The Holiest of All By Andrew Murray

268 abe ibolfest of Bll
other, and which are each necessary to
the right understanding
of the other. The sanctuary
is God s dwelling ;
the Minister of
the sanctuary has specially to do with bringing us nigh to God,
and the blessedness we find there. The covenant deals with our
relation and duty towards God ;
the Mediator of the covenant
has specially to do with our preparation for entering the
sanctuary, and being made fit to meet God.
In chap.
vii. we heard that Jesus is the surety of a better
covenant. We said there that a covenant is meant to define the
mutual relation of the two contracting parties, and to secure the
fulfilment of their engagements to each other. In the passage
from Jeremiah quoted in our chapter we are told that the
covenant God made with Israel, when He brought them up out
of Egypt, was not faultless, and that therefore a second was
needed. The fault or insufficiency of the first its weakness
and unprofitableness (vii. 1 8) would be avoided in the new. A
different provision would be made. The fault of the old
covenant is stated to be (ver. 9)
:
They continued not in My
covenant, and I regarded them not. Israel began well, and
accepted the covenant, and promised obedience. But they
continued not. There was no power to continue ; no power to
conquer temptation, or the evil heart ;
to remain faithful. Against
this the new covenant would provide, because it was better,
enacted in better promises. It would, by the blood of Christ,
provide such an actual putting away and cleansing of sin that
God would actually remember them no more for ever. With
this He would, by His Holy Spirit, so put His laws into
their heart that they should delight in doing them. God would
Himself work both to will and to do. And then, in this power
of Christ s blood and the renewal of the Holy Spirit, they would
no longer be dependent on men for their knowledge of God, but