Beit HaEmet Brit Chadashah

The Greco-Roman Misunderstanding

Greco-Roman tradition often divides Scripture into "Old" and "New" and then assumes the latter replaces the former—Yisrael replaced by "the Church," Torah nullified by grace. This error may stem in part from the fact that what we call the "New Testament" was transmitted in Greek—itself a translation of teachings originally given in a Hebraic context. The Greek philosophical framework, with its abstract dualism, reshaped how gentile believers understood covenant, law, and promise.

The Holy Hebrew Covenant Scriptures teach otherwise. The Brit Chadashah (New Covenant) is a Spirit-empowered enhancement of the Original Covenant, not its abolition. It is explicitly made "with the house of Yisrael and the house of Yahudah"—not with a separate gentile entity called "the Church."

The New Covenant Stated

Hebrews 8:6–13 (KJV)

"But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away."

What This Means

With Whom?

Both Jeremiah 31 and Hebrews 8 name the parties—the house of Yisrael and the house of Yahudah. The Brit Chadashah is Yisrael's covenant renewed; the nations join by being grafted in, not by forming a separate people.

What Is "New"?

The mediator (Messiah Yehoshua), the promise (Spirit-empowered transformation), and the place Torah is written (hearts and minds). The problem was "finding fault with them" (human unfaithfulness), not with Yahuah's righteous instruction.

What "Old" Fades?

The former administration—earthly priesthood and sacrificial system—gives way to Messiah's once-for-all priesthood. The moral heart of Torah is not abolished; it is internalized and empowered by the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit).

The Holy Assembly

The qahal/ekklesia is Yisrael restored and expanded—one people in Messiah, formed by the same holy standard now inscribed within. Not a replacement; a fulfillment and expansion.

In Practice: Living the Covenant

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Identity

Followers of Yehoshua become fellow citizens in Yisrael's commonwealth, not a replacement entity. We are grafted into the olive tree (Romans 11), adopted into the household of Yahuah, and made heirs according to the promise given to Abraham.

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Obedience

Torah becomes delight, written on the heart by the Spirit—Shabbat, mo'edim (appointed times), justice, and mercy lived from the inside out. Obedience is not legalism but the fruit of covenant love, empowered by the Ruach HaKodesh.

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Mission

Yisrael's vocation—to be a light to the nations—finds its fullness as all peoples are invited into the covenant through Messiah Yehoshua. The Great Commission is the extension of Yisrael's calling to bless all families of the earth.

Why Covenants Matter—and Why We've Forgotten Them

When was the last time you heard a teaching on the covenants of Elohim? From Bereshit (Genesis) to Revelation, the covenants are the Scripture's backbone—how Yahuah binds Himself to a people and a purpose—yet many believers can't articulate what they are or how they shape daily discipleship.

Commitment and Our Cultural Drift

One reason "covenant" feels foreign is that it demands commitment. We live in an age of:

Swipe-right relationships and "ghosting" friendships—easy in, easier out.

Month-to-month leases, gig-work, and at-will employment—maximum flexibility, minimal fidelity.

"Cancel anytime" subscriptions and fine-print terms of service we accept without reading—agreements without allegiance.

Digital "communities" we can mute or unfollow with a tap—belonging without burden.

The result is thin loyalty. Elders become "managed" cases rather than honored pillars. Teams chase better offers; companies treat people as metrics. Even faith can become another consumer choice—assembly-hopping for preference rather than planting for service.

The Spiritual Cost

Many worship on the weekend yet wall off the rest of life—work, money, time, sexuality—from the rule of Elohim. That's not covenant; that's convenience. Yahuah gave His people His eternal Word—Torah as covenant instruction—and appointed holy days to rehearse who He is and who we are. But because Torah sits in what many call the "Old Testament," some dismiss it as "for the Jews, not for us."

The Six Parts to A Covenant

A fundamental understanding of what constitutes a covenant is essential when studying the biblical covenants and their relevance to us. The Bible presents several covenants, and most share six core components: the parties involved, the promises exchanged, the conditions set, the duration of the agreement, an identifying sign, and a dedicatory act.

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1. The Parties

A covenant represents an agreement or a binding treaty between two individuals or groups.

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2. The Promises

Each participant articulates their commitments and assurances to the other party.

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3. The Conditions

Each party holds responsibility for fulfilling their declared promises. Should one party fail to uphold their commitment (thereby breaking the covenant), the other is typically no longer bound by its terms.

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4. The Duration

This specifies the period for which the covenant remains binding on all parties involved.

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5. The Sign

Often, a tangible object serves as a visible emblem of the covenant. When the parties observe this sign, they are reminded of their agreement. This could be a physical object or the written covenant document itself.

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6. The Dedication

A formal dedication is typically performed, often involving a ceremony. Historically, such dedications frequently included the shedding of blood to solemnize the agreement.

The Need for A Covenant

The initial two chapters of Bereshit (Genesis) recount Elohim's creation of the world as a perfect paradise, devoid of sin, where humanity enjoyed an intimate relationship with the Divine. Chapter three then describes the disruption of this perfect state. Humanity succumbed to temptation, disobeying Elohim's command regarding the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The consequences of this disobedience included expulsion from paradise, an interruption of the intimate relationship with Elohim (spiritual death), and the introduction of physical mortality.

Elohim is characterized by mercy, signifying a desire to forgive humanity's transgressions and restore the perfect, intimate relationship that existed before the fall. Simultaneously, Elohim is just, meaning that disobedience necessitates accountability.

Elohim's redemptive plan for humanity encompasses both justice and mercy. The covenants of Yahuah, which will be further explored, serve as the means through which this redemptive plan is revealed to mankind.

Our Bible is conventionally divided into two major sections, often referred to as the First (or "Old") Covenant and the Brit Chadashah (New Covenant). The First Covenant narrates Elohim's initial covenantal relationships with humanity, while the Brit Chadashah continues and renews this evolving covenantal bond between Elohim and humanity.

A Three-Part Reading of Scripture

Covenant, Continuity, and the Overlooked Witness

The First Covenant: Elohim's Foundational Relationship with Humanity through Yisrael

The First Covenant—what many call the Hebrew Scriptures—presents Elohim's initiating movement toward humanity, centered in the calling and vocation of Yisrael. It is the story of how a people are invited to embody righteousness and justice so that all nations might be blessed.

Beginnings and Vocation
From creation to the call of Avraham, the narrative frames Yisrael as a priestly people tasked with making Elohim's character visible among the nations.

Covenant and Torah
At Sinai, Yisrael receives Torah as a gift of formation—teaching a way of life marked by loyalty, mercy, justice, and communal holiness.

Kingdom, Prophets, and Crisis
The rise and fracture of the monarchy expose the tension between covenant ideals and human power. Prophets indict idolatry and injustice while holding out hope for restoration.

Exile and Return
Captivity becomes both consequence and crucible. Even so, promises remain: Elohim will gather the exiles, renew hearts, and restore covenant fidelity.

The Promise of Renewal
Prophetic voices (e.g., Jeremiah 31) anticipate a berit chadashah—a renewed covenant—written on hearts, not merely on stone. This anticipation establishes the trajectory for what follows.

In this first movement, the covenant is both gift and demand—revealing Elohim's steadfast love and humanity's persistent struggle. The story does not end in failure; it leans toward renewal.

The Brit Chadashah: Continuation and Renewal of the Covenant in Yehoshua

The Brit Chadashah does not discard the First Covenant; it deepens and renews it. Yehoshua is presented as Yisrael's Messiah who embodies and fulfills the Torah's intent—teaching, healing, and gathering a community shaped by Elohim's reign.

Continuity, Not Collapse
The early assemblies of Yehoshua's followers read the First Covenant as their Scripture. They interpret Yehoshua's life, death, and resurrection as the decisive act inaugurating the promised renewal.

Covenant on the Heart
The emphasis shifts from external conformity to internal transformation—aligning with prophetic hopes for a people whose hearts are circumcised to love Elohim and neighbor.

Inclusion of the Nations
The covenant's blessing for all families of the earth expands into concrete community life, welcoming gentiles without erasing Yisrael's calling or story.

Faithful Witness Under Empire
Like their ancestors, early disciples navigate imperial pressures, persecution, and the challenge of living covenantally within hostile systems.

In this second movement, the covenantal story continues through Yehoshua's teaching and example—renewing Yisrael's vocation and extending its blessing to the nations.

The Overlooked Witness: Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, and Zadokite Fragments

This third body of literature—often minimized in gentile and Greco-Roman Christian traditions—bridges the First Covenant and the Brit Chadashah. It documents Yisrael's covenant struggle under empire, the intensifying hope for divine intervention, and the maturation of a "righteous teacher" mindset well before Yehoshua's birth.

📕 Apocrypha
1–2 Maccabees, Sirach, Wisdom of Solomon, Tobit, Judith, 4 Ezra, 2 Baruch

📗 Pseudepigrapha
1 Enoch, Jubilees, Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, Psalms of Solomon, Apocalypse of Abraham, Testament of Moses

📜 Zadokite/Dead Sea Scrolls
Damascus Document, Community Rule, Pesher Habakkuk, Hodayot

What These Texts Reveal

⚔️ Covenant Under Pressure
They chronicle Yisrael's fidelity and failure amid foreign domination (Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman), exposing both internal corruption and gentile oppression.

⚖️ Ethical Refinement
Wisdom and sectarian works sharpen a Torah-shaped ethic of justice, mercy, holiness, and communal discipline.

🔮 Apocalyptic Hope
Visions of judgment and restoration intensify, insisting Elohim will set the world right and vindicate the faithful remnant.

👑 Messianic Imagination
Royal, priestly, and prophetic hopes diversify—anticipating a righteous ruler, a purified priesthood, and divinely guided teachers.

🏛️ Communal Renewal
Reform movements practice covenant renewal in real time—recalibrating worship, calendar, purity, and leadership as preparation for Elohim's visitation.

Pseudepigrapha: Portraits and Themes

That Prime the "New Covenant" Imagination

📖 1 Enoch (Book of Watchers; Parables/Similitudes)
Unveils cosmic justice, angelic rebellion, and the "Righteous One/Son of Man" who judges wickedness and vindicates the faithful. Enoch is styled "scribe of righteousness," a prototype for inspired instruction and revealed wisdom.

📖 Jubilees
A rewritten Genesis–Exodus structured by "heavenly tablets," Shabbat, festivals, and a 364-day calendar. It frames covenant fidelity as ordered time, holy family life, and uncompromising loyalty—prefiguring the covenant-renewal ethos central at Qumran.

📖 Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs
Ethical exhortations from Yisrael's sons that forecast both priestly and royal hopes, calling communities to repentance, mercy, sexual purity, justice for the poor, and wholehearted devotion.

📖 Psalms of Solomon
Composed after Roman interventions in Judea; laments corrupt leadership and anticipates a humble, Davidic messiah who rules by righteousness, not violence—shaping expectations for a just king aligned with Torah.

📖 Apocalypse of Abraham
Visionary critique of idolatry and injustice with a cosmic horizon of judgment and mercy; intensifies the call to covenant faithfulness in a pluralistic world.

📖 Testament/Assumption of Moses
Prophetic review of Yisrael's past and future, naming corruption in leadership and the need for steadfast faith, with hints of heavenly vindication.

📖 Life of Adam and Chawah
Deepens the drama of sin, death, and hope for future restoration, expanding the anthropological backdrop for redemption.

📖 Sibylline Oracles
Hebraic oracles in a Hellenistic voice announcing judgment on empire and hope for righteous order—an outward-facing witness to the nations.

Together, these works nourish:
A righteous-teacher mindset: Visionary, Torah-saturated leadership that calls the people back to covenant fidelity.
Apocalyptic ethics: Holiness and justice now, in light of coming judgment and restoration.
Messianic and priestly hopes: Expectation of a just ruler and purified priesthood serving Elohim's reign.
Universal accountability: Judgment encompasses both Yisrael and the nations, insisting on righteousness without partiality.

Zadokite/Dead Sea Scrolls

"New Covenant" as a Living Community

📜 Damascus Document (Zadokite Fragments)
Explicitly speaks of a "new covenant" embraced by a disciplined remnant "in the land of Damascus" (likely symbolic). It weds covenant renewal to communal order, leadership accountability, and eschatological hope.

📜 Community Rule and Pesharim
Regulate communal life, interpret prophecy for the present, and prepare for divine visitation under the guidance of a Teacher of Righteousness who unveils the true meaning of Torah and the Prophets.

These texts show that "new covenant" was not a novelty introduced ex nihilo in the Brit Chadashah, but a live, contested idea among Hebraic Jews long before Yehoshua—centered on internal renewal, communal holiness, and fidelity under pressure.

Apocrypha: Lived Fidelity and the Cost of Covenant

📕 1–2 Maccabees
Martyrdom for Torah, resistance to Hellenistic coercion, and the perils of power—real-time case studies in covenant loyalty.

📕 Sirach and Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom rooted in Torah, creation, and justice; a spirituality fit for diaspora and empire.

📕 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch
Post-destruction wrestling with theodicy, justice, and hope—insisting that Elohim will vindicate the righteous and restore Yisrael.

Why This Third Strand Was Often Overlooked

📚 Canon Boundaries
Many gentile-dominant traditions fixed their canon without the Apocrypha and were unfamiliar with sectarian Second Temple texts discovered much later.

📖 Theological Simplicity
Skipping this literature can make the transition from First Covenant to Brit Chadashah appear abrupt, obscuring the messy historical bridge of suffering, reform, and expectation.

😶 Discomfort with Yisrael's Suffering and Gentile Complicity
These texts narrate both Yisrael's covenantal failures and the harsh treatment by gentile empires—revealing tensions that Greco-Roman Christianity sometimes sidelined when crafting its identity.

📜 Fragmentary Transmission
Pseudepigrapha and Scrolls survived in diverse languages and conditions, and some only came to light in modern times, narrowing their influence on earlier canons.

Why Reading All Three Together Matters

🔗 Restored Continuity
The "overlooked witness" binds the First Covenant to the Brit Chadashah, showing how renewal emerges from real history—exile, resistance, repentance, and hope.

✨ A Truer New Covenant
"New" does not mean "novel" or "disconnected," but renewed, intensified, and internalized—exactly how Jeremiah envisioned and how Second Temple communities rehearsed.

⚖️ A Sharper Ethical Edge
Wisdom and sectarian texts insist on justice, mercy, and communal holiness amid hostile powers—an ethic echoed in Yehoshua's teaching.

✡️ Honoring Yisrael's Story
Yisrael's vocation, struggle, and perseverance remain central. The nations are invited in, not as replacements, but as participants in the covenant blessing.

Clarifying Key Terms

Elohim: The sacred Name-title for the Creator of heaven and earth.
Yisrael: The people called to embody Elohim's covenant for the blessing of the nations.
First Covenant: The Hebrew Scriptures that establish the covenant and its promises.
Brit Chadashah: The writings that testify to covenant renewal in and through Yehoshua.
Apocrypha/Second Temple Literature: Intertestamental texts like 1–2 Maccabees, Sirach, Wisdom, Tobit, Judith, 4 Ezra, 2 Baruch.
Zadokite/Dead Sea Scrolls: Sectarian writings (Damascus Document, Community Rule, Hodayot, Pesher Habakkuk) reflecting covenantal reform.
Teacher of Righteousness: A leader figure in the Scrolls tradition who models and mandates covenant fidelity before Yehoshua's time.

A Cohesive Vision

Read as a whole, these three movements tell a single story: Elohim calls humanity into covenant through Yisrael; that covenant is tested, broken, and promised anew; and along the way, a faithful remnant contends with empire, refines hope, and prepares the ground for renewal.

The Apocrypha and Zadokite fragments are not an optional footnote but a vital bridge—revealing that the New Covenant and the "righteous teacher" mindset were anticipated by Hebraic Jews centuries before Yehoshua, and that the Brit Chadashah arises not from a vacuum, but from the deep soil of Yisrael's covenantal life.

The Goyim and the Covenant

How the Nations Enter into Yisrael's Inheritance

Within the framework of the First Covenant, we encounter three distinct categories of people in relationship to Yisrael and Yahuah's covenant: the ezrachim (natives), the gerim (sojourning aliens), and the nachrim (foreigners). Understanding these distinctions illuminates how the nations have always been invited into covenant relationship.

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Ezrachim (אֶזְרָחִים)

The Native-Born

Those physically descended from the line of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya'akov. With Yisrael alone did Yahuah establish His covenant—not with any other nation. "He has revealed His word to Ya'akov, His chuqim and mishpatim to Yisrael. He has done this for no other nation" (Tehillim 147:19-20).

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Nachrim (נָכְרִים)

The Foreigners

Those not descended from Ya'akov and who remain outside the covenant with Yahuah. These are peoples of other nations who continue in the worship of their elilim (false gods). "No nachri is to eat of the Pesach" (Shemot 12:43).

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Gerim (גֵּרִים)

The Sojourning Aliens

Foreigners who choose to dwell with Yisrael, accept the covenant, and take upon themselves the sign of brit milah (circumcision). They are to be treated as native-born. "The ger living with you must be treated as one native-born. Love him as yourself" (Vayikra 19:34).

The Same Torah for All

Is Yahuah's covenant then restricted to Yisrael alone? Absolutely not. Any nachri who desires to join the qahal (assembly) of Yisrael may do so by accepting the covenant and its sign. Once grafted in, they become gerim—bound by the same Torah as the ezrachim:

"The edah (congregation) is to have the same chuqot for you and for the ger living among you; this is a chuqat olam (everlasting ordinance) for the generations to come. You and the ger shall be the same before Yahuah: The same Torah and mishpatim will apply both to you and to the ger living among you." — Bamidbar 15:15-16

Yisrael: Or LaGoyim (Light to the Nations)

The promise Yahuah made to Avraham declared: "All the mishpachot (families) on earth will be blessed through you" (Bereshit 12:3). Yahuah's design was never ethnic exclusivism but rather that Yisrael would serve as a conduit of blessing to all peoples:

"I, Yahuah, have called you [Yisrael] in tzedakah (righteousness); I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and make you to be a brit am (covenant for the people) and an or goyim (light for the nations)." — Yeshayahu 42:6

"I will also make [Yisrael] an or goyim that you may bring My yeshuah (salvation) to the ends of the earth." — Yeshayahu 49:6

What Is This "Or" (Light)?

The Torah itself declares what constitutes Yisrael's radiance to the nations:

"See, I have taught you chuqim and mishpatim as Yahuah my Elohim commanded me... Observe them carefully, for this will show your chokmah (wisdom) and binah (understanding) to the nations, who will hear about all these chuqim and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' What other nation is so great as to have their elohim near them... And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous chuqim and mishpatim as this body of Torah?" — Devarim 4:5-8

The Prophetic Vision

"In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Yahudi by the tzitzit of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that Elohim is with you.'" — Zekaryah 8:23

Rut: A Model of Covenant Grafting

Throughout the First Covenant, we see gerim from the nations joining Yisrael in covenant with Yahuah. Rut HaMoaviyah (Ruth the Moabite) stands as one of the most beautiful examples. When her mother-in-law Na'omi prepared to return to Eretz Yisrael, Rut declared:

"Do not urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your Elohim my Elohim." — Rut 1:16

Bo'az, her kinsman-redeemer, recognized her covenant commitment:

"May Yahuah repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by Yahuah, the Elohim of Yisrael, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." — Rut 2:12

Rut was not merely a ger who joined Yisrael—she became the grandmother of Melech David and an ancestress of Mashiach Yehoshua himself. The nations are woven into the very lineage of redemption.

Yahuah's Chesed (Lovingkindness) to the Gerim

"Let no nachri who has bound himself to Yahuah say, 'Yahuah will surely exclude me from His people.'... For this is what Yahuah says: 'Foreigners who bind themselves to Yahuah to serve Him, to love the Shem of Yahuah, and to worship Him, all who keep the Shabbat without desecrating it and who hold fast to My brit—these I will bring to My har kodesh (holy mountain) and give them simchah (joy) in My beit tefillah (house of prayer). Their olot (burnt offerings) and zevachim (sacrifices) will be accepted on My mizbeach (altar); for My bayit will be called a beit tefillah for all nations.'" — Yeshayahu 56:3,6-7

There is no exclusion from Yahuah or His covenant—only equality and welcome for all who willingly follow Him and walk in His Torah.

The Chillul HaBrit (Desecration of the Covenant)

How the Adversary Attacks What Yahuah Has Consecrated

Yahuah provided Yisrael with a perfect plan for covenant relationship. If Yisrael kept the brit, Yahuah promised shalom (peace), harmony, and protection. Yet as we know, the nation was eventually conquered and taken into galut (exile). What happened?

Yahuah is Kadosh (Holy), and all that belongs to Him is kadosh—set apart for Himself. Whatever Elohim has consecrated (made holy), the adversary seeks to desecrate (make unholy)—including Yahuah's brit, His am (people), His Torah, and His mo'adim (appointed times).

Three Weapons of Desecration

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Avodah Zarah

Idolatry

Turning Yisrael away from Yahuah and His brit toward the worship of elilim (false gods) and the practices of the surrounding nations.

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Legalism

Heartless Observance

Keeping the brit and Torah out of mere obligation rather than a heart's desire to demonstrate ahavah (love) to Yahuah—form without substance.

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Ramaut

Deception

Altering the intent or meaning of the brit and Torah so that people believe they are keeping covenant when they are not.

Chillul HaEdah: Desecration of the Community

Yahuah commanded Yisrael to be kadosh—to set themselves apart from the goyim by following His Torah. Yet the people disobeyed:

"They rejected His chuqim and the brit He had made with their avot (fathers) and the warnings He had given them. They followed hevel (worthless idols) and themselves became hevel. They imitated the goyim around them although Yahuah had ordered them, 'Do not do as they do,' and they did the things Yahuah had forbidden them to do." — Melachim Bet 17:15

Yahuah knew that if Yisrael mingled with the nations, they would eventually adopt their pagan avodah (worship), culture, and elohim. The Torah was given to separate Yisrael from the nations. By crossing those boundaries, Yisrael became separated from Yahuah Himself instead.

Chillul HaTorah: Desecration of the Instruction

When Yisrael first arrived at Har Sinai, Yahuah spoke the Aseret HaDevarim (Ten Commandments) to them. Shortly thereafter, Moshe was called up onto the har. While he was gone, Yisrael immediately turned away:

"The people saw that Moshe was so long in coming down from the har, they gathered around Aharon and said, 'Come, make us elohim who will go before us.'" — Shemot 32:1

Within days of hearing "You shall have no other elohim before Me" and "You shall not make for yourself a pesel (idol)," Yisrael was making an egel zahav (golden calf). This pattern of rebellion and return repeats throughout the entire First Covenant.

"'It is because your avot forsook Me,' declares Yahuah, 'and followed other elohim and served and worshiped them. They forsook Me and did not keep My Torah. But you have behaved more wickedly than your avot... So I will throw you out of this land.'" — Yirmeyahu 16:11-13

Chillul HaMo'adim: Desecration of the Appointed Times

Within the body of Torah are the yamim kodeshim (holy days) which Yahuah commanded to be observed—the Shabbat and the yearly mo'adim (feasts). Yet even these became corrupted:

"Stop bringing meaningless minchot (offerings)! Your ketoret (incense) is detestable to Me. Chodashim, Shabbatot and miqra'ot—I cannot bear your evil assemblies." — Yeshayahu 1:13

"Hear this, you who trample the needy... saying, 'When will the Chodesh be over that we may sell grain, and the Shabbat be ended that we may market wheat?'—skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales." — Amos 8:4-5

The mo'adim were no longer kept out of ahavah (love) but out of legalistic obligation. Yisrael kept the Shabbat because they had to, but they despised it and could not wait until the next day to resume their work—work which was itself dishonest and in violation of Torah.

She'erit Yisrael: The Faithful Remnant

Even though the edah (congregation) sinned greatly against Yahuah, there remained a group of Yisraelim who stayed faithful—with a lev tahor (pure heart). This group revered the brit and walked in Yahuah's Torah. This minority is the she'erit (remnant) of Yisrael—the true Qahal HaKodesh (Holy Assembly).

"'I [Yahuah] reserve shiv'at alafim (seven thousand) in Yisrael—all whose knees have not bowed to Ba'al and all whose mouths have not kissed him.'" — Melachim Alef 19:18

"In that day the she'erit of Yisrael, the survivors of beit Ya'akov, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on Yahuah, the Kadosh of Yisrael. A she'erit will return, a remnant of Ya'akov will return to El Gibbor (the Mighty God)." — Yeshayahu 10:20-21

The Qahal can never be fully desecrated because, by definition, qahal refers to those who have ahavah for Yahuah and His brit, who keep His Torah, and who remain kadosh. Even when the nation turned away, the faithful remnant preserved the covenant flame—people like Ovadyah, Zekaryah, Yoshiyahu, and Daniye'l.

Even though Yahuah finally disciplined Yisrael for their disobedient lev, His chesed (lovingkindness) and rachamim (mercy) continued to be poured out. And as we shall see, He will again forgive them of their sins and renew His brit with them.

Key Insights: Am, Brit, and Torah

The Nations and Covenant:
• Ezrachim are those physically descended from Ya'akov.
• Nachrim are those not descended from Ya'akov who remain outside the brit.
• Gerim are nachrim who choose to dwell with Yisrael and enter the brit.
• The same Torah applies to both ezrachim and gerim.
• Yisrael, by keeping Torah, serves as or lagoyim (light to the nations).

Covenant Desecration:
• The adversary uses avodah zarah, legalism, and ramaut to desecrate what Yahuah consecrates.
• Yisrael mingled with nations and adopted pagan practices and elilim.
• Violation of Torah caused removal from the Eretz HaMuvtachat (Promised Land).
• Observance of Torah, Shabbat, and Mo'adim became heartless legalism.
• A she'erit (remnant)—the true Qahal—remained faithful in Yisrael.

Relevancy of the First Covenant Today

When asked to differentiate between the First and New Covenants, many in Greco-Roman Christianity might articulate a common understanding:

"The 'Old Testament' represents the 'law' given by God to the Jewish people. This included observances like the Saturday Sabbath, holidays such as Passover and the Day of Atonement, sacrificial practices, dietary restrictions, and so forth. It is often believed that when 'Jesus' died on the cross, he abolished this 'law.' The 'New Testament,' conversely, is seen as written for Christians, emphasizing grace and suggesting that adherence to the 'law' of the 'Old Testament' is no longer required. While the 'Old Testament' contains valuable narratives and moral truths, it is the 'New Testament' that guides our contemporary Christian life."

As we will demonstrate, this theological understanding often diverges from what is directly taught within the biblical texts themselves. The aim here is to illuminate the true relationship between the First and New Covenants by examining the covenants and Yahuah's Torah as presented in both, discerning their consistent message.

"The Brit Chadashah is in the First Covenant concealed, and the First Covenant is in the Brit Chadashah revealed."

Indeed, the entirety of the Good News message can be derived solely from the First Covenant scriptures. This is precisely what the writers of the Brit Chadashah did, as the New Covenant texts had not yet been compiled. The First Covenant is extensively quoted in the Brit Chadashah, appearing a total of 343 times. Many teachings found in the Brit Chadashah have foundational roots in the First Covenant.

Shaul (Paul), for instance, affirmed the importance of the First Covenant scriptures by stating: "I believe everything that agrees with the Torah and that which is written in the Prophets" (Acts 24:14).

Do the Brit Chadashah scriptures supersede the First Covenant scriptures? Or do they align, particularly concerning the role of the Torah in the First Covenant? As we will explore, the Brit Chadashah often elaborates on the Torah in ways that may surprise many. If the principles of the First Covenant and the Torah remain valid today, it prompts reflection on why these teachings might not be more widely emphasized in contemporary religious discourse.

The Challenges to Covenantal Principles

Everything dedicated to Yahuah is considered holy (kadosh), including His people, His covenants, and His Torah. There are forces that oppose divine holiness and seek to undermine it. What Elohim consecrates, opposing forces aim to desacralize.

The Bible provides numerous accounts of challenges to Yahuah's people, covenants, and Torah throughout both the First and New Covenants. By the time Yehoshua appeared, many foundational principles had been significantly obscured.

It is worth considering if similar challenges to what is considered sacred persist in our own era.

The Marriage Covenant: A Model

Our exploration of covenants begins with two foundational covenants in the Bible: the marriage covenant and the flood covenant. While not directly part of Yahuah's overarching redemptive plan for humanity, the marriage covenant offers a clear model of how a covenant is intended to function.

Although the Bereshit account of the creation of man and woman does not explicitly label this union as a covenant, the prophet Malachi recognized it as such, referring to "the wife of your marriage covenant" (Malachi 2:14).

👥 The Parties
The covenant of marriage is established between a man and a woman, as described in Bereshit 2:20-22: "But for Adam no suitable helper was found... Then Yahuah Elohim made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man."

🤝 The Promises
During wedding vows, each individual within the partnership makes specific promises to the other. These typically encompass declarations of love, care, and commitment.

📋 The Conditions
Marriage is understood as an unconditional covenant. Yehoshua stated in Matthew 19:6: "Therefore, what Elohim has joined together, let man not separate."

⏳ The Duration
A marriage is intended to bind each party for the entirety of their lives together: "Till death us do part." Shaul affirmed this in 1 Corinthians 7:39: "A woman is bound to her husband as long as she lives."

💍 The Sign
While cultural practices vary, a wedding ring frequently serves as the outward sign of the marriage covenant. The ring acts as a daily reminder of the promises exchanged within the agreement.

🩸 The Dedication
The dedication involves the public ceremony and the consummation of the marriage, symbolizing the joining of two individuals into one flesh. Bereshit 2:24: "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife."

Modern Challenges to the Marriage Covenant

This marriage covenant was designed by Yahuah to be a lasting bond between a man and a woman. However, modern society presents various challenges to this covenantal relationship:
The Parties: Contemporary society broadens the understanding of "parties" beyond the original design.
The Promises: Vows are sometimes not upheld with enduring commitment, as divorce rates suggest.
The Conditions: Many modern marriages operate as conditional agreements—if unfulfilling, divorce is pursued.
The Duration: When marriage no longer fulfills individual needs, the relationship is often terminated.
The Sign: The wedding ring can become more of a status symbol or fashion accessory.
The Dedication: The traditional understanding of marital consummation has shifted in modern practice.

In subsequent teachings, we will examine the covenants Yahuah made with His people and explore similar challenges they have faced, not only in biblical times but also in the present day.

The Covenant Story Is the Whole Story

From Noach to Abraham, Sinai to David, and the Brit Chadashah in Yehoshua, Scripture presents one coherent plan:

Yehoshua did not abolish Torah; He fulfilled and internalized it—writing it on our hearts by the Spirit. "Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17).

The mo'edim train our time; Shabbat trains our rest; commands train our love. These are not burdensome regulations but covenant rhythms that shape us into Yahuah's holy people.

Covenant is not legalism; it is loyal love (chesed) expressed in obedient living. We obey not to earn salvation but because we have been saved—adopted into Yahuah's family and empowered by His Spirit.

The Aim of This Teaching

We test the popular Greco-Roman claim that the "Old Testament" is obsolete for believers and show instead that the covenants reveal how grace forms a people.

The goal is not to add religious weight but to recover covenant fidelity—whole-life allegiance to Yahuah through Yehoshua—so that worship moves beyond words into a way of life.

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Yisrael after those days, saith Yahuah; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them Elohim, and they shall be to me a people."
— Hebrews 8:10

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