Hebrews 8:1-13
Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.
Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.
For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said:
“The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.
This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. ”
By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.
Devotion
This chapter introduces us to the details and the implications of the New Covenant. The New Covenant reveals the love, compassion, and forgiveness of the God of the Old Testament. He has enacted a NEW arrangement with His covenant people, Israel. They did not deserve this covenant. It springs forth totally from God’s infinite grace.
In verses 1-6a, the writer focuses on Christ’s superior ministry. At the end of chapter seven, we see quality and character of our High Priest, Jesus. This description continues in chapter eight. This time the focus is on Christ’s ministry. In the Old Testament, the tabernacle and its ministry were intended to symbolize the only way sinners may approach a holy God and find forgiveness. The writer makes the point that the New Covenant instituted by Christ guarantees that all the promises of the Old Covenant are fulfilled through Christ’s ministry.
In verses 6b-13, the writer focuses on Christ’s superior covenant. In the Old Testament, the function of the priest was to mediate the covenant relationship between God and man. The Old Testament priests mediated the provisions of the Mosaic covenant. Christ mediates the provisions of a superior covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. The first covenant was inadequate to secure a healthy relationship between God and man. The covenant itself was not faulty, but the subjects were faulty. In Romans chapter seven, Paul vindicates the Law and convicts himself for the failure of the Law as a system.
Through Christ, our superior High Priest, God gives mankind hope with the declaration of this New Covenant. In this New Covenant, the laws of God are to be written upon hearts instead of tablets. With the New Covenant, the love relationship between God and His people will be wonderfully restored. These two covenants cannot co-exist. The new supersedes the old. The New Covenant points to a future state of restoration and blessing in God’s relationship with Israel. Gentiles also are benefitting from the New Covenant. God is presently internalizing His laws upon the hearts of all who trust in the person and work of Christ (2 Corinthians 3).
Questions to Ponder
What was the purpose of the Old Testament tabernacle? What role did the priests play in the ministry of the tabernacle? How did God’s people experience His forgiveness under the Mosaic Law? How is Jesus’ New Covenant superior to the old covenant? How does the New Covenant benefit the people of Israel? How does the New Covenant benefit Gentile believers today?
Prayer Points
- Praise the Lord for His love that endures forever. Praise Him for His compassion and forgiveness.
- Thank Him for His infinite grace. He is kind, understanding, and offers us His unlimited patience.
- Thank Him for the grace of our Lord that was poured out on you abundantly along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:14
- Pray for the hearts of those you love who are not yet part of the Family of God. Pray that they will receive the free gift of salvation, Jesus Christ the Hope of Glory.
Suggested Prayer
Lord of Heaven and Earth,
Thank You so very much for my own salvation, thank You that by faith I received You as Lord and Savior. Thank You Jesus that because of You I have this free gift of eternal life and not because of anything I have done, but because of everything You have done. Thank You for being the servant of all and coming to seek and save the lost. Thank You for the cross. Thank You for Your blood that was shed as you took on the sins of the world all for love. I ask that You would help me and Your church to grow in the knowledge of You. Help us to overflow with love and thanksgiving with this hope that we have in our hearts. Help us to go where You send us, to be ambassadors of Christ Jesus by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the Name of Jesus Christ I ask, amen.