The Letter to the Hebrews

Chapter 8Jan-Apr 2014 FXCC

Hebrews 7 and before

• Jesus is greater than– Angels– Moses– Prophets– Levitical Priests

Hebrews 8

• Jesus is our great High Priest– At God’s right hand– Ministering/mediating

• A new and better covenant– Written on hearts, not on stone– Better promises

Hebrews 8:1-6

• 1 Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We have such a high priest, one who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the sanctuary (holy places) and the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up. 3

For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. So this one too had to have something to offer.

Hebrews 8:1-6

• 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest, since there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 5 The place where they serve is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary, just as Moses was warned by God as he was about to complete the tabernacle. For he says, “See that you make everything according to the design (pattern) shown to you on the mountain.”

Hebrews 8:1-6

• 6 But now Jesus has obtained a superior ministry, since the covenant that he mediates is also better and is enacted on better promises.

Hebrews 8:1-6

• The High Priest theme continues in this chapter

• Chapter 7 ended with the thought of a perfect High Priest– One who has no need for forgiveness of his own

sins– Our High Priest is also God’s Son

Hebrews 8:1-6

• This chapter begins with the “Main Point”– Our High Priest atoned for our sins– Our High Priest brought us into the presence of

God– Our High Priest is in the eternal Temple– Our High Priest is seated at God’s right hand– Our High Priest is with God all the time, not just

one day a year

Hebrews 8:1-6

• Our High Priest is in the sanctuary (holy places) in the “true” the “real” tabernacle– Later in chapter 9 the Holy Place/Most Holy

Place/Holy of Holies refers to the earthly tabernacle

– Here the true tent/tabernacle is Heaven– The place where God really resides– The place where God’s throne is

Hebrews 8:1-6

• The tabernacle built under Moses is a sketch/a copy/a shadow of the the “real” tabernacle in Heaven– Exodus 25:40 “Now be sure to make them according to the

pattern you were shown on the mountain.”– Like a seamstress uses a pattern to make a dress

Hebrews 8:1-6

• Jesus is now in a tabernacle not made with human hands– The earthly tabernacle would fade away/wear

out/be destroyed

• Jesus is in the tabernacle that will never be destroyed

• A tabernacle without a curtain separating us from God

Hebrews 8:1-6

• Jesus now mediates from the true (the real) tent

• He is a minister of a New and Better Covenant– It is new and better because it is

ordained/enacted on better promises– Physical Israel was promised rest in the promised

land– We are promised a rest in Heaven with God

Hebrews 8:1-6

• Jesus ministers/performs His priestly duties in the presence of God Himself– His priestly duties are the worship/liturgical rituals

Hebrews 8:1-6

• The Levitical system (priests, laws, ritual, etc) was not legalistic or contrary to God’s character

• Those rituals formed Israel’s identity as God’s people, reminded them of God’s grace, allowed them to experience God’s grace

• The problem was that system was not eternal, not permanent

Hebrews 8:1-6

• The earthly tabernacle and priests were copies of the real thing

• A copy is never exact, it is by definition imperfect

• Jesus corrected/was the correction of all the shortcomings in the copies

Hebrews 8:7-13

• 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, no one would have looked for a second one. 8 But showing its fault, God says to them, “Look, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will complete a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.

Hebrews 8:7-13

• 9 “It will not be like the covenant that I made with their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not continue in my covenant and I had no regard for them, says the Lord. 10 “For this is the covenant that I will establish with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and I will inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God and they will be my people.

Hebrews 8:7-13

• 11 “And there will be no need at all for each one to teach his countryman or each one to teach his brother saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ since they will all know me, from the least to the greatest. 12 “For I will be merciful toward their evil deeds, and their sins I will remember no longer.” 13

When he speaks of a new covenant, he makes the first obsolete. Now what is growing obsolete and aging is about to disappear.

Hebrews 8:7-13

• The first covenant had its weaknesses– People were the weakness– The Law was good, but could not make people

perfect– The Law kept God’s will before the people

Gal 3:15-29

• 15 Brothers and sisters, I offer an example from everyday life: When a covenant has been ratified, even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. Scripture does not say, “and to the descendants,” referring to many, but “and to your descendant,” referring to one, who is Christ. 17 What I am saying is this: The law that came four hundred thirty years later does not cancel a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to invalidate the promise.

Gal 3:15-29

• 18 For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise, but God graciously gave it to Abraham through the promise. 19 Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the descendant to whom the promise had been made. It was administered through angels by an intermediary. 20

Now an intermediary is not for one party alone, but God is one.

Gal 3:15-29

• 21 Is the law therefore opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.22 But the scripture imprisoned everything and everyone under sin so that the promise could be given – because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ – to those who believe.

Gal 3:15-29

• 23 Now before faith came we were held in custody under the law, being kept as prisoners until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 Thus the law had become our guardian until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. 26 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Gal 3:15-29

• 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female – for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.

Hebrews 8:7-13

• The Law (of Moses) was 430 years AFTER God’s promise

• Our inheritance is based on the promise, not the Law

• The Law was a guardian– Convict us of sin– Show us our need for a Savior

Hebrews 8:7-13

• The end/offspring/goal of the promise was Jesus– He had to come to fulfill the promise

• Law heightens our awareness of sin and brings death– Death, because we CANNOT keep the Law

• God’s promise is LIFE in Christ

Hebrews 8:7-13

• Law/works do not justify us, cannot justify us• As with Abraham it is our faith in God’s

promise that justifies us• Because we sin and cannot keep the law

perfectly we needed something else• The new covenant makes the first one

obsolete

Jeremiah 31:31-34

• 31 “Indeed, a time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 It will not be like the old covenant that I made with their ancestors when I delivered them from Egypt. For they violated that covenant, even though I was like a faithful husband to them,” says the Lord. 33

“But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land,” says the Lord. “I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. I will be their God and they will be my people.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

• 34 “People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know me. For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,” says the Lord. “For I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.”

Hebrews 8:7-13

• The New Covenant – Israel belonged because of birth, not by choice,

not by decision– We belong due to a personal choice, based on

personal knowledge– Only believing penitent people are baptized and

enter the covenant with God• Just FYI, this is why infant baptism is not theologically

sound

Hebrews 8:7-13

• Any ceremony that emphasizes the external and ignores the internal is just as problematic as infant baptism or circumcision of an infant– Assuming that just because one has gotten wet,

even as an adult, that they are now a Christian is equally false

Hebrews 8:7-13

• God authored both covenants• The law/ethic is the same in both– One was on stone– The other is on our hearts

• The promise is the same– God dwells with His people– The promised rest

Hebrews 8:7-13

• In the old God dwelt among His people in a provisional way using an earthly tabernacle– Provisional (existing or accepted for the present

time but likely to be changed)

Hebrews 8:7-13

• In the old God dwelt among His people in a provisional way using an earthly tabernacle

• In the new God dwells among His people by His Spirit in our hearts

• We are the temple of the Living God– I Cor 3:16-17 & 6:19-20– II Cor 6:16

Hebrews 8:7-13

• The old covenant could not secure/provide forgiveness through the blood of animals– The sacrifices were inferior and insufficient– The sacrifices were not complete nor eternal

• Again Jesus corrected all these shortcomings

Priesthood

Mosaic• Weak• Temporal• Levitical• Sinful

Messianic• Powerful• Eternal• Melchizedek• Holy/sinless

Sanctuary

Mosaic• Copy/shadow• Earthly• Infrequent entrance• Only a few

Messianic• Reality• Heavenly• Frequent entrance• Universal

Sacrifices

Mosaic• Animal, insufficient• External cleansing• Annual

Messianic• Human, all sufficient• Full cleansing• Once for all

Hebrews 8

• Which do you prefer function under? Law or grace?

• God remembers your/my sins no more. Do you/I believe that?

References

• F.F. Bruce, “The Epistle to the Hebrews”, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Eerdmans, 1967

• Edward Fudge, “Our Man in Heaven: An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews”,, Baker, 1974– Available on-line for free– http://www.edwardfudge.com/written/omihtext.

html

References

• Edward Fudge, “Hebrews: Ancient Encouragement for Believers Today”, Leafwood Publishers, 2009

• John Mark Hicks, Hebrews, Word Doc– http://johnmarkhicks.com/wp-content/uploads/

sites/10/2009/03/hebrews-edited.doc

References

• Referenced in John Mark Hicks, Hebrews, Word Doc are the sites for a sermon series (Strength for the Journey) by Rubel Shelly and John York on Hebrews– http://www.rubelshelly.com/content.asp?

lShow=20&ListSG=316&Start=121&SortAlpha=– http://www.rubelshelly.com/content.asp?

lShow=20&ListSG=316&Start=101&SortAlpha=– http://www.johnyork.org/content.asp?

lShow=20&ListSG=260&Start=161– http://www.johnyork.org/content.asp?

lShow=20&ListSG=260&Start=141

References

• Bobby Valentine’s “Stoned-Campbell Disciple” blog – http://stonedcampbelldisciple.com/2013/08/20/

paul-and-the-unquestioned-authority-of-the-old-testament/