The New Covenant

Today’s reading is Hebrews 8.

Even while the covenant with Israel mediated through Moses enacted on promises made to Abraham was in effect, God promised a new covenant was coming. In Jeremiah 31, He explained He would be making a new covenant.

It was going to be different. Instead of writing the laws on tablets of stone, He would write them on the hearts of His people. Don’t misunderstand, He isn’t saying they would never be written on paper. He is simply saying that under the New Covenant, His people will successfully internalize His will.

In the New Covenant, His people don’t have to teach each other to know the Lord. We will all know the Lord. The point here is that in Israel, people were born into the covenant and then had to be introduced to the Lord. We are introduced to the Lord and then we decide if we will be reborn into the covenant. Everyone in the New Covenant already knows the Lord, it is by getting to know the Lord that we decide whether we will surrender and enter the covenant.

Finally, God will forgive our iniquities and remember them no more. This last one is really the big deal. Our author will cover this more as Hebrews continues. The problem with that Old Covenant is the sacrifices didn’t actually get rid of the sins. Instead, they brought a reminder to God about the sins. Every day, every week, every month, every year a whole set of repeating sacrifices brought to God’s mind the sins of the people.

What we really needed was a priestly system that would put our sins to bed. What we really needed was a sacrifice that would actually wipe out our sins. What we really needed is something that would allow God to throw our sins behind His back and not in His face over and over and over again.

That is exactly what Jesus Christ accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection. That is exactly what is this New Covenant in Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord!

Next week’s reading is Hebrews 9.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. How are God’s laws written on our hearts?
3. Why is God’s new covenant in Christ better than the old covenant through Moses?
4. Have you decided to be part of God’s new covenant yet? Why or why not?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?