From Old to New – An Inward Response

By Roderick Breem

Starting at verse 7 in Hebrews 8 the Apostle Paul talks about the weaknesses of the Old Covenant and the need for the New Covenant. I believe many are confused and still living under the Old set of rules.

Paul says: “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.” (v.7)

Then he pointed out one of the major flaws of the Old Covenant: it didn’t produce devotion. There was no inward change.”

It will be an entirely different covenant than the one I made with their fathers when I led them by my hand out of Egypt. For they did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I rejected them, says the Lord God.” (v.9, TPT)

God said the Israelites had to be “led…by hand out of Egypt.” In other words it wasn’t done from their heart. They had to be guided like an unwilling child. But thank God he had a better way of doing things. The answer would come trough the New Covenant because of what Jesus did.

Now, see the distinction. “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.” (v.10)”I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts.” No longer will they (or us!) have to be held by the hand out of bondage.

Under the New Covenant we have the law (Word) in our minds and written in our hearts. So the change of our behavior is the result of an inward change not merely outward ordinance. Isn’t that liberating?

Now for the best and most profound part of this. “I will be their loyal God and they will be my loyal people. And the result of this will be that everyone will know me as Lord! There will be no need at all to teach their fellow-citizens or brothers by saying, ‘You should know the Lord Jehovah,’ since everyone will know me inwardly, from the most unlikely to the most distinguished. (v.11b-12, TPT)

Now, we see a relationship there is mutual loyalty out of love. The result is that everyone will know the Lord. This is possible through the person of the Holy Spirit. He leads us and guides us into all Truth. I love how the TPT translation says “…everyone will know me inwardly, from the most unlikely to the most distinguished.” Yes, we now know God inwardly and are not just simply being led by the hand.

So, if you feel yourself striving to be the perfect Christian you might just still be under the Old Covenant. Or if you feel weighed down by all the things you must do. Listen, Jesus said “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am [a]gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30)Throw off the old yoke of legalism and take the yoke of Jesus. Its fits you better. You will see you countenance change and the light in your eyes return.