What does Hebrews 10:16 mean?
This verse is quoted from Jeremiah 31:33. The same verse was mentioned earlier in the book of Hebrews, to show that God had promised to replace the old covenant. God's intent was never to use the Levitical priesthood as mankind's ultimate solution for sin. Instead, the rituals and objects of the old covenant were meant to point mankind towards the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The writer is very careful to support these claims using God's own Word, from the Old Testament Scriptures. The prior verse explicitly reminds the reader that those are God's words—the Holy Spirit speaking to us—as a way of encouraging the reader to take such words seriously.Jeremiah 31:33 emphasizes a key aspect of the new covenant. While the old covenant was external and dependent on written laws, the new covenant is internal and "written" on the hearts and minds of God's people. The following verses will include an additional segment from Jeremiah to wrap up this discussion on God's ultimate plan for our salvation.