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A New Covenant – Hebrews 8
A New Covenant – Hebrews 8
The religion that is centered upon Jesus is a multifaceted concept. We can speak of it in modern terms as a 'packaged deal'. There was of course the first or old covenant that was given through Moses and revealed unto Israel. It involved not only a law / covenant but a priesthood, sacrifices, temple, and promises.
Part of the promise of the old covenant is that there would be a new covenant. Moses himself promised that there would arise another 'like unto him'. Later, in Jeremiah 31:31-34, Jeremiah promised that God would establish this new covenant, a covenant that would NOT be like the old. The writer of Hebrews uses this promise of Jeremiah as the foundation of his teaching concerning the new covenant that we have in Jesus (8:8-12).
The Hebrew writer concludes that when Jeremiah spoke of a new covenant "he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away" (8:13). With the establishing of the new covenant the old covenant and the things that pertained to it were removed, taken away, replaced. As noted above, this is a package deal. Taking away the covenant involved taking away the earthly tabernacle, the earthly priesthood of Aaron, and the animal sacrifices that could never take away sin. This new covenant is thus said to be better (8:6). To change even one aspect of this covenant (i.e. the priesthood) would necessitate a changing of the whole of the law (7:12).
Jesus is the mediator of this better covenant that is enacted upon better promises. Among those promises is the promise to remove our sins completely. God promised under this covenant to "be merciful toward their iniquities and I will remember their sins no more" (8:12). Under this new covenant, Jesus offered up one sacrifice forever and through that sacrifice we are cleansed of our sins as we walk in the light (1John 1:7-9). With such a promise, we can serve God with a conscience that is clean and pure. We have complete trust, not that we are worthy to live with God, but that we are forgiven and thus can live with God.
Again we would note the conclusion of the Hebrew writer concerning such a concept: "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (4:16). In chapter 10 the writer will encourage us by saying: "since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (10:21-23).
Hugh DeLong
