Hebrews Chapter Eight

(Continued from: "Chapter Seven: The Change of the Priesthood and Its Law")

We've been reading about the change in the priesthood for some time now. That's foundational since the Hebrews' relationship with God is defined by the priesthood and its law. In chapter 5, I referred to an incident where a Levite named Korah along with 250 of his friends were destroyed for trying to create a new priesthood –it's recorded in Numbers chapter 16. The crux of that story is that for a priesthood to be acceptable, God has to establish it. And there are only two: Aaron's (Levitical) and Melchizedek's (Jesus).

No Levitical high priest could ever complete –and be forever done with– his task of killing sacrificial animals. Their blood wasn't sufficient to pay the penalty for men's sins –and it couldn't deal with –once and for all– mankind's corrupt nature. No matter how carefully the Law was followed, it could not make anyone perfect.

The high priest's own sin prevented him from continuing in office. Sin was responsible for his death just as it was for everyone he ministered to. Furthermore, innocent animals didn't cause creation's fall so sacrificing their lives couldn't restore that lost intimacy with God.

A More Excellent Ministry

The high priest went into the Holy of Holies to sprinkle an animal's blood as the sin offering on the Mercy Seat which covered the Ark. However, when Jesus offered His own blood, He sat down at the right hand of His Father. He rested because His work of paying the price for sin was done. That's why He said "It is finished!"

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, a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.

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. (Hebrews 8:1-3)

In chapter 4, and again in chapter 7, we read about the purpose of the high priest. He was the mediator between God and man –he represented both sides– in regard to the Law. In order to fully represent God, he needed to have an intimate knowledge of Him. And to fully represent man, he had to be familiar with harshest difficulties of life –and be alive while the first man, and also the last man, were living. Being both the Son of God (who had no beginning nor end of days), and also the Son of Man, supremely qualified Jesus to fulfill the office of the new High Priest (John 1:1-5, 14).

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; 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."

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. (Hebrews 8:4-6)

The earthly tabernacle is the one that Moses was instructed to carefully build out of earthly materials. It was the place that God would come to fellowship with man. But the true one –the tabernacle that God pitched is the body in which Christ Jesus lived while here on earth –and it's where He lives now in heaven.

What was the pattern was that Moses saw while he was on the mountain? Did he see a sketch, a blueprint, or possibly the real thing? We don't know. However, you might want to read what John wrote in Revelation 21:10 through 22:8. We have been taught that this passage is about heaven –but it's not. It's the New Jerusalem that exists now in heaven. –It's the "bride adorned for her husband" (Revelation 21:2). –It's the "bride, the wife, of the Lamb" (Revelation 21:9). –It's the new "tabernacle of God" where God and man are rejoined forevermore in perfect union (Revelation 21:3). And it will be established on the new earth once "the first earth passed away" (Revelation 21:1). The New Jerusalem is the body of Christ where He is the center and is surrounded by all of those who have entrusted themselves to Him.

Priesthoods cannot be uncoupled from their promises and laws. That's the case for the Levitical Priesthood. The people had to live up to their promise of keeping the Law in order for God to keep His promise to bless them (Exodus 24:3-4). The failure in the covenant was due to the people's inability to keep their part of the agreement (Deuteronomy 27:26-28:2). So Levitical high priests made earthly offerings using earthly utensils within an earthly tabernacle –all of which were "a copy and shadow of the heavenly things." They were a symbol of the perfection that was yet to come.

This is an appropriate time to consider the ramifications to keeping, or not keeping, the Old Covenant Law. Hell-fire-and-brimstone preachers have memorized and often quote Deuteronomy chapters 27 and 28. It's the section on "curses and blessings." These curses and blessings are the promises of the Old Covenant. If you're a Christian, they should not be influential in your way of life because you are under the "better covenant" (New Covenant) with its "better promises."

If Jesus had been an earthly priest then He would have merely continued what the Levitical priests had done for generations and there would have been no benefit to His coming. But He is the minister of the New Covenant (Hebrews 7:11-16). Under that New Covenant, God provided His own Son as the required, one-time, everlasting fellowship and sin offering. The New Law determines if a person receives the promise of eternal life (forever with Jesus in the kingdom of God) or remains eternally dead (forever separated from God). This is described in John 3:35-36. The deciding factor is whether or not Jesus is followed into God's Sabbath rest. The decision must be made deep within each man's heart as to which of these two covenants he wants to be under (Hebrews 4:12-13).

The New Covenant for the Hebrews

The last half of this chapter introduces a New Covenant for the Hebrews using a contrast to the Old Covenant. It's nearly all a quote from Jeremiah, chapter 31. I'm being emphatic here: This covenant is not for the present time nor is it for today's Christians! I use the term Christians to refer to Messianic Jews and Gentiles, alike. And I use the term Hebrews to refer to those that Paul described in the book of Romans –his people that he so dearly loved (Romans 9:1-5).

When I refer to Christians, I'm including all believers in Jesus Christ –Messianic Jews and Gentiles, alike.

Too often, we Christians make ourselves the subject of Bible text when God is specifically speaking to the Hebrews –this is one of those cases. Not only does it begin with "when I will effect a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah," but it continues with "Behold, days are coming," and "after those days," which are both referring to what Jeremiah chapter 30 says (which leads into chapter 31 mentioned above). It's a description of God's restoration of Jacob (Israel) and His punishment of all of her enemies. That happens during the Tribulation period. Immediately after that is "When I will effect a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah."

For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 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; 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.

"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.

"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.

"FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE." (Hebrews 8:7-12)

You might be thinking that this last verse surely sounds like the New Covenant –and yes it does! But the one for Christians is found in Hebrews, chapter 10. There is a subtle difference in the wording that has a huge implication to our relationship with God. We'll get there soon enough.

"After those days" God is going to directly put His New Covenant into their minds. Then they will be preoccupied with Him and His desires –instead of on themselves and their distractions. And He's going to give them His Spirit to lead them from within. It's going to be their natural way of life –but it's not that way yet.

The Hebrews, as a whole, will remain under the Old Covenant until after the Tribulation –or until they accept Jesus (Joshua, Yeshua) as their leader into the Promise. There are some who have already accepted Him. It's enjoyable to attend a Messianic Synagogue where Hebrews and non-Hebrews join together as one body to praise God for sending His Son as the way to life.

When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. (Hebrews 8:13)

Under the Old Covenant, the Law points out their failures –their fallen nature –and their subsequent need for forgiveness. But under the New Covenant, their iniquities (lawless acts) will be forgiven and their sins will be remembered no more. The phrase "remembered no more" stresses that God did –at one point in time– bring all of those sins into His mind. He painfully viewed the past, present and future sins of the entire world. And then His Son was punished for each and every one of them. God will never even think about any of those offenses again!

Some like to say that there will be a video of our life's failures and it will be played back on Judgment Day –that's another lie to manipulate our behavior. Only one thing will be considered: did we trust in Jesus –did we follow Him into the Sabbath rest?

Have you ever wondered why Jesus went through all this trouble? Since He is the Son of God, He could do anything. So why suffer the humiliation and die as a man –and go through the immense pain of being separated from His Father? Couldn't He just bypass the old priesthood and usher in a new one?

No. God is just –He's fair. He doesn't impose requirements on people –the Law– and then say "Never mind, I was just kidding. No one really had to do what I demanded." That's not His character. Ending sin-and-death –and then restoring life once-and-for-all– required the sacrifice of an innocent, sinless man's life exactly as the Law dictated. And no one was qualified to do that except His own Son.

Jesus said, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17) Yet, this Scripture plainly states that the Old Covenant is "becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear." (Hebrews 8:13) Does it sound like these Scriptures conflict with each other?

Try thinking of it like this: The Old Covenant didn't disappear all at once when Jesus paid for sin. It disappears for an individual person when he hears the Law and is convicted. It's then that he recognizes his hopeless condition –nothing but death is awaiting him– and he appeals to God for a new life –one that is not controlled by sin. Then, the Law –embodied by the Ten Commandments– is replaced by the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who does what the Law cannot –He leads us into all truth (John 16:12-14). When the last person accepts Jesus after being convicted, the Law will completely disappear.

Continue reading: "Chapter Nine: Jesus' Last Will & Testament"