Chapter 7 made a very convincing case for the superiority of Jesus as
the final and greatest high priest, it also made the point that because
Jesus was not of the tribe of Levi this was a completely different
priesthood with different rules, and as chapter 8 will go on to explain,
different and better promises as well.
V. 1-2 "Now the
point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one
who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a
minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not
man."
All of chapter 7 is summed up in these two verses, we have a true high priest who is seated in the true temple in heaven.
V.
3. "For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices;
thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer."
Verse
3 is where the writer will begin to introduce the idea of the new
covenant simply by saying that the purpose of a priest is to offer gifts
and sacrifices, and since Jesus is a priest He also must have something
to offer.
V.4-6
Here the writer completes the
transition, he argues from earlier in the chapter that if Jesus was
ministering on earth He would not be a priest at all because He's from
the wrong tribe, then he explains that the entire old priesthood was
simply a shadow and copy of the true priesthood that Jesus holds. Then
He compares that with the new covenant saying that His ministry and
priesthood are as just as much better as the new covenant is better than
the old. So we can see from this that the old covenant was also a
shadow and copy of the new and true covenant.
V. 7-9
Verses
7-9 outline the problem with the old covenant. First the writer tells
us that if the first covenant had been perfect that God would not have
instituted a second, therefore, the first is faulty. Then he goes on to
explain why the first covenant was faulted. The entire fault that the
writer finds with the first covenant is found in verse 9 "For they did
not continue in it" How is that the fault of the covenant?
Well
lets do a review of the old covenant. He is here speaking of the Mosaic
covenant made at Mt Sinai. In this covenant God promised that if Israel
would listen and obey then He would bless them, it was a covenant of
physical blessing for physical actions, it was also an "if you do this,
then I will do this" covenant that was dependent on the actions of the
people. But because humans are sinful this covenant could never work,
therefore it has a major fault.
V. 10-12
These verses outline the ways in which the new covenant is better.
1. I will put my law on their minds and hearts
2. I will be their God and they will be my people
3. They will all know me
4. I will forgive their sins
So
how is this covenant better? Much in every way! First, it's not an "if
you do this I'll do this" covenant like the first, it is completely of
God, so it doesn't have the fault that the first one does. Secondly
instead of a law that is outside of us that we strive to attain He
promises change us and make His covenant a very part of our being! And
lastly it promises to forgive our sin! This is something the old
covenant could never do, and never promised to do. This covenant is sure
because God upholds all of it, not one part of this covenant is
dependent on man, we don't play a part in it, and we don't ratify it,
God does it all so we can have great confidence that it will be true and
that it will last.
V. 13 "In speaking of a new
covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete
is growing old and ready to vanish away"
Little did the readers
(and perhaps even the writer) know that in just a matter of 2-3 years
the entire priesthood and OT system would be destroyed along with the
destruction of the temple. This only served to prove the point that the
author is making here, the OT covenant served as a shadow and a copy of
this new covenant, and also proved to us our sin and our inability to
pay for it. Praise God for the new covenant and the freedom and hope
that it presents us!
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