Introduction
“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.” Hebrews 8:1-4
The High Priest of a New Covenant
What a Saviour we have! What a great High Priest! Jesus as our High Priest has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God, Hebrews 8:1. For Jesus to be seated further indicates that Jesus’ priestly work is complete. He is not making offerings, His work is finished.
The image also shows that Jesus is enthroned as King. He is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven. The writer is driving home the point to our minds that Jesus is unique and superior as he is Priest and King according to the promise of God.
This imagery is another allusion to Psalm 110, where Jesus is enthroned at the right hand of God as King, Psalm 110:1 and Priest, Psalm 110:4. This statement also shows the continuity of His message because this point was made in Hebrews 1:3.
But the work of Jesus goes beyond the cross. The writer of Hebrews informs us that He is a servant in the holy places, the real tabernacle set up by the Lord and not human hands, Hebrews 8:2. Note that the Hebrew writer never uses the word temple. Why? Because God never asked for a temple to be built. 1 Chronicles 17:1-6. There were never any instructions given to anyone about the construction of a temple.
The tabernacle was a temporary structure, Exodus 25:8-Exodus 37:9. As a priest, Jesus does not serve on Earth, but in heaven itself. Priests offer gifts and sacrifices, so Jesus also must offer something, Hebrews 8:3 / Hebrews 5:1 / Hebrews 7:27.
Hebrews 8, does not tell us what Jesus offered, but Hebrews 9 will. But I am sure, based upon what we have studied so far, you can determine what Jesus offered as Priest. Now, if Jesus did serve on the Earth, He could not be a priest because the priests offer gifts according to the law, Hebrews 8:4. This refers back to what we learned in Hebrews 7:11-28.
For Jesus to be Priest means that there has been a change in the law, Hebrews 7:12. If the law has not been changed, then Jesus cannot be a priest. The argument seems to reach a bit further in that it is the Levitical priesthood that operates on the earth. Jesus, however, not being from the tribe of Levi, must of necessity perform His priestly functions in heaven, Hebrews 7:12.
“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.” Hebrews 8:5-7
The work of the priests on the Earth was not real and true. What they were doing were simply copies and shadows of the heavenly things and the heavenly work that Jesus would offer, Hebrews 8:5. The proof the writer of Hebrews uses is from Exodus 25:40, where God instructs Moses to construct everything according to the pattern shown to him.
The argument hinges on the word “pattern,” Hebrews 8:5. Since the earthly tabernacle was a pattern, then it must have been modelled after something. The writer is telling us that it was modelled after the heavenly tabernacle. The earthly tabernacle was not the reality but just a shadow of a later work that would be accomplished by a great High Priest.
So Jesus is serving in the greater, heavenly tabernacle, not the lesser, earthly tabernacle like the Levitical priests. So Jesus has a more excellent ministry, a more excellent priesthood.
Further, He is the mediator of a better covenant, Hebrews 8:6. The covenant that He has brought and enacted through His death is better than the first covenant made to Moses.
One reason this covenant enacted by Jesus is better is because it is established on better promises, Hebrews 8:6. The “better promises” must be the forgiveness of sins primarily or, to use the language of Hebrews 7, a way to make us acceptable (perfect) before God, Hebrews 7:19.
This connection is made in Hebrews 8:7, if there had not been a problem with the first covenant there would have been no need to look for a second covenant.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Hebrews 8:6-7.
‘Summarizing these marks of identification of ‘the first covenant,’ the one which was annulled, we have the following: 1. It was the one made with Israel AND JUDAH. 2. It was the one that had the Decalogue as a basic component. 3. It was the one made at the time of Israel’s coming out of Egypt. 4. It was the one said by God himself to be with Moses (with ‘thee’), as well as with Israel, Exodus 24:27. Therefore, ‘the first covenant,’ as used in these verses, means the whole religious system of the Jews, the Decalogue, the priesthood, the sacrifices, the tabernacle ritual, the temple services (as later developed), the statutes, and the judgments, and the commandments, and embracing the entire ceremonial and moral constitution of Judaism, Hebrews 7:11-12.’
What was the problem? The problem is stated in Hebrews 8:8, “For he finds fault with them.” The sins of the people are where the problem lies. The Law of Moses gave means for us to be reconciled to God after disobedience.
The law showed us God and pointed out sin, but did nothing to help those who were violators. The author now makes a large quotation from Jeremiah 31:31-34.
“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 neighbour, 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.” Hebrews 8:8-12
The writer reminds his audience that a new covenant had been prophesied to the people. A new law had to come. Remember that Jesus is our great High Priest and for Jesus to be our High Priest there must be a change of law, Hebrews 7:12. Jeremiah said that there would be a change of law when the Messiah came.
The days were coming when God would make a new covenant with Israel and Judah, Hebrews 8:8 / Jeremiah 31:31. But the new law that would be enacted would not be like the law made when Moses brought Israel out of the land of Egypt, Hebrews 8:9 / Jeremiah 31:32.
This is important because the previous covenant did not make provisions for the people to be reconciled to God so that they would be found acceptable. So what is different about this new law under the priesthood of Jesus?
First, the law would be written in their minds and their hearts, Hebrews 8:10 / Jeremiah 31:33. The law would not come to the people on two tablets of stone, rather, the law must come into the hearts of the people. One will not think that they are part of this covenant through birth or by keeping outward signs.
God’s covenantal people will be those who keep His law by their hearts and minds, not as ritual or habit. I think this is an important reminder that God’s people are those who keep His laws because they want to. They do not see obedience as rules and rituals, rather, they see obedience as loving the Lord.
Second, this covenant will bring reconciliation. God says that He will be their God and they shall be His people, Hebrews 8:10 / Jeremiah 31:33. This had also been promised in the first covenant in Exodus 6:7, but the people broke the covenant and were no longer God’s people.
The prophet Hosea three times declared that Israel was no longer His people, Hosea 1:9 / Hosea 1:10 / Hosea 2:23. Paul reminds his audience of that fact in Romans 9:25. But under this covenant and under Jesus we can be called His people again, Hebrews 8:10 / Jeremiah 31:33. We can call God our God and we can be called His people.
Third, everyone in the covenant will know the Lord, Hebrews 8:11 / Jeremiah 31:34. This verse has been misunderstood by many, but it is simply a contrast between the first covenant and the second covenant. Under the first covenant, people were part of the covenant when they were born. Children were born into the relationship with God as Israelites.
As children, they did not know the Lord, Hebrews 8:11. They would need to be taught later about the Lord and how they were in a covenant with Him. This would no longer be the case. Those who are part of this new covenant of Jesus will already know the Lord, Hebrews 8:11 / John 1:12-13. One would not be born into this new covenant. The only way to be in this relationship is by knowing the Lord.
Fourth, this new covenant is that God will forgive sins and not remember those sins, Hebrews 8:12 / Jeremiah 31:34. Sins are really going to be dealt with through the priesthood of Jesus.
We will see this argument more powerfully made later on. But it is enough to say that Jesus shows His and that He has dealt with sin in one sacrifice, not repeated daily or annual sacrifices of the first covenant.
“By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.” Hebrews 8:13
After quoting Jeremiah 31:31-34, the writer makes a final remark. He presents this last argument based on Jeremiah’s words about a “new covenant.” If the second covenant is “new,” then the first covenant is old. It is not a covenant that people should go back to with fond memories or nostalgia.
The first covenant was ineffective because it could not deal with our sins and could not make us acceptable to God. The first covenant did not meet our need for reconciliation.
But we should be struck by the statement that the first covenant is “becoming obsolete and growing old” and “is ready to vanish away.” Why is this not stated in the past tense that the covenant has already vanished away? Why say that it was in the process of vanishing away?
I believe the answer is that the Levitical priesthood was still intact and was still performing sacrifices for the people in the temple. But that would soon change when the Romans would destroy the temple in 70 AD.
Though the new covenant was in effect because Jesus is our great High Priest, the old priesthood had not vanished yet. But it was in the process of vanishing away and was obsolete because of Jesus, our new and superior High Priest.
1. The Levitical priesthood and tabernacle were only shadows and copies of the reality that Jesus would fulfil. Therefore, this system is inferior to the priesthood of Jesus.
Why would premillennialism think that re-establishing the sacrifice system of the first covenant is necessary or even useful in the end times? Such an idea is a great violation of the priesthood of Jesus. We have a better priesthood.
2. The second covenant is superior to the first covenant. With Jesus, we have a restored relationship with God, a covenant that is from the heart, a covenant that requires knowledge of the Lord, and brings forgiveness of sins.
3. We cannot go back to any aspect of the first covenant and declare those laws binding. The first covenant has been set aside, annulled, and made obsolete.
The writer begins this section by taking us on a tour of the tabernacle. Remember that the writer concluded with the thought that the first covenant was obsolete, growing old, and ready to vanish away. Yet this was written in a progressive tense, even though the new covenant had been put into effect.
The reason seems to be that the first covenant system and Levitical priesthood were still in effect while Herod’s temple stood. The writer is going to tell us more about the need for the first tabernacle to vanish away.
The first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. These regulations and practices were commanded by God. God had established these things but we learned that the fault was with the people for not keeping God’s laws.
Therefore, the tabernacle and the first covenant became insufficient but this was God’s plan.
