A Better Covenant And Better Promises

Hebrews 8:1-6

It is of utmost importance that we understand the teaching of Holy Scripture with regard to the old and new covenants. It is not possible to understand the work of Christ as our Substitute and the saving operations of our God in grace, until we understand the distinction between works and grace, between the old covenant of the law and the new covenant of grace.

This distinction is a matter of great confusion to many in the religious world today. I have no doubt that it is a matter of some confusion to some who read these lines. Can you imagine how confusing it must have been to those believers of the first century, especially to those who were Jews?

The Temple was still standing; -- but God was no longer worshipped there.

The ordinances of the Levitical priesthood were still being performed; -- but God had set aside both the priesthood and the ordinances.

Sabbath days were still meticulously observed; -- but Christ, the Lord of the Sabbath, had already finished his work and entered into his rest, fulfilling the sabbath and setting aside the carnal ordinance.

The Sun of Righteousness had risen; -- but the moon had not yet vanished from view. It was waning and ready to vanish, but had not yet vanished.

There was still a high priest in Israel; -- but the High Priest of God’s Israel was in Glory!

The religious, but unbelieving, Jews were (as most religious people are today) still trying to live by and worship God by the commandments and ceremonies of the Mosaic law; -- but Christ, who is the end of the law, had fulfilled it and had forever abolished the legal covenant by his obedience to God as our Substitute.

The new covenant had been established and the old forever abolished; -- but almost all the emblems of the old covenant were still standing.

That time of transition, between the resurrection of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, must have been very confusing to the Jewish believers. And many of the Gentile churches were plagued by the infiltration of Judaizers who attempted to bring them under the yoke of legal bondage by mixing law and grace. Let the confusion forever end (Rom. 6:14-15; 7:1-4; 8:1-4; 10:1-4; Gal. 1:6-9; 3:1-3; 5:1-4; Col. 2:8-23).

The Book of Hebrews was written specifically to correct the confusion by showing the great superiority of the gospel, the superiority of the new covenant over the old, the superiority of this present gospel age to the former legal dispensation. In the seventh chapter the Holy Spirit irrefutably displayed the superiority of Christ’s priesthood over the Aaronic priesthood of the Old Testament. The eighth chapter displays the superiority of the new covenant over the old. The new covenant is altogether spiritual, a covenant of grace, pure, free grace, flowing to sinners through the mediation of Christ, established upon the unconditional promises of unconditional grace.

This Is Our Priest

Hebrews 8:1-2

We bow to no earthly priest. Our great High Priest, the only Mediator and Priest by which sinners may approach the holy Lord God is in heaven. The eighth chapter shows us the superiority of Christ’s ministry as our High Priest over the ministry of the Aaronic priests in the Old Testament. The superiority of our Savior’s priestly ministry is here demonstrated in three ways.

A Seated Priest

Our great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, is a Seated Priest. – “We have such a high priest, who is set” (v. 1; Ps. 110:1; Heb. 1:1-3; 10:12-13). The fact that he sat down declares that his work was done. When our Lord Jesus cried, “It is finished,” he meant, “It is finished!” – What was finished? All the types, promises and prophecies concerning him were fulfilled and finished. All the commandments and ceremonies of the law were fulfilled and finished. All the work of redemption, which he came into the world to perform, was finished. No priest ever sat down in the typical holy of holies, because none of those priest could ever finish their work. Their sacrifices could never put away sin. The Lord Jesus Christ sat down, because his work was finished.

Seated Upon A Throne

Our great High Priest is seated upon the throne of God! – “On the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens” – (v. 1). The fact that he is seated upon the throne of God, the throne of universal monarchy, the throne of grace, declares that he is, indeed, able to (and most assuredly will) save all his people unto the uttermost, for he has been given power over all flesh for that purpose (John 17:1-2; Rom. 14:9.

The True Sanctuary

All earthly priests served in the earth. Theirs was an earthly, carnal ministry. Our Lord Jesus Christ is “a minister of the true sanctuary” in heaven. – (v. 2). The fact that he sat down declares that his work is done. The fact that he sat down on the throne of God declares that he is able to save all for whom he died, whose interests he serves as God’s High Priest. And the fact that he sat down in heaven declares that his work has been accepted. – Hallelujah!

Be sure you do not miss this. – When he sat down in heaven, our Savior sat down as our Forerunner, and our Covenant Head; and we sat down in him (Eph. 2:4-7). He took possession of eternal salvation and all the glory of heaven in the name of his people, as our representative. That means that we entered into heaven and sat down with him. He entered into and took possession of heaven as our Forerunner. That means that we, for whom he entered in, shall also enter into heaven by him.

Our great High Priest, the Son of God in human flesh, ministers for us continually in the holy of holies, not on earth, but in heaven itself, in that holy place not made with hands, in the very presence of God (Heb. 9:24). This is the superiority of our Savior’s priestly ministry. Our great High Priest is interceding for us in heaven (Rom. 8:33-34). That is the work of a priest. He makes intercession; and the intercession of that Priest, who has been accepted in heaven for us, is infallibly effectual.

“The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One,

He cannot turn away The presence of His Son!”