A NEW AND BETTER COVENANT (A NEW DEAL).

SERIES: LIVING BY FAITH.

TEXT: HEBREWS 8:1-13.

The key word in Hebrews is the word “BETTER.” 

Jesus Christ is better than angels.

Jesus Christ is better than Moses.

Jesus Christ is better than Aaron.

Jesus Christ is better than prophets, dreams and visions. 

The New Covenant (N.T) is better than the Old Covenant (O.T).

Jesus Christ has given us better promises. Everything with Jesus Christ is better-best.

In our modern day (age) we define relationships by contracts. Contracts whether formal or informal helps to specify when the terms have been fulfilled. 

But Jesus Christ did not establish a contract with Israel or with the church, He created a covenant.

The difference between a contract and a covenant is that a contract is broken when one of the parties fail to keep his promise. A covenant is a tie of parent to her children. If a child fails to show up for dinner, the parent’s obligation of parenthood still remains. One member’s fail does not destroy the relationship.

The secret to understanding Hebrews is to understand the meaning of a covenant.

In the Bible there are conditional and unconditional covenants.

Our Bible is divided into two covenants-Old and New.

In the Old Testament given to the nation of Israel, the blessings of the old covenant were conditioned on Israel’s obedience to the law that God gave with the covenant. Deuteronomy 28; Leviticus 26 plus commandments which was the foundation for the Old Testament.

The New Testament is the unconditional covenant with all who believe on the son of God.

The New Testament intentionally replaces the first, the former even predicting and foreshadowing the new.

In Verse 7, “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have be sought for the second.”

However, this does not suggest that the law itself had flaws, but that the experience of human beings under the law was faulty.

The law could reveal sin but it could not save or remove the sin.

The sacrifices of the Old Testament could cover sin, but it could not forgive it, the conscience of the person, whose sins are covered was still accusing the person-Exodus 19:5-8.

It was just a matter of time (hours) and what the children of Israel had promised to do-they failed.

They could not keep the law-They missed the mark, the righteousness of the law-they became sinners.

Despite Israel’s failure, God promised a day when He would introduce a new covenant.

The New Covenant is better, it has better promises (Vs. 6) making the new better than the old-Heb. 7:27-8:13.

The new covenant is a better deal. Let us learn:-

THE NEW COVENANT IS BETTER THAN THE OLD BECAUSE IT REPLACES SHADOWS WITH REALITY-Vs. 5.

• On the first Christmas day the shadows of the Old Testament sacrifices for sin were replaced by the real lamb of God.
• Born of a virgin, son of God and son of man, without blemish.
• When God gave to Moses the Ten Commandments and established the Aaronic priesthood and the various aspects of the sacrifices for Israel, these things were never intended to be permanent-Vs. 5.
• The tabernacle was a replica, shadow of the things in heaven.
• The apostle John in Revelations 5:11-13 saw the wonder of wonders, the real thing not the picture.

THE NEW COVENANT IS BETTER THAN THE OLD BECAUSE IT REPLACES EXTERNALISM WITH INTIMACY-Vs. 10.

• The new covenant will have a different sort of law-an internal not an external law.
• In the new covenant the law of God is written in our hearts and our minds.
• The true worship of the new covenant is an internal not external, real not rituals.
• “I will be their God” means “He gave Himself to us,” “And they will be my people” means “He takes us to Himself”-1st John 3:1.
• There is intimacy-we are the family of God.
• We now call God “Abba” father, Daddy.

THE NEW COVENANT IS BETTER THAN THE OLD BECAUSE IT REPLACES INSECURITY WITH KNOWLEDGE-Vs. 11.

• In the Old Testament and current Judaism the people relied on the Rabbi to interpret the scripture.
• The Rabbi was the expert who knew everything.
• The people were ignorant fellows.
• Today, many Christians want to be taught everything by the priest or pastor.
• There is an “elite class” of people called the “clergy.”
• These “clergy” are teaching very ignorant “laity.”
• But under the new covenant there is no “clergy” and no “laity” we are all the people of God “Laos.”
• The Apostle Peter clarifies the new deal under the new covenant in 1st Peter 2:9.
• Under the new deal we can all come to God as His own dear children-with His law written on our minds and hearts.
• Today you are enabled to read your Bible (cover to cover), pray, preach and teach the word to others.
• The New Testament pastor is a guide through pastoral gifting otherwise the pastor is also “Laos.”
• Now in the new deal we have the “priesthood of the believer.”

THE NEW COVENANT IS BETTER THAN THE OLD BECAUSE IT REPLACES COVERING WITH FORGIVENESS-Vs. 12.

• The phrase “Remember no more” means God will not “hold against us no more.” Sins in the new covenant are forgiven to just covered.
• The sacrifices of the Old Testament and in our traditional laws could only cover sin under the blood temporary.
• It was not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin-Heb. 10:4.
• For sins to be forgiven a new covenant was needed.
• Vs. 13, The Old Testament was weak but it served its main purpose of showing us our sins, but never saving us.
• When the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D there could be no more sacrifices and the Levitical law came to an end.
• The “Once and for all” sacrifices of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary replaced the Levitical sacrifices and its priesthood-Matt. 27:50-51.

CONCLUSION

• Jesus Christ is a mediator of a better covenant.
• The New Testament is established on better promises.
• Jesus Christ is better than all. He is the fairest of ten thousand.
• Consider Jesus Christ-Let Him be your Lord and Savior throughout eternity.