"Better Promises"

Scripture Passage

Hebrews 8:1-10:39

Scripture Focus

He is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. (Hebrews 8:6 NLT)

Observation

The book of Hebrews is all about the superiority of Jesus—a better high priest who institutes a better covenant through a better sacrifice. I’m not sure that before today, however, I ever noticed one other way Hebrews describes the superiority of this covenant: Better promises.

He is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. (Hebrews 8:6 NLT)

And Hebrews 10:15-17 details two of those better promises:

And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,

“This is the new covenant I will make
     with my people on that day, says the LORD:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
     and I will write them on their minds.”

Then he says,

“I will never again remember
     their sins and lawless deeds.”
                              (Hebrews 10:15-17 NLT)

Are those not two most wonderful promises? First, the covenant moves from “external” to “internal.” Instead of laws written on tablets of stone, God’s promise is that He will write His law our hearts and minds! It’s the difference (it seems to me) between searching through volumes of reference works on dusty bookshelves just to uncover some applicable regulation (one mental image) verses simply knowing what is the right thing to do (a second, much better, mental image).

Second, my sin moves from “ever before me” (Psalm 51:3) to “remembered no more” (Jeremiah 31:34). Again I ask—does it get any better than this?

How gracious our God! How marvelous His ways! How superior His covenant extended to me through Jesus Christ my Lord!

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