Hebrews 8: A Better Covenant
Application: The student will contrast the liberty of the new Covenant of grace with the bondage of the Old Covenant of the Law.
WE HAVE CLIMBED THE SPIRITUAL LADDER OF THE FIRST SEVEN CHAPTERS OF HEBREWS WHICH HAVE PROVEN TO WAVERING BELIEVERS THAT JESUS CHRIST, THE ONLY BEGOTTEN OF GOD, IS SUPERIOR TO AND IS A BETTER WAY THAN DIVINE BEINGS SUCH AS ANGELS AND HUMAN BEINGS THAT CAME BEFORE SUCH AS PROPHETS, AND THEN MOSES, JOSHUA, & AARON.
OUR FIRST CHAPTER COMMANDS US TO KNOW THAT FROM THE TIMES OF JESUS ONWARD, GOD WILL SPEAK ONLY THROUGH HIS SON.
IN OUR REMAINING CHAPTERS WE SEE THAT HIS GOSPEL IS SUPERIOR TO THE WHOLE RITUAL OF JUDAISM AND COMMANDS A BETTER COVENANT THAN THAT KNOWN BY ALL THE OT SAINTS.
THE TYPES AND SHADOWS THAT CAME BEFORE ARE NOW NO LONGER VALID AS THE SUBSTANCE AND PROMISED REALITY IS PRESENT IN THE WORLD.
THE FULL MAGNIFICIENCE OF THIS TEACHING IS SUMMARIZED FOR US IN CHAPTER 7, VERSE 25:
“Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
(NOTICE HE IS ABLE – NOT WAS ABLE)
THE EMPHASIS HERE IS ON THE FACT THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LIVING.
HE IS NOT DEAD.
HE IS NOT STILL ON A CROSS WITH HIS BODY ROTTING AWAY.
HE IS NOT LYING IN A GRAVE FOR HE HAS RISEN.
NOW HERE IN CHAPTER 8 WE ARE TAUGHT THAT HE MINISTERS IN A SUPERIOR SANCTUARY BY A MUCH BETTER COVENANT, BUILT UPON BETTER PROMISES THAT HAVE NOW COME TRUE.
VERSES 1-5 TEACH US THAT NOW THE TOTAL (CALLED THE SUM) OF ALL WHICH HAS BEEN SAID IN CHAPTERS 1-7 ARE SEEN.
OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST HAS COMPLETED HIS WORK AND HAS OFFERED HIMSELF ONCE AND NOW SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER IN HEAVEN.
NO HUMAN PRIEST BEFORE WHO SERVED THE OLD COVENANT EVER FINISHED EARTHLY WORK AND WAS ELEVATED TO THAT STATION.
CHRIST HAS FULFILLED THE LAW AND THE TYPES & SHADOWS ARE OVER.
OUR REDEMPTION HAS BEEN MADE NIGH IF WE TURN TO HIM IN THE NEW COVENANT AND TRUST HIM AS SAVIOR.
HE SAT DOWN BECAUSE HE HAD FINISHED OUR REDEMPTION.
VERSE 2 CLEARLY SAYS HE IS A MINISTER OF THE TRUE TABERNACLE WHICH HE CREATED AND IS NOT OF MAN.
WHILE THE BEAUTY AND RICHNESS OF BOTH THE TABERNACLE AND THE TEMPLE WERE ARRANGED BY GOD THROUGH MOSES & DAVID,
NOW A TRUE TABERNACLE HAS ARRIVED IN CHRIST.
WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT VERSES 3-4 TEACH THAT THERE ARE STILL PRIESTS OFFERING GIFTS ACCORDING TO THE LAW, MEANING THAT THE TEMPLE STILL SEEMS TO BE EXISTING AT THIS WRITING.
BUT THEY SERVE THE SHADOW OF HEAVENLY THINGS ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN SHOWN TO MOSES ON THE MOUNTAIN.
SO THE TABERNACLE GIVEN TO MOSES TO BUILD WAS FROM A PATTERN FROM HEAVEN, AND THE PATTERN IS NOW ITSELF GIVEN TO MAN IN THE ONLY BEGOTTEN OF GOD, JESUS CHRIST.
THE VEIL WHICH PROTECTED THE HOLY OF HOLIES FROM ALL BUT ONE MAN DENIED ACCESS TO ALL OTHERS.
WHEN JESUS DIED, THAT VEIL SPLIT FROM TOP TO BOTTOM FREEING ACCESS FOR ALL WHO BELIEVE TO COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE WITHOUT A HUMAN PRIEST NEEDED ANY LONGER.
CHAPTER 10, VERSE 20, WILL SHOW THAT THIS IS A NEW AND LIVING WAY TO GOD AND THAT IT HAS BEEN ARRANGED THROUGH THE VEIL OF HIS FLESH GIVEN FOR OUR SIN.
CHAPTER 11, VERSE 6 WILL SHOW THAT ALL THAT IS NECESSARY FOR A BELIEVER TO COME TO GOD IS FAITH THAT HE IS AND IS A REWARDER OF THOSE WHO SEEK HIM IN FAITH GIFTED BY GRACE.
CLEARLY WE ARE BEING TAUGHT THAT NOW A BETTER COVENANT HAS ARRIVED IN CHRIST AND ALL FROM THE CROSS ONWARD OPEN THAT COVENANT BEHOLDING HIM WITH THE EYE OF FAITH.
VERSES 6-8 TEACH US THAT THIS NEW COVENANT IS BETTER THAN THE OLD ONE FOR IT WAS BUILT UPON BETTER PROMISES AND THEREFORE IS A MORE EXCELLENT MINISTRY.
THE OLD COVENANT WAS BASED UPON THE LAW WHICH NO HUMAN COULD KEEP.
IT WAS DESIGNED TO REVEAL SIN AND IT ALLOWED A TEMPORARY WAY TO COVER SIN THROUGH ANIMAL SACRIFICE.
NO ONE WAS EVER SAVED BY KEEPING THE LAW, BECAUSE BOTH THE PEOPLE AND THE PRIESTS WERE CONTINUING IN SIN AND SACRIFICE WAS THE ONLY WAY GIVEN TO COVER THOSE SINS.
AS SIN MULTIPLED, SO DID MORE ANIMALS DIE TO SHED IMPERFECT BLOOD TO TEMPORARILY COVER IT.
THIS WAS THE SHADOW OF WHAT WAS TO COME WHICH WAS A BETTER SACRIFICE, A BETTER PRIEST, AND A BETTER TABERNACLE, ALL GIVEN TO ARRANGE A BETTER REDEMPTION.
VERSES 7-8 SHOW THAT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO NEED FOR A NEW COVENANT IF THE OLD ONE BROUGHT PERFECTION BUT IT DID NOT AND WAS NOT FAULTLESS, BEING ONLY A SHADOW.
THERE WAS A NEED FOR A BETTER COVENANT THAT WOULD OVERCOME THOSE FAULTS AND WOULD BE GIVEN BY GOD TO DO SO THROUGH HIS MAJESTIC MERCY.
THIS NEW COVENANT WOULD REPLACE THE OLD ONE MADE WITH THE HEBREW FATHERS FOR THEIR DELIVERANCE FROM BONDAGE.
THE HEBREWS BROKE THAT COVENANT ARRANGED BY GOD.
EVEN AFTER TABLETS OF STONE WRITTEN BY THE FINGER OF GOD WERE GIVEN TO MOSES, THE PEOPLE DISOBEYED THE LAW WRITTEN IN STONE.
SO GOD PROMISED THROUGH HIS PROPHET JEREMIAH IN CHAPTER 31 THAT HE WOULD CREATE A NEW COVENANT, NOT WRITTEN IN STONE BUT WRITTEN IN THE HEARTS OF BELIEVERS AND IT WOULD RESIDE IN THEIR INWARD PARTS, NOT IN EXTERNAL STONE TABLETS.
THIS PROMISE WAS GIVEN OVER 600 YEARS BEFORE JESUS ARRIVED.
NOT ONLY WILL THE NEW COVENANT BE INTERNAL TO EACH BELIEVER, ONCE THEY HAVE ACCEPTED IT, THEY WILL TEACH OTHERS.
IN THIS NEW COVENANT IN VERSES 8-12 GOD PROMISES A CLEAR BUT STARTLING STATEMENT.
HE WILL DELIVER MERCY TOWARD THE UNRIGHTEOUSNESS OF MANKIND AND WILL IN THIS NEW COVENANT REMEMBER NO MORE THEIR SINS & INIQUITIES.
HERE WILL BE FULL FORGIVENESS OF SIN, NOT COVERING IT FROM YEAR TO YEAR IN ANIMAL BLOOD.
THIS IS COMPLETE PARDON THROUGH GRACE GIFTED BY FAITH.
VERSE 13 TEACHES THAT THE OLD COVENANT IS DECAYED AND IS READY TO VANISH AWAY.
THE SPIRITUAL KEY TO THIS NEW COVENANT PROMISE IS THE GIFTING OF AN INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT INSIDE EACH BELIEVER FROM THE MOMENT OF FAITHFUL SALVATION.
HERE IS WHAT GOD SPOKE OF SIX CENTURIES BEFORE IT BECAME REALITY.
THE SYSTEM OF SACRIFICE UNDER THE LAW OF MOSES DID VANISH AWAY AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE BY THE ROMANS.
THERE ARE STRONG DIFFERENCES TO UNDERSTAND BETWEEN THESE TWO COVENANTS.
THEY WERE INSTITUTED AT DIFFERENT TIMES:
OLD = AROUND 1446 B.C.
NEW= AROUND 33 A.D.
THEY WERE INSTITUTED IN DIFFERENT PLACES:
OLD= MT. SINAI
NEW= MT. ZION
THEY WERE SPOKEN OF IN DIFFERENT WAYS:
OLD= THUNDERED FORTH IN FEAR & DREAD (EX 19)
NEW= SPOKEN KINDLY BY JESUS IN LOVE & GRACE
THEY HAVE DIFFERENT MEDIATORS:
OLD= MOSES
NEW= JESUS THE SON OF GOD
THEY ARE DIFFERENT IN SUBJECT MATTER:
OLD= DEMANDED CONTINUAL WORKS
NEW= FUFILLS WORKS COMPLETED BY JESUS
THEY ARE DIFFERENT IN DEDICATION:
OLD= BLOOD OF ANIMALS SPRINKLED ON PEOPLE (EX 24)
NEW= BLOOD OF JESUS SHED ONCE FOR ALL SIN
THEY ARE DIFFERENT IN PRIESTS:
OLD= HUMAN PRIESTS BEGINNING WITH AARON
NEW= A PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS & A GREAT HIGH PRIEST IN THE HIGHER ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK
THEY ARE DIFFERENT IN SACRIFICES:
OLD= ENDLESS REPITITION OF ANIMALS
NEW= ONCE AND FOREVER SACRIFICE OF THE SINLESS SON
THEY ARE DIFFERENT IN GOALS:
OLD= TO DISCOVER SIN AND CONDEMN IT
NEW= TO DECLARE THE LOVE OF GOD & HIS MERCY & TO REMEMBER SIN NO MORE THROUGH THE RIGHTEOUS WORK OF CHRIST.
THEY ARE DIFFERENT IN PURPOSE:
OLD= MADE NOTHING PERFECT, SIN MADE ALL THINGS IMPERFECT
NEW= CAN & WILL BRING IN THE PERFECTION OF ALL WHO ACCEPT THE MESSIAH SENT & BELIEVE.
THEY ARE DIFFERENT IN DURATION:
OLD= DESIGNED TO PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE NEW COVENANT, POINTING FORWARD TO IT.
NEW= DESIGNED TO LAST FOREVER AS JESUS WILL RULE FOREVER STARTING IN THE 1,000 YEAR KINGDOM
THE SUMMARY OF ALL THESE DIFFERENCES IS CLEAR IF WE STUDY AND ACCEPT IT AS GOD PROMISED.
FROM ADAM TO MOSES, THROUGH 2500 YEARS, AND FROM MOSES TO MALACHI, THROUGH 1100 YEARS, THE PROPHETS WERE SPEAKING FOR GOD TO MAN.
BUT AT THE END OF 3600 YEARS THEIR REVELATION OF GOD WAS ONLY PARTIAL.
THEN AFTER A SILENCE OF 400 MORE YEARS, WHEN THE FULNESS OF TIME WAS COME, GOD SENT FORTH HIS SON, AND IN THAT SON THE REVELATION OF GOD TO MAN IS COMPLETED AND IS PERFECT.
AS WE SAW IN CHAPER ONE, GOD CONSIDERED IT SO BECAUSE HE SAID HE WOULD END THE SPEAKING OF PROPHETS, NOW AND FOREVER SPEAKING ONLY THROUGH HIS SON, WHO WILL UPHOLD ALL THINGS THROUGH THE WORD OF THIS POWER AND WHO IS FOREVER THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF GOD TO MAN.