The New Covenant
Some material has already been presented in Learning Activity #27 on the New Covenant, but in this Activity we shall explore it in more detail.
1. Hebrews 8:6
2. Describe the covenant that is being established in the verse above.
3. Hebrews 8:7
4. What does the verse above have to say about the first covenant (the Old Covenant)?
5. Hebrews 8:8
6. What is the covenant that will be established to be called?
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7. Hebrews 8:9
8. What is the covenant referred to in the above verse as “the covenant that I made with their fathers”?
9. What does God say in the above verse was a problem with the Old Covenant?
10. Hebrews 8:10
11. In the verse above, what does the language “this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel” mean to you?
12. In the verse above, what does the statement “I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts” mean to you?
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13. Hebrews 8:12
14. What is the verse above saying?
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15. Hebrews 8:13
16. In the above verse, the word “covenant” is in italics in the KJV because it is not in the Greek text. However, from the word “new” preceding it, it is obvious that the covenant is what is being spoken of, therefore, to insert the word “covenant” does no violence to the text. Describe in your words what this verse is saying.
The people of the New Covenant are motivated internally to obey the law of Christ who lives within them (Galatians 6:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21). The New Covenant Christian is no longer bound by the terms of the Old Covenant, but rather by the Law of Christ within.
God was the giver of both covenants, and His purpose for man was that man might trust in Him for his salvation and life. The God who established the Old Covenant is sovereign and almighty, and did not make that covenant in the hope that maybe, hopefully some day, man would follow it and receive eternal life through perfect obedience to it. The purpose of the Old Covenant was clearly to foreshadow the New Covenant, and the New Covenant was to fulfill the Old Covenant. No one has ever been justified through obedience to the Old Covenant, and no one was ever meant to. God intended all He did to lead people to Christ. The Law was to be their “schoolmaster” to bring them to Christ (Galatians 3:24). The Old Covenant passed away not because it failed at its purpose, but because it had served its purpose. The King of the Old Covenant had come to His people fulfilling the prophecies and laws of the Old Covenant (Matthew 5:17) with His presence both as Jesus of Nazareth, and later in indwelling His people.
A caution is given here to the reader. The terms New Covenant and New Testament are NOT synonomous. Some passages in the New Testament are Old Covenant passages, and some of the New Covenant passages are found in the Old Testament.
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