For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” Hebrews 8: 7, 8.

There are a couple of things to point out about the above verses. First, both the Old and the New Covenants are agreements and promises concerning the Ten Commandments. But the Commandments are not the covenants themselves.

This is evident by verses 6, 7, and 13. They indicate that the Old Covenant had poor promises, was faulty, and had vanished into obsolescence. None of that applies to the Commandments because they are good, holy, and eternal.

The Old Covenant was an agreement ratified by blood (that of dead oxen). It was an agreement between God and Israel, based on promises of the people that they would keep the Commandments written on stone. Those promises failed due to efforts to keep them by human strength alone.

Because of human failure, a New Covenant was made. This time, the agreement was based on God’s promises. He would help the people keep the Commandments. He would do this by writing the Commandments into the DNA of the people. Another promise is that the people would be uniquely His. This being the case, He would gladly extend mercy and forgiveness to them concerning their sins (Hebrews 8: 10-12).

The new Covenant also is ratified by blood—the blood of Jesus. It took effect when Jesus died on the cross. For Hebrews 9: 17 states that a testament (covenant) is only in force when the testator dies. Believers in Jesus are His beneficiaries, receiving eternal life.

The second and last thing I want to point out is something I’ve mentioned in another writing. Take note that the New Covenant is only made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Gentiles are not included. That means all believers are Jews—that is, spiritual Jews. I speak of how this is so in my article The Chosen People of God are in Jesus. Click here to read it.