But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. (Heb 8:6-9).
New Heart, For All Shall Know Me
The old covenant was faulty and unprofitable according to the pas- sage above. This is because it relied mostly on obedience of external laws given to men with wicked unregenerated hearts incapable of performing what the Law demanded of them. In fact one of the goal of the Law of that covenant is to frustrate those that attempt to please God by following its rules. Here is where the New Covenant shines supreme.
The New Covenant and its demands are totally met by the power of the Inner Man, the New Creation Man. The purpose of a covenant is to define the relationship between two parties. Therefore, the New Covenant and the new heart in the New Creation race of humanity bring them into a new relationship with God.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
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” (Heb 8:10-13).
And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. (Ez 11:19).
We are the “New Creation” people of the Most High. We are His chosen ones, a peculiar people, a people to show forth His praise in the earth. God is doing a new thing. The former things are to be remembered no more. He will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Behold, I Will Do A New Thing
“Behold, Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise” (Isa 43:18-21).
But today, the Spirit is saying that God is not stopping at just making the spirit man a new creature, but that He is making all things new. He will not stop with the new Holy of Holies, but He will make a new Holy Place, and a new Outer Court. He is determined to dwell in a new Tabernacle placed in a completely new City, descending from Heaven. His eternal purpose is to place this Tabernacle on Mount Zion in New Jerusalem, and there tabernacle with His New Creation people.
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.(Rev 21:2-5).
And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy” (I Chron. 15:16). When the joyful procession arrived at Mount Zion, David set up the Ark in the Tabernacle he had built. “So they brought the Ark of God, and set it in the midst of the Tent that David had pitched for it” (I Chron. 16:1).
David brought back the Ark of the Covenant, and thus restored the Presence and Glory of God to Israel. He built a Tabernacle on Mount Zion and put the Ark in it. From here the light of God’s glory, shone out to all who came. The presence of God that used to be seen in the Shekinah Glory above the Ark of the Covenant in Moses’ Tabernacle was restored. His presence and glory dwelt upon Mount Zion and transformed all who worshipped at David’s Tabernacle. However, this was totally different from the Tabernacle which Moses had built.
This was a new day. A new thing. And a new order! In the Tabernacle of Moses, there was an Outer Court, a holy place, and a holy of holies. However, there was no Outer Court and no Holy Place in the Tabernacle of David. David transferred only the Holy of Holies to the Tabernacle on Mount Zion. The Outer Court of Moses Tabernacle was pitched at Gibeon and retained the brazen altar of sacrifice (I Chron. 21:28-29).
”And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the Taber- nacle of the Lord in the high place that was at Gibeon, to offer burnt offerings unto the Lord upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening” (I Chron. 16:39-40).
In the New Tabernacle on Mount Zion, a more prophetic ministration of psalms, and hymns and music, were going on around the Ark in the center of the Tabernacle. The Ark came to Zion with great rejoicing, praise and worship. David the king himself entered into a new ministry, wearing the priestly ephod. God is showing us the picture of the real King-Priest who is to come; a Priest after the order of Melchisedek. God’s glory had been restored in the midst of His people.
However, the Outer Court ministry, devoid of the Shekinah Glory was still going on at Gibeon. Many were still carrying on under the old ritualistic order as they please. But the Presence of God was not there on the hill at Gibeon. God did not dwell there anymore. His Tabernacle had moved to Zion. For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy(Psa 132:13-16)
“Ye Are Come unto Mt Zion”
Mount Zion was the highest peak in Jerusalem, and there King David dwelt and reigned. A priesthood was ordained for the Tabernacle of David on Mount Zion. Kings and Priests were united there in the glory and power of God. Under the New Covenant, we do not worship on the mount that can be touched, not on Sinai, or Gibeon with rituals and animal sacrifices; But we worship in spirit and truth on the heavenly Mount Zion in heavenly Jerusalem. There we are kings and priests who offer spiritual sacrifices under our heavenly High Priest Who Himself is the King of kings and Lord of lords.
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel (Heb 12:23-25).
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Jer 31:32Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more
Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:(Jer 31:31-35).