Hebrews 8:8, "For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:"

This morning, man is still utterly weak and depraved by nature. From the moment that Adam transgressed the holy law of God until the return of our Great King, sin will plague every person that comes into this world. Due to this complete lack of goodness, man is unable to keep the laws that were handed down to Moses in the Old Testament. This verse speaks of the first covenant finding fault with those it was given to.

The law service could never make anyone righteous (for if it could, then righteousness would come by the law), but it pointed out the weakness of our flesh. When God gave the law, He gave it for man to keep, but He was also pointing out to man the total need that we have for Him. Without the mercies of God, we would utterly perish in accordance with righteous justice.

So, if the first covenant could not make man righteous, there is need for a second (new) covenant that is built upon better promises. This new covenant that the Lord makes with His people is that HE writes HIS laws in their hearts and minds. He does this work, and man is completely passive in the whole affair. It is interesting to note that this "new" covenant is really older than the "old" covenant. When talking with people of other orders, I sometimes ask, "How were folks in the Old Testament saved eternally since Christ had not come, and they didn't know how to accept Him as their personal Saviour?" Sometimes the answers get very wild and imaginative. The way that people in the Old Testament are saved eternally is the EXACT SAME WAY that people in all ages are saved eternally. The grace of God is given through the blood of Jesus Christ, and that blood is applied to the mind and heart with God's laws written there. Even though some people lived before the legal work was performed on Calvary, they are held in the covenant that was made before the world began. So, this covenant that was made pre-dates the Mosaic law. One then might ask, "Well, why is it called new here in Hebrews and also back in Jeremiah?"

The answer is that it is new in manifestation to God's people. The Jews had a great advantage over the Gentiles in the Old Testament because they had the oracles of God. We as the New Testament church have a great advantage because we have knowledge (outwardly) about what we already now (inwardly). Every child of grace knows their Lord within the new man. This passage goes on to say that we all know the Lord. But, thanks be unto Him that He has revealed this covenant to us so that we would know how He has saved us. It is not new in application, but it is new in revelation. When the gospel was first proclaimed, many natural Jews did not like the fact that Paul and others said that natural descendancy from Abraham was not relevant, for being one of Christ's made you a child of Abraham (by promise). Today, the gospel is still being proclaimed that Jesus has saved His people, and they have God's law written within them to know Him. Thanks be unto God that Mount Sinai is not the only place we can go. Sinai points out time and time again that we are worthy of death. But, we can go to Mount Zion that points out time and time again how our God loves us and shows long-suffering and mercy unto us.