Having dealt with the need for a new priesthood, the writer now turns to the need for a new covenant. Equally importantly it shows that God always intended there to be a new covenant. The recurring message of Hebrews is that the Old Covenant was always intended as an overture to the main event. It contained the themes of the real thing, but was never intended to be the finished article.
To demonstrate this the writer quotes from Jeremiah 31:31-34. In this God declares that He will make a new covenant, and why there was a need for a new covenant. The problem with the Old Covenant was the sin of the people. Sin had to be dealt with because the result of sin was that God turned away from the people. A common misconception is that the gospel says that sin does not matter, nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus had to go the cross because it was the only way to deal with the problem of sin.
The two key features of the new covenant would be (i) God would put His laws on our hearts and minds; and (ii) He would forgive our sins. This is what the gospel is about, and it is crucial that it is about both. It is not just about being forgiven, and it is not just about becoming a better person. It is about both of these, and we become better because of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
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