Hebrews 8:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more."

NIV: For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

NASB: FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TOWARD THEIR WRONGDOINGS, AND THEIR SINS I WILL NO LONGER REMEMBER.'

CSB: For I will forgive their wrongdoing, and I will never again remember their sins.

NLT: And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.'

KJV: For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

NKJV: For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

This verse completes a quotation from Jeremiah 31:31–34. This is cited by the writer of Hebrews to prove that God always intended to replace the flawed "old covenant" of the Levitical priesthood with a perfect "new covenant" centered on Jesus Christ. The flaws of the old covenant were all rooted in their dependence on human beings. Part of this dependence was the need for constant sacrifice. Priests themselves were sinful (Hebrews 7:27), and died (Hebrews 7:23), and so their sacrifices could only temporarily serve to atone for sin. Jesus, on the other hand, is described as one who offers a perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 9:11–12), eternally interceding for us in heaven (Hebrews 7:24–25).

In that context, this statement about God being merciful and forgiving sins is meant to be distinguished from the work of the old covenant. Earlier statements from God, through Jeremiah, made it clear that the promised covenant was something different from what was given to Israel after leaving Egypt. God's approach to mercy and sin, here, is tied directly to this new covenant, in contrast to the old. In other words, only the new covenant can truly save us from our sins; the old covenant was never meant to.

In poetic terms, a person "forgets" or "remembers no more" when they choose to act as if something has not happened. It does not imply literal amnesia. God is not erasing our sin from His consciousness or His awareness. However, for those who accept Christ, God is able to "forget" their sins.

Hebrews 8:7–13 uses a quotation from Jeremiah to support an important claim. According to the author of Hebrews, God has always intended to replace the old covenant of the Levitical priests with a new covenant, centered on the work of Jesus Christ. Jeremiah's description of a covenant, explicitly different from what Israel was given during the Exodus, describes the personal, internal nature of the Holy Spirit in a saved believer. Jeremiah's words also place great emphasis on ''I will'' statements coming from God.

Hebrews chapter 8 indicates that the temples, rituals, and objects of the old covenant were always meant to be symbolic. They were real, and valuable, but their ultimate worth was in their symbolism. Those were always intended by God to point towards a better covenant. Rather than something repetitive, earthly, and limited, God planned to offer something completed, personal, and eternal through Jesus Christ. As further proof of this, the writer of Hebrews offers yet another quotation from the Jewish Scriptures, this time from the prophet Jeremiah.

Hebrews chapter 8 builds on the points made in chapter 7. Jesus' service as High Priest is superior, since He is given a better position and serves in a better location than the priests of the Old Covenant. This chapter sets up the idea of earthly things being shadows of heavenly things, especially when it comes to the temple and sacrifices. This leads into the focus of chapter 9, which is the superiority of Christ's sacrifice compared to those of the Levitical system.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.