Better Covenant and Promises

One of the biggest problems with the Mosaic covenant was not that it was flawed, but that it exposed the flaws in people and demonstrated the impossibility of them keeping it.  God promised the Hebrews in Exodus 19:5-6:  "Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. ⁶ And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."  After Moses spoke the word of God to the people, they agreed to keep His covenant.  It wasn't long at all before they broke it, and ironically they did so before Moses descended from the mountain with the 10 Commandments in hand!

The writer of Hebrews explained how God put everything under Jesus Christ, and that He is greater than Moses and the angels:  the unique, only begotten Son of God who is both eternal King and High Priest.  The ministry of Moses was great in bringing the knowledge of God's law and His covenant, but Jesus did far greater and awesome as it says in Hebrews 8:6:  "But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises."  The first covenant was dependant on people keeping it, yet the new covenant established with the shed blood of Jesus rests on Christ's obedience to lay down His life on Calvary.  The point of emphasis of the Gospel is not what we must do to be saved but on who Jesus is and all He has done to offer us the free gift of righteousness by grace through faith in Him.  God has opened up a new and living way to fellowship with God by faith in Jesus.

The Law gave no promise of eternal life, yet Jesus freely offered forgiveness and salvation forever to all who repent and trust in Him.  The promise is not limited to the Hebrews alone but to all who receive Jesus Christ as Saviour.  Revelation 1:4-6 reads, "John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, ⁶ and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."  The Law foreshadowed the Saviour Who would bring grace to us and the opportunity of peace with the everlasting God.  God promised the Hebrews in Exodus if they kept His covenant they would be to Him a kingdom of priests and a holy nation; to Jews and Gentiles alike the new covenant makes us "kings and priests" to God Who has glory and dominion forever.

John wrote of Jesus Christ in John 1:16-17:  "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."  The covenant and special position God provided Israel remains unchanged, yet through the Gospel a better covenant with better promises has been revealed which is extended to all people by faith in Jesus.  Receiving the fullness of God personally was not on offer by the covenant of Law, yet born again Christians are now the temple of the Holy Spirit Who lives in us.  We are not worthy of such privilege and access, yet let us walk worthy of this heavenly calling as God's children, sanctified and fit for His use by His grace and truth.