Hebrews 8 study

Hebrews 8:1-14 (KJV)

1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.

4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:

5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

Verse 1, Jesus Christ is our High Preist and he is sitting on the right hand of the Majesty on high who is the Living God Jehovah. Heaven is where Jehovah's throne sits. His throne is in the most holy place where the ark of the covenant is. Jesus is set on the right hand of Jehovah God's throne.

Verse 2, The sanctuary blueprints and specifications for the building of it were given to Moses by Jehovah God. They were a copy of the original sanctuary in heaven, which was the pattern for the one Moses had built. Jesus is the minister of heavenly sanctuary. In former times, the High Priest from the tribe of Levi was the minister of the sanctuary that was on earth.

Verse 3, every high priest offered something to Jehovah,  Jesus offered up his own life to God on behalf of the sins of the people.

Verse 4, the exaltation of Christ to heaven qualifies Him for a different preisthood. There are preists that offer gifts according to the law. Christ's preisthood if it had remained on earth, would have been a preisthood that was not sufficiently greater than the Levitical preisthood.

Verse 5, the sanctuary service in the earthly tabernacle was a shadow of what was to come which is the sanctuary ministration in heaven. The ceremonial law and Levitical preisthood were shadows pointing to the Melchesidek preisthood of Jesus Christ. The instructions Jehovah gave Moses in the building the sanctuary were according to the true tabernacle in heaven.

Verse 6, Those who still hold onto the shadows are missing the point that Jesus is the High Priest of a more excellent ministry. Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant. The greek word for "mediator" is "mesites" and means "go between, i.e. an internunciator, or (by implication) a reconciler (intercessor): - mediator."

We are in much better hands in this more excellent ministry and better covenant than the Israelites were under the old covenant. We have the Divine Son of God as our intercessor instead of earthly fallible preists. Also, no more need for meat, drink and burnt offerings as Jesus was the once and for all sacrifice. We can no go directly to the Father in heaven in the true tabernacle and ask for forgiveness of sins in the name of His dear Son Jehovah Jesus Christ. The new covenant was established on better promises than the old covenant. There were promises in the old covenant, but Christ brings a new covenant where the promises of the old covenant are given a new form, though the substance remains the same.

Verse 7-8, the first covenant was not a mistake and the fault was with Israel. Faith was always the requirement even in the time of the first covenant. The people broke the covenant and the Levitical preisthood was not sufficient to deal with their sin. The new covenant is a renewed covenant not brand new covenant however in it's substance. The New covenant was to be made with the Spiritual house of Israel not a National house. This Spiritual house are those of the seed of Abraham, righteousness by faith. This was always the standard Jehovah wanted his people to live up to. This faith would then be manifested by keeping the commandments of Jehovah.

The new covenant was needed in order to  reconcile man back to the Father through the spotless Lamb Jesus Christ. Our Saviour bore our sins (transgression of the law) and took the penalty for us. The New covenant is not a lawless covenant as the substance of the first covenant remains. It's the preisthood, sacrifical system, ceremonial law, sanctuary service that have changed. The judicial/politic part of the first covenant was active as long as Israel remained a theocratic nation. The moral law of the first covenant is now written in our mind and heart (verse 10), being internalized as they were always meant to be (Deuteronomy 30:11-4, Jeremiah 31:33). Internalizing the commandments makes them even more binding as Jesus taught in Matthew 5:20-22, 27-28. Read Psalm 37:31, Isaiah 51:7. With the law in the mind and heart it is lived each day and kept spontaneously through the believer's earnest desire.

Verse 9-10, Israel broke the covenant of Jehovah continually even though they were taken by the hand out of Egypt. Christ took on flesh and died on the cross so that we can come out of Egypt (the world). Standard covenantal formula from the old testament applies to the Church of the New testament (Gen. 17:7, Ex. 6:7, Lev. 26:12, Psalm 50:7, Jer.7:23). There is a continuity of substance between the old and new covenants. As we come out of this world into newness of life with Christ we need to avoid the pitfalls of ancient Israel and obey the commandments of Jehovah God.

Verse 11, Jehovah has ordained preachers and teachers under the new covenant (Ephesians 4:11). However, the new covenant people of Jehovah have an experiential knowledge of Him by the Holy Spirit’s work through the Word (John 17:3; 1 John 2:3-4, 13, 27).

Verse 12, There is no longer be a need for animal sacrifices for sin because Christ was the once and for all sacrifice when he offered himself on the cross. He now is our High Preist and accepts our spiritual sacrifices as there is no longer a need for ceremonial sacrifices. The ministration of Christ in the most holy place blots out our sins once we are born again. The cross atoned for our past sins.

Verse 13, now we have a new covenant as the first was waxed old and vanished away. The new covenant supercedes the old covenant. The form of administration of the covenant has changed not the substance. As stated earlier, the law is now written in our mind and heart. Writing or putting in the heart means to obey (Deuteronomy 5:29; 6:6; 1 Samuel 16:7; Psalm 40:8; Jeremiah 31:33; Luke 6:45; 12:34; Romans 6:17)