Read Hebrews 8
We talk about
the
Old Covenant
and the New
Covenant,
but what exactly
is a covenant?
As is often
the case, there are a range of meanings. They range from general cordiality to true
community and even to being shackled together. When the covenant is with
others, it might be something along the lines of Joe and I have an agreement.
If I am out of town for a week, he cuts my grass. If he is gone, I cut his. It
works most of the time. We’ll see how long it lasts.
When the
covenant comes from God it’s more of a fetter—a shackle. It’s a done deal and it’s binding until God
says it’s not. We sometimes refer to it as an unbreakable agreement.
There’s a range
of meanings, but a covenant that is from God is big stuff. It’s more than that
nudge that you felt inside to take some food to that family down the street or
just to check on your neighbor that you haven’t seen for a while.
Those are
important but a covenant from God binds so many generations together.
God has made
more than 2 covenants. We know of one with Noah. We know of the covenant with
Abraham. It wasn’t too long ago that we studied these.
But when
people refer to the Old Covenant, they are generally speaking about what might
be called the Mosaic Covenant or the Sinai Covenant.
The covenant
was not the law itself but compliance and perhaps even obedience to the law was
required for salvation. Full
compliance was not possible and was never achieved until
Jesus fulfilled
this covenant for us.
Here is the
formula for salvation under the Old Covenant. Score 100% on playing by the
rules and you will be blessed. Fortunately, if you couldn’t do this, there is a
rule by which you could make up for that, every year until you die.
Exactly what
salvation looked like in the mind of the Hebrew people is a topic for another
time.
Salvation
under the New Covenant was completely by grace and we receive it by faith.
It was and is a gift of God. We have no corresponding obligation to receive salvation.
We should
understand that God has great
expectations for you as
his disciple. You finally get to live the way God designed you to live without
fear of being kicked to the curb for your mistakes, even those that come of ill
intent or laziness.
Here’s the
Okiespeak. God’s grace extends even to I knew better, but… God’s grace
has covered more than a few hold my beer stunts.
So the old
was conditional and the new is without condition. This concept of salvation
coming as a gift was a tough cookie to swallow, at least if you were a
God-fearing Hebrew 2000 years ago.
The author inserts
what should have been familiar text to the Hebrew people. These excerpts should
have taunted the readers. You see. We were told a new covenant was coming.
For if there
had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been
sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said:
“The days are
coming, declares the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant
with the
people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
It will not
be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took
them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they
did not remain faithful to my covenant,
and I turned away from them,
declares the
Lord.
This is the
covenant I will establish with the people of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my
laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be
their God,
and they will be my people.
No longer
will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they
will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
For I will
forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”
By calling
this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete
and outdated will soon disappear.
There was a
problem with the Old Covenant. What? The
people didn’t comply with it, perhaps they never could. God’s promises were
intact but the people could not obey God and his directives and were
continually in a cycle of atonement.
The former
covenant was conditional.
Our new one comes without condition. Yes, we repent and believe but there are
no hoops through which we must jump for our salvation.
This was
unthinkable to so many Hebrew people. The author here is asking why.
Why did you not
see this coming? Consider the Torah and the prophets
Jeremiah
and Isaiah
as well as some of Paul’s
letters in our time.
Were we not paying
attention when God said, Heads Up Guys. The day is coming when I will
give you a new covenant.
It may have
been a hard sell to the Hebrews 20 centuries ago, but we have the benefit of
hindsight. We know the story of God’s redemptive love that came to us in Christ
Jesus.
We should be
strong in our faith knowing so much of the story. We have a better covenant,
just as God planned it.
In this
covenant, we are not dependent upon laws that mitigate the evil in our hearts.
We are to give
our hearts and minds to the Lord and he will write his laws upon them.
This New
Covenant stuff is a really good deal, and as it so happens, has always been a
part of God’s plan.
Amen.
