Page 8 - Yahwehs Book

Under the Old Covenant, Yahweh permitted another creature to die in the place of man, so that man
might live. The blood of bulls, goats, sheep, and birds served as substitutions, paying the penalty for
the sins of man. Yet, these offerings had to be made year after year.

Under the New Covenant, Yahweh sent His Son to die in the place of man that mankind might live.
Yahshua’s sacrifice was perfect. It needed to be offered only once. All humanity’s sins were borne
on the cross by the Son of God. Christ brought God and man into oneness, no longer separated by
sin. This is the meaning of atonement (at-onement). We could say that Christ “convened” a meeting
between God and man. He did so by means of establishing a “covenant” through His blood.

(Note: The word “atonement” was created by William Tyndale when he translated the Bible into
English around the year 1526. Tyndale recognized that there was no English word that fully
described the act of Christ to reconcile God to man by paying the penalty of sin, while also providing
a merciful covering for man that he might stand in the presence of God without shame. Tyndale
coined the word “atonement” to describe the work of Christ in reuniting man to his Creator.)

The subject of covenants is so central to the Bible, that we find that its two divisions are properly
referred to as the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. The Bible presents two primary covenants
that Yahweh has made with mankind. These covenants are designed to bring God and man together.
In this we can see the shared origin of the words “covenant” and “convene.” Covenants bring
disparate parties together, thereby convening them. In the case of the Biblical covenants, the two
parties involved are God and man.

The Bible is an amazing book. It alone reveals the history of man and his Creator, the fall of man
into sin, and separation from God. The Bible does not leave man in this forsaken condition, however.
It reveals all that Yahweh has done to restore the breach that sin had created. We see the first
Covenant that served as an interim measure until the fulness of time should arrive when Yahweh
would send His Son into the earth. Thus, in the Bible, we have been provided with the supremely
important testimony of God’s two covenants with man.