New Covenant

So let's talk about this New Covenant. I've never really looked at this New Covenant before. Something was briefly mentioned at Shabbat last week. It answered a question I'd been asked by a friend about us living in the New Covenant, and the Torah being written on our hearts. I was cofused about how to answer, not knowing much about the New Covenant, and having only just recently been introduced to the Torah, I wasn't really understanding her stance on the Torah being written on our hearts.

Here's my understanding on it it. I've got both the Hebrews 8 and Jeremiah 31 portions here in two different versions.

English: New American Standard Bible
English: Young's Literal Translation

Hebrews 8 [Commentary]
1.
Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
And the sum concerning the things spoken of [is]: we have such a chief priest, who did sit down at the right hand of the throne of the greatness in the heavens,
2.
a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.
of the holy places a servant, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord did set up, and not man,
3.
For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer.
for every chief priest to offer both gifts and sacrifices is appointed, whence [it is] necessary for this one to have also something that he may offer;
4.
Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law;
for if, indeed, he were upon earth, he would not be a priest -- (there being the priests who are offering according to the law, the gifts,
5.
who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, "SEE," He says, "THAT YOU MAKE all things ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN."
who unto an example and shadow do serve of the heavenly things, as Moses hath been divinely warned, being about to construct the tabernacle, for `See (saith He) thou mayest make all things according to the pattern that was shewn to thee in the mount;`) --
6.
But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.
and now he hath obtained a more excellent service, how much also of a better covenant is he mediator, which on better promises hath been sanctioned,
7.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.
for if that first were faultless, a place would not have been sought for a second.
8.
For finding fault with them, He says, "BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH;
For finding fault, He saith to them, `Lo, days come, saith the Lord, and I will complete with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, a new covenant,
9.
NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD.
not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day of My taking [them] by their hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt -- because they did not remain in My covenant, and I did not regard them, saith the Lord, --
10.
"FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
because this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord, giving My laws into their mind, and upon their hearts I will write them, and I will be to them for a God, and they shall be to Me for a people;
11.
"AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, `KNOW THE LORD,' FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM.
and they shall not teach each his neighbour, and each his brother, saying, Know thou the Lord, because they shall all know Me from the small one of them unto the great one of them,
12.
"FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE."
because I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawlessnesses I will remember no more;` --
13.
When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.
in the saying `new,` He hath made the first old, and what doth become obsolete and is old [is] nigh disappearing


I see that the OLD Covenant is ready to disappear, but I don't see that it HAS already disappeared.

"BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, - both say the days are coming, the one in Hebrews doesn't say the DAYS ARE HERE, so it seems it's still prophetic, but let's keep looking.

I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH;
or
I will complete with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, a new covenant,

Well from this it would say to me that a New Covenant is with the House of Judah (Tribes of Judah and Benjamin) and the House of Israel (tribes of Reuben, Zebulun, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Ephraim, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi). But according to the way things are right now, we only know who the House of Judah is, and the House of Israel is still "missing", "Lost", geneologies not available, so how can that covenant be revealed to people who don't even know they are part of it?

"FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
because this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord, giving My laws into their mind, and upon their hearts I will write them, and I will be to them for a God, and they shall be to Me for a people;

It says after those days. After what days? Well, we need to back up to the verse I skipped NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD. It would seem to me that the Israelites still do not follow the covenant, because they don't know the Messiah, they haven't completely walked with YHVH so that they would accept Him in the Flesh. If you look at the Romans 11 verses, where it talks about the branch being cast off, it will be returned to the Tree, but this hasn't happened yet.

So, back to "after those days"... "I will put my Laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people." If we look at this, one would have to believe that we already are part of either the House of Israel or the House of Judah to be part of this new covenant and have the law written on our minds. If you don't believe that you are part of the House of Israel, this covenant is not for you. I do believe that I am part of the House of Israel, but I don't have the Torah written on my mind, I have to search the scriptures to know what it says, and I have to search really hard to figure out what it MEANS.. I still don't know all that it means, but later on in this verse it says
"AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, `KNOW THE LORD,' FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM.
But I do still neeed to be taught, because I don't have complete understanding of God's Word, even if it's just the Pentetuch or if it's all the 66 books, I don't have complete understanding. We do also have to tell one another about The Lord, for there are many who don't know him, there are many from the House of Judah who still don't know him, and many from the least to the greatest, there are MANY who still don't know the Lord. We also can't look around and say that everyone standing next to me is a brother, for there is not complete peace in the world. So, for me, my understanding of this New Covenant is that it is still a future Covenant, not a current covenant. The New Covenant will come when Yeshua returns.

Lord, if only the Torah was written on my mind, I'd know for sure if my understanding was correct.