As if the sheer volume of words and accusations changes anything. The reason he states that it is old is because he is stating, calling the second New. If some thing is new there must be something that is old. So with that in mind, it is growing old and is ready to vanish away. Not vanished away, is vanishing away.
The Old Covenant is "the" law.
It seems prudent to point out a few things concerning this popular religious philosophy that exists in this world God placed us in. As it seems important to consider all that is written, in searching for God's Truth.
In Gal. 3, Paul talks about "
A LAW", that Abraham didn't have, that was to lead Israel to Christ, "because of transgressions". (Scripture points to the Golden calf event that almost ended in their complete destruction) Paul said "this law", that was to lead Israel to Christ, wasn't
"ADDED" until 430 years after God Said, "
Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. (Gen. 26:5) So the Covenant God promised to change, wasn't "The Law" of God, but "A Law" of God.
In. Rom. 3 the Jews were promoting "
a law", not
"the Law" to justify them of their willful sins. You can read about them in Isaiah 1:1-20. These men despised God's Judgments, full well rejected God's commandments that they might keep their own religious traditions, taught for doctrines the commandments of men, and went about establishing their own righteousness, refusing to Submit to the Righteousness of God. And yet every week they would offer to God for their willful transgression of
"The LAW", the blood of an unblemished, innocent Life, as Per "
A Law", Added 430 years after Abraham, to justify their wicked flesh.
So the teaching that the Old Covenant was "
THE LAWS of GOD", although popular in this world God placed us in, doesn't reflect what is written in the actual Scriptures, as indicated above. In my understanding of Scriptures.
It will be as long as sin is in this world for they tell us what sin is and are what bring us to Christ. Rom 3 and Gal 3
Again, Israel was kept under "A Law" for the remission of sins, "Till the Seed should Come", as a Mercy after the Golden Calf. God could have wiped them all out and been justified, and made a great nation out of Moses. But HE showed them mercy, and placed them under
a "Law of Works", Till the Seed, "After the Order of Melchizedek", (no beginning, no end) should come. A NEW Covenant for Israel.
Both Noah and Abraham sinned, just as other men, and were given God's Laws, Statutes Commandments and Judgments so as to know what sin is. What covenant were they under? How is it Noah, a man who sinned, walked with God, while other men who sinned were destroyed? How is it Abraham saw Christ's Day and was glad, but the men of Sodom, who were also given "
The Law" to know what sin was, were destroyed by God?
I think you answered this question when you said, "Until people accept God's Spirit in their hearts", like Abel, Noah and Abraham did.
The "ADDED" Law that the Pharisees corrupted that Abraham didn't have, and were promoting to the Galatians and Gentile Converts in Acts 15, was their corrupted version of the Levitical Priesthood "after the Order of Aaron", with it sacrificial "works of the Law" for remission of sins, and their corrupted circumcision laws. But not everyone was deceived by them, even as Zacharias, Simeon and Anna, and no doubt others, were lead to Christ though the Levitical Priesthood.
The destruction of the physical temple 70 ad has nothing to do with it.
Until people accept God's Spirit in their hearts there will be a need for that which was written on stone and parchment to lead them to Christ, so that which was without will be within.
I don't believe it matters if God writes His Laws on Paper, parchment, stone, or simply tells men what His Instruction in righteousness is. Until a man from the heart, Glorifies God, "AS God", as Wisdom, as Light, their foolish heart will be darkened, in my view. As personal experience has shown me.
You and I, we have the Oracles of God in our own Homes. We don't need to go find a Levite Priest, or any preacher to know what Sin is, as in the Old Covenant. Consider the Words of the Christ, the Word of God through Moses.
Duet. 11:
16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
17 And then the LORD'S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.
18 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul,(Like Abraham, Caleb, David and their Savior, Christ Jesus) and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
19 And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
20 And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:
21 That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.
22 For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him;
23 Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.
For me, the Kingdom of God Dwells within me, and the Temple of God is my mind. And the thoughts coming and going are the people of my Kingdom. And I am to bring "every thought" into captivity
to the obedience of Christ, so as to discern between those thoughts that are wrought in God, and those that are not.
In this way, God's Laws are written on my heart, and through Christ all the thoughts and imagi
nations "Nations" (Traditions, lusts of the flesh, worldly influences and adopted false doctrines etc.) that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God are exposed so they can be ruled over. Thus God drives out these nations before me little by little, as promised.
This is the Covenant of Christ that I am under, in my understanding.
Gen. 17:
1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
And
I press toward the mark for the prize of this high calling of God that was in Christ Jesus. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
