Himself.'" Then turning to the disciples, he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see and did not see it, and hear what you hear and did not hear it." And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live." But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and he saw him and passed on the other side. So likewise a Levite, [00:25:00] when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. And he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take good care of him. Whatever you, whatever more you spend I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" And he said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "You go and do likewise."  Jesse Schwamb: I think you're right, of course, to back us up into verse 21 because I don't want to keep saying it's always a setup, but Jesus is certainly giving us like the right context in which... Well, Luke of course is the author here and as he's explaining the teaching of Jesus, he does so well to start out with some irony that we don't realize is gonna be ironic until we get to the, to verse 25 [00:26:00] when we realize who's testing Jesus, who's setting this all up. So this idea that the Holy Spirit, everybody rejoicing in the Holy Spirit and the knowledge and the wisdom, the intelligence that's revealed through the Holy Spirit to all of these lesser people and in particular here emblematic the infants That here we have kings and rulers, and in this case, this beloved scholar of the law, who all have this adventure in missing the point. They think, in fact, they're looking for the one who is to set them free, and they can't even see that it's Him who is before him. And yet, incidentally, God has already revealed all these things to the lowest, to the ones who are the most humble, the meek, the mild, the down and outs, the ones who are weak by the view of everybody else. And so it's amazing that if we just kinda, again, like blow past it into, like, just all the characters, we don't see that the teaching starts actually well above this, that even everything we're about to understand, that unfolds in our lives, ev- every spiritual incarnation and insight that we have [00:27:00] first starts with God himself in his revealing it to us both in his general revelation, but of course, in the specific revelation of his teaching. So I like that you started us there, because I, I'm with you. That's where this whole thing launches off, right?  Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Parables Reveal and Conceal Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and as we come into when we very, like very start of this, uh, series, the, the parable series, Jesus sort of embeds a theology of parables into this introduction, right? Or I should say Luke does. But this, uh, this is written a- as though all of this is occurring as sort of one event. Right. And likely it was, right? So sometimes, uh, in the Gospels, events are kind of, like, moved next to each other for thematic reasons. It's possible that that's the case. It seems like this may have actually just been one, one teaching, and I'll, I'll talk about why that is in a second here. Um, but at the very least, this is placed next to each other in the Gospel almost as, like a, "Here's the theology of parables. Now, here's actually that happening in real [00:28:00] time."  Jesse Schwamb: Yes.  Tony Arsenal: And then also, like, a parable kinda demonstrating it, right? So the theology of the parable here is that there are many prophets, kings who desire to see what it is that, that, uh, uh, the disciples are seeing, right? And all things have been handed over to the Father or to, to the Son, by the Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father. No one who knows who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal, right? So the, the theology of parables here presented in Luke is that the parable itself is being used as a way to reveal the Father and the Son to those whom the Son chooses to reveal it to. The Lawyer as the Fool Tony Arsenal: And that leaves us with this lawyer, um, sort of playing, playing the fool in almost like a dramatic sense, right? In a lot of drama, there's kind of like the fool character who's sort of like the foil or the idiot of the thing who's, who's unaware and is almost like made an example of, right? Um, I, I can't think of any examples off the top of my head, but there's often a character in a play who's like, uh, it's [00:29:00] almost like the opposite of the everyman, right? The everyman in a, in a play- Right ... or in a movie is sort of like the outsider who things gets explained to, and he's sort of the proxy for, for the audience. Um, I think like, um, Hawkeye in Avengers is kind of the everyman. He's sort of just like this regular dude swept up in this thing, and oftentimes he's the one that, uh, the big characters are explaining things to. And really what that is is the big characters are explaining that to the audience through this proxy. There's also this concept of the fool in a lot of these plays or movies who's sort of like the dummy, the idiot of the play, who things are explained to, and it's still a way to explain it to the audience, but the character doesn't get it. And so that's kind of, kind of the role that this lawyer is playing in this, this narrative here. He, he steps forward. He's like, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answers his question, and then in this like sort of like stunning moment of, like unawareness, he's trying to justify himself. He says, "Well, who is my neighbor?"[00:30:00] As though that's a question that needed to be asked, right? I think, like, we sort of think of it as like, "Oh, yeah, that's a valid question." I actually don't think it is. Like, it's pretty obvious, in the Old Testament at least, who your neighbor is. It's the people who live immediately with you. It's the other people of Israel. It's the people in your immediate concentric circles, the people you have direct access to. Um, and so then Jesus explains it through this parable, and whether or not he gets it at the end, I guess is maybe a little bit unclear. We can talk about that as we get there. But at least in the beginning, he's portrayed as this sort of, like, fool who doesn't understand what Jesus is saying, and then this parable is taught. So it's this theology of, um, revelation to those whom it is intended to, and further obscuring from those it's intended not to, not to illuminate, which is identical. Uh, maybe it's a different flavor of the same thing, but it's the same thing as what Matthew had and what Jesus taught- Right ... in Matthew with the parables. Jesse Schwamb: Right. It definitely is, again, illustrating, again, God's divine prerogative. I think you really have to do a lot of theological gymnastics [00:31:00] to try to work yourself out of a place here that says, like, "Well, this, this knowledge is accessible to all people."  Tony Arsenal: Right.  Jesse Schwamb: That if somehow we just work hard enough, study hard enough, come even before God with the right attitude or do the right things, that somehow all this will be made plain to us, and that's certainly not the truth here. In fact, again, the ironic setup is you have this lawyer asking this question, which creates this strange contrast because here's a man trained in the law, and he approaches the very wisdom of God to test him while the little children already perceive what this fool cannot. So it's irony upon irony, and then I, I like what you're saying. I think, and we'll get to this to anticipate a bit, I'm reading this as he's hoping that the answer to whom is my neighbor, just like he- he's received the affirmative from Jesus saying, "Yes, you understand. Go and do these things. This is life," and we'll get to all of what that means, I think, as well in terms of the covenant of works and the covenant of grace. But I think he's hoping that the definition of neighbor is gonna mean that he has [00:32:00] already accomplished the thing then, so that if there's somehow- Yeah ... he could just set the right boundaries. He could say, "Ah, yeah, I'm already good then, Jesus. I already, already did all that stuff." So- It's wild to me that it, it all starts with, of course, like some kind of scribal specialist in the Torah, of course, likely some kind of Pharisee by theological alignment. And as I'm looking at the notes here, what I find particularly stunning as we start this out is that Luke, of course, is able to speak several times in this parable to the intent. And so he says right away with great kind of fanfare and description that the intent here from this scribal Torah person was to test or to tempt, which is the same verb used of Satan's temptation of Christ and of Israel's testing of God in Deuteronomy 6, which of course Jesus is gonna quote here later on. So it's not, of course, like sincere inquiry, like you're saying. It, it is like adversarial probing. It is like really profound setup. It is dripping with like [00:33:00] ulterior motive. It's seeking to expose Jesus as either like heterodox or as diminishing the law's demands. And I think we've talked about this before, so Tony, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure in one of the previous parables we talked about sometimes how these get set up with this kind of weird like oxymoronic setting. Inherit Eternal Life Debate Jesse Schwamb: So like this question of se- uh, uh, itself, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?  Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Jesse Schwamb: It's like more than just theologically revealing. Biblically it's self-contradictory, 'cause of course like we talked about inheritance, I think actually when we went through the, the parable of the prodigal. By definition, that's received, of course, on the ba- basis of relationship or promise. It's not earned by performance. And if the inheritance comes by a law, it no longer comes by promise, right? I think that's like Galatians. So the lawyer's question already portray- portrays like some kind of weird works righteous paradigm. E- even if you think he's really after trying to understand the true intent of God's heart [00:34:00] behind the law, he is assuming at least in this question that eternal life is some kind of wage that he can earn rather than a gift to be received by grace through faith. And that's a fundamental error that the entire subsequent exchange, including the parable, is designed to expose. It's both, like you're saying, Tony, he has not learned yet what it means to be in the kingdom of God. He's outside of that, and so he's trying... Now Jesus is bringing in this corrective action, as it were, set up in a story, but he's gonna turn the law on him, which, which I don't wanna get too excited about that yet. But he's... But essentially, here we have somebody who's the expert in the law trying to leverage the law by way of force against the one who he does not understand has all leverage and authority over him, and is in fact the law giver himself So he's gonna, Jesus is gonna drive him to see his own ability to keep the law that he claims to honor, and that's more than just brilliant. This is what the law does. You do not wanna pit the law against the one who has given the law, the [00:35:00] one whose character is represented in the law, because you're always going to get owned, and you'll get owned before you realize you've just gotten owned on multiple levels, and I think that's what basically unfolds here. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, I, I have a little bit of a different take on the, the word inherit here. Um, I don't think what you're saying is wrong, um, but I think there's a little different flavor here, and actually, I, I think it, it still sort of propels us forward to the conversation we have to have, um, about the law and the gospel and the covenant of works, the covenant of grace. The, the Greek that lays under this word is, uh, it's a compound word of the word for, like, lot or portion and the word for law. And so, so the, this force of the word is more along the lines of, like, what shall I do to have a legal right to eternal life? Like- Right ... inherit, I think we hear inherit, and we think of, like, um, like what you get when someone dies, and so, like, obviously there's nothing you do to earn it, and that's certainly an element of the way this [00:36:00] word is used in some instances. I think reading this and kind of how, how the rest of the text plays out, this lawyer is coming forward and he's like, "What do I need to do to have a rightful legal claim to eternal life?" Right? We might even be able, and this is where it comes into the covenant of grace, covenant of works k- kind of paradigm. We might even be able to say that what this lawyer or this person comes forward to ask Jesus is, how do I gain, how do I gain the benefits of the covenant of works, right?  Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: Yep. That's language that was developed later that's not, not, like, biblical language in terms of, like, the actual language within the text, but that's the force of what he's saying. What must I do to be a rightful legal... Uh, what must I do to have a rightful legal claim on all of the blessings of the covenant of works, is really the question that's here. And so Jesus' answer is so instructive- Right ... 'cause what he says is, "Well, what's written in the law?" Like, he, he basically says, like, "Well, you should be able to tell me, teacher- Exactly of [00:37:00] the law, like, what, what needs to happen there." And there's an assumption on Christ's part that, like, there is an answer. I think sometimes, sometimes we, we, uh, we make an error in thinking that the covenant of works was never attainable, that it's somehow this, like, um, it's almost like a black box. Like, nobody could know what we have to do to, like, obtain eternal life. That's absolutely not the assumption Jesus makes. Jesus not only knows that there's an answer, it's such a straightforward answer that he expects this scribe to be able to answer it, right? And the scribe can, right? The scribe says, "Well, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, your strength, and your neighbor as yourself," right? The summary of the law. Just good old classic Westminster larger, shorter catechism. Where's the law summarily comprehended? Summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments. And then, then again, I don't know the questions exactly, but then it also, like, says, like, "Where does Christ summarize this?" Well, you should love the Lord your God, and you should love your [00:38:00] neighbor as yourself, right? Covenant Works and Grace Tony Arsenal: So the, the lawyer comes forward and says, "What do I need to do to have a legal right to all of the blessings of the covenant of works?" Christ says, "Well, what do you think?" He says, "Well, you obey the entirety of the law." And he says, "You've answered correctly. Do this. Obey the entirety of the law and you will live." So the parable itself doesn't necessarily speak to this law, gospel, covenant of works, covenant of grace paradigm. The, the parable is used to show that not only does this lawyer know what is required of him, but that he won't do it.  Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: And I think that's really key, because even in the parable, within the parable itself, there are these figures that know what they should do, right? I, I think, um, we'll get into it, but there's a lot of ink spilled on almost like, um, explaining [00:39:00] why the priest and the Phar- phar- and the, the Levite almost like did the right thing by going to the other side of the room, and it points to like, well, their priestly and Levitical responsibilities, if they touch a dead body, like they can't do those things, and those things are so important. Like, there's a lot of ink spilled trying to almost explain why what they did is right, when the point of the parable is that actually we all know what the right thing to do in that sense was. And even the most righteous people in the mind of the hearers, the Levites and the priests, the most righteous people, even they don't do what they're supposed to do. Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: This, this paradigm, this gospel law paradigm, law gospel paradigm, this covenant of works, covenant of grace paradigm, is so baked into the very like fabric of, of human thought that it's just there. And Christ takes this time to point out to this lawyer, like, "You know what's expected of you." And so that's why the phrase desiring to justify himself is so key [00:40:00] here. I actually think that the, the, the I don't wanna go so far as to say, like, that this person was regenerated in the midst of this conversation, 'cause I don't know that. But I actually think that there's a forward movement of this lawyer as he interacts with Christ that is optimistic. I'm optimistic about it, right? Right. He starts out trying to test Jesus, then he star- then he moves to having a desire to justify himself. I think we hear that, we read that, desiring to justify himself, we automatically think that that's a negative thing. But if we think about justifying himself in terms of what he's talking about, how do I fulfill the obligations of the covenant of works, that's not a bad thing to wanna do. Right. It's not bad to wanna obey God's law and to lay claim to His promises. It's a misguided notion of something we can't accomplish, but in itself, desiring to justify himself is to desire to fulfill the obligations of the covenant of works. That's not necessarily a bad thing. And so I think this is a merciful, a merciful [00:41:00] teaching on Christ's part. He's trying to instruct this guy to say, "Look, you can't do it. And even if you could do it, you wouldn't do it. So let's, let's talk about mercy instead and what that looks like." And that's where we get to kind of the end of the, uh, the end of the parable.  Jesse Schwamb: And again, we have to remember that we know that the intent here is actually to test or try Jesus, so He's certainly being merciful by using this opportunity not to just put him on blast, but to actually provide true instruction. And of course, like, that was, to some degree, this turning the question back would've been, like, a rabbinic pedagogical technique, but theologically, this is what floors me, is from the jump, Jesus refuses to let this man treat Him merely as one more voice among competing rabbis. Yeah. Instead, He holds that lawyer to the standard of God's own revealed word by, like you said, asking not just what does it say, but how do you read it? Mm-hmm. He's pressing not just for, like, some kind of recitation, but for the lawyer's own understanding and application, and Jesus is gonna hold him [00:42:00] accountable to his own hermeneutic. So by, by the time we get the answer, we know as readers, and all those present would've understood, he already knows the right answer, and he's not ignorant to God's requirements. He already summarizes the whole moral law correctly, encompassing both tables of the Decalogue. And so I think that does lead us then to this statement that we probably should spend a little time on, like, do this and you will live, like you introduced for us. Like, what does that even mean? Because i- it's not, like, in my view It's not like a Pelagian or Arminian concession that law keeping actually saves. I mean, it is the covenant of works principle stated truly inexorably that the law as law does promise life to perfect obedience. But that's the exact problem. I, I like what you said that it's not as if we can't understand what it would be to comprehend or contemplate this perfect law and what it means to fall under the covenant of works. It's just that he also presents for us at the same time this covenant of grace in which life is [00:43:00] granted freely through faith in the mediator who alone fulfills all of these laws' demands. So it's wild in this back and forth that's happening here where it's... I don't even know if it's fair to say this is like the most incredible subtext ever. I'm imagining trying to process this in real time and realizing everything that's being said, not just listening to what's being said and like the technical answers going back and forth. But I think like you said, that the Spirit even here is at work, I would like to believe, in the life and at the heart and the mind of this lawyer who's bringing forward this question with nefarious intent first to test and to undermine, and then is being drawn in almost inexorably into this debate to more profound understanding about a covenant based on works that cannot be accomplished, uh, in perfect obedience except through the mediator who organizes and distributes liberally this covenant of grace to his children for whom he has accomplished at least passively and then actively in his obedience in life and death. And so Jesus' reply is, I [00:44:00] think, thus a very genuine like if that functions to expose an impossibility. I, I don't think he's teaching salvation by works here, of course. He is holding out the law's own terms so that the lawyer and everybody else listening, and even us as well, can discover through this narrative which is about to happen the impossibility of self-produced righteousness, which again is what this gentleman is theologically all about. He's trying to justify himself. And that is precisely the pedagogical strategy like Paul uses later when he systemizes all of this by saying that the law was our guardian or school master until Christ came in order that we might be justified by faith. I think- Yeah ... and it's only because God is good to us and we might sit in some of this teaching, I think this is all in play. So, so I ask you, like, have I gone too far with all this? Like, how much do you think in the real time was being processed? And maybe that's a horrible question to ask because we know the Spirit does this work of illumination and enlightenment, and we're on the other [00:45:00] side of this and have this time to sit and to kind of parse and to really kind of just be pickled in all of this. But there's so much happening here, right?  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. Uh, maybe I'll answer the question a, a little bit of a different way. I think, um- We often can think about Old Testament religion, if we wanna kinda call it that. We think about Old Testament religion as though it was totally uniform and, um, entirely legalistic. Right. Uh, my- the, the listener is gonna panic a little bit when I say this, so please don't freak out, but I, I think N.T. Wright, uh, and some of the new perspective on Paul stuff is a, a little bit helpful in this, in that it gives us a foil to sorta push against. Yes. The new perspective on Paul is this idea that, um- Paul was not saying that Judaism was legalistic and Christianity is a grace-based religion, right? He, m- [00:46:00] um, N- NPP is not, is saying, um, Paul was not correcting New or Old Testament religion. And where they go wrong is that they say that Paul actually retains this concept of covenantal faithfulness, covenantal nomism fidelity. Uh, where I think, where I think they're right is that this idea that, like, the Old Testament religion is entirely legalistic and Paul was just sort of correcting that, I think that's way too simplistic. And the reason I say that is that the Mosaic Covenant for, you know, w- and predominantly this podcast is coming from a sort of Westminster Confession of Faith Presbyterian perspective, give or take, right? The, the broad Reformed tradition would say that the, the Mosaic, uh, covenant, the Davidic Covenant, all of the covenants of the Old Testament, and we can break them up in all sorts of different ways, but all of the covenants of the Old Testament, [00:47:00] um, with maybe the exception of the Noahic Covenant, and there's some debate about that, all of those are They're not just, like, supporting structures for the covenant of grace, but they actually are the covenant of grace in various administrations. If that's true, and of course we believe that it is, if that's true, then the people of those covenants understood that on some level. Right. Right? So to think that, like, people under the administration of the covenant of grace somehow thought that they were operating under a legalistic framework doesn't make any sense. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah,  Tony Arsenal: that's true. So, so where I think that applies here is I think this person coming forward, it's not as though the concept of the covenant of grace... Again, that's language that we would develop later, but the concept that God graciously saves His people by the counsel of His own will, apart from their works of righteousness, apart from their meritorious effort, that God [00:48:00] simply extends His grace and conveys the cov- the blessings of the covenant of works to those who trust in the mediator, those who trust in the one to come, the, the forthcoming serpent-crushing seed, right, if you wanna use- Right language from Genesis 3. The, the idea that God simply graciously conveys the blessings of the covenant of works to those people Um, that's not something that's alien to the Old Testament, right? It's not alien to the, even to the Mosaic economy. The most law-based of all of the Old Testament, um, covenants, even that starts with the concept that these people are God's people who he redeemed out of Egypt, right? Right. The redemption out of Egypt comes before the giving of the law, and the giving of the law is a result of the redemption out of Egypt. So to think that this lawyer comes forward, and again, this had been sort of corrupted and distorted and had become a very works-based, uh, [00:49:00] meritorious-based understanding. But the idea that this framework of a covenant of grace is totally alien to this guy just doesn't, it just doesn't, I think it doesn't play. And so I think rather than us read this as I think sometimes we do, of Christ as kind of like giving this guy, trying to give this guy an entirely new paradigm, or like the rich young ruler is very much a parallel kind of situation. We read this, this guy comes forward, he's like, "What do I gotta do to earn eternal life?" Christ is like, kinda basically says like, "Well, you dum-dum, you can't. And I'm gonna demonstrate for you that you can't by- Right ... taking sort of like this situation that you can't possibly believe that you fulfilled and telling you to fulfill it." That's the outcome of this. We'll get to that when we get to the end of the parable. Um, he's not trying to give them a new paradigm. He's trying, in my opinion, he's trying to sort of reorient them back to the true paradigm of grace that is present under all of the Old Covenant administrations. So it's not so much a matter of like [00:50:00] developing a new framework and impli- like imposing this new framework on this guy. It's really trying to say like, "Listen- Think about this for a second, dude. Think about this, right? Think about the fact that, yes, you know you have to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole strength, your whole mind, and you have to love your neighbor as yourself, right? You've answered correctly. If you can do those things, you will live. With the subtext, which I think is what you're getting at, the subtext of, like, and of course you cannot possibly do those things. Right. Right. So what's the alternative, my friend? The alternative is not justifying yourself by somehow identifying who the person is that you have to love the most. The, the, the, um, the... Well, we'll get this when we get to the parable itself, but the, the alternative is... This will be interesting, 'cause I'm not sure that we... I don't know where you are on this, but, um, the alternative is that there's someone out there who shows us mercy. [00:51:00] Right. There's someone out there who takes care of our need despite our total inability to do so. Jesse Schwamb: That's right.  Tony Arsenal: That's the alternative to the covenant of works, is the covenant of grace. I m- maybe I'm, like, hinting at it too much, so I'll just say it. Like, Jesus is the Good Samaritan, right? Like, there's something for us to learn about our own justification here and our own- Right ... like, um, our own need to be merciful, to treat people as our neighbors. But just like we talked about when we talked about, like, what does the least of these mean, this parable, uh, I'm totally, like, burying the lede for next, next week, but that's fine. This parable is not primarily about us figuring out how to do mercy ministry. Right. Like, that's important. It's probably an outcome of this. It's probably something for us to think about. But really, this is actually Christ saying, like, "Hold on a second here, dude." Like, "Let's just think about this." Do you need someone who is going to tell you to pick yourself up off your bootstraps and cross to the other side of the street and leave you to [00:52:00] your own devices? Or do you need someone who's gonna throw you on their donkey, who's gonna bind up your wounds, who's gonna pay the innkeeper, and is gonna pledge to play- pay everything that is owed for your salvation? Right? That's not too on the nose here, I think. Right. And, and I really look forward to, like, unpacking that, although maybe we don't need to now, but I think, like, this parable is so much more about how salvation works than it is about, like, what it means to have a good neighbor and to be a good neighbor. I think we get bogged down in that, and I just am really excited to talk more about, like, what I think this parable actually gets at.  Jesse Schwamb: I agree, and it's happening in the contex

Why does God allow difficult seasons? When life feels uncertain, painful, or unfair, it can be easy to question God’s character and wonder if our struggles are a result of something we did wrong. But Scripture reveals a different truth: God’s heart toward us is rooted in love, grace, and mercy—not punishment or condemnation. Vivian Bricker explores how knowing who God is helps us navigate suffering, uncertainty, and the lies we often believe about God’s intentions. Through Scripture, we are reminded that God’s love does not change based on our circumstances, and that hardship is not proof of God’s rejection or displeasure. Highlights: Why the unknown can make us question God’s goodness and control Understanding the difference between biblical truth and the idea of karma Why suffering is not always a reflection of God’s punishment How the New Covenant through Jesus changes our understanding of blessings and curses The importance of knowing God’s character so we can recognize false beliefs How God’s love remains constant even during difficult seasons Want more encouragement throughout your week? Subscribe to The Good Word, LifeAudio’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up at LifeAudio.com/thegoodword Join the conversation: How can a deeper understanding of God’s character change the way you view hardship? Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/ Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: Understanding God’s CharacterBy Vivian Bricker Bible Reading:“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10). In my opinion, the scariest thing in the world is the unknown. Whether that be an undiagnosed illness, starting over in a new city, or thinking about the future, the unknown can be terrifying. None of us can truly know what is ahead because we are not the ones in control. For some of us, there will be good times ahead and for others, there will be hard times. One cannot be dogmatic and say that those who have good times are in the will of God and those who are going through tough times are not. It is never within God’s will for us to be in pain, to be depressed, or to be sick. He never intended for us to go through any of these things, and it is not right for people to believe in the ideology that if you do good, good returns to you from God and if you do bad, bad returns to you from God. This is not biblical as this is actually a belief in karma. Karma is part of the religious beliefs contained within Hinduism and Buddhism. Although karma has become popularized within mainstream media, Christ followers do not need to endorse it. Karma is refuted in the Bible as Psalm 103:10-11 says, “he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” Therefore, we don’t need to say that God blesses certain people while cursing others. The aspects of blessings and curses based on your actions were true within the Mosaic Covenant, but it is not true for us today. We are under the New Covenant by the blood of Jesus (Luke 22:20). Within the Mosaic Covenant, Israel was petitioned to obey God, and blessings would come to them; however, if they did not obey God and did evil, curses would come into their midst. Since we are not under the Mosaic Covenant, we don’t need to hold ourselves or others to this type of thinking. If we are having dreadful things happening in our lives, they are not caused by God. And if we are having good things happening in our lives, we cannot always be dogmatic to say it is caused by God either. To say that “God has blessed me because I’m doing well, but He has cursed you because you are not doing well” is not rooted in biblical truth. This is why Christians need to be more aware and not to flaunt things they believe are blessings. This only gives the idea that if you are struggling, you have done something terrible in the eyes of God, and you must be cursed. As Christ followers, this type of thinking needs to end. We all have free will, and with it, we have chosen to do terrible things (Romans 3:23). Additionally, we live in a fallen world that is covered in sin. This is why we shouldn’t be quick to say, “It is God’s will for you to suffer from (fill in the blank).” God never intended for evil, sin, or death to be in the world. He wanted us to live in perfect harmony with Him in the Garden of Eden. Intersecting Faith & Life: The Bible tells us, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10). God’s character is found in love. Since God is love, why do we believe the lie that He brings curses into our lives or into the lives of others? This goes against His very nature. God is love, and He is not going to bring harm into our lives. As Christ followers, we need to be aware of who God is and His characteristics, as this can help us weed out lies that pull us away from Him. Even well-meaning Christ followers can say unhelpful and unbiblical things, which is why we must be level-headed and fully understand the Bible ourselves. Regardless of what you are going through, remember the truth that God is love, and you are loved by Him, and neither of these things will ever change. Have you ever thought a terrible thing happening in your life was due to God punishing you? What made you think like this? How can having a proper view of God’s character help you understand Him better? Further Reading: Romans 5:8 1 John 3:1 1 John 4:19 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Bible Basics with Mike Roberts Ep432 - The Mosaic Covenant

Lucas da Costa considers five key points as he looks at the Mosaic Covenant. Exodus 19 v 1 - 20 v 3; Galatians 3 vs 15 - 29 

Welcome back to our ongoing study through the Book of Hebrews, the book of "Better Things". In this Bible Study, Dave Bigler from Iron Sheep Ministries guides us through Hebrews chapter nine, diving deep into the structural blueprint and profound theological purpose of the earthly sanctuary—contrasting the old tabernacle and temples with the ultimate, heavenly sanctuary. Focusing on our key verse, Hebrews 9.24, we explore how the ancient sacrificial system established under the Mosaic Covenant was never meant to be permanent, but was a beautiful, meticulous copy built to point us directly to the finished work of Jesus Christ. To help visualize this powerful connection, this study provides an overview of the tabernacle's layout, from the bronze altar of sacrifice in the outer courtyard to the golden implements within the Holy Place. We examine how every physical element—including the single entrance, the golden lampstand, the showbread, and the altar of incense—finds its absolute fulfillment and spiritual reality in the Savior. We also address the intriguing wording in Hebrews 9.4 regarding the altar of incense, tracing the architectural progression from Moses's tabernacle to the grand temples of Solomon and Herod. Follow along with our detailed study notes at Iron Sheep Ministries to deepen your reverence for the perfect bridge Christ built to bring us into the very presence of God.TEACHING NOTES:https://docs.google.com/document/d/19WCysbtqo9T4-cViUtgPz4XP7bvyegqTFc8D9IpZnMA/edit?usp=sharingABOUT IRON SHEEP MINISTRIESIron Sheep Ministries is dedicated to helping you dig deeper into God's Word. To learn more about our mission and what God has put on our hearts, visit our website: https://ironsheep.org. JOING THE EMAIL LISThttp://eepurl.com/g-2zADQUESTIONSHave questions about today's study? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at info@ironsheep.org. PARTNER WITH USIf this teaching blessed you, please consider partnering with us through prayer or financial support to help us continue sharing the Gospel.

The Mosaic Covenant Exodus 19-24 Chris Moore The Mosaic CovenantExodus 19-24Message SlidesFor the bulletin in PDF form, click here. God's law is grounded in His grace.-Ex 6:7-8-Ex 19:4-6-Ex 20:1-3God's law forms His people.-Ex 24:3-11 Jer 31:31-32-Heb 8:13God's law points to something greater.-Deut 31:16-17-Gal 3:24-Rom 10:4-Matt 5:17 Resources: Kingdom Through Covenant by Gentry & Wellum (900 pages) God's Kingdom Through God's Covenants by Gentry & Wellum (300 pages) Theology for the Church Podcast (especially episodes on 7/7/25-8/25/25) FinancesWeekly Budget 35,915Giving For 07/06 24,714YTD Budget 35,915Giving 24,714 OVER/(UNDER) (11,201)Automate the ImportantWe understand that the summer months can be a whirlwind of new schedules and travel. To ensure the continuous growth of Fellowship's ministry, we encourage you to simplify your giving process by automating it. It's a straightforward and hassle-free process. Just visit fellowshipconway.org/give, click “Ready to Give?” then “Recurring,” and fill out the necessary information. If you need any assistance, feel free to reach out to John in our office at 501-327-3444 between 8:30 and 4:30, Monday through Thursday.New to Fellowship?We are so glad that you chose to worship with our Fellowship Family this morning. If you are joining us for the first time or have been checking us out for a few weeks, we are excited you are here and would love to meet you. Please fill out the “Connect Card” and bring it to the Connection Center in the Atrium, we would love to say “hi” and give you a gift. Fellowship Women's Recipe SwapTONIGHT, 6 pm, join us at the home of Gale Allen: 63 Moseley Lane, Conway, for a fun evening of sharing favorite recipes, delicious food, and great fellowship! Tara Brown will be there to do a cooking demo! Bring a dish to share and a copy of your recipe. Feel free to invite a friend! Fellowship Women's Watercolor NightPut Wednesday, July 29th at 6 pm on your calendar! Please bring yourself and a friend. All materials are supplied. We will all be practicing different watercolor techniques and participating in some fun watercolor activities! This will be fun for participants of all levels of experience. Remember: it's about the process, not the product! Register at fellowshipconway.org/register. RSVP to Shanna at 501-336-0332 for childcare.Fellowship Baby DedicationFellowship is grateful to partner with parents as they dedicate their children to the Lord. Sunday, August 2, during both services, we will set aside a special time for families to dedicate their children before the Fellowship body. If you would like to participate, please email Lisa at lgerdes@fellowshipconway.org and include your preferred service time. The dedication will take place at the beginning of each service.Fellowship Motherhood NightWe'd love for moms of all ages and stages to join us for a night of snacks, fellowship, and encouragement! Come hear Kassidy Youngblood share practical ideas for making family ministry a meaningful part of life at home. Join us Tuesday, July 28, 6:30 p.m. in the Fireside Room (2nd floor). For child care, text Shanna at 501-336-0332.There's a place for you in Fellowship Kids!As we prepare for our fall kickoff on August 16, we're looking for new volunteers to join our Fellowship Kids family. Whether you enjoy serving behind the scenes, helping in a classroom, being a special needs buddy, sharing Bible stories, or leading kids in worship, there's a role that fits your gifts and availability. We'd love to help you find the perfect place to serve. Join our Fellowship Kids volunteer family—we have a place for you! Contact Heather at hfulmer@fellowshipconway.org or Ashley at Aoverstreet@fellowshipconway.org. Prayer During ServiceWe love to pray for one another. Our prayer team will have people at the front of the Auditorium under the signs Hope and Love to pray for you after the message. Please feel free to walk up to them for prayer or encouragement during the first worship song after the message.

7/12/2026 Hebrews 8:7-13 What Is the New Covenant? Intro: Covenant means Promise. God makes promises and He of course keeps all of His promises. God made a Covenant with the people of the earth. The Noahic Covenant…that God would never flood the earth again. God made four covenants with His people Israel. These are all everlasting covenants. The Abrahamic Covenant---The land. The Mosaic Covenant—the law. The Davidic Covenant—A king and a kingdom. The Mosaic or the old Covenant is a system of works in order to please God. It points to the lamb of God Jesus Christ who fulfilled the works required by the Old Covenant. Hebrews focuses on the Mosaic Covenant—or as they call it the first Covenant…..the law of works. It's basically the Old Testament and the New Testament. Testament is a promise. Last will and Testament. Hebrews compares the Old and the New Covenants. What is the New Covenant?

This message was given by the late Rev. Howard E. Tucker, pastor of the former Calvary Presbyterian Church in Wilkinsburg, PA.  He was a graduate of Wheaton College and Dallas Theological Seminary.  The sermons were first broadcast on Pittsburgh's radio station, KDKA, during the fifties, sixties, and seventies.They can now be heard every Sunday evening on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com at 9:45 PM, or 24/7 by typing in "Timeless Treasures from God's Word" in the search bar of your computer or smart phone.  Pastor Tucker's son, Timothy, now voices the messages.

In this week's session of our Hebrews Bible study series, we dive deep into Hebrews 8 to explore the profound truth of "A Better Covenant." By examining the historical backdrop of the Mosaic Covenant (also known as The Law or the Old Covenant)—including its conditional "if/then" nature and the tragic historical realities of the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles—we discover exactly why a New Covenant was necessary (and planned). We unpack God's direct promise from Jeremiah 31 to write His law not on cold stone tablets, but directly onto our hearts and minds through a ministry built entirely on grace.We also tackle a vital theological question relevant to every believer today: Is God done with the Jewish people? Through anchor scriptures like Romans 11 and Zechariah 12, we confront "replacement theology" head-on, proving that our security in salvation is fundamentally locked to the character of an unchanging Promise-Keeper whose covenants are forever. Finally, we close with a powerful shift in application: moving away from exhausting, performance-based religion and into a heart-driven relationship where we obey God not to earn His favor, but as a grateful response to the love He first showed us at the cross. Grab your Bible, dig deep into the Word with us, and see how the finished work of Christ changes everything!Teaching Notes:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1goT0rN6WVNIBXJrDJ6UR_0xFj187yEt0SsF6bYSQqvU/edit?usp=sharingFind out more at: ironsheep.org

What separates an eternal promise of God from a conditional agreement? In this episode, hosts Shelley and June Volk dive deep into the scriptural foundations of biblical covenants, breaking down how God relates to both Israel and the global body of believers today. The hosts review the foundational, unconditional agreements—the Abrahamic Covenant passed down through Isaac and Jacob, and the royal Davidic Covenant establishing an everlasting throne. They contrast these with the Mosaic Covenant, exploring how its conditional blessings and curses shaped Israel's history. Finally, they reveal the beautiful resolution found in Yeshua (Jesus), who bore the curse of the law to bring both Jew and Gentile together into one new man. Key Takeaways from this Episode: The Nature of Covenants: Defining what a covenant means scripturally and understanding the vital difference between unconditional promises and conditional agreements. The Everlasting Lineage: Tracking the land and nation promises from Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, and recognizing why Israel remains an everlasting nation. The Davidic Oath: Exploring the unbroken promise to King David's line and its ultimate fulfillment in the eternal reign of Messiah Yeshua. The Mosaic Contrast: A close look at Deuteronomy 28, unpacking the conditional nature of the law and why Israel struggled under its demands. Overcoming the Curse: How Jesus's sacrifice on the cross fulfilled and overcame the curse of the covenant, opening the door for the Church to enter the commonwealth of Israel. One New Man: June shares a poignant message on the unity of Jew and Gentile, urging the modern, primarily Gentile Church to pray faithfully for the salvation and peace of Israel. Scripture References & Study Links: The Foundation: Genesis 12:1-3 (NASB) — The Abrahamic Call. Generational Inheritance: Genesis 26:1-4 (NASB) and Genesis 35:9-12 (NASB) — The promise extended to Isaac and Jacob (Israel). The Everlasting Statute: Psalm 105:6-11 (NASB) — An unconditional covenant summarized. The Royal Throne: Psalm 89:3-4 (NASB) and Psalm 89:28-37 (NASB) — God’s unalterable oath to David. Blessings and Curses: Deuteronomy 28:1-15 (NASB) — The conditions of the Mosaic Covenant. Support the show: https://shellyandjunevolk.com/product/partner-with-us-psalm-127-fund/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why are there so many laws in Scripture? Why is it so hard to be obedient to God? Rabbi Schneider shares that while the Mosaic Covenant is conditional, it was designed to be a temporary until Jesus could fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant. The New Covenant has the same three elements as the original Abrahamic Covenant and is fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus came to free us from the law. Dig deep and learn in this episode of Discovering the Jewish Jesus. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner   **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate  **** TEACHING NOTES - https://djj.show/6h2 TITLE: Why Is Obedience Difficult? (The Mosaic Covenant) Visit our website at DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com

What are the Abrahamic Covenant, Mosaic Covenant, and the New Covenant and what do they mean to you? Rabbi Schneider shares how these three primary covenants in Scripture form the basis of God's relationship with us. Starting with the Abrahamic Covenant which is based on your Faith, God's Promise, and Unconditional. Learn more in today's episode of Discovering the Jewish Jesus. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner  **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate  **** TEACHING NOTES - https://djj.show/n5v  Title: Is Believing Enough? (The Abrahamic Covenant) Visit our website at DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com

For the past several days, we've been looking at the kingdom that our Lord will establish one day. Today, in our study of Isaiah 55, we'll see that as amazing at it is, our Lord offers the nations a place in this kingdom. So, Isaiah 55 is a key chapter because is shows us that God's plan, all along, was for both Jews and Gentiles to be one people under God.  DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS:  1.    Verse 1 opens with an invitation. What is the invitation and who is it given to? Why is this important for the overall theme and perspective of the Book of Isaiah?  2.    Verses 1 & 2 also talk about the payment required to embrace this offer. What is the payment required? What New Testament term speaks of this kind of payment?  3.    What is the "everlasting covenant" spoken of in verse 3? Considering your answer to question 1, from verse 1, who is this covenant being made with? 4.    The term "Everlasting Covenant" was also used in Isaiah 61, Jeremiah 32, Ezekiel 16 & 37 and then in Hebrews 13:20. What covenant is this referring to?   5.    The podcast pointed out that the Everlasting Covenant was specifically made with individuals. Although the Old Covenant (the Mosaic Covenant) was also individual in nature, it was ultimately made with the nation of Israel. How is the New Covenant different? Why is this difference important to understanding what it means for us to personally and individually enter into covenant with the Lord?  6.    Take a moment to read over verse 6 and rewrite this in your own words, making a special point to apply this principle to your own life.  7.    Verse 7 gives a clear picture of repentance. Does this describe your walk with the Lord? What wicked ways have you forsaken? What unrighteous thoughts have you turned from? What is the promise of verse 7 to those to repent like this?  8.    What is the point behind verses 8 & 9? Why is it important for us to know these truths if we're going to walk faithfully according to our covenant with the Lord?  9.    What impact does God's Word have, in verse 11? Why is this important for us to know when we're teaching God's Word to others?  10.    Verse 12 pictures the kind of joy that will accompany those who enter into covenant with the Lord and follow Him. Why does following God have this result in our lives? Have there been times when you have not felt like this? In light of Christ's exhortations for us to pick up our cross and follow Him, how would you counsel someone who is following God but suffering pain as a result?  Check out our Bible Study Guide on the Key Chapters of Genesis! Available on Amazon just in time for the Genesis relaunch in January! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Find us on all major platforms, or use these direct links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 YouTube: Key Chapters of the Bible on YouTube. As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 100 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.   

IronMen of God - June 2026 CoffeeSpeaker: Randy RootTopic: The Mosaic Covenant

Topics: Faith without Works, James Explained, Paul vs. James, Law and Grace, Rightly Dividing Scripture, New Covenant Context, Judaism vs. Grace, Acts 15 Jerusalem Council, Acts 21 Nazarite Vow, Gospel of Grace, Works of the Law, Justification by Faith, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:28, Romans 4:2-5, Titus 3:5, Genesis 15:6, Abraham and Isaac Altar, Royal Law, Law of Liberty, Torah Commandments, Circumcision Party, Galatians Law Curse, Judaizers and Zealots, James Gang, Weak Conscience of James, Finished Work of Christ, Mosaic Covenant, John 19:30, James Taught Second Greatest Commandment, James 2:8, Early Church Conflict, First Century Epistles, Principles vs. Person, Sufficiency of Grace, Galatians 2:12, Acts 16 Circumcision of Timothy, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 2:16, 1 Corinthians 8, Acts 23 Plot Against Paul's Life Support the showSign up for Matt's free daily devotional!  https://mattmcmillen.com/newsletter

Send us Fan MailA popular claim these days is that God prohibited pork, shellfish, and other animals because they're unhealthy, unclean scavengers, or dangerous for human consumption. But is that actually what the Bible says?In this video, Dr. Solberg examines a viral claim that the dietary laws of Leviticus 11 were given for health reasons and test that idea against Scripture itself. He looks at the biblical meaning of "clean" and "unclean," explores the Hebrew concepts of ritual purity, and examines the reason God explicitly gives for Israel's food laws.Were the dietary restrictions primarily about nutrition? Were they intended for all humanity? Why were Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Noah allowed to eat foods that would later be restricted under the Mosaic Covenant? And what does the Torah itself say about the purpose of these commandments?Rather than relying on modern Hebrew Roots and other Torah-observant movement theories, let's go directly to the biblical text and let Scripture speak for itself.  Topics covered:• Leviticus 11 and the prohibition of pork• The Hebrew words ṭāhôr (clean) and ṭāmēʾ (unclean)• Ritual purity versus health regulations• Why Israel's dietary laws were given• Leviticus 20:25–26 and being "set apart"• Genesis 9 and the pre-Sinai diet• Common misconceptions about biblical food laws• Hebrew Roots claims examined in light of ScriptureThe Biblical Roots MinistriesOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)

Why does Moses still matter today?In this episode of the Bible and Theology Matters Podcast, host Dr. Paul Weaver is joined by Dr. Michael Emmons, Chris Katulka, and Steve Herzig to explore the life, leadership, and legacy of Moses—one of the most influential figures in the Bible.Discover how God transformed a Hebrew child rescued from death, a prince raised in Pharaoh's palace, and a shepherd in Midian into the deliverer of Israel and mediator of the Mosaic Covenant. Learn the theological significance of the Exodus, the Passover, the Ten Plagues, the Red Sea crossing, Mount Sinai, and the giving of God's Law.This conversation examines Moses' role in God's redemptive plan, his unique relationship with God, his failures and triumphs, and how his life points forward to Jesus Christ.In This EpisodeThe miraculous birth and preservation of MosesMoses' upbringing in Pharaoh's householdThe significance of the tribe of LeviMoses' flight to Midian and years as a shepherdThe burning bush and God's call on Moses' lifeThe Ten Plagues and God's judgment on EgyptThe Passover and Israel's deliveranceCrossing the Red SeaThe Mosaic Covenant and the LawMoses as mediator between God and IsraelMoses' failure at MeribahThe death of Moses and the Promised LandLessons Christians can learn from Moses todayKey Biblical PassagesExodus 1–20Numbers 12Numbers 20Deuteronomy 34Acts 7Matthew 17Hebrews 8About Bible and Theology MattersBible and Theology Matters exists to equip believers with biblical truth, theological clarity, and practical application for faithful Christian living.

In the Coffee House, John-Mark is joined by Brandon Adams and Benedict Allmand-Smith to discuss Covenant Theology, the Sinai/Mosaic covenant, Paul's argument in Galatians 3, the Abrahamic Covenant and its relationship to the New Covenant, and the different views on Abraham and Moses, particularly expressed in the majority Reformed view and the arguments of Meredith Kline. Swim deep in the questions of Reformed Covenant Theology at the Coffee House.Brandon begins by defining the historic “subservient covenant” view: Sinai is distinct from the covenant of grace and serves it by functioning as a typological covenant of works tied to temporal life and blessing in Canaan, conditioned on obedience. They contrast this with the majority historic Reformed view that post-fall covenants are one covenant of grace, and explain competing readings of Galatians 3:10–12 and 3:15–18 (including the “ad hominem” reading). Adams relates Kline's works-principle approach, critiques attempts to separate the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants, and argues Paul's “promise” centers on Christ blessing the nations, distinguishing the historia salutis from the ordo salutis. Delve deep into Covenant Theology with this episode at the Coffee House.Links and Resources Mentioned:Covenant Theology: From Adam to Christ (Nehemiah Coxe & John Owen) “Same but Different: The Meaning and (Mis)Use of a Reformed Formula” D. Patrick Ramsey. Mid-America Journal of Theology, volume 36 (2025).Reformation21 Summary VersionT.D. Alexander on the Seed[ttps://contrast2.wordpress.com/2024/09/20/the-dichotomous-abrahamic-covenant-of-circumcision-quotes/JIRBS Review Article JIRBS 2020 Paper Editionhttps://contrast2.wordpress.com/2016/09/03/gal-318-generic-law-and-promise-or-sinai-and-messiah/ (elaborated more carefully/fully in JIRBSAbraham not Moses?Lee Irons on works aspect of the ceremonial law, starting at 12:15Kline's Abrahamic Covenant of Works 7: R. Scott Clark Kline's Abrahamic Covenant of Works 6: 1689 Federalism Kline's Abrahamic Covenant of Works 5: Glory Cloud Podcast Kline's Abrahamic Covenant of Works 4: Contradiction Kline's Abrahamic Covenant of Works 3: Royal Grant Proposal Kline's Abrahamic Covenant of Works 2: Typological Merit Kline's Abrahamic Covenant of Works 1: Murray and Shepherd Some Disagreement with Coxe on Galatians 3:1700:00 The Coffee House00:50 Sinai as Subservient03:31 Majority Reformed View08:10 Galatians 3 Key Text09:36 Ad Hominem Reading 13:41 Baptist Reading Explained 21:19 Kline and Works Principle 26:17 What Promise Means 28:16 Historia vs Ordo Salutis 30:56 Offspring Argument in Galatians 32:07 Seed Singular or Plural 32:22 Genesis Clues for One Seed 33:03 Genesis 22 Offspring Shift 34:57 Paul Versus Judaizers 36:48 Law and Promise Timing 39:46 Why Then the Law 41:25 Covenant Redemption Question 44:10 Views on Mosaic Covenant 50:53 Land Promise and Obedience 53:38 Assessing Klinean Appeal 01:00:57 Luke and Nations Blessing 01:03:44 Closing Thanks and ResourcesSupport the showContact Broken WharfeTweet us @Brokenwharfe Find us on Facebook at BrokenWharfeFollow us on Instagram at BrokenWharfeEmail us at info@brokenwharfe.comThanks for listening!

In this episode, Andy and Ryan continue to explore the Biblical covenants with the Mosaic covenant.

Exodus 19:1-20:7

I've never shared a disclaimer when introducing podcast episodes, but this episode is a very technical and tedious study through Scripture. It requires focus, patience, and a willingness to slow down because it is very detail-heavy. This is one that will challenge the way you think about the “Mosaic Covenant.” Also—I encourage you to listen to Episode 9 (the previous episode) before listening to this one. In this episode, we will tackle the chronology of the ordering of events and the giving of commandments in the books of Moses. The question we will be addressing is: Are the books of Moses written in strict chronological order...or is there something deeper going on?We will carefully walk through the timeline from Mount Sinai to the plains of Moab and uncover how the Torah is actually structured—showing that while the narrative often flows forward, the commandments and events are not always recorded in the order they happened. This distinction changes EVERYTHING.We will cover:--When Aaron and his sons were truly consecrated--When and why the Levites were set apart--How the Golden Calf incident became a turning point for priesthood and mediation--The difference between appointment vs. installation of the Levites--Why some passages in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy appear “out of order”--What it means that Israel went from a kingdom of priests to a kingdom with priestsBy comparing Scripture with Scripture, we begin to piece together a more accurate timeline—one that reveals how the Levitical priesthood was established after the Golden Calf incident, and how that shift impacts covenant understanding.This episode will also piece these findings together to form a bigger picture regarding the distinction between the covenants in Moses, the role of mediation, and how this ultimately points us to the greater High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.Throughout this episode, you may be provoked to think, what's the big deal, and why does this even matter? It matters because understanding the Melchizedek Priesthood matters. This episode may challenge you. But this is not a surface-level conversation—it's an invitation into deeper study. Click link for podcast transcriptContact me: stephanie@promise-perspective.comVisit my website: www.promise-perspective.com Support the show

In this episode, we are going to explore and challenge a common assumption that people have about Scripture: that everything under Moses belongs to a single “Mosaic Covenant.” But what if the Bible itself actually points to two distinct covenants administered during Moses' leadership?This episode will begin with examining 2 Timothy 2:15 and what it really means to “rightly divide the word of truth.” Paul doesn't tell us to rightly divide truth from error, but to divide the truth. This suggests that Scripture contains important distinctions that must be carefully understood. One of the key texts in this discussion is Deuteronomy 29:1, which explicitly mentions a covenant made in the land of Moab that is “besides” the covenant made earlier at Mount Sinai. The questions that will be presented are:1. If Israel was originally called to be a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19), how did they become a nation with priests limited to the sons of Aaron?2. Why were the tablets of the covenant placed inside the ark, while the Book of the Law was placed beside it?2. What role did the golden calf incident play in the shift toward the Levitical priesthood?4. And how does the priesthood of Messiah relate to the earlier order of Melchizedek?By examining the timeline between Sinai and the plains of Moab (and continuing this examination in the next episode, Episode 10), I am proposing that Israel originally entered a covenant that called the entire nation into priestly relationship with the Most High. After the rebellion with the golden calf, however, the tribe of Levi was separated, establishing the mediated Levitical priesthood that governed Israel's worship and sacrificial system.Last but certainly not least, we will look at how the New Testament speaks about drawing near to Elohim through Messiah, who restores access to the eternal priestly order—an order connected to Melchizedek rather than the Levitical system.This episode will invite you to reconsider how the covenants unfold throughout Scripture and why understanding these distinctions is essential for properly understanding both Moses and Messiah.In the next episode, we'll dive deeper and more tediously into the chronology of the books of Moses, the consecration of the Levites, and how placing these events in the correct order sheds new light on covenant and priesthood.Visit my website: www.promise-perspective.comFollow on Instagram: @the_promise_perspective  Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/promiseperspective  Donate on Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/stephanie-green0611Donate on PayPal: http://paypal.me/stephaniegreentppDonate on Patreon: http://patreon.com/thepromiseperspective  Your support is greatly appreciated ❤️Contact me: stephanie@promise-perspective.comSupport the show

In this episode, we step into one of the most foundational covenants in all of Scripture — the covenant made with Abraham.Rather than asking, “Which covenant are we under?”, we explore the better question: Where do we stand in the unfolding covenant story? From Genesis 12, 15, and 17, we trace the promise of land, seed, and blessing — and uncover how this oath-based covenant finds its fulfillment in Messiah.We examine:The unconditional promise of Genesis 12The unilateral covenant of Genesis 15The prophetic imagery of the smoking furnace and burning lampThe Melchizedek priesthood connectionPaul's argument in Galatians and Romans that connect us back to AbrahamThe difference between promise and lawThe 400 vs. 430-year prophecyHow Messiah is the promised Seed through whom the nations are blessedThis episode reveals that the gospel is not a new invention — it is the fulfillment of Yahuah's original promise to Abraham. Messiah does not cancel the covenant; He embodies and secures it.The Abrahamic covenant is about Promise → Identity → Inheritance.And what began with a promise under the stars is still unfolding today.Next, we move into the Mosaic Covenant — how it fits into the same covenant story and why understanding both is essential to seeing the full picture of redemption.Support the show

God remains faithful to His promises, especially to Israel, even when they fall away. In Malachi, the call to return through tithing was about restoring the mosaic covenant system by enabling the Levites to fulfill their role, not about tithing itself bringing blessing. For believers today, returning to God is personal—by renewing our mind through His Word and realigning with Him. Even when obedience seems unrewarded, God calls us to trust, return, and experience His faithfulness and care. __________ Malachi 3:6–15 NLT, Numbers 18:20–21 NLT, Nehemiah 13:10–12 NLT, Malachi 2:5–7 NLT, Romans 12:2 NIV __________ Partner with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/partner Connect with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com Leave a Comment: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/comments __________    

Topics: The Reality of Tithing Testimonials, Why Tithing Is Not New Covenant Doctrine (2 Corinthians 9:7), The Difference Between Biblical Giving and Gambling, Debunking the Institutional Box Church System, Why Jesus Warned Against the Tradition of Men (Matthew 15:3), The Error of Using Malachi 3 to Guilt the Church, How the 10% Tithe Harms the Body of Christ, Our New Identity as Natural Givers (Ezekiel 36:26), Why the Law of Moses Ended at the Cross (Romans 10:4), Understanding Why Jesus Fulfilled and Abolished the Law (Matthew 5:17), The Requirement of Death Under the Levitical Law, Why Christ Is the Final Lamb of God (John 1:29), The Truth About the Fading Power of the Mosaic Covenant, How Prosperity Preachers Misuse Pre-cross Scripture, Why You Cannot Buy God's Blessings With Money, The Danger of the "Will a Man Rob God" Mentality (Malachi 3:8-10), Why the Widow's Mite Was Not a Tithe (Mark 12:41-44), The Biblical Definition of Tithe as Food Not Money (Deuteronomy 14:22-29), How Early Church Fathers Mixed Law and Grace, Why the Tithe Was Meant to Support Widows and Orphans, The Myth of Testing God for Financial Gain (Acts 15:10), Why Tithing Is a Matter of the Law and a Curse (Galatians 3:10), Why the Church Administration Has No Right to Your Bank Statements, Promoting Works Over Grace in the Ecclesia (Romans 11:6), Understanding First Fruits as Christ Not Cash (1 Corinthians 15:20), Why a Hired Hand Deserves Food Not a Salary (Luke 10:7), Paul's Refusal to Use the Right to Receive Support (1 Corinthians 9:14-15), Giving Out of Abundance Rather Than Mandate (1 Corinthians 16:2), Why Sowing a Seed for Healing Is a Demonic Lie, Why Abraham's One-time Tithe Was Not a Commanded (Hebrews 7:1-10)Support the showSign up for Matt's free daily devotional! https://mattmcmillen.com/newsletter

What does obedience to God look like? Can you be delivered and still worship other things? Can you be redeemed and still be reckless? Can you be holy and still be in sin? As we continue in our Covenants series, Pastor Ruben preaches about the Mosaic Covenant. Those who need revival, this message is for you.

Lots of people want God's blessings, and for good reason. Yet in today's study of Deuteronomy 27 & 28, we'll see that God gave specific promises for blessings and curses to His covenantal people. Yet later on, well-intentioned people took those promises to the Jews and appropriated them for themselves only to find that God was not pleased with their self-motivated false worship. Join us for an important study in God's Word!  DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1.    Deuteronomy 28 is a summary of God's blessings that He will give to His people when they are in covenant with Him. According to verse 2, what was their role in this covenant? What kinds of blessings would God bestow on them in verses 1 to 13?  2.    How does verse 47 characterize the proper heart attitude that was needed for their covenant with God? 3.    Were these promises for all people, or specifically for those who entered into the Mosaic Covenant with the Lord? How does the fact that this is God's Covenant with the Jews help us understand why we might still have trials and difficulties in our lives today?  4.    Looking over verses 16-68, what kinds of things would happen to the people if they did not follow God's Covenant? If you were making this covenant with the Lord back then, do you think this long list would have helped motivate you to keep your end of the agreement? 5.    Deuteronomy 27 gives specific instructions about how these blessings and curses were to be communicated to the people once they entered the Promised Land. What were they to do in Deuteronomy 27:5? What were they to do with the tribes in 27:12 and 27:13? Which tribe went on which mountain?  6.    These instructions were later fulfilled in Joshua 8. How did their obedience, in Joshua 8, reflect their heart towards this covenant? 7.    The podcast mentioned that many centuries later, the Samaritans appropriated God's promises to the Jews for His blessing on His covenantal people; and the Samaritans applied those promises to themselves. According to the podcast, what were they doing? Was it right to appropriate God's promises to someone else, and make it their own? 8.    The podcast mentioned that the Samaritans sought to be particularly exuberant in their worship. Why do you think they were so ecstatic in their worship? Was this the kind of worship the Lord sought? 9.    This whole issue came up when Jesus was talking with the Samaritan woman in John 4. While it is not specifically mentioned, it's the basis of their whole conversation about true worship. What did Jesus teach the woman in John 4:22-23? How would this have been at odds with what the Samaritans had been doing? 10.    As we wrap up our study of Deuteronomy 27 & 28, what principles do we see from these passages about trusting and obeying the Lord? 11.    If we're ever seeing something in our life that seems to reflect the warnings of Deuteronomy 28:16-68, how might these verses help us prayerfully determine if we're living out of sorts with God?  12.    Finally, is there any area of your life where you're not worshipping the Lord in your spirit according to His truth? What are some ways for how you can bring that into submission to the Lord? Check out our Bible Study Guide on the Key Chapters of Genesis! Available on Amazon just in time for the Genesis relaunch in January! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Find us on all major platforms, or use these direct links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 YouTube: Key Chapters of the Bible on YouTube. As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 100 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.   

This conversation explores the nature of God's love, the implications of the Mosaic Covenant, and the significance of the Ark of the Covenant. It discusses the contrast between the Ten Commandments and the 613 laws, emphasizing that the latter serves as a witness against humanity. The dialogue encourages questioning scripture to find God's love in difficult texts and highlights Jesus' role in fulfilling the sacrificial system. It advocates for a shift from legalism to love, emphasizing the importance of belief in shaping our reality and the call for everyone to be priests in reconciling others to God.

We've been studying Exodus for the last few months and we've seen the institution of a covenant- the Mosaic Covenant, the Covenant of Law, or the Old Covenant as the writer of Hebrews calls it. Hebrews tells us that this Old Covenant was not faultless and that it's now obsolete, replaced by the New Covenant. This week we'll look at the New Covenant and see what's so new about it.

Hey, friends! While we might have met through my wardrobe styling career or music video sets, long before that, I was in seminary classrooms learning how to teach scripture with care, conviction, and more than anything, joy.   My name is Lanie Beth Sinclair, and since graduating, I've had the privilege of teaching the Bible with women across the country, in churches, large events, and in living room Bible studies that felt holy before anyone spoke a word. And truthfully, I loved all of it. What you're about to hear is a live teaching recorded in real time with real women, wrestling honestly with the Word of God, for His glory and our good.   I'd love to teach at your event. If you'd like to book me for your event or explore more of my creative work, visit my website: https://laniebethsinclair.com   You can also keep up with my series, Want, Need, Wear, Read: four things you didn't know you needed until now, on Substack.   Let's keep learning about the goodness of God side by side. 

The Letter of Jude E3 — After the letter's opening appeal, Jude (or Judah) begins warning corrupt members of a Jewish messianic church community who cast off restraint and live openly immoral lives. He does so with an ancient rhetorical technique found in both the Hebrew Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Jude shares three stories of rebellion in the Hebrew Bible: the spies fearful of the promised land in Numbers 13-14, the “sons of God” in Genesis 6, and the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. Then he draws comparisons to the corrupt church members, promising they'll receive the same judgment. Why does Jude write this way about the moral crisis in a church? What is he trying to communicate? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore verses 5-8, unpacking the dense biblical references and what they would have meant to Jude and his audience.FULL SHOW NOTESFor chapter-by-chapter summaries, referenced Scriptures, and reflection questions, check out the full show notes for this episode.CHAPTERSA Jewish Rhetorical Technique (0:00-18:10)Rebellion of the Spies, Sons of God, and Sodom and Gomorrah (18:10-36:41)Concluding Thoughts on the First Triad (36:41-51:54)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.BIBLEPROJECT JUDE TRANSLATIONView our full translation of the Letter of Jude.REFERENCED RESOURCESThe Dead Sea Scrolls (Pesharim)Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books.SHOW MUSIC“Fellowship” by Lofi Sunday, Cassidy Godwin“Peace With You ft. Oly.Lo” by Lofi SundayBibleProject theme song by TENTS SHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today's episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Friday, 2 January 2026   But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 15:24   “And answering, He said, ‘Not, I was sent, if not to the sheep, the ‘having been lost' – House Israel” (CG).   In the previous verse, the disciples came to Jesus, urging Him to send the Canaanite woman away because of all her croaking after them. Matthew next records words concerning Jesus, “And answering, He said, ‘Not, I was sent, if not to the sheep, the ‘having been lost' – House Israel.”   The KJV and several other versions did a terrible job, saying, “I am not sent...” The verb is aorist, not present. Rendering it this way leaves the reader thinking that this was His only reason for being sent. Rather, He was sent on a mission. When that mission is fulfilled, the aorist leaves the narrative open for the change that will come, something a present verb fails to convey.   Jesus was sent to those of Israel who were lost, meaning all of Israel. Nobody is saved until Christ saves them. The exclusivity of the thought rests in the words “House Israel.” Jesus was only sent to the people of Israel. This was proper because only Israel had been given the Mosaic Covenant.   No other people received it, and it applied to no other people. Jesus came to fulfill this law, bring Israel out from under it through His fulfillment of it, and introduce a New Covenant with them, which would also include the Gentile people of the world. Charles Ellicott rightly says –   “Those wandering sheep, without a shepherd, were the appointed objects of His care. Were He to go beyond that limit in a single case, it might be followed by a thousand, and then, becoming, as it were, before the time, the Apostle of the Gentiles, He would cease to draw to Himself the hearts of Israel as their Redeemer.”   There is an order in which God's redemptive plans take place. For Jesus to include Gentiles, who were never under the law, would thoroughly disaffect Israel from considering His Messiahship. Even without tending to the Gentiles, the nation as a whole still rejected Him. As for the metaphor, it would be understood from several passages in the Old Testament, such as –   “My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray; They have turned them away on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill; They have forgotten their resting place.” Jeremiah 50:6   As noted in the previous verse, there is a tension that has arisen in the narrative. Jesus ignored the woman while the disciples specifically asked Him to tell her to leave. Instead of doing that, His response to them was that He was sent to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. All He had to do was tell her to go away, but He didn't.   One can see that Jesus, in fact, wanted to help her. However, His mission was not to minister to the Gentiles. Should He voluntarily help every Gentile that came His way, it would be a violation of His principal ministry. And so, the tension existed. “There is something I do not want to do, which is to send this person away. However, I have been charged with doing this thing for Israel, which does not include helping this Gentile. Therefore, I will ignore the issue and see how it plays out.”   The case of the centurion having his request fulfilled by Jesus was resolved by the very people He came to minister to –   “And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. 3 So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, 5 ‘for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.'” Luke 7:2-5   There was no tension in the issue of tending to the centurion's request. The people of Israel, in fact, the elders of the people, petitioned Him to heal the person. As they saw it advantageous to their cause, Jesus could respond favorably without it affecting His principal mission.   Life application: Jesus was, in fact, sent to redeem all people. That is seen from Israel's own writings –   “Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.'” Isaiah 49:6   In fact, because Israel wasn't a people at the fall in Genesis 3, and the fall is when a Redeemer was promised, the truth that the Redeemer would save the whole world stands as an evident truth. However, because God selected Israel to carry the spiritual banner and preserve proper worship of the Lord until the coming of the Messiah, Jesus' mission was first directed to the task of fulfilling the law associated with that covenant.   Only after it was fulfilled could a New Covenant, inclusive of all people, be enacted. As unfortunate as it is, the main recipients of that New Covenant are the very people it was given to. In rejecting Him, they remain under the Old Covenant, while only individual Jews, along with the rest of the world, are offered the New.   Lord God, we see Your love for the people of the world on full display in the pages of the Bible. Thank You for each story and instruction it provides. We are being shown Your very heart as the pages of Scripture unfold before us. Thank You, O God, Amen.

Sunday, 21 December 2025   Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” Matthew 15:12   “Then His disciples, having come near, they said to Him, ‘You have known that the Pharisees, having heard the saying, they stumbled!'” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus noted that it isn't what goes into the mouth that defiles a man. Rather, what comes out of his mouth is what does. Having said that, it next says, “Then His disciples, having come near.”   Jesus spoke to the scribes and Pharisees, probably without the others grouped around them. Room was allowed for Jesus to engage in the conversation without interruption, but still close enough that the disciples could hear and learn.   Once the conversation with them was finished, Jesus called to the crowd, and with an implicit rebuke to these leaders, told the people His words about what defiles a man and what doesn't. After He said this, the disciples, probably seeing the leaders go off in a huff, came to Jesus to personally address Him. Once with Him, “they said to Him, ‘You have known.'”   This is not a question, as translations imply. The verb is a perfect participle without any form of negation to indicate a question is being proposed. The participle signifies a completed action with a state that continues into the present. More likely, it is an exclamation, “You have known!”   They were completely surprised that Jesus said what He said, knowing it would elicit a negative response. He was aware of what would happen, and He continued in that state, knowing they were miffed. That is explained in their next words, “that the Pharisees, having heard the saying, they stumbled!”   The word translated as stumbled is rightly paraphrased as “offended.” They took offense at Jesus' rebuke concerning transgressing God's commandment. They were offended at His continued rebuke of them for being hypocrites by placing tradition above that commandment. They were offended at His citation of Isaiah, which pointed directly at their hypocrisy, even suggesting that Isaiah was referring specifically to them.   And if they heard His words to the crowd, they would have been offended at what He said to them as well. He had taken their tradition and spoken against it to the general public, taunting them with His wisdom that was superior to their poor, self-centered customs.   Life application: Jesus came on a mission. It was to fulfill the Mosaic Covenant and introduce a New Covenant in its place. However, as long as the Old Covenant was in effect, He defended it while still implying that something better was to be found in Him.   There is nothing contradictory in this. The words of the covenant, along with their associated penalties for disobedience, were written down. Obedience was not optional. However, within the Mosaic code, which included the later writings, Jeremiah prophesied a day when God would cut a New Covenant with Israel.   Jeremiah never said, “This is great! Now we are no longer under this covenant, and we are free from the curses and the punishment.” Instead, he acknowledged Israel's transgressions and accepted that their punishment was just and deserved.   Jesus, likewise, conveyed this same truth to Israe l. They would remain bound to the Mosaic code until they came to Him. Knowing they wouldn't, He prophesied of all the disasters that would come upon them.   If those disasters came upon them, which were according to the Mosaic Covenant, then that means, by default, that they are still, even to this day, bound to that law. Unfortunately, because the Mosaic law is fulfilled by Jesus, it is no longer what God accepts in order to be right with Him.   They will build a temple. The rites and sacrifices associated with it will take place. And not one iota of what they do will be accepted by God. Rather, this will only continue to keep them from any possible right relationship with Him. Until they realize this, forsaking the law by coming to Christ, they will continue to suffer terrible times.   Jesus is the key to understanding all of Scripture and the entire history of the Jewish people. Pray for them as they continue to rebel against Him through their rejection of Jesus. It is right that we do so.   Lord God, we lift up the nation of Israel to You. Along with all the other lost souls in the world, they need Jesus. We pray that many will come to know Him before the rapture. After that day, hard choices will need to be made by them. Open their eyes to the glory of Jesus our Lord, O God. Amen.

Messianic Apologetics editor John McKee reviews the important concept of the New Covenant. This has profound implications for what people think about the ongoing fidelity God demonstrates toward Israel, as well as the continuance of the Torah. How is the New Covenant related to the Galatians 4 issue of casting out the bondwoman, the Mosaic Covenant? This is then followed by a review of important stories and issues from the past day or so, largely witnessed on social media.

Further into the Lord's Prayer we go! But first, is Christian Nationalism an expression of faith or a distortion of the teachings of Jesus? In this packed and thought-provoking episode of the Voxology podcast, the hosts explore the intersection of faith and politics, the challenges posed by cultural issues, and the role of the church in society. With insights into cruciformity and justice, they dissect the rhetoric and actions surrounding Christian Nationalism, contrasting them with the true message of Christianity and the call to love, grace, and reconciliation. Through engaging storytelling and critical analysis, the episode draws on scripture, theology, and current events to unpack the ways in which faith can be misused for political agendas. The hosts challenge listeners to thoughtfully navigate cultural challenges, asking how the church can embody the life and teachings of Jesus in a polarized world.  We encourage and would love discussion as we pursue understanding together. Feel free to email in questions or engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram. Join us as we seek to live out the cruciform way of Jesus in a world rife with division and complexity. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro 04:05 - Christian Nationalism Update 10:20 - ICE Detains Breastfeeding Mother 11:34 - ICE Deportation Controversy 12:39 - Trump's Thanksgiving Tweets 17:00 - Trump Leadership PAC Emails 19:25 - Recovery Strategies 22:40 - Culture Wars Discussion 25:25 - Understanding 1 Corinthians 11:7-16 42:30 - Introduction to God the Father 43:10 - God the Father in the Old Testament 44:30 - God as Father in the Mosaic Covenant 45:40 - God as Father in the Davidic Covenant 47:50 - God as Father in the New Exodus 50:25 - God as Father in the Messianic Covenant 54:55 - God as Father in the Creation Covenant 56:10 - Final Thoughts and Reflections 01:01:39 - Seth's Shoutouts 01:03:22 - Thank You As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com, and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram. We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV. Our Merch Store! ETSY Learn more about the Voxology Podcast Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio Follow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast and "like" us on Facebook Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

Join Micah, Ell, Pastor Don, and new guest Father Micah Lazarus, priest-in-charge of St. Photini Universalist Orthodox Church as we discuss the Mosaic Covenant in Exodus 24. Why is God maintaining distance between Godself and the people? What does God's struggle with intimacy with many people illustrate about the perspective of a chosen people that some come to see as the means by which God saves the whole world? What is the significance of the Mosaic Covenant for Christian's relationship to our Jewish comrades? Find out some answers to these questions and more on this episode of The Word in Black and Red!Ell wants you to join the IWW.Don's church can be found at unfinished.loveFr. Micah's can be found on Insta and Tumblr as @apptowonder and St Photini can be found on Facebook.https://linktr.ee/twibar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The sermon presents a comprehensive framework for understanding how the Old Testament law, particularly the Mosaic Covenant, applies to New Testament believers, emphasizing that the entire Mosaic system has been replaced by the New Covenant in Christ, not selectively abrogated. It argues against the traditional division of the law into moral, ceremonial, and civil categories. Through examples from the New Testament—especially the apostles' use of Old Testament laws in ethical, ecclesiastical, and doctrinal contexts—the sermon demonstrates that while the legal system has changed, the moral principles underlying the law remain relevant and are reapplied in the New Covenant. The law's purpose was to point to Christ and to instruct believers in holiness, justice, and love, with the Holy Spirit guiding the church in applying these timeless truths to new contexts, ensuring that all Scripture remains profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.

Why did God give so many commands to Israel? How do these laws relate to His gracious salvation through Jesus Christ? Today, Sinclair Ferguson considers the purpose of the Mosaic Covenant in redemptive history. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/things-unseen-with-sinclair-ferguson/gods-law-and-grace/ A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://donate.ligonier.org/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

Sermon: The God Who Protects the Vulnerable: Understanding Slavery Under the Mosaic CovenantSeries: ExodusSpeaker: Pastor Tom WilsonText: Exodus 21:1-11Date: September 14, 2025...

In a huge moment in the life of Moses, God makes a covenant with him that can only later be fulfilled by Jesus Himself. This week, we look at that covenant and its implications.

In part two of our series on biblical covenants, Blake dives into the Mosaic and Davidic Covenants.  In this series, we seek to answer questions like these: What is the nature of a covenant? What do covenants entail? Can covenants be broken? Biblical Covenants, Part 2. That You May Know Him, Episode 262.

Fr. Anthony Amato is the Pastor of St. Peter's Parish in Clifton Springs, New York. He was ordained as a priest in June of 2017 by Bishop Salvatore Matano of the Diocese of Rochester, New York. In Today's Show: Regarding final grace of conversion for sinners in mortal sin, is there a conflict between the Divine Mercy message given to St. Faustina and the teaching of St. Alphonsus Ligouri, a Doctor of the Church? When the Israelites grew impatient with how long Moses was away at Mt. Sinai, and prevailed upon Aaron to make them a new object of worship, they went with a golden calf.  I was wondering why a calf?  What symbolic importance would that particular animal have for the Israelites? Are altar boys leaving because girls are joining, or are girls joining because altar boys are leaving? Under the Mosaic Covenant, animal sacrifices were prescribed to enable sinners to be made right with God, although they were inadequate in an eternal sense and needed to be frequently repeated.  It was only with the substitutionary atonement of Jesus on the Cross and the Sacrament of Reconciliation that we, under the New Covenant, have been given a way to be eternally forgiven of our sins. Bot, for sinners like Adam and Eve, under what dispensation are they able to obtain forgiveness of sin and be delivered from hell? What stance does the church take on prepping? Was the blessed virgin Mary conceived divinely or humanly? Why was it so hard for many in scripture to acknowledge the miraculous nature of Jesus despite witnessing his miracles firsthand? What does one do when your Catholic family members start getting married without a church service or mass? What is the origin, symbolism, and purpose of a tonsure hairstyle? What stance would Thomas Aquinas take on avoiding a military draft in an immoral war? I have been discerning monastic life and have been having dreams. Is this a sign? Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

Tuesday, 5 August 2025   “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles. Matthew 12:18   “You behold! My Servant whom I chose, My beloved in whom it approved, My soul, I will place My Spirit upon Him, and judgment to the Gentiles, He will proclaim” (CG).   In the previous verse, Matthew noted that Jesus' actions were prophesied by Isaiah. To support this, he quotes Isaiah, saying, “You behold! My Servant whom I chose.”   The word hairetizó, to make a choice, is found only here. It signifies to select as one's own. The words are a loose rendering of Isaiah 42:1 –   “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold.”   The Greek translation of Isaiah rewrites the Hebrew to indicate that Isaiah was speaking of Jacob, saying, “Jacob is my servant, I will help him.” Israel is called the Lord's servant in Isaiah 41:8 –   “But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen.”   This is probably why the Greek changes Isaiah 42:1 to read Jacob.  However, there is a developed thought being made between Jacob (Israel) and the coming Messiah in the words of Isaiah, where the Messiah is given as representative of Israel. As for Matthew's citation, he continues with, “My beloved in whom it approved, My soul.”   The Hebrew is close, reading, “In Him, My Chosen, it accepted, My soul” (CG). The Lord God is saying that He is fully pleased with the One He has chosen to represent His people. Therefore, Matthew continues with, “I will place My Spirit upon Him.”   The Hebrew of Isaiah 42:1 says, “I gave My Spirit upon Him” (CG). The Lord, looking forward in time, speaks in the perfect aspect, as if it is already done, knowing that the Messiah would perfectly fulfill His will. This event occurred earlier in Matthew –   “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'” Matthew 3:16, 17   God ordained that Jesus would come and that He would fully and adequately deal with what was necessary to redeem man, restoring him to a right relationship with his Creator once again. Everything given in type and shadow under the Mosaic Covenant would be perfectly realized in Jesus Christ. As such, Matthew continues with, “and judgment to the Gentiles, He will proclaim.”   The Hebrew reads, “Verdict to the Gentiles, He must cause to bring out” (CG). The word verdict, mishpat in Hebrew, signifies the system of law and truth, “especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty” (HELPS Word Studies).   A comparable word is given in the Greek cited by Matthew, krisis, a decision. That extends to a tribunal and, thus, justice rendered by such a tribunal.   Isaiah's words refer to what the Messiah would come to do, including bringing out a verdict to the Gentiles, meaning the non-Jewish people. Matthew says that Jesus is the One who fulfilled these words through His ministry. The Pulpit Commentary rightly states –   “The thought here, therefore, is not of Christ's power to punish and avenge (though he refused to use it as yet), but of his bringing a revelation which should eventually spread, not only to the Jews who now rejected him, but to the Gentiles whom they despised.”   Life application: Because of prophecies, such as those from Ezekiel and especially Daniel, a timeline is set in the Old Testament concerning the timing of the coming of the Messiah. There is a very precise and limited time in which He could have come.   Further, other prophecies give the necessary genealogy of the coming Messiah, such as being from Judah. Israel is still waiting for their supposed Messiah to show up. This negates the timeline provided by Daniel, but it also negates the prophecies of lineage.   This is because it is impossible to prove such a lineage today. There are no existing records to prove from which tribe a person descends. There is a claim that some genetic markers help isolate the priestly class of Israel, but that is not what is necessary to prove a Messiah, because priests descend from Levi, not Judah.   As the timing of the coming of the Messiah is known to have occurred already, and as the genealogical records of those who could be the Messiah were destroyed after a certain point in time, either the prophecies are wrong and the Hebrew Scriptures are not the word of God, or the Messiah has come at the set time and with the proper credentials.   Looking back on history, there is only One who is documented to have met those requirements. And more, there is a written record of His coming found in the four gospels. Comparing what those writers say to what was prophesied before His coming, we can be perfectly confident that Jesus is, in fact, the fulfillment of God's plans in this regard.   If we believe in Jesus, we have put our eggs in the right basket. Be sure to believe the gospel, the good news, concerning Jesus Christ!   Lord God, with a bit of study, we can be wholly confident that what was prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. As You sent Him to not only be the Messiah of the Jews, but to be the One who would render right judgment to the Gentiles, we praise You because of Him and through Him. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In this week's episode, Caleb is joined by Thomas Schreiner (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) Associate Dean for the School of Theology and Professor of New Testament Interpretation and Biblical Theology at Southern Seminary, to discuss God's covenant with Moses/Israel from a progressive covenantalist perspective. Together, they unpack the key points of the Mosaic covenant and how it fits in the larger storyline of Scripture.ResourcesCovenant and God's Purpose for the World by Thomas Schreiner40 Questions About Christians and Biblical Law by Thomas SchreinerPaul and the Law: Keeping the Commandments of God by Brian RosnerThe Law of God by Stephen Wellum3 Reasons Sunday Is Not the Christian Sabbath by Stephen WellumThe Law of Moses—The Mosaic Covenant Viewed Through Progressive Covenantalism by Ardel Caneday Parts I and IIApplying the Law of Moses to the Christian Life by Joshua GreeverA Progressive Covenantal Perspective: Paul and the Tripartite Division of Moses's Law by Joshua GreeverA Progressive Covenantal Perspective: Theonomy and Moses's Law by Jason DeRouchieRelating Moses's Law to Christians by Jason DeRouchieEthics through Covenant: A Primer on Progressive Covenantalism and Moral Theology (Parts I, II, and III) by Andrew WalkerDelighting in the Old Testament: Through Christ and for Christ by Jason DeRouchieKingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenants by Stephen Wellum and Peter GentryGod's Kingdom through God's Covenants: A Concise Biblical Theology by Stephen Wellum and Peter GentryChrist from Beginning to End: How the Full Story of Scripture Reveals the Full Glory of Christ by Stephen Wellum and Trent HunterProgressive Covenantalism: Charting a Course between Dispensational and Covenantal Theologies edited by Stephen Wellum and Brent Parker40 Questions About Biblical Theology by Jason DeRouchie, Oren Martin, and Andrew NaselliAn Arc of the Covenants: Tracing How the Bible's Storyline Climaxes in Christ by Jason DeRouchie

The concept of Covenants are very important in the Bible. They are central to the Bible's unfolding storyline, and they are central for a proper understanding of the relationship that exists between God and Man. Yet, in much of the church today, covenants are not often discussed and even less often understood. In this episode, James Kaczor gives a brief overview of Covenant Theology. He touches on the Tri-covenantal Framework often espoused by Reformed Theologians (Summary Below)Covenant of Redemption: This is the eternal agreement between the three Persons of the Trinity to redeem humanity. Covenant of Works: This is the agreement God made with Adam, as the Head of the Human Race, that promised eternal life for perfect obedience and death for disobedience. All humans who are not "in Christ" are "in Adam" and still subject to the consequences of this covenant. Covenant of Grace: This is the agreement between God the Father and Jesus Christ, along with all those who are "in Christ," whereby God offers eternal life and salvation to fallen sinners through faith in Jesus Christ. In this Covenant, God also gives to his people the gift of his Holy Spirit that makes them willing and able to believe. It is through the grace of this Covenant that all people, since the fall of Adam, must be saved.In addition to this, James spends time unpacking the successive and related Covenants that advance the storyline of the Bible and the redemptive plan of God for the world. Mainly in this order: Abrahamic Covenant -> Mosaic Covenant -> Davidic Covenant -> New CovenantThis message was first preached by James Kaczor on 6/26/2025 at River City's Thursday Morning Bible Study.