Beyond the Veil: A New Covenant Written on Hearts

What would change in your life if you truly believed the barrier between you and God was gone? 

Hebrews 8 invites us into this transformative reality. Through vivid storytelling and meditative scripture reading, we journey alongside an ancient scribe whose quill records words that would forever change humanity's relationship with God. This isn't merely theological doctrine—it's revolutionary good news that reshapes how we approach the divine.

The chapter unfolds with a powerful declaration: we have a high priest seated at God's right hand. Jesus serves not in earthly sacred spaces, but in the true heavenly sanctuary as the mediator of a better covenant. The old system—with its priests, sacrifices, and tabernacle—was only a shadow pointing to something greater. That greater reality has arrived through Christ.

God's words echo through time: "I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts... I will be their God and they shall be my people." The divine is no longer distant, locked behind veils and accessible only through intermediaries. Through Jesus, God draws near, writing his covenant directly on human hearts. Perhaps most beautiful is his promise of complete forgiveness: "I will remember their sins no more."

Are you living as though the veil still separates you from God? Do you carry the weight of performing, proving, wondering if you've done enough? This meditation invites you to release what disqualifies you, lean into what secures you, and rest in the living reality that you have a high priest who intercedes for you forever. He's not going anywhere.

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Music Credit: "Gratitude" by AFTR

Thank you for joining us in this episode of In the Field Audio Bible, where we explore the richness of God’s Word, one chapter at a time. We hope today’s reading brought insight, comfort, or inspiration to your journey of faith.

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Episode Transcript

In the Field Audio Bible (05:03):
In today's episode, we return to
the quiet room where the scribewaits His scroll gently
unrolling beneath his hands.
The evening air is soft tonight, though.
A cool breeze still stirs theedges of the parchment.
The faint scent of olive oiland worn leather lingers in the

(05:25):
space, mingling with thecomforting crackle of the
candle's flame Outside.
The sounds of the village beginto fade.
A potter closes his shop, amother gathers her children, a
few travelers settle beneath thestars.
Life continues, simple yetsacred.

(05:49):
The scribe, robed in linentouched by time, runs his
fingers across the surface ofthe scroll.
His expression is thoughtful,almost tender, as if the weight
of what he is about to write hassettled deep within his bones.

(06:10):
He is not merely recordingwords, he is building a bridge
between what was and what now is.
He leans over the quill, steadyin his grip.
He exhales slowly, as thoughreleasing the last tether to

(06:35):
what once was.
And then, with a quietdetermination, he writes we have
a high priest seated at theright hand of the throne of
majesty.
His words hang in the air, warmand alive, ping in the air,

(06:58):
warm and alive.
The scribe knows this chapter isnot just for scholars or
priests.
It's for the shepherd whowonders if his offering is
enough, for the widow whoquestions if anyone hears her
prayers, for the young man wholingers, still Wondering if he
too can draw near.

(07:19):
He pauses the flickering lightdancing across his thoughtful
face.
The old covenant, with itstents and rituals, its layers of
sacrifice and separation, wasbut a shadow, a whisper of

(07:41):
something greater.
The scribe's voice, low andreverent, almost trembles as he
speaks into the silence.
There is now a better covenant,one written not on stone but on
hearts, a promise not bound toaltars of wood, but to the

(08:03):
living Christ himself.
The scribe's eyes drift to thewindow, to the streets beyond.
He sees the ones who strive,the ones who ache to belong, the
ones who will still carry theweight of trying to be good
enough.
His heart burns to tell themthey no longer need to chase

(08:29):
after perfection through endlessrituals.
The true sanctuary is not aplace they must journey to.
It is a person who has come tothem.
This chapter, Hebrews 8, gentlybut firmly, pulls the reader and

(08:50):
the listener away from old waysof thinking, away from the
notion that God is distant,locked behind veils, accessible
only through priests andsacrifices.
It points to a new covenant, abetter one, a covenant where God
says I will be their God andthey will be my people.

(09:13):
I will write my laws on theirhearts.
I will remember their sins nomore.
The scribe writes slowly, now,carefully, as though he knows
these are words that someone,perhaps you, need to hear
tonight.

(09:33):
Do you live as though the veilis still there?
Do you walk as though thedistance between you and God
still remains?
Do you carry guilt?
He has already chosen to forget.
The scribe writes for theshepherd, for the widow, for the

(09:54):
wandering young man by the gate, and maybe for you.
This is Hebrews 8, a chapter ofbetter promises, a chapter that
whispers come closer, thedistance has been removed, a
chapter that invites you to stopstriving and to start living in

(10:17):
the fullness of the newcovenant, a covenant sealed by
the one who lives forever, whowelcomes you.
Still, the ink is fresh, theword is alive and the one it
speaks of is waiting.
Pull up a seat.

(10:37):
The scribe is ready to begin.
Now let's take a moment toquiet our hearts and listen to
the word itself.
Let these words sink deep intoyour spirit, bringing comfort,
conviction and encouragement,whether you're sitting in a

(10:59):
quiet place or out in the world.
Allow scripture to meet youright where you are.
I hope you have your favoritecup of tea or coffee.
Sit back, relax and let's stepinto the sacred text of the
epistle to the Hebrews 8.
The Epistle to the Hebrews 8.

(11:40):
Now, the main point in what weare saying is this we have such
a high priest, one who is seatedat the right hand of the throne
of the majesty in the heavens,a minister in the sanctuary and
the true tent that the Lord, andnot any mortal mortal has set
up, For every high priest isappointed to offer gifts and

(12:04):
sacrifices.
Hence it is necessary for thispriest also to have something to
offer.
Now, if he were on earth, hewould not be a priest at all,
since there are priests whooffer gifts.
According to the law, theyoffer worship in a sanctuary
that is a sketch and shadow ofthe Heavenly One.

(12:27):
For Moses, when he was about toerect the tent, was warned See
that you make everythingaccording to the pattern that
was shown you on the mountain.
But Jesus has now obtained amore excellent ministry and to
that degree, he is the mediatorof a better covenant, which has

(12:49):
been enacted through betterpromises, for if that first
covenant had been faultless,there would have been no need to
look for a second one.
God finds fault with them whenhe says the days are surely
coming, says the Lord, when Iwill establish a new covenant

(13:10):
with the house of Israel andwith the house of Judah, not
like the covenant that I madewith their ancestors on the day
when I took them by the hand tolead them out of the land of
Egypt, for they did not continuein my covenant and so I had no
concern for them, says the Lord.

(13:32):
This is the covenant that Iwill make in the house of Israel
.
After those days, says the Lord, I will put my laws in their
minds and write them on theirhearts and I will be their God
and they shall be my people.
And they shall not teach oneanother or say to each other

(13:53):
Know the Lord, for they shallall know me, from the least of
them to the greatest, for I willbe merciful toward their
inequities and I will remembertheir sins no more.
In speaking of a new covenant,he has made the first one
obsolete, and what is obsoleteand growing old will soon

(14:16):
disappear.
So, as we close today, I wantto leave you with a quiet moment

(14:37):
, not a task, not a burden, butan invitation to sit, to listen,
to wonder, to sit, to listen,to wonder.
The scribe and I have walkedthese ancient streets together,
dust rising with each step, thedistant chatter of merchants

(15:01):
fading behind us.
The air is cool now, as the sundips low, casting long amber
shadows across stone walls.
He walks slowly, as if eachstep carries the weight of what
he's just written, and I walkwith him, close enough to hear

(15:23):
the soft creak of leathersandals and the steady rhythm of
his breathing creak of leathersandals and the steady rhythm of
his breathing.
When we reach a quiet courtyardhe sits.
The stone bench beneath us iscold, but the scribe doesn't
seem to notice.
His eyes, lined with years andsoftened by wisdom, lift to meet

(15:48):
mine.
The last day of light flickersin his gaze.
He gently unrolls the scroll,his fingers tracing the fresh
ink, and he speaks Not as ateacher but as a friend.
What if you truly believed?

(16:10):
He asks, that your closeness toGod was not earned by endless
effort, but secured by acovenant that cannot break.
His voice is steady, but hisquestion lingers in the air, as
if it's waiting to settlesomewhere deeper.

(16:32):
Hebrews 8 is not just a lesson.
It's a turning point.
The old ways, the priests, therituals, the sacred tents they
were only shadows of somethinggreater, a rehearsal of what was
to come.
Now the scribe tells me thereis no more distance, no more

(16:56):
curtain, no more waiting roomsbetween you and the presence of
God.
The high priest has come and hehas stayed.
His covenant is not written onstone tablets tucked away in an
ark.
It's written on living hearts,on your heart.
The scribe's words wash over melike the evening breeze and I

(17:19):
can almost feel the weightsliding off my shoulders, the
weight of performing, of proving, of wondering if I've done
enough.
But I haven't.
I never could, and neithercould you.
But Jesus could, and he did,not just once, but forever.

(17:41):
So I ask you, what would changein your life if you could
actually live like the barrierwas gone?
What would you stop carrying?
What would you stop chasing?
What would you finally rest in?
This new covenant says you cancome close, not because you've

(18:05):
earned it, but because he has.
When you feel the ache of guiltpulling you away, remember he
remembers your sins no more.
When you feel the urge to hidebehind rituals or routines,
remember he's written his law onyour heart.
When you question if you belong, remember the invitation was

(18:27):
already signed in his own blood.
You are not on the outsidepressing your face against a
temple gate.
You are welcomed, you are known, you are already his.
So this week, as you walk yourstreets, as you sit in your
quiet places, listen for theecho of Hebrews 8.

(18:51):
When you feel you need toperform, remember the work is
finished.
When you feel you need to prove, remember the covenant is
better.
When you feel you need to hide,remember your high priest is
forever.
Walk this truth, talk about it,let someone in, be the kind of

(19:17):
person who reminds others.
The door is open, the way isclear, the priest remains.
Let's become the kind of churchthat doesn't just know we have
access to God, but lives like wedo.
So this week, release whatdisqualifies you, lean into what

(19:39):
secures you and rest in thisliving, breathing reality.
You have a high priest wholives to intercede With you, for
you, forever, and he's notgoing anywhere.
He is faithful always.

(19:59):
Thank you for joining me as wejourneyed through the epistle to
the Hebrews 8.
I pray that you carry thesereflections with you Into your
day, into your week, and thatyou find strength in knowing God
is with you in every trial,every temptation and every step

(20:21):
of obedience.
If this time in God's word hasencouraged you, take a moment to
share it with someone who mightneed it.
And be sure to join me nexttime as we continue walking
through the scriptures, learning, growing, and staying faithful
in the field of life.
Until next time, may you findpeace in the quiet, trust in

(20:45):
God's call, and rest in hisunchanging love.
This is In the Field AudioBible, where we Listen to the
Bible One Chapter at a Time.