The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Hebrews 8:7-9,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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"For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said: 'The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.'"
As I read what the writer of Hebrews says about the first covenant, that there was something "wrong" with it, I take it to mean that it was not effective. It didn't provide a means for resolving the problem of the wickedness and sin in the hearts of mankind. Our estrangement from God would never be resolved through the law, the first covenant. A covenant or agreement requires at least two parties and terms. Nothing wrong with the first party, God, and nothing wrong with the terms: they had been established by God and represented his character and nature. The ineffectiveness of the first covenant lay in the performance of the second party, mankind. "God found fault with the people…" When presented with an agreement that if we would but live our lives consistent with God's character to participate in his family, we fail. We have given ourselves over to another nature that prevents us from living up to God's character and nature: we all possess a sin nature, a proclivity to act in ungodly ways at times.
Our God is a God of perfections. Whatever it is that God sets his heart to do he does perfectly. He established the law, the first covenant to show us the big difference. God is one way; we have drifted off in another, into sin and rebellion. The first covenant was established by God to show us this difference and make it clear to us we have a great need: one that only could be resolved by God. He then establishes the second or new covenant. With this one he says he will change us from within. He will change our minds and hearts. He says, "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." Hebrews 8:10.
Here is what I appreciate about our God so much this morning. He is a God of perfections. He is a God who does things that take the concept of effectiveness beyond any measure. He is able to save us completely, make us members of his family beyond any issue, question or doubt. He saves perfectly! Pretty wonderful in my mind!
As I read what the writer of Hebrews says about the first covenant, that there was something "wrong" with it, I take it to mean that it was not effective. It didn't provide a means for resolving the problem of the wickedness and sin in the hearts of mankind. Our estrangement from God would never be resolved through the law, the first covenant. A covenant or agreement requires at least two parties and terms. Nothing wrong with the first party, God, and nothing wrong with the terms: they had been established by God and represented his character and nature. The ineffectiveness of the first covenant lay in the performance of the second party, mankind. "God found fault with the people…" When presented with an agreement that if we would but live our lives consistent with God's character to participate in his family, we fail. We have given ourselves over to another nature that prevents us from living up to God's character and nature: we all possess a sin nature, a proclivity to act in ungodly ways at times.
Our God is a God of perfections. Whatever it is that God sets his heart to do he does perfectly. He established the law, the first covenant to show us the big difference. God is one way; we have drifted off in another, into sin and rebellion. The first covenant was established by God to show us this difference and make it clear to us we have a great need: one that only could be resolved by God. He then establishes the second or new covenant. With this one he says he will change us from within. He will change our minds and hearts. He says, "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." Hebrews 8:10.
Here is what I appreciate about our God so much this morning. He is a God of perfections. He is a God who does things that take the concept of effectiveness beyond any measure. He is able to save us completely, make us members of his family beyond any issue, question or doubt. He saves perfectly! Pretty wonderful in my mind!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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