Articles
The Better Covenant In Hebrews 8
The Better Covenant In Hebrews 8
The Hebrew writer contrasts two covenants. Here is a look at some of these contrasts:
There was the ‘first covenant’ – 8:13; 9:1, 15, 18
· There was a change of law with the change of priesthood – 7:12
· Such Law/Covenant made nothing perfect 7:19
· The first covenant was ‘faulty’ (fault was in the PEOPLE who did not keep it) 8:7-8
· Such was said to be ‘old’ – 8:13
· The first became obsolete 8:13, and from Jeremiah’s time was ‘ready to disappear’
· Jesus took away the FIRST ‘will’ in order to establish the SECOND 10:9
There is a BETTER covenant –8:6
· It is the NEW covenant - 8:8; 9:15
· It is the SECOND covenant - 8:7,
· It brought a better HOPE - 7:19
· Jesus IS the guarantee of a better covenant - 7:22
· Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant - 8:6; 9:15, 12:24
· This covenant was enacted on better promises – 8:6
· Jesus established the SECOND ‘will’ - 10:9
· BY THIS (second) WILL – we are sanctified – 10:10 (cp 10:29, sanctified by the blood of the covenant)
· BY WHICH we are perfected – 7:19, 10:14, 12:2, 23;
· This then is the NEW and LIVING way through which we have confidence to enter the true holy place by the blood of Jesus - 10:19
· This is the ETERNAL covenant that is based upon the blood of Jesus our LORD -13:20
This isn’t much of an ‘article’, but rather a brief synopsis of the covenants that are written about in Hebrews. There actually were many different covenants, some between men, and some between God and men, but Hebrews speaks of two specific ones. Taking the thought from Hebrews, we generally speak of the Old and the New, the first and the second. Look at the contrast between these two covenants. The new is BETTER in so many ways. The lesson is simply that there is no going back, there is no returning to the old, there is promise, hope, and guarantee with the NEW. Have you been sanctified by the blood of this New Covenant?
Hugh DeLong
