The Old Testament has several important covenants as follows –
Adam – covenant of marriage.
Noah – covenant within a family
Abraham – covenant within a tribe and promised nation.
Moses - covenant within a nation
David - covenant within a kingdom
The new covenant for all men as a truly catholic covenant which is made when Christ institutes seven oaths whereby Gods name is evoked to have him act within his people to place them into the household of God and infuse grace into souls to have them become children of God. These seven oaths are sacraments.
The OT contains at least three major events critical to the life of the church. These events are fulfilled in the life of Christ.
The creation event is a liturgically chronological action of God to build a temple for Himself. The creation narrative of day and night and speaking, making the sun and moon to measure feast says is architectonic language, similar to the language used when Noah is instructed to build the ark, Moses is instructed to build the tabernacle and Solomon is instructed to build the temple.
OT- Adam is the high priest, Eve is the church existing in the garden as the holy of holies.
Adam is commanded to keep the garden and therefore offer himself as a sacrifice for his bride. Adam and Eve fail a covenant test, are cursed and sent into exile.
Christ is the new Adam, Mary is the earth and Eve from which Adam comes. Christ is offered as a sacrifice for sin, and his church eats from him as the tree of life.
The second major event in the OT church is the Exodus. The OT exodus event is fulfilled in the NT –
OT- Moses lives in Egypt and then exits into the wilderness as a man to be tried.
NT- Jesus lives in Egypt and then exits into the wilderness as a man to be tried.
OT- Moses is instructed to liberate his people with a staff and his brother Aron, who speaks for him.
NT- Jesus liberates his people as a shepherd, with Peter speaking for him in acts and the gospels.
OT- Moses performs miracles to have Israel believe in him and Pharaoh harden his heart.
NT- Jesus performs miracles to have Israel believe in him and the Pharisees harden his heart.
OT- Moses commands Israel kill and eat the Passover lamb to have the angel of death Passover Israel.
NT- Jesus is the new Passover lamb killed and according to Paul is to be eaten as a feast, to have the new Israel exit the Mosaic covenant.
OT- Israel enters into the desert and has a covenant composed of a high priest, priest, Levites and the priesthood of all believers.
NT-The church is a pilgrim people entering into the new desert with Jesus as the new high priest with the bishops as high priests, new NT priests to replace the OT priest, deacons to replace the Levites and new Israel of believers to replace the old Israel believers.
OT- Israel enters into the desert and receives the miraculous manna and water from the rock
NT-New Israel enters into the desert and receives the new miraculous manna in the Eucharist and water from the rock in baptism.
OT- Israel wanders in the desert for a generation before entering the promised land.
NT-The church is a new Israel in the desert before entering into the promised land of heaven.
The third major event in the OT church is when David has a promise made to him in 2 Sam 7. David’s kingdom continues after his death through the power of the keys granted to the chief minister of the kingdom.
Jesus is the new David, who institutes a new kingdom and new keys are given to Peter for him to be the new chief prime minister.
Salvation comes through Christ being sacrificed as a new Adam, new Passover lamb and first born son. Christ institutes the church as a new Israel of God, with bishops, priests, deacons and the lay priesthood of believers. The church is given seven sacraments through which the Gospel, as the power of God, is enacted.
The sacrament is given and grace is infused into the souls of men, for men to become children of God and thereby justified.
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