“For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second” (Hebrews 8:7).
What happens when “the old way of doing things” is no longer good enough? For those who were used to the ritualistic observances of the Old Covenant, the idea that Jesus’ atoning work had opened the way into God’s presence may have seemed much too radical. But what if a portion of the Old Covenant foretold of such a change? What if a significant Biblical prophet served as the vehicle for that announcement? What if the Old Covenant spoke of an inherent structural weakness that mandated its own demise?
You see, the author of Hebrews opened this portion of Scripture by directing his readers to the main point of his argument. Now he will will close it with a bit of undeniable logic: “If there had been nothing wrong with the first covenant, there would have been no need for a second one” (GNB). As it turns out, our author wasn’t the first to make that argument…
“Because finding fault with them, He says: ‘Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—'” (Hebrews 8:8).
Hebrews 8:8 through 8:12 form a extended quote from the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah. That quote is found in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and dates to approximately six hundred years before Christ. Therefore, we can say that this reference to a New Covenant (one that was inaugurated by Jesus’ death on the cross) was foretold long before His earthly ministry.
Our author first identified the source of the issue: “…God found fault with the people” (NLT). In other words, the blame did not lie with the Old Testament Law, for as we’re told in the New Testament book of 1 Timothy, “…the law is good if one uses it lawfully” (1 Timothy 1:8). The problem was not with the Old Covenant, but with those who were living under it.
Although the Old Testament Law was admittedly weak and unprofitable in helping the people adhere to its terms, we cannot blame the Old Covenant for the people’s failure to live up to it. To do so would be like blaming the sunlight for illuminating dust particles in the air. Instead, the fault was with those who neglected to observe its commandments. Ironically, that was part of God’s intent for the Old Covenant, for as we read in the book of Galatians, “…the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24).