The New Covenant is superior to the Old Covenant. In fact, the Hebrews claims to fix what was wrong with the Old Covenant. Before we discuss any of these "flaws," let's take a look at some scriptures to keep in mind regarding the Old and New Covenants. Please keep in mind I am not saying God made a mistake with the Old Covenant, but that He always had the New Covenant in mind. Even in Deut. 18:11 God wanted His law on the inside as scripture records "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds..."
Jeremiah 31:31-34
31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,”
declares the Lord.
33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”
These verses in Jeremiah show 4 ways the New Covenant is better (and fixes) what the Old Covenant could not do. What exactly are the 4 things?
1. Internal Direction of putting the law in our minds and hearts. In the Old Covenant the law was working from the outside/in, but in the New Covenant it is working from the inside/out. The law was external; thus so was everything else about it. It had no internal identity with God or direction.
2. God is our God and we are His people; Security. "Be their God" was a promise and is always. In the Old Covenant God being our God was entirely conditional. Exodus 19:5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.
3. Everyone knows God: Authority and Access. Hebrews 8:11 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. In the New Covenant there is no spiritual hierarchy, but in the Old Covenant not everyone had equal access to God. Moses, priests, high priests, prophets were chosen for special access while regular people did not have these kinds of ways to God.
4. Forgiveness of sin. Hebrews 8:12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” In the Old Covenant there was not blanket forgiveness of sin.
Galatians 4:21-26 discusses the Old and New Covenants and why the New Covenant is better than the Old. Hagar being the Old Covenant and Sarah being the New Covenant.
Hagar and Sarah21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.
24 These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.
Jeremiah 31:31-34
31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,”
declares the Lord.
33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”
These verses in Jeremiah show 4 ways the New Covenant is better (and fixes) what the Old Covenant could not do. What exactly are the 4 things?
1. Internal Direction of putting the law in our minds and hearts. In the Old Covenant the law was working from the outside/in, but in the New Covenant it is working from the inside/out. The law was external; thus so was everything else about it. It had no internal identity with God or direction.
2. God is our God and we are His people; Security. "Be their God" was a promise and is always. In the Old Covenant God being our God was entirely conditional. Exodus 19:5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.
3. Everyone knows God: Authority and Access. Hebrews 8:11 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. In the New Covenant there is no spiritual hierarchy, but in the Old Covenant not everyone had equal access to God. Moses, priests, high priests, prophets were chosen for special access while regular people did not have these kinds of ways to God.
4. Forgiveness of sin. Hebrews 8:12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” In the Old Covenant there was not blanket forgiveness of sin.
Galatians 4:21-26 discusses the Old and New Covenants and why the New Covenant is better than the Old. Hagar being the Old Covenant and Sarah being the New Covenant.
Hagar and Sarah21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.
24 These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.