Lesson 11: A More Excellent Ministry (Heb 8:1-13)
Observation
Outline
We Have Such A
High Priest (8:1-2)
His Superior Ministry (8:3-6)
The Old Covenant (8:7-9)
The New Covenant (-13)
Key Words/Phrases
High Priest, Minister, sanctuary,
true tabernacle, offer, copy and shadow of the heavenly things, more excellent
ministry, Mediator of a better covenant, better promises, covenant, took them
by the hand, put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts, know the
Lord.
General Analysis
1. Up
to this point we have studied the greatness of the High Priest Himself. This is
summed up in verse 1. Verse 2 speaks of the greatness of the High Priest’s
ministry. This will be the theme that chapters 8 to 10 will develop.
Segment Analysis
1. He
is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens (1). He
is in the place of highest honor (Php 2:9-11) and has
received all authority in heaven and on earth (Mt 28:18). He is in the heavens,
not on earth. This signifies His perfection, exaltation, and permanent
priesthood, all of which make Him superior to the earthly priests.
2. It
is the true tabernacle, not a copy of it. It is erected by the Lord, not by man
(2). This means that God Himself performs all the things necessary for man to
come to God. No human mediator or agent is involved.
3. Whereas
the earthly priests offered gifts and sacrifices, Christ offered His body.
Whereas the earthly priests had to offer many gifts and sacrifices, Christ
offered Himself once for all.
4. The
earthly priests ministered on earth in a tabernacle that is only a prefiguration, but Christ ministers in heaven in the true
tabernacle.
5. Since
the old tabernacle was a prefiguration, it is
replaced when the High Priest of the heavenly tabernacle comes.
6. Better
promises. God’s new covenant with His people offers much more that what the old
covenant could accomplish. These better promises are made possible by Christ
the Mediator.
7. It
is through His personal sacrifice that God’s promises in the new covenant are
fulfilled (-15).
8. In
the old covenant, God took the Israelites by the hand to lead them out of the land
of Egypt. But despite God’s deliverance
and guidance, the Israelites failed to continue in the law of God.
Consequently, God forsook them. What was lacking in the old covenant was that
the people’s relationship with the Lord was passive and temporary. They
followed the external regulations without a sincere desire to honor God. They
were only led by the hand and did not actively follow God.
9a. 1. God
will put His laws in their mind and write them on their hearts. God’s people
will have a change of heart (cf. Ezek 36:26-27). They will worship God in
spirit and truth.
2. God will be their God and they will be
His people. God will not reject His people again but will be ever closer to
them. He will dwell among them and shepherd them (Rev 21:3-4).
3. They will not need to be taught to know
the Lord, but each will know God, from the least of them to the greatest of
them. Each will build a personal relationship with God.
4. God will be merciful to their
unrighteousness, and their sins and lawless deeds God will remember no more.
9b. Because
of Christ’s atoning death, God forgives us of all our sins. He does not
remember our sins but shows us mercy. Through faith and baptism in the name of
Jesus Christ, our sins are washed away (Acts ;
).
Having believed and been baptized
into the Lord Jesus, we are children of God (Gal -29),
and the Holy Spirit is a testimony of this (Rom ).
Through the indwelling and renewal
of the promised Holy Spirit, God’s word is written on our hearts, setting us
free from mere outward observance and transforming us into the Lord’s likeness
(2Cor 3:3-18).
In Jesus Christ, we can have an
intimate, personal knowledge of God. Because God has manifested Himself through
Jesus Christ (Jn ;
Col), we who have believed in Jesus Christ can draw near
to God (Jn 14:6). With Christ’s word and Spirit in
us, we can personally know and experience God (Eph ; cf. 1Jn ).
11. In
order to participate in the new covenant, we must put our faith in Jesus
Christ, the Mediator and High Priest of the new covenant. We need to enter into
a relationship with Christ through the sacraments He instituted, namely baptism
(Gal ; Col-12; Rom 6:3-4), footwashing (Jn 13:8), and Holy
Communion (Mt 26:26-28; 1Cor -17).
We must hold fast to our faith in Him (Heb )
and abide in Him by obeying His commands (1Jn 2:6).
