2018.02.03 Hopewell @Home ▫ Hebrews 8:7-13

Read Hebrews 8:7-13

Questions for Littles: What does the need for a second covenant show wasn’t true about the first one (v7)? With whom does v8 say He found fault? What had the Lord taken Israel by the hand to do (v9)? But in what did they not continue (v9b)? In the new covenant, what does God put in His people’s mind (v10)? And what does He write upon their hearts? What does He promise that He will be to them? What does He promise that they will be to Him? What won’t they have to tell each other to do (v11)? Which of His covenant people will know Him (v11)? Toward what will the Lord be merciful (v12a)? What will He remember no more (v12b)? What has God made obsolete (v13a)? What was about to happen to it when the book of Hebrews was written (v13b)?

In the Scripture for the sermon this week, we heard about the faultiness of the Old Covenant administration of the covenant of grace. We know, of course that it was a covenant of grace, because the redemption of the people was front-loaded. God “led them by the hand out of Egypt.”

But, as we read our Old Testaments, we find ourselves in complete agreement with v9: they did not continue in God’s covenant. Precious few seemed to love the Lord. Precious few obeyed Him. Precious few came to know Him. Precious few acknowledged Him.

Now, the book of Hebrews begins to open up for us some of the reason for that: so that when God gave His own Son to be the Mediator of the New Covenant administration, God would glorify His Son by establishing that New Covenant with far better promises. What were they? Our passage gives us three:

1. The pouring out of God’s Spirit for His transforming work in mind and heart (v10, cf. 2Cor 3). Jesus pours out His Spirit as promised (Acts 2:17-35).
2. The establishing of personal, direct fellowship with God, in which He communicates Himself to us, and we willingly acknowledge Him with mouth and life! (v11)
3. The mercy toward our iniquities (v12, Christ, our mercy seat, cf. Rom 3:25). This is the climax of the passage—we don’t just have cow blood on the lid of a box in a tent… we have the very blood of God the Son on the throne of glory!!

Why would we ever want to go back? Christ Himself is the glory of the church!

What are we celebrating when we gather to God as His New Covenant people? How does love to Christ factor into desiring to see Him glorified?

Suggested Songs: ARP45A “My Heart Is Greatly Stirred” or HB132 “All Hail the Power of Jesus’s Name”