God’s New Covenant

MEMORY VERSE: “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.” —Hebrews 8:10

HEBREWS 8:6-13

THE New Covenant referred to in our lesson is promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34. According to the promise the New Covenant was to be made “with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.” According to the understanding of many, this covenant became effective in the beginning of the Gospel Age, but a closer study of all the scriptures relating to it shows that it is a covenant for the Millennial Age.

In the promise of the New Covenant we are informed that God will write his law in the hearts of the people, and that when the covenant is fully made all shall know the Lord, “from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

In Romans 11:26,27 this covenant is referred to, and its operation put beyond the time when blindness concerning Christ is taken away from Israel. Paul writes, “And so all Israel shall he saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”

In the reference to the New Covenant cited in our lesson Paul identifies Jesus as its Mediator. Blood was provided and used in connection with the making of the original Law Covenant, and the blood of sacrifice used in Old Testament times pointed forward to the blood of Christ. Jesus referred to his blood as the “blood of the new testament,” or covenant. (Matt. 26:28) So from the standpoint of providing the blood, we could say that preparation for the New Covenant began with the first advent of Christ.

According to the Bible, Jesus will have “able ministers” associated with him in connection with the work of reconciliation which will be accomplished by the making of the New Covenant. These will be those who have been the true followers of Christ during the present age. Paul wrote, “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. … Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament [covenant]; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.”—II Cor. 3:3-6

In verses 7 and 8 Paul contrasts the tables of stone on which the Law was written to the “fleshy tables of the heart” of the “able ministers” of the New Covenant in which, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the laws of God are written in preparation for the future glorious ministry of the New Covenant. The ministration of the tables of stone resulted in death, because the Israelites could not live up to the Law. “The ministration of the Spirit,” through the fleshy tables of the heart will he one which will result in life, everlasting life, to all who then believe and submit themselves to the laws and disciplines of the Millennial Age.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai hearing the tables of the Law a dazzling glory shone on his countenance, and Paul uses this to illustrate the still greater glory which will be displayed in connection with the making of the New Covenant. He wrote, “For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.”—II Cor. 3:9,10

After making further observations concerning the great glory which will attend the making of the New Covenant, Paul adds, “Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech.” (II Cor. 3:12) From this it is clear that our glorious relationship with the New Covenant, as its able ministers, is as yet but a hope, not a reality, proving that the New Covenant is not yet inaugurated.

There is a preparatory sacrificial ministry of the New Covenant in which we now participate, even as Jesus’ death was in preparation for dispensing the blessings of the New Covenant, but the glory phase of the covenant is still future. It is our hope of glory with Christ.

QUESTIONS

During what age of the divine plan is the New Covenant made?

What is the relationship of Jesus’ true followers to the promised New Covenant?

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