The Old Covenant Hebrewism vs. Judaism

Like the Judaizers back then, many people today think that Judaism and old covenant Hebrewism are one in the same, so let's look at some of the key characteristics of the covenant that God made with the Hebrews and consider how much it differs from the religion of Judaism which we see Jesus strongly oppose of in the Gospels, and of what we know of it today:

 After hearing their cries and leading them out of Egypt, God gave the Hebrew people a place of their own to reside in as His Kingdom of people. His Kingdom was to be set apart from the other kingdoms of the world. Here are some of the ways that God's Kingdom would differ from the other kingdoms of the world:

• they would not have a human king ruling the Kingdom, but He would be their King;

• the covenant- they would be His people and He would be their God. He is a jealous God therefore their allegiance was to be to Him alone. He required His people to obey and follow His laws and commands, and to worship only Him;

• He instituted moral and ceremonial laws for His Kingdom which He required His people to follow, otherwise they would be cut-off from the people and the Kingdom. The laws were given by God, not man made;

• He required the men to be circumcised, otherwise they would be cut-off from the people and the Kingdom;

• anyone could become an Israelite and have part in the covenant and promises of God to Israel. Being a part of Israel has never been based on race or ethnicity. All one had to do was get circumcised. Circumcision was the sign of the covenant (which no longer is btw).

• He provided a means of forgiveness of their sins by way of the sacrificial system - He instructed them of the various types of offerings that would atone for their sins, He instructed them of the frequency in which they were to offer the various sacrifices, He instructed them of the kind of animals to sacrifice, He instructed them of the place to make the sacrifices and how to construct it (the temple), He instructed them of who would be acceptable in His sight to act as mediator between Himself and mankind by offering their sacrifices (the priests).

In the same way, Jesus came not to establish a new religion or form of Judaism under the old covenant, but a kingdom of people who belong to God under a new covenant. And like the old covenant, God has set His Kingdom apart from the others by which they will be His people and He will be their God. He has given us His Son as King to rule over His Kingdom and to worship and serve, a place to reside in (the entire earth as opposed to a tiny strip of land), laws to abide by, circumcision of the heart, a Mediator between God and man, a royal priesthood of the King, and Jesus Christ as their atoning sacrifice for sin. Jesus fulfills all of the old covenant.