New Covenant Economic System

God’s Original Economic System needed to change when people began living together in cities and started to develop into nations.  People needed to learn how to live in close proximity and get along as God designed and desired.  The Old Covenant Economic System, set up with the Israelites, allowed us to see how it can and should be done.  When they did things right, the way God told them to do it, they were set apart as a Holy Nation for the rest of the world to see.

Israel handled it well at times.  Other times, however, they didn’t handle things well at all.  History shows us how God worked with them in each of these scenarios.  By watching Israel, we will want to handle things well ourselves and walk together with God.  That’s where the New Covenant comes into play.

Jesus ushered in the New Covenant (Luke 22:20).  He spent his life and ministry teaching us how things were going to look in God’s Kingdom (Mark 1:15).  Then he fulfilled his part by dying on the cross, rising to life on the third day, appearing to his disciples for forty days, and then ascending into heaven.  On the day of Pentecost, the final piece of the covenant was put into place when God poured out His Spirit freely onto all nations (Acts 2:17).  As of that moment, The New Covenant Economic System began.

In the Old Covenant, people would turn to prophets, who were led by the Spirit, to tell them what God wanted them to say or do.  In the New Covenant, people received the Spirit, so they could ask God for wisdom directly just as God promised to provide (James 1:5-8).

In the Old Covenant, people would come to the tabernacle or temple to draw near to God because that was God’s dwelling place.  In the New Covenant, our bodies become the temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).  God’s Spirit dwells inside of people – not a building.  Those people just met wherever they could (Acts 2:46).  No new buildings were needed.

In the Old Covenant, animals were sacrificed as a payment for our sin when we failed to walk together with God.  In the New Covenant, Jesus is the pure spotless lamb and the final sacrifice (Hebrews 10:11-14).  His blood is the payment for all of our sins (John 1:29).  We no longer need to bring animals to the temple any longer (Hebrews 10:1ff).

In the Old Covenant, Levites were needed to maintain the tabernacle or temple.  Descendants of Aaron served as priests who took care of the animal sacrifices, other offerings, and rituals.  In the New Covenant, we are a kingdom of priests (1 Peter 2:9-10), our bodies the temples, and our lives are the spiritual offerings (Romans 12:1;2 Peter 2:4-5).  The Old Covenant roles of Levite and priest are no longer needed.

In the Old Covenant, the Israelites were called to love God, love people, and be Holy as an example to all nations.  In the New Covenant, the Church (Christ-followers) are called to do the same thing.  However, the Church is also called to go and actively make new disciples (followers) (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8).  This mission requires additional roles, such as apostles, evangelists, pastors, teachers to add to the prophetic role of the Old Covenant (Ephesians 4:11-16).

In the Old Covenant, Israelites cared for the poor by leaving the edges of their fields alone.  They cared for one another in business transactions and in the year of Jubilee.  They cared for God’s workers, the Levites and priests, through the tithe.  In the New Covenant, they cared for everyone in the Church all the time.  Everyone had everything in common so there was no one in need (Acts 2:44-45).  Everyone worked (2 Thessalonians 3:10), shared what they had (2 Corinthians 9), and continued reaching out to more people (Acts 4:32-35).  Workers like apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers were paid for their work because of their contribution God’s new mission for the new Church (Matthew 10:9-15; Mark 6:7-11; Luke 9:1-6; 10:1-16; 1 Timothy 5:17-18; 1 Corinthians 9:3-14).

The New Covenant, in many ways, brought things back to God’s Original Economic System.  All people were given a chance to walk together with God – just like Adam and Eve in the Garden.  God provided.  People worked.  No one was in need.  They glorified God and built up the Body.  When they did, the Lord added to their numbers daily – those who were being saved (Acts 2:47).