The
Dispensation of Law/Covenant begins with Abram, who God calls to move to a land
promised to him (Genesis 12:6-8) and his offspring (innumerable as stars in the
sky [Genesis 15:5-7]). God
asks him to be circumcised, Ishmael, and all the other males in his house. That day God made a covenant with him. The year was about 1,898 BC.
This was God’s first commandment to his chosen family that the male children
should be circumcised on the eighth day after birth.
Under
this dispensation, God asks for strict obedience to his laws. Because God knows
the nature of man that he will eventually become wicked, just as in the days of
Noah, God sets up this dispensation only for his chosen people. The rest of the
world, known as Gentiles, was indeed very sinful. However, God ignored their
sin and overlooked [winked at] their ignorance (Acts 17:30). Another aspect of this
dispensation is God requiring sacrifice. Abraham and Sara had the promised son,
Isaac. God put Abraham to
the test of sacrificing Isaac upon the altar. Faithful Abraham was obedient to God
and took Isaac up to Mount Moriah to kill him unto God. But the angel grabbed his arm and
called onto Abraham just as he was ready to slay Isaac. The angel called out and said not to
slay his son. Abraham looked up to find a ram caught in the thicket. Then he completed the sacrifice of the
ram onto God. Obedience and sacrifice is the whole foundation that this
dispensation was built on. (I Samuel 15:22).
This
dispensation continued onto Moses, who became the chosen leader of the
Israelites. The descendants
of Abraham were Isaac, Jacob (named changed to Israel), and then the twelve
sons of Jacob. This became a large family very rapidly. Moses was a descendant
of Levi, who was the third son of Jacob. Moses was the leader. He had a brother, Aaron, who became
the chief priest, chosen by God because he was from Levi. Out of Levi, God
ordained that the priesthood would be established. This is known as the
Levitical law. God gave to Moses, on Mount Sinai, the Ten Commandments which
God wrote on two tablets of stone. These Ten Commandments still have
significance of law and order which God clearly wanted throughout this
dispensation and for the rest of time.
During this time, David was born. He was a descendant of Judah (who was the
blessed son of Jacob [Genesis 49:10]). David
became king over Israel after Saul and he was a man after God’s own heart (Acts
13:22). By David’s lineage
came Jesus the promised Messiah through Mary who was a descendant of David
after 28 generations. So unto Mary was born Jesus who was the fulfillment of
the law (Matthew 5:17). Jesus, the son of God, comes to earth to redeem mankind
from their sins. He was born in Bethlehem, the city of David in the year 3 BC;
and then grew up in Nazareth under Joseph, the carpenter, the espoused husband
of Mary
At the age of twelve, Jesus was found in the temple at Jerusalem being
about his father’s (God) business. The doctors of the law, scribes and
Pharisees, were astonished at how much he understood and questioned them. When
Jesus grew to about 30 years old he began his ministry of teaching, preaching,
and performing miracles onto men and women so that the people would believe him
to be the Messiah sent by God to save his people from the Romans. Many believed, including the 12
disciples, but many did not, especially the rulers and leaders of the Jews.
After 3-1/2 years, Jesus’ mission on earth is over. He enters Jerusalem riding on a colt,
the foal of an ass whereon never man sat. Since Jesus was the Messiah, he came
onto his own to establish his kingdom on earth. The people thronged him and worshiped
him as their promised savior. They laid palm branches in the way and sang
Hosanna to the highest. This
was prophesied by Zechariah (9:9). At the end of the Passion Week, Jesus was
crucified. He was nailed to a cross, shed his blood, and died for all mankind. The Jewish leaders rejected him as the
Messiah. On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead and conquered over death
(Satan). The tomb is empty. This gives us a Blessed Hope (Titus
2:13) that someday after we die, we shall rise again.
