BETTER AND BETTER
HEBREWS 8:1 NKJV
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.
Marketing campaigns for staple items have always sold on the premise of new and better. Tide detergent is new and better. Dial soap is new and better. For these mundane household items, one of the only ways they could distinguish these products from their competition was to promote new and better. Whether these products were new or better was debatable. But when the writer of Hebrews is referring to our covenant with God, He plainly says it's a better covenant established on better promises. And thankfully, there is no marketing hype involved.
The old covenant under Moses was ratified with the blood of animals. This old covenant did not cleanse away sins but rather covered them up. That is why sacrifices were made continually. But in our new and better covenant it is an agreement between God and man that is ratified with the blood of Jesus. Our new covenant completely cleanses us from sin and then removes it from our lives. We still must ask for forgiveness whenever we miss it and sin, but Jesus does not have to shed His blood again for our forgiveness. And God does not remember our sins. That is huge and better.
The old covenant had high priests who served in a tabernacle on earth. Jesus operates as our High Priest, representing us before God, and He serves in the heavenly tabernacle made without men's hands. The old covenant had to replace the high priests because they were subject to dying. But Jesus, our High Priest, never dies, and that is better.
Under the old covenant, you could be a servant of God. In our new covenant, we are children of God. Being a child is better.
Under the old covenant, you could be forgiven. Under the new covenant, you can be made a new creation and spiritually new in Christ. Being a new creation is better.
Under the old covenant, the only ones who had the privilege of having the Holy Spirit upon their lives were the prophets, priests, and kings. Some of the judges were also equipped to judge and lead by God's Spirit. Oh, but under the new covenant, believers in Jesus have the mighty Holy Spirit come to live in us as our helper and guide. And the new covenant gives us access to being anointed by the Holy Spirit for service regardless of our position. The power of the Holy Spirit is available for all believers, not only those who preach, teach, and lead worship. The Holy Spirit's help and equipping under our new covenant is better, much better.
In the old covenant, a person had to strive to keep the entire law in order to be righteous before God, and even then, it was not enough. But under the new covenant established by Jesus for us, we are made the righteousness of God in Christ. And being made righteous is better.
Under the old covenant, there was a constant reminder of sin. Under the new covenant, we are not living with that burden. With our new, better covenant, we can come near to God, and He will come near to us. Our access to Him under the new covenant is better.
Don't ever say I wish I could have lived back in Moses' day. The relationship we have with God and His great and precious promises to us are better, far better. Better covenant, better promises, better day.
PRAYER
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for establishing a better covenant for me. I am grateful to be a recipient of a better deal.