The new covenant established and true
…not like the covenant that I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. I showed no concern for them, says the Lord, because they did not continue in my covenant. 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 into their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people— Hebrews 8:9-10 CSB
From our text, in verse 9, God shares why the first covenant was necessary. The people of Israel were unable to save themselves from Egyptian captivity. God was able to miraculously free them and lead them to the promised land. But the covenant did not last. The Israelites broke the agreement by sinning and worshiping false idols. Because of their actions, the Lord responded, “I showed no concern for them because they did not continue in My covenant.” God’s action was passing judgment upon Israel for their disobedience. Twice from the text the phrase, “says the Lord” was used. God made a covenant with the people of Israel and they committed themselves to abide. Yet, they were not faithful and they turned away from Him. God “took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt.” God chose to establish a new covenant. This new covenant had three components. First, it would apply to “the house of Israel,” meaning God’s chosen people. During Jeremiah’s day, this applied to the Israelites. Now, through Jesus Christ, Paul writes in Galatians 3:29, “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.” Second, the covenant would be focused on the inner being, as seen in verse 10, “I will put my laws into their minds and write them on their hearts.” The previous covenant helped display the faults within the individual, but it did not have the power to spur them towards righteousness. The new covenant has the power of the Holy Spirit to help guide the believer completely. Finally, the new covenant would focus on the intimate relationship between God and His people: “I will be their God, and they will be My people.” Through all of this, God would be completely justified to abandon the people of Israel, for they were the ones that broke the covenant. Yet, God, who loves perfectly, chose to offer a path of redemption for anyone who repents and believes in His Son, whom He sent to die on their behalf, to pay the penalty of their rebellion. “For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). The new covenant established by the sacrifice of Christ at the cross brought those who believed in Him to the truth that He is the God of the covenant.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
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