We now get to celebrate a “new covenant” with our author of Hebrews. And – surprisingly – the prophecy of a new covenant is found in the Old Testament long before Jesus’ arrival. God had this in mind all along. The long quote in chapter 8 comes from the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 31:31-34. It’s all right there. Because the Israelites could not keep the old covenant and because it required constant sacrifices for every new sin, God was even then preparing a way for a permanent solution. We even catch a glimpse of the Holy Spirit in these quoted verses from Jeremiah. We now not only have the written Word of God, we also have it written on our hearts because God the Spirit indwells us, correcting us and prompting us in so many beautiful ways. When we are sensitive to His Spirit, God can work through us in some pretty incredible ways.
Ever feel prompted to call someone and then find out they truly did need a kind voice at that moment? Ever written a verse out for a friend only to find out she’d discovered that verse the day before and now it’s been highlighted again by a gracious Father? Ever opened your mouth to say something sharp and cutting only to feel the prompt of the Spirit telling you “hush”? God speaks through His Spirit in our hearts as well as through His Word. It’s amazing.
We also see that Jeremiah prophesies a time when God “will never again remember their sins” – which of course happens when the permanent High Priest comes and completely saves us. It’s all there in the Old Testament. We have so much for which to praise our Lord Jesus, don’t we?
My verse: Hebrews 8:10, “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,’ says the LORD: ‘I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
My response: What a delight to realize that the new covenant was promised while the old covenant was still in effect! Thank You, Father, for Your Spirit who indwells me and directs me from within. I’m so very glad to live under the time of the new covenant.
