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Years ago, there was a particular mail order catalog which was found in virtually every American household; it displayed items for sale in a very predictable order. This “ranking” also corresponded with the escalating cost of each of item within that grouping. For instance, tires were listed as Good, Better, and Best. The same was true for ladies’ clothing, shoes, and each commodity where there were choices to be made. Today’s message will also look at a “ranking” of items from a biblical perspective; the items being raked are covenants and promises.

“But now He [Jesus Christ] has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant [the one made at Sinai with Israel] had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.” (Hebrews 8.6-7). It does not take much discernment to see that the “first covenant” was NOT without fault; had it been without fault there would have been no need for the second covenant.

The mere fact that a second covenant exists is conclusive evidence that the first one was in some way deficient. A second observation can also be made regarding the promises offered under the two covenants.. It is obvious that the two covenants did not offer the same promises; there were two distinct sets of promises and they corresponded to the two distinct covenants. From a standpoint of reason, everyone knows that the “good” is not the “better” nor is the “better” the “good”! There are two covenants under consideration; there are two sets of promises under consideration.

The point of the Hebrews writer in today’s focus text is simply this: The Second covenant is superior to the first in at least two points. First, the second covenant is superior to the first in as much as the first covenant was flawed in some way. Next, the second covenant is superior in as much as the promises that correspond to it are better than the promises that are attendant with the first covenant. Our purpose today will be to briefly address the point of the “better covenant” and the “better promises.”

The Second Covenant (i.e. the Covenant of Christ administered under the Gospel system) is better than the previous covenant because of the deficiencies contained in it. Though the covenant originated from God, He was limited by the frailty of the other parties to the covenant! God was perfect and His work is perfect, but the material with which He had to work was faulty. Similar to a carpenter who is a true artist, he is always limited by the character of the wood with which He has to work. Try as He might, the finished product can be only as good as the material from which it is made. The same is true with God in covenant making. While His “half” of the bargain may be perfect, as soon as man is injected into the equation, there are limitations to the covenant. Such was the case with the covenant at Sinai; the flaw was not on God’s part; it was purely a matter of Israel not being of perfect character.

Finally, the promises of the second covenant were superior. The first was made with Israel only, while the second (the Gospel) is intended for all of humanity (see Matthew 28.18-20). The first covenant promised the coming Messiah while the second one was established upon the fact that Messiah had already come. The first could not result in eternal forgiveness; the latter was fully able then and now to produce eternal and absolute forgiveness.

These points could be developed further but time and space forbid such. As a challenge to you, the reader, you are encouraged to think of other points wherein the New Covenant of Jesus is better than the covenant that was delivered at Sinai.

Questions:

1. What is a covenant? Can there be only one party to a covenant? Why or why not?

2. What was the “cost” of the second covenant? What about the first?

3. Why are promises under the Gospel system superior to those under the covenant at Sinai with Israel?

4. Is the blood of Jesus more valuable than the blood of animals? What has that, if any thing, to do with the relative “value” of the Gospel as compared to the covenant at Sinai?

"'Winging It" from Stan Smith

Washed by the Water of the Word