Hebrews 8:7-13 | What's happening (and who's involved)?
The Old Faulty Covenant
There is a very bold statement being made from the writer of Hebrews. Interestingly enough, he does not spend a lot of time arguing his point, instead he points at how Scripture already makes his point for him. He calls out the old covenant and highlights how it has its faults. It is flawed. Had it not been, there would have never been a need for a new one.
Consider this with anything. If you have a perfect car that has amazing gas mileage, room for the whole family and friends, can drive fast, can drive safe, is comfortable, has the best sound system, never needs new tires, everything with the engine, transmission, and drive train is flawless, can handle any weather, and will never wear down, would you really start looking for another car? Not really. This thing does it all! When you have something that is perfect, you aren't looking forward to the replacement. That is the point that the writer of Hebrews is making.
He quotes a passage out of Jeremiah 31 where the Lord promises to make a new covenant. A few points stand out about the nature of this covenant.
There indeed are echoes of the old covenant within this, but also some major differences. The covenant itself washes away sin. There are a lot of amazing promises in what Jeremiah speaks of. But the point of the writer to the Hebrews is not all of the amazing stuff that Jeremiah speaks of. His point is simply that a new covenant was necessary. That makes the old covenant obsolete, and that which is obsolete is passing away.
What observations are you making in this passage?
Consider this with anything. If you have a perfect car that has amazing gas mileage, room for the whole family and friends, can drive fast, can drive safe, is comfortable, has the best sound system, never needs new tires, everything with the engine, transmission, and drive train is flawless, can handle any weather, and will never wear down, would you really start looking for another car? Not really. This thing does it all! When you have something that is perfect, you aren't looking forward to the replacement. That is the point that the writer of Hebrews is making.
He quotes a passage out of Jeremiah 31 where the Lord promises to make a new covenant. A few points stand out about the nature of this covenant.
- It is with the house of Israel and the house of Judah
- It is not like the old covenant made with them when they came from Egypt
- That covenant permitted God to disregard them when they did not continue in the covenant
- This covenant will place His law in their mind and upon their hearts
- The people will claim Him as God and God will claim the people as His own
- All will know Him
- This covenant provides mercy to their unrighteousness
- Their sin will be remembered no more
There indeed are echoes of the old covenant within this, but also some major differences. The covenant itself washes away sin. There are a lot of amazing promises in what Jeremiah speaks of. But the point of the writer to the Hebrews is not all of the amazing stuff that Jeremiah speaks of. His point is simply that a new covenant was necessary. That makes the old covenant obsolete, and that which is obsolete is passing away.
What observations are you making in this passage?
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2026
January
John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
February
Passage of the Week: John 17John 17 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 17 | What's the connection?John 17 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 17 | What's the lesson for me today?John 17 | What am I going to do about it?John 17 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:1-11John 18:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:1-11 | What's the connection?John 18:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:12-40John 18:12-40 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:12-40 | What's the connection?John 18:12-40 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:12-40 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:12-40 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 19John 19 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 19 | What's the connection?John 19 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 19 | What's the lesson for me today?John 19 | What am I going to do about it?John 19 | Prayer Prompts
March
Passage of the Week: John 20John 20 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 20 | What's the connection?John 20 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 20 | What's the lesson for me today?John 20 | What am I going to do about it?John 20 | Prayer PromptsJohn 21 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 21John 21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 21 | What's the connection?John 21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 21 | What's the lesson for me today?John 21 | What am I going to do about it?Passage of the Week: Hebrews 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What is a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 1:5-14Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:5-14 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:1-4Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the connection?
April
Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 2:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:5-9Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the connection?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What am I going to do about it?
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