Significance of the Mosaic convenant

[Dimitris]

Good evening!

What is the Orthodox teaching regarding the significance of the Mosaic Convenant, what are the consequences and what role does it play for Orthodox people that God chose the Israelites as "His special people" (if I may express it with my humble words)?

Kind regards,
Dimitris

[Dimitris]

Hallo!

I want to bring this thread up again and explain my original intentions: Regarding the Mosaic Convenant I asked myself how we can be sure that we are descendants of the tribes of Israel, and not of any other tribe. But then again, I asked myself if the New Convenant initiated by Christ "overrules" the Mosaic Convenant, so that all people and peoples are chosen by God and not only the Isralites.

I am sorry if my thoughts seem to be be confused (they are). I hope someone will be able to shed light on this topic.

Thank you,
Dimitris

[John Charmley]

Dear Dimitris,

My understanding is that the new covenant of the Incarnate Word means that, as St. Paul told the Galatians in Galatians 3:28

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

There is much on this subject in the First Apology of Justin especially chapters 11 and 12. Irenaeus' Against Heresies Book 3 chapter 12, where he says, amongst other things we should heed that:

both the Mosaic law and the grace of the new covenant, as both fitted for the times [at which they were given], were bestowed by one and the same God for the benefit of the human race.
In Book 4, chapter 4 he is even clearer:

Since, then, the law originated with Moses, it terminated with John as a necessary consequence. Christ had come to fulfill it: wherefore “the law
and the prophets were” with them “until John.” And therefore Jerusalem, taking its commencement from David, and fulfilling its own times, must
have an end of legislation when the new covenant was revealed.
In The Stomata of St. Clement of Alexandria, Book 6 chapter 5, we read
He made a new covenant with us; for what belonged to the Greeks and Jews is old. But we, who worship Him in a new way, in the third form, are Christians. For clearly, as I think, he showed that the one and only God was known by the Greeks in a Gentile way, by the Jews Judaically, and in a new and spiritual way by us.

So there is certainly no need to posit a descent from the Israelites of old - even if the way we sometimes act seems a trifle familiar - it is just that we have more golden calfs in our society.

I hope that is helpful.

In Christ,

John

[Dimitris]

Thank you John, this helped me. Just another question regarding a quote:

But we, who worship Him in a new way, in the third form, are Christians.
What is meant by "third form"?

Thank you in advance,
Dimitris

[Antony Solomon]

The relationship between the Mosaic covenant and the New, is that the former was meant to train up a specific people, Israel God's obedient son, Hos 11.1, who, in God's salvation-historical plan, would become a light to the world, by which the sinful world would be brought back to God, back to sonship. Israel failed, but only as we would all fail, being sinners; that is why a law on tablets of stone does not work. The NC in Christ is designed to overcome that, and raises up the Church in the place of national Israel to fulfil the original role, bearing witness not to ourselves, and our faithfulness, and obedience, but to Christ, and the Spirit amongst us. Israel, in scripture, now acts as an example, 1 Cor 10 to the world, and each of us individual, of the wrong way to go.

Paul points out that we become sons of Abraham by faith, not by literal lineage. For the OT, sons are those who become like their fathers; having been adopted by the Father in heaven, we seek to become truly like his son.