"THE COVENANT - OLD VERSUS NEW"

Good Evening to All!

Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--(9) not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. (10) for this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (22) None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none of his brother, saying 'Know the LORD,' for all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins, and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Hebrews 8:8-12

According to the NKJV Reference, This passage has to do with "the better covenant". It was made with Israel and Judah, but the church also enjoys the spiritual blessings of this covenant now.

The Abrahamic covenant was made with Abraham and his physical descendants (Genesis 17:7), who would inherit the land (Genesis 12:7, 13:14;, 15). Yet the Abrahamic covenant also contained the spiritual promises (Gen. 12:3)in which the church participates (Rom.11:11-27; Gal. 3:13,14). The new covenant in fact is a fulfillment of the spiritual redemption promised in the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants ( Matthew 26:26-29); Luke 22:20).

Now to get down to the nitty-gritty, There are four provisions of the new covenant: (1) God's law will be written on believers' minds and hearts. This is in contrast to the Mosaic Law which was written on tablets of stone. Just to add a thought of my own, this also tells me that God expects more from us than "lip service". This tells me He wants us to learn about Him and His Word. He wants us to study His Word so that we will KNOW what He expects from us. He wants us to show our love for Him by abiding by His Word and living for Him. Not just by going up to the altar and saying "I accept Jesus as my Savior", and then walking away unchanged.

(2) Believers will have a relationship with God fulfilling the promise of Lev. 26:1 (2 Cor. 6:16). These verses talk about how we are not to make idols. We are suppose to worship God and only Him. Which brings me back to our modern day idols. Entertainment, money, work. What it boils down to is anything that keeps us away from worshiping or spending time with God is an idol. Money is an idol when we would rather go spend our money on buying all kinds of material things, but refuse or make excuses why not to pay our tithes. When we put other things ahead of God they become our idols.

(3) All will know God. No longer will Pharisees and scribes have to teach the intricacies of the Law to the people. My thoughts are if we as Christians do our job, do what Christ told His disciples (and us) to do by going out into the world and spread the gospel, then All will know Him. Not just the "laws" according to the Pharisees and scribes ( people who only know the written word, but do not have a relationship with Christ.

(4) God will forgive the sins of believers and remember them no more. The continual sacrifice of animals for the atonement of sin will cease. Of course, this was the purpose of Christ's Crucifixion, so that our sins could be completely forgiven in contrast to the "old law" where the sacrifice of animals just pushed the sins of the people back a year. They were never truly forgotten until Christ died for us.

Good night to All and May God Bless!