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The wickedness of Israel was a breach of covenant and caused the covenant to be nullified. In spite of all their backsliding’ s and going astray the Lord assured them of a covenant. He would not forget that He had made covenant with them through Moses. The promise involves the establishment of an eternal covenant. However, the first covenant was to be abandoned, for His promise to them was that their future relationships would not be by the old covenant. Eze. 16:60-61 It is vital to proper scriptural interpretation, that we understand that the first covenant is of non effect, therefore it is nullified. It is obsolete and of no value. To try to continue it is to insult the maker of the new covenant, the Lord Jesus. Isa. 66:3.
The new covenant is now in effect and is the only covenant that the Lord will acknowledge and honor. Heb. 8:13 That which was the ancient has grown old and has decayed. If the Apostle declared two thousand years ago that it was ready to vanish away how definitely it has completed itís course of usefulness. The Law lacked the ability to bring anyone into the perfections which are to be found in the Lord. Because of itís weakness and the imperfections of those who embraced it, it was completely disannulled. Heb. 7:18-19. What a contrast, for through the new covenant we are able to enter into the presence of the Lord. Had the first been proven to be workable and effective there would have been no need of a second. The first has now been replaced by the second which was made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Heb. 8:7-8.
Thus, the promise presented by the prophecy of Ezekiel (Eze. 16:62) was introduced, manifest and sealed by the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the covenant. Jesus declared that He had been commissioned to minister solely to the lost sheep of Israel. Mt. 15:24 He likewise commanded His disciples to minister only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Mt. 10:6 However, Isaiah spoke of the Gentiles receiving the glorious light of the message of Christ as well. Isa. 49:6 Simeon sealed this word by prophesying the same over the child Jesus. Lk. 2:32 The new covenant, rejected by Israel, opened the door of salvation to the whosoever will, all, both Jew and Gentile are fully, equally and gladly welcomed into the family of the new covenant. John 1:11-12 In complete compliance to the prophetic word and in the process of fulfilling the prophecies relating to the Gentiles, Paul and Barnabas proclaimed the beginning of their ministry to the Gentiles. Acts 13:46 Paul verified his calling in Christ Jesus to the Gentiles by proclaiming himself to the Apostle of the Gentiles and so the gospel is preached to all nations.