Hebrews 8:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

NIV: By calling this covenant 'new,' he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.

NASB: When He said, 'A new covenant,' He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is about to disappear.

CSB: By saying a new covenant, he has declared that the first is obsolete. And what is obsolete and growing old is about to pass away.

NLT: When God speaks of a 'new' covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.

KJV: In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

NKJV: In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Verses 8 through 12 contained a quotation from Jeremiah 31:31–34. This was offered as proof that God's intent was never to use the old covenant—the Levitical priesthood—to obtain the ultimate salvation of mankind. Rather, those rituals and laws were meant to point towards the eventual Messiah (Hebrews 8:5). Even the tabernacle was intended as an earthly symbol, or a "pattern," of the real altar in heaven (Hebrews 8:1–2).

This verse returns to the point being made by the writer of Hebrews: God is the one replacing the old covenant with the new covenant, since the old system was flawed and imperfect (Hebrews 7:11). This new covenant is superior because it is not based on physical, earthly things (Hebrews 5:9; 9:12). As pointed out earlier by the writer of Hebrews, this prediction of a replacement for the Levitical priesthood is not rare or unique in the Jewish Scriptures (Psalm 110:4; Ezekiel 36:26–27).

At the same time, this comment is prophetic. Earlier in this chapter, the sacrifices of the priests were described using a present-tense verb. In other words, at the time the book of Hebrews was written, the temple was still being used for ritual sacrifice. This verse, however, indicates that the now-obsolete old covenant is "ready to vanish away." Not long after these words were written, the Jewish temple was obliterated by the Romans. As predicted here and elsewhere (Hosea 3:4; Luke 21:6), this ended Israel's ability to offer official sacrifices, a state which has persisted even until now.

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.