Former Blackout Artist

For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear. – Heb. 8:7-13

The first covenant, given to the Israelites after their exodus from Egypt, was based on the law. While holy and righteous, it was insufficient to fully transform the hearts of the people. It depended on human adherence, and the peoples’ failure highlighted the need for something greater. So there was nothing wrong with the first covenant. The fault lied directly with the people who couldn’t possibly honor it.

So God, in His mercy and foresight, promised a new covenant. This covenant would not be external, written on tablets of stone, but internal. It would be inscribed on the hearts and minds of His people. And with this would come an intimate relationship with Him, where His laws become part of our very being. And God’s promise in verse ten is very clear: “I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

This new covenant through Christ, characterized by an inherent knowledge of God, has given us complete access to Him, regardless of our status. One of the most remarkable aspects of this new covenant is another amazing promise – the promise of forgiveness. God declares that He will forgive our wickedness and remember our sins no more! This forgiveness is complete and unconditional, made possible only through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. Because of this new covenant, every person is invited to live in the freedom of God’s grace, no longer burdened by the failures of the past.

I don’t know about you, but I am so thankful that my sinful past has been totally erased! Because of Jesus, it is as though it never happened!

So as we reflect on today’s passage, let us rejoice in the new covenant established by Christ. It is a covenant of grace, mercy, and intimate relationship with God our Creator. Let us embrace the laws He has written on our hearts, seeking to live in a way that reflects our identity as God’s chosen people. And let us rest in the assurance of God’s forgiveness, knowing that our sins are remembered no more! Amen.