The Privilege of New Covenant

10/21/25 Bible Thought (Hebrews 8)

Image generated by Gemini

The believer in Jesus Christ is under a new and better covenant than those under the old covenant.

Throughout the pages of Hebrews, the author continually compares the old covenant with the new and points out how much better things are under Jesus Christ and the new covenant. This reality is very plain in Hebrews 8.

Here, for the first time, the tabernacle constructed under Moses is brought into the discussion. Personally, when I read of the tabernacle, I frequently wish I could have been there. It would be amazing to see not only an artist’s representation or a computer-generated model, but the real thing. However, let us not forget that these things were merely a picture of heavenly realities:

“They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (Heb. 8:5a).

This is why everything was to be constructed specifically as outlined by God (Heb. 8:5b). For it was following an already existent pattern in the heavenly places. With this, we must remember that the testimony of Scripture is not that the Old Testament sacrificial system and the tabernacle were man-made ideas but products of divine revelation.

The tabernacle was not merely man’s best attempt at reaching God, but God’s appointed means for His people to approach Him in worship and in sacrifice. It was a divinely instituted means of atonement for sin.

Yet, this same covenant, established by God, was later rendered obsolete (Heb. 8:13) for God had a better plan. Now, it would no longer be the blood of bulls and goats but the blood of His Son. Now, it would no longer be applied to an earthly mercy seat, but a heavenly one. Now, it would no longer need to be repeated again and again, but it is once and done. The spotless Lamb of God shed His blood once and for all to inaugurate a better covenant with better promises.

No longer would the people of God have to go through an earthly priest to mediate sacrifice for them. No longer would there be a veil barring the holy of holies. The separation between Creator and creature due to our sin was bridged by the cross.

Now, the veil has been torn (Matt. 27:51). Now, we can come boldly before the throne of grace to find help (Heb. 4:15-16). Now, we can all know the Lord (Heb. 8:11b). Now, we have not only the written law, but the law written on our hearts (Heb. 8:10b; Jer. 31:33).

What was imperfect under the old has been perfected under the new. What was barred under the old has been opened under the new. What was temporary under the old is now eternal through the new.

This is the covenant that God has made with us today through the blood of His Son.

What a wonderful privilege it is to be part of the people of God by grace through faith! Let us never lose sight of the gift it is to be new covenant believers whose sins are atoned for and who are reconciled to our Maker eternally through His Son.

We are blessed and truth be told those ancient Israelites in the wilderness would long to have what we have today. They would long to know the name of Jesus. Even the high priest under the old priesthood, the one privileged to go into the earthly holy of holies, is secondary in privilege to the everyday born-again believer today.

Let us not lose sight of how blessed we are to know Him under this better covenant, today.