Mediator of a Better Covenant

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1. Observe

   According to verse 1, what is the "main point" the author is making in this section of the letter?

   • The new covenant is better than the old because it does not require animal sacrifices.
   • Christians have a high priest who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.
   • Jesus fulfilled every requirement of the Mosaic law on behalf of believers.
   • The earthly temple in Jerusalem has been replaced by a heavenly temple.

2. Observe

   According to verses 10-12, which four things does God promise in the new covenant?

   • A new temple, a new priesthood, a new sacrifice, and a new land
   • His laws written on hearts and minds, intimate knowledge of God by all, forgiveness of sins, and national restoration of Israel
   • His laws written on hearts and minds, God as their God and they as his people, all knowing him, and sins remembered no more
   • A new king, a new covenant ceremony, a spirit of prophecy, and peace with surrounding nations

3. Interpret

   What does it mean that the earthly tabernacle was a "copy and shadow of the heavenly things" (v. 5)?

   • The tabernacle was an inferior imitation that God reluctantly accepted until something better could be built.
   • The earthly sanctuary was a divinely authorized replica that pointed beyond itself to the true, heavenly reality it foreshadowed — just as a shadow indicates a real object without being the object itself. The heavenly sanctuary is the original; the earthly was a temporary, instructive reflection.
   • Moses designed the tabernacle by copying Egyptian temple architecture he had seen while growing up in Pharaoh's palace.
   • The tabernacle was symbolic only, with no real connection to anything in heaven.

4. Interpret

   Why does God's promise to "remember their sins and lawless deeds no more" (v. 12) constitute "better promises" than the old covenant?

   • Because the old covenant required animal blood while the new requires only sincere repentance.
   • Because the old covenant's sacrifices provided only ritual cleansing and a yearly reminder of sins, never fully erasing guilt. The new covenant's promise is God's own declaration to permanently set aside sin — not through repeated ritual, but through the final sacrifice of Christ, giving believers a clear conscience and unbroken relationship with God.
   • Because the new covenant came later in history and therefore incorporated more advanced religious thought.
   • Because the old covenant addressed only Israel's national sins while the new addresses individual sin.

5. Apply

   The new covenant promises that God will put his laws on hearts and minds rather than on stone tablets. In what specific area of your daily life do you notice God's law operating from within — shaping desire and motive — rather than feeling like an external rule you must follow?

   • Only in church settings where I am surrounded by other believers.
   • In moments of genuine love, generosity, or conviction of conscience — where I find myself wanting what God wants without being told, which is evidence the Spirit has written the law inside me.
   • Mainly in public situations where I want to maintain a good reputation.
   • I have not experienced this; the law always feels external and demanding to me.

6. Apply

   Because God promises "I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more" (v. 12), how should that change the way you handle guilt over past sin?

   • I should periodically rehearse my past sins to stay humble and dependent on grace.
   • The promise applies only to sins committed before I became a Christian, so I should still carry guilt for post-conversion failures.
   • Since God has permanently set aside the record of my sins in Christ, rehearsing old guilt is not humility — it is unbelief in the new covenant promise. I can confess, receive forgiveness, and move forward without carrying what God himself has chosen not to remember.
   • I should avoid thinking about sin at all so I do not give it power over me.

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