Word for Today: Saturday, January 12, 2013

Hebrews 8:1-13 A New, Better and Superior Covenant

Memory Verse Hebrews 8:6(KJV)

But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

We have learnt so much about Jesus being our High Priest; by now we should be able to explain to others how Jesus became our High Priest. In Mathematics, if you needed to prove a formula, you have to recall some previous equations; this was exactly what the author of Hebrews did. He proved to the Hebrews Christians that Jesus is our Superior High Priest using the Old Testament Scriptures and things that they are familiar with. The Old Covenant paved way for a New and Superior Covenant through Jesus Christ.

THE SUPERIOR MINISTRY OF JESUS (1-6)

Let us look at verses 1-2. “The 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 man.”

The author says of all the things I have spoken the focal point here is that Jesus is our superior High Priest. I can interpret it as “I know I have said so much but the emphasis here is on Jesus Christ, he is our great High Priest, I couldn't say that without proving to you how he became our High Priest, I had to go through the Genesis of it, take you all the way back to the Old Testament”

In order to become our high priest, Jesus was made human (2:17) and now he sits at the right hand of the father representing us Verse 2. 

The True Tabernacle

There was an Old Tabernacle which the Levtical Priests operated; this tabernacle was a representation of the original Tabernacle in Heaven. It was a copy. Many famous arts have been copied but they are not the same value with the original. The original is worth more than their copies.

God gave Moses the copy of the earthly Tabernacle (Exodus 25), he told Moses to follow every detail and pattern. Nothing should be omitted. The earthly tabernacle was portioned into two. It had the Holy Place which had a golden lamp-stand  golden table of show-bread and a golden alter.The golden lamp-stand represents Christ as the lamp of the world. The golden table of bread represents Christ as the Bread of life and the golden alter represents a place of prayer where Jesus makes intercessions for us.

The Levitical Priest didn't have direct access to God, they operated in the earthly tabernacle but we have a High Priest who operates in the heavenly Tabernacle and has direct access to God. Jesus is superior to the Levitcal Priest because he works in the True tabernacle and not a copy. Unlike the Levitical Priests, Jesus didn’t need to offer sacrifices yearly for his sins or for our sins instead he became our sacrificial lamb- our perfect sacrifice and he paid the price once and for all. He became our free access into God’s rest. To gain access into my University, I have to flash my ID-card. No ID means No entry. Jesus is my ID into God’s presence. (John 10:9)

Let’s look at Verse 4-6, Jesus wasn't our High Priest on earth because he came from the Kingly Tribe (Judah) and only the Levites were eligible to become High Priest. He couldn't serve in the earthly tabernacle because it was just a copy and his ministry is superior to the Levitical Ministry. As a matter of fact, the Levitical Ministry was to prepare for Jesus Ministry which is superior hence the warning given to Moses to build the earthly Tabernacle exactly as God showed it to him on the Mountain.

THE NEW COVENANT (7-13)

There was a need for the new covenant because the Old covenant had a flaw, it couldn't make the people perfect. (Hebrews 7:18). Towards the end of last year, I got a new and better phone because the old phone was faulty and I had taken it for repair once but the problem persisted. The New phone is an upgrade of the former one, same manufacturer but different models. God made the Old and the new covenant but the new covenant is a much more better covenant.

But note, the Old covenant wasn’t the problem, the problem was the people. They were not faithful in keeping the Old covenant. When God redeemed the Israelite, he gave them a well-intentioned covenant to bring them closer to him but they didn't remain faithful to the Old covenant.

Now God in his Mercies has provided a superior covenant and better covenant founded on a better promise through Jesus Christ. God made known his intention for a new and better covenant first in book of Jeremiah. Verses 8-12 is quotation from Jeremiah 31:31-33. Jeremiah prophesied about the New Covenant which will govern our hearts.

God provided this New covenant to govern our outward and inward behaviour, to achieve this, he has planted his words in the hearts of his people

The ministry of Jesus is superior to the Levitical Priesthood. He gave us a New Covenant through his death and resurrection. Let us come boldly approach God’s throne of grace through his son Jesus Christ who is our great High Priest. Amen