Grace Is an Old Covenant Concept

Have you ever heard someone say, “We are no longer under the Law; we are under grace?” I have heard that statement many times throughout my life. Often, it is spoken with the assumption that the Law belongs to Judaism while grace belongs to Christianity. The implication is that Judaism teaches obedience to commandments in order to earn G-D’s favor, while Christianity teaches that G-D offers grace instead. But is that really what the Bible teaches?

As I read the Scriptures, I find myself asking a simple question: If grace is something new that arrived with Yeshua, where was G-D’s grace before the first century? Did Abraham live without grace? Did Moses lead Israel without grace? Did King David experience a different G-D than the One we encounter in the Brit Chadashah (New Testament)?

The answer becomes clear when we read the Bible as one continuous story of G-D’s relationship with humanity. Grace is not a foreign concept introduced into Judaism by Christianity. Grace is woven throughout the story of G-D and His people from the very beginning. Let’s begin where we should always begin: Bereshit, the book of Genesis.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they experienced the consequences of their disobedience. Their relationship with G-D was broken, and they were removed from the Garden. Yet, even in the midst of judgment, we see evidence of G-D’s mercy. G-D did not simply abandon humanity. He continued to interact with His creation, provided clothing for Adam and Eve, and set in motion His redemptive plan. Was their disobedience without consequences? Absolutely not. But neither were they abandoned without grace.

Then we come to Noah. Genesis 6:8 tells us: “But Noah found favor in the eyes of Adonai.”

The Hebrew word translated as “favor” is chen (חֵן), a word closely associated with grace and favor. Before the Torah was given at Mount Sinai, before the Levitical priesthood was established, and long before the birth of Yeshua, Scripture already tells us about G-D extending favor. Think about that for a moment. Grace was present in the opening chapters of the Bible.

We see it again in the life of Abraham. G-D called Abraham out of his homeland, established a covenant with him, and promised that through his descendants all the families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:1–3).

Did Abraham earn the privilege of becoming the father of a great nation? Was he selected because he had already demonstrated perfect obedience? No. G-D initiated the relationship, made the promises, and established the covenant. Abraham responded to grace in faith.

This is an important distinction. G-D’s grace does not mean that our response is unimportant. Rather, it reminds us that the relationship begins with G-D’s initiative, not our ability to earn His favor. One of the greatest misunderstandings about Judaism is the idea that the Torah was given as a way for Israel to earn salvation.

Let’s consider the order of events in the book of Exodus. Before G-D gave Israel the commandments at Mount Sinai, He delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. He heard their cries, remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, raised up Moses, and brought His people out of bondage.

Israel did not obey the Ten Commandments in order to convince G-D to rescue them from Pharaoh. Their deliverance came before the giving of the commandments in Exodus 20. G-D redeemed His people and then instructed them in how to live as His covenant people.

Exodus 20 begins with a reminder of that deliverance: “I am Adonai your G-D, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” (Exodus 20:2)

Notice what G-D says before giving the commandments. He identifies Himself as the One who has already delivered Israel. The commandments were not the price Israel paid for redemption. They were given within the relationship G-D had established with His people.

This is a very Jewish understanding of grace. G-D demonstrates His faithfulness, extends His favor, establishes His covenant, and calls His people to respond through faithful living. Obedience matters, but obedience is not the same thing as earning G-D’s grace.

A child does not become part of a loving family by perfectly following every household rule. Rather, the child learns to live within the family and honor its values because of the relationship that already exists. Of course, the comparison is not perfect. Our relationship with G-D is far greater than any human relationship. But it helps us understand an important biblical principle: obedience should be a response to grace rather than an attempt to purchase it.

Sometimes I hear people speak as though the G-D of the Old Testament was a G-D of judgment and anger, while the G-D of the New Testament is a G-D of love and grace. But where do we get that idea?

Let’s look at Exodus 34:6–7. After Israel’s sin with the golden calf, Moses returns to seek G-D’s presence. G-D reveals His character by proclaiming Himself compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth. The Hebrew words used here are rich with meaning.

Chen (חֵן) speaks of grace or favor.

Chesed (חֶסֶד) describes steadfast love, covenant loyalty, and lovingkindness.

Rachamim (רַחֲמִים) conveys compassion and mercy.

These words help us understand that G-D’s character has always included mercy, compassion, faithfulness, and grace.

Consider the circumstances in Exodus 34. Israel had committed a serious sin. They had violated their covenant relationship with G-D. Yet, G-D did not cease to be faithful to His purposes. He showed mercy, renewed the covenant relationship, and continued to call Israel to obedience. That is grace. It does not mean that sin is insignificant. It does not mean that judgment is imaginary. It means that G-D’s response to human failure includes a provision for mercy and restoration.

We see the same truth in the Psalms. David, who knew both the blessing of obedience and the devastating consequences of sin, wrote: “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.” (Psalm 103:11)

David understood something that we sometimes overlook: the G-D who commands obedience is also the G-D who provides grace when we fail. If grace were absent from the Tanakh, we would have to explain how Israel survived its many failures, how David found forgiveness, and how G-D continued to pursue His people throughout generations of rebellion.The biblical story only makes sense because G-D has always been gracious.

Now let’s turn to the Brit Chadashah. John 1:14 tells us that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. A few verses later, John writes that from His fullness we have all received grace upon grace (John 1:16). Some people read these verses as though grace suddenly appeared when Yeshua came into the world.

But John was a Jewish man writing from within a Jewish understanding of Scripture. His words should not cause us to erase everything G-D revealed about Himself in the Tanakh. Instead, they invite us to recognize the continuity of G-D’s redemptive plan. Yeshua did not come to introduce a different G-D. He came to reveal the Father and accomplish the redemptive purposes that G-D had been unfolding throughout Scripture.

In Matthew 5:17, Yeshua says that He did not come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets but to fulfill them. Grace and Torah are not enemies. G-D’s gracious character and His instructions for righteous living belong to the same biblical story. The Torah reveals G-D’s standards and teaches His people how to live. Grace reveals His goodness toward those who do not deserve to boast in their own righteousness. And when we look at Yeshua, we see G-D’s redemptive purpose brought into focus. Yeshua came to seek and save the lost. He called sinners to repentance, offered forgiveness, restored people to community, and gave His life for our redemption.

None of this means that we earn salvation by obeying commandments. Nor does it mean that receiving grace makes obedience irrelevant. Rather, grace gives us hope when we recognize that our own righteousness is insufficient and that we need G-D’s provision for redemption.

Paul makes an especially important connection between grace and Judaism when he writes about Abraham in Romans 4. Abraham lived long before the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Paul points to Abraham’s faith as evidence that righteousness is not something a person can boast about earning through works.

Genesis 15:6 says: “Then he believed in Adonai, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.”

Paul uses Abraham’s example to explain that our relationship with G-D cannot be reduced to a system of earning spiritual credit. Abraham trusted G-D and believed His promises. Yet, Abraham’s faith was not merely an intellectual agreement with a set of religious ideas. His faith shaped his life. He responded when G-D called him to leave his homeland. He continued walking with G-D even when the fulfillment of the promises seemed impossible.

His obedience did not turn G-D into a debtor who owed Abraham a blessing. Instead, his obedience flowed from a relationship of trust. This is a point worth remembering whenever we discuss grace.

We cannot place G-D in our debt. We cannot demand that He bless us because we have attended enough services, studied enough Scripture, given enough money, or followed enough commandments. Our obedience matters, but it does not give us grounds to boast before G-D. We are entirely dependent upon His grace.

There is one more misunderstanding we need to address. Sometimes grace is presented as though it means that G-D no longer cares about sin. We hear statements such as, “G-D understands,” or “We are under grace,” as though those words mean that our choices no longer matter. But that is not the picture we find in Scripture.

Throughout the Tanakh, G-D extends mercy while continuing to call His people to repentance. The prophets repeatedly remind Israel that forgiveness does not give them permission to continue in rebellion.

The same is true in the Brit Chadashah. In Acts 3:19, Peter calls his listeners to repent and return to G-D so that their sins may be wiped away. Repentance is not merely an attempt to buy forgiveness. It is a turning away from sin and a turning back toward G-D. Grace is not G-D telling us that sin does not matter. Grace is part of His provision for dealing with our sin and restoring us to Himself.

Think about a parent who forgives a child for doing something wrong. Genuine forgiveness does not require the parent to pretend the wrongdoing never happened. Nor does it mean the child should continue making the same choice without concern. The parent's love creates an opportunity for correction, growth, and restoration. Likewise, G-D’s grace should lead us toward a deeper desire to walk in His ways. We do not obey because we believe we can earn His love. We obey because we recognize His goodness, trust His wisdom, and desire to honor Him.

Grace and accountability are not opposites. Properly understood, they belong together. So, is grace an Old Testament Concept? Is grace a Jewish Concept? Absolutely! The Hebrew Scriptures are filled with accounts of G-D extending favor, showing compassion, forgiving sin, preserving His people, and remaining faithful to His covenant promises.

Noah found favor in G-D’s eyes. Abraham trusted G-D’s promises. Israel was delivered from Egypt before receiving the commandments. Moses encountered a G-D who was compassionate and gracious. David celebrated G-D’s abundant lovingkindness.

These are not isolated exceptions. They are part of the larger story of G-D’s relationship with humanity. And when we come to Yeshua, we do not leave that story behind. We see its redemptive purpose revealed through Israel’s Messiah.

As Messianic believers, we have an opportunity to help others understand the unity of the Scriptures. We do not need to choose between the G-D of the Tanakh and the G-D revealed through Yeshua. We do not need to choose between grace and a life of obedience.

We need to understand both within the context of G-D’s Word. Grace is not permission to disregard G-D’s instructions. Torah is not a ladder we climb to make G-D love us. Our relationship with Him is rooted in His character, His faithfulness, and His provision for redemption. The more we understand this, the more clearly we see the beauty of the biblical story.

Grace did not begin in the New Testament. Grace has always been part of the character of our G-D from the Bible’s very first words.