Covenant

It [the Sabbath] is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed. [Exodus 31.17]

I am curious about the Sabbath. The words "permanent, Israel, and stopped working" all surely contain real substance for us to understand.

"Permanent" gives me the idea that it is perpetual. However, this concept of perpetuity is used for other stipulations in the Old Testament that have obviously 'gone away.'

"Israel" leads me to believe that the subject of this discussion (the Sabbath) is exclusive to one people group, Israel. I wonder how the Apostle Paul's reference to those in Christ being citizens of Israel:

In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. [Ephesians 2.12]

"Stopped working" is an example Almighty God Himself demonstrated. It is a concept most today few adhere to.

I wish I had some brilliantly enlightened comment on all this, but I do not.

Suffice it to say, the Apostle Paul spoke of "covenant" and its validity in terms of the life of those to whom the covenant is made. He specifically referred to death being a critical component of the covenant referring to Jesus' death on the cross (ref. Hebrews 9-10).

If Paul is to be trusted (and he should be), then, in fact, the demonstratives of the Old Testament are indeed fulfilled in Christ thus ushering in a new era - a New Covenant. Every believer should make a point of increasing his or her understanding of this as a regular practice. The revelation available to those who do is priceless.

Father, help me to better understand the detail of Old Testament Covenant as it relates to Christ and my being in Christ.