The Better Covenant

What is a covenant? It is when two parties agree to certain terms to be in relationship. If one person keeps the covenant, then he receives the promises of the other. But if he fails, then he receives a curse for his failure.

This is actually how God relates to Adam and Eve in the garden. God promises them that he has given them this whole world. And htey have the obligation of boeying him and walking according to his ways. Because they fail, the curse is on them.

Abraham as an example. God makes a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. That he is going to do all this stuff.

And what does Abraham do? Well, Immediately, Abraham goes down to Egypt and messes up the covenant that God has made with him.

Now, here is the audacious thing, God promises Abraham that he is going to still give him the promises. In fact, the promises to Abraham get more and more audacious.

Gen 15. Abraham asks how this can be, and God just reiterates the promsies to him. And it says that Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousnessn. But then God proceeded to show Abram how he was going to giv ehim the promises of hte covenant. That God was going to fulfill not only his promises to Abraham, but he was going to fulfill Abraham’s obligations to God.

And of course, this climaxes in Genesis 22, where God calls Abraham to sacrifice his Son. Why did he do that? In part to show that only God’s son was going to be able to bear the curse for Abraham.

And every time that God makes a covenant with Israel, it is much the same story. God promises to do audacious things. They absoultely miserably fail. And God promises to do those things for them anyways because it depends on his grace, not on them. They will be the undeserving recipients of God’s grace in the covenant. And every time God makes a covenant, it is better than the last.

The better covenant

Makes Jesus’ ministry better (vs. 6)

His covenant is better because it has better promises. THe minsitry of Jesus exceeds the ministry of the Levites and the old priests because it gives better promises. As 2 Cor 1:20 says, All of God’s promises find their yes and amen in him.

Whereas, even in the Old Testament, God predicted that the covenant would come to the end. The covenant that God made with Moses and with Israel at Sinai always had an expiration date. We see this in vs. 7 and vs. 13.

What are the better promises attached to the new covenant?

This covenant will endure. Look in vs. 8-9. God says he will establish a new covenant that mankind will no longer break. This one will not have an expiration date. This covenant will not come to an end. This covenant will “not be like” the covenant he made with them.

Hebrews 7:23-25

He will change their minds and hearts (vs. 10).

2 Corinthians 3:1-3

He will rid them of idolatry (vs. 10).

Revelation 21:1-4

He will make himself known (vs. 11).

Matthew 11:27

He will finally, and faithfully give them forgiveness of their sins (vs. 12).

Hebrews 9:25-28

Application:

God’s not here to bite you. God really, genuinely wants a relationship with you.

Jesus obeyed the covenant when you couldn’t. Jesus bore the curse when you couldn’t. You and I get the promise of the covenant, and he got the curse. We get the justification, he got the condemnation. Christian, if God was going to give you anything less than the promises of the new covenant, then he would be violating the covenant himself.

You say, pastor, you don’t understand, after everything that I’ve done there’s no way that God would accept me. And I’d just say, didn’t you see this last promise? I’ll remember their sins no more.

We ought to live as people in the covenant

We live in this already but not yet existence don’t we? While we have the promises of the new covenant, we’re still waiting for its full consummation. So here and now we must walk by faith.