Notes

---

Lesson Fifteen, Day One

LESSON FIFTEEN HEBREWS 8:1-13 DAY ONE Read Heb. 8:1-2. 1. What themes do you see repeated in these opening verses and what new themes are introduced?

2. What does the author claim as his main point in Heb. 8:1?

3. How is this high priest characterized?

4. What is the importance of this high priest being located in the heavens and not on earth?

5. In Heb. 8:2, how is the true tabernacle described?

Read Ex. 25:1, 8-9. 6. Who was commanded to build the original tabernacle?

7. What makes the tabernacle built by the Lord a “true tabernacle”?

186

Lesson Fifteen, Day One/Day Two

8. From what location does Christ fulfill his priestly duties?

Read Zechariah 6:13. 9. Do these verse give you confidence that Jesus as a High Priest and Ruler and God the Father as Ruler both care for you and desire to minister to your needs?

DAY TWO Read Hebrews 8:3-5. 10. According to Heb. 8:3, what is the difference between the high priest of Israel’s offering and what this high priest offers?

11. Could Jesus have occupied the earthly position as high priest according to the Law? Why or why not?

12. What do you think “a copy and shadow of heavenly things” implies about the ministry of the Levitical priesthood?

13. Why is it significant that the priesthood and the tabernacle (the physical location where the priests served and where God dwelled) are considered to shadows of what exists in heaven?

187

Lesson Fifteen, Day Two/Day Three/Day Four

Read Ex. 40:33-35. 14. What was the purpose for constructing the tabernacle?

DAY THREE Read Hebrews 8:6-9 15. According to Heb. 8:6, how are Christ’s ministry, the covenant, and the promises described?

16. What does Heb. 8:7 say was the problem with the first covenant? What does that imply about the second covenant?

17. In Heb. 8:8, who else is at fault?

Read Jeremiah 33:31-34. 18. According to Heb. 8:8-9, what was the fault of the Israelites?

19. Did the disobedience of the Israelites cause God to turn His back on them?

DAY FOUR Read Hebrews 8:10-13 20. In Heb. 8:10, how is the new covenant described?

188

Lesson Fifteen, Day Four/Day Five

21. What was the original Law inscribed upon? What is the new covenant inscribed upon?

22. With whom does God make this new covenant?

23. According to Heb. 8:11, who will know the Lord and how complete is this knowledge?

24. In Heb. 8:12, what does God promise to do?

DAY FIVE 25. From what you know about the sacrificial system of the priesthood, how different was this promise from what the Israelites experienced under the old covenant?

26. How do you think an Israelite would respond to this proclamation of eternal forgiveness of sins?

27. How do you respond?

28. In Heb. 8:13, what implications does the new covenant have upon the old covenant?

189

Lesson Fifteen, Day Five

29. What do you think the purpose of the old covenant was?

30. How do you experience life under the new covenant of Christ?

190

Lesson Fifteen Scripture

LESSON FIFTEEN SCRIPTURE Hebrews 8:1-13 1

Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a ahigh priest, who has

taken His seat at bthe right hand of the throne of the bMajesty in the heavens, a

2

a

minister 1in the sanctuary and 1in the btrue 2tabernacle, which the Lord cpitched, not

man.

3

For every ahigh priest is appointed bto offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is

necessary that this high priest also have something to offer.

4

Now if He were on earth,

He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who aoffer the gifts according to

the Law; c

5

who serve aa copy and bshadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses 1was

warned by God when he was about to erect the 2tabernacle; for, "dSEE," He says,

"THAT YOU MAKE all things ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN

YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN."

6

But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by

as much as He is also the amediator of ba better covenant, which has been enacted on

better promises.

7

For aif that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been

no occasion sought for a second.

8

For finding fault with them, He says, "aBEHOLD,

DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, 1WHEN I WILL EFFECT bA NEW

191

Lesson Fifteen Scripture

9

COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; a

NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY

WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF

EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE

FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD.

10 a

" FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL

MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: 1I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM bON THEIR

HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

11 a

" AND

THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, 'KNOW THE LORD,' FOR bALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM 1THE

LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM.

12 a

" FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR

INIQUITIES, bAND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE."

13 1

When He said,

"aA new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. bBut whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is 2ready to disappear.

192

Lesson Fifteen Scripture, Day One/Day Two/Day Three

DAY ONE Hebrews 8:1 - 2 Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man. Exodus 25:1, 8-9 1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 8 "Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. 9 "According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it. LXE (Greek Version) Zechariah 6:13 And he shall receive power, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and there shall be a priest on his right hand, and a peaceable counsel shall be between them both. DAY TWO Hebrews 8:3-5 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. 4 Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; 5 who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, "SEE," He says, "THAT YOU MAKE all things ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN." 3

Exodus 40:33-35 33 He aerected the court all around the 1tabernacle and the altar, and 2 hung up the veil for the gateway of the court. Thus Moses finished the work. 34 aThen the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the bglory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses awas not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. DAY THREE Hebrews 8:6-9 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 8 For finding fault with them, He says, "BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; 9 NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND

193

Lesson Fifteen Scripture, Day Three/Day Four/Day Five

TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD. Jeremiah 31:31-34 31 "aBehold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a bnew covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the acovenant which I made with their fathers in the day I btook them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My ccovenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. 33 "But athis is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "bI will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and cI will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 "They will anot teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all bknow Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will cforgive their iniquity, and their dsin I will remember no more." DAY FOUR/DAY FIVE Hebrews 8:10-13 10 "FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 11 "AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, 'KNOW THE LORD,' FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM. 12 "FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE." 13 When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

194

Lesson Fifteen Commentary

LESSON FIFTEEN COMMENTARY HEBREWS 8:1-13 Chapter Seven concluded with the summary statement of the author’s teaching concerning Jesus’ superiority to the Levitical priesthood: the fulfillment of God’s promise did not come through the Law but instead through God’s Son who was appointed, who was made perfect forever, and who in every way has transcended that which was made available through the sacrificial system and the ministry of the priests of Israel. Jesus is described in Chapter Seven as the better hope (7:19) and the guarantee of a better covenant (7:22). In Chapter Eight, the author continues his flow of thought by graduating into a discussion regarding the way in which Jesus inaugurates this better covenant. Hebrews 8:1-6 Heb. 8:1-6 continues the comparison of the priesthood of Israel with the priesthood of Jesus, the emphasis now is upon Jesus’ role and ministry as high priest as opposed to the Israelite priests. Heb. 8:1 begins with the statement, “now the main point is this.” Both William Lane and F. F. Bruce argue that the better translation would be, “Now the ‘crowning affirmation’ or ‘crowning example’” is that we do have such a high priest.1 The point is that the author is not simply providing a summary of what he has previously stated; rather he is making the point very clear that he is now moving into new territory in the discussion of how Jesus actually accomplishes His ministerial duties. What we need to know is that this high priest, in complete contrast to the priests of Israel, has asserted His rightful position as the great and final high priest by His exaltation to the right hand of God’s throne, and it is in the heavenly realm that He carries out His service as a priest. As the author introduces this new thought, immediately the implication is made that Jesus is officiating in this superior ministry in the superior, heavenly tabernacle. The idea of Jesus being seated at God’s right hand does not suggest an inactive stance on His part. In His current priestly ministry He actively intercedes on behalf of those who trust Him and He actively rules as King and as Savior. Again with this statement, Jesus’ qualifications as High Priest are abundantly superior to those of the Levitcal priests. What priest of Israel could ever say that he served his people from the vantage point of heaven, seated alongside God the Father? Certainly none of them could, yet Jesus who did not come from the tribe of Levi, who did not meet the earthly, legal qualifications of the Levitical priesthood is uniquely qualified to minister to humanity in the perfect and true tabernacle of God. This true tabernacle is described as “pitched by the Lord and not by man” thus making it patently clear that the author is referring to what is in heaven and not what was given to the Israelites by God, through Moses, on Mount Sinai.

1

William L. Lane, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 47a, Hebrews 1-8, 200. F. F. Bruce, The New International Commentary of the New Testament: The Epistle to the Hebrews, 181.

195

Lesson Fifteen Commentary

Heb. 8:3-5 now describes the earth-bound limitations of the ministry of the priests of Israel in opposition to the heavenly duties of Jesus. This passage stresses that the duties of the Levitical priests are to offer gifts and sacrifices (notice that both are plural nouns and the Greek tense of he verb “offer” suggests that this was a continual action on behalf of the priests), and that their ministry in the tabernacle that was only intended to be a shadowy substitution for the true tabernacle in heaven and the true ministry of the high priest that is officiated in heaven. As a high priest Jesus also had to have something to offer. Although it is not expressly stated here, we have already encountered the idea of Jesus’ once for all offering of Himself on our behalf. (The tense of the Greek word “to offer” in v. 3 also suggests a completed one-time action as opposed to the continual offerings of the priests.) But Jesus’ ministry as high priest is contrasted with that of the other priests as one that is not restricted by earthly limitations. What the priests of Israel did for their people could only have temporary effects in their lives. Heb. 8:4 says that those gifts offered by the priests are according to Law. The one time gift that was offered by Christ transcended the earthly because it was not according to the Law, but according to the promise of God that there would be a new covenant, a new way in which humanity could relate to God, and a transformation of the human heart that would enable humankind to keep the Law through the righteousness of Christ that is ours to claim. To explain this concept, the author roots his discussion in the exchange between Moses and God on Mount Sinai when Moses was given the Law. In Ex. 25:1-9 Moses is given the blueprint, the pattern, possibly a model of the heavenly tabernacle and he is told to have the Israelites construct this tabernacle according to the plan so that they would have a place to worship and so that God would have a place to dwell. The tabernacle was built and God’s presence dwelled in the tabernacle. When God was present in the tabernacle, nobody could enter it, not even Moses who is said to have seen God as fully as anyone in the Old Testament ever did. The symbol of God’s presence was a flame of fire at night and a cloud of smoke during the day. When the cloud or the flame moved, the Israelites were to pick up camp and follow them. When the cloud and the flame were static, the Israelites were to remain where they were until God called them to do otherwise. The tabernacle was a very strong element in the faith and culture of Israel, but the author of Hebrews now understands it through the lens of fulfillment in Christ. A fuller treatment of the tabernacle will be discussed in Chapter Nine, but the point that is made currently is that the tabernacle was only meant to be an imperfect representation of that which is perfect and complete in heaven. The priests are said to serve a “shadowy suggestion” or “shadowy outline” of the heavenly things.2 Moses was given the plan for a tabernacle that would house God. Israelite worship was centered around this tabernacle and ultimately the Temple that would be built by Solomon in Jerusalem. The fact that these are only shadows, incomplete earthly representations, speaks to the temporal quality of what was enacted by God. It was God’s plan for the Israelites to build the tabernacle, it was God’s plan for the Temple to be built by Solomon, and it was God’s plan for the Temple to be rebuilt under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah following the Israelites’ return from exile in 538 B.C. 2

William L. Lane, 201.

196

Lesson Fifteen Commentary

It was also God’s plan for the tabernacle and Temple to be temporary structures that pointed to an eternal reality. During the time of Christ’s earthly ministry, the glory of the Lord was no longer present in the physical structure of the Temple; it was resident in the man Jesus Christ. There are numerous examples in the New Testament of Jesus performing a ministry outside the walls of the Temple that was meant to be accomplished within the Temple. The ministry of the High Priest of Israel was being carried out in the streets, on the shores of lakes, in peoples’ homes, in Gentile territory and in Jewish territory, as Jesus announced through His words and His actions that the Messiah of Israel had arrived. The fulfillment of the promises of the Old Testament all pointed to Him. This is the sense in which the author composes Heb. 8:6. It is barely possible to use any more superlatives in describing what Jesus has done without finding it ridiculous. But this statement is striking in that it concludes the discussion of the priesthood, introduces the new subject of the covenant, and places an exclamation point on the issue of Jesus’ superiority in every realm. Jesus has a more excellent ministry than the priests because He gave the once-for-all sacrifice that they could never offer and His ministry continues in the heavenly realm. Jesus is not only the guarantee, but now we learn that He is the mediator of a better covenant (a word which dominates the thought of the book of Hebrews, but appears here for the first time and will be the next topic to examine). This covenant is better because it has been “enacted” on better promises that were meant to express the fulfillment of God’s unfolding plan. The word enacted is very telling in this verse. It means “to establish” or “to enact” but it also can mean “to give the law” and this is the sense in which it is used in Heb. 7:11 when it says that the people “received the Law.” With this in mind, when we read that Jesus mediates a better covenant which is enacted on better promises, in a very real sense a new Law is given that supplants the old. Paul presents the same thought when he speaks of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ (Rom. 8). Jesus is able to mediate a new covenant because the necessary requirements of the legal system concerning the issue of sin were fulfilled in Christ on the cross. Hebrews 8:7-13. This next section in Hebrews now addresses this second, superior covenant through an extended quote from the book of Jeremiah. It is helpful to understand the nature of covenants as well as the context from which this Jeremiah passage is wrested. Regarding this chapter’s presentation of the new covenant vs. the old covenant, the discussion is rooted in the understanding that the idea of covenant is the fundamental basis of Israel’s faith. The word covenant is mentioned 82 times in the first five books of the Old Testament (the Pentateuch or the Torah).3 It is the heart of God’s relational expression of Himself. There are numerous covenants in the Old Testament, but those which are of primary importance in understanding the book of Hebrews are the covenants made with Noah, Abraham, and Moses (and through Moses to the people of Israel). Generally, there are two types of covenants appearing in the Old Testament. The first type is called a unilateral covenant.4 It is initiated by God and it 3

P. R. Williamson, “Covenant,” Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch, eds. T. Desmond Alexander & David W. Baker, 139-155. 4 P.R. Williamson, 146.

197

Lesson Fifteen Commentary

involves God’s solemn promise to an individual. It requires no response on behalf of the other party. The covenant made with David regarding the eternal establishment of his throne is one such covenant. The promise is made to David, but the fulfillment of the promise is not dependent upon the obedience of David or his descendents. We see in the history of Israel’s monarchy that the kings who served God with all their heart were the exceptions, and yet God remained faithful in fulfilling this promise in and through His Son Jesus. The second type of covenant is called a binary covenant.5 This type of covenant is initiated by God, but it calls for a response of obedience on behalf of the other party. The covenants with Noah, Abraham, and Moses all belong in this category. The similarities between these three covenants are 1) God appears to each of these men announcing His intentions for them and the long-term implications of His promise. 2) Each of these men respond by making a sacrifice to God. 3) In each case God provides a sign of His promise. With Noah (Genesis 8-9), God promises never again to destroy the earth with a flood. He commands Noah and his family to go forth, to be fruitful and multiply, and He establishes guidelines as to how they are to live their lives. Noah responds with a sacrificial burnt offering (keep in mind this is prior to the inception of the sacrificial system). God smells the aroma, is satisfied with the offering, and proceeds to announce His words of promise to Noah and his family. God then provides the rainbow as His sign that He will keep His promise. God’s covenant with Noah is universal in nature, providing benefits for all humanity. God’s covenant with Abraham is much more detailed, it unfolds over a period of time (Genesis 12, 15, and 17), and it involves both a specific promise to Abraham’s descendents as well as a general promise to the nations that Israel is to be a blessing to all the families of the earth. In Genesis, God calls out Abraham to leave his family and his land to go to that which God will show him. God tells Abraham that He will provide a son for him, through whom the nation of Israel will be established, that He will make Abraham’s name great, that He will bless Abraham and make Abraham a blessing to the nations. Abraham’s response to God’s covenantal promise is one of obedience and sacrifice. In Genesis 17, God’s covenant with Abraham is reiterated, obedience is required, and the sign of that obedience is circumcision. So, as with Noah, God’s covenant with Abraham is two-sided, it is established with a sacrifice, and it is accompanied with a sign. The covenant made to Moses on Mt. Sinai is what stands directly in the background of the book of Hebrews. After leaving the slavery of Egypt for an uncertain future, God appears to Moses on Mt. Sinai to communicate to him the requirements that He has for the nation of Israel. In this covenant with Israel, God claims the nation as His own, and His desire is for His people to be set apart from the other nations and to reflect Him in all areas of their lives. The covenantal requirements given on Mt. Sinai are presented in the Ten Commandments as well as in the worship, sacrificial, purity, and legal requirements detailed in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. In this 5

P.R. Williamson, 146.

198

Lesson Fifteen Commentary

covenant, the priesthood is established and the sacrificial system of worship and atonement is spelled out. Additionally, with the giving of the Law, Moses was also shown the pattern of the heavenly Tabernacle, which would be the blueprint for the earthly tabernacle that would be built in the wilderness and that would serve as a dwelling place for God’s glory. This covenant was also ratified with a sacrifice and the sign given to Moses and the Israelites as the seal of God’s promise to them was the Sabbath. The Sabbath was given as a gift to the Israelites to provide physical rest for them, but also to foreshadow the eternal Sabbath rest that is promised by God. Something that is noted with all of the covenants is that although the desired response is obedience to the covenant, the reality is that the human heart is incapable of the total submission required by God. In every case, there is a commitment to God on behalf of the people to remain faithful to the covenant and in every case over time the faithfulness of the people wanes. As the Mosaic covenant is being given, the Israelites tire of waiting for Moses and they begin worshipping a god of their own creation. God reestablishes His commitment to them, and in the time it takes for the Israelites to complete their wandering in the desert, they need to reaffirm their faith and their commitment to God once again. Israel’s history of faithfulness from the time they enter into the Promised Land to the time that they enter into exile is rather erratic. After Moses dies, there is the period of the judges, which ends with the statement “and everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Jgd. 21:25). Then Israel decided that they would fare better under the rulership of a king. Although this was never God’s desire for Israel, He grants them the greatest king they would ever know in King David, and shortly after his death the kingdom deteriorates. By the time his son Solomon dies, the kingdom of Israel is divided. The pattern of a relative short burst of devotion to God, followed by long periods of failure to trust in God ultimately leads to the exile of the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah. God’s covenant relationship with Israel could only guarantee that He would remain faithful to them. It could do nothing to produce unwavering hearts of belief. It is in this sense then, that the covenants of the Old Testament are considered “old” or ineffective. As it is with the Law, there is nothing wrong with the covenants; rather it is the heart of man that is flawed and unable to accomplish what is demanded. The new covenant that is ushered in by Jesus’ death and resurrection is described in Jeremiah as “new,” “better,” and “superior” in that it affects the internal change of heart that is necessary to be in a right standing with God. In the quotation from Jeremiah, Israel’s history of feeble faithfulness as opposed to God’s unwavering commitment stands in the background. Following Solomon’s death, the kingdom of Israel was split. Solomon’s Son Rehoboam became King of Israel and under the leadership of Jeroboam, ten of the twelve tribes rebelled against Rehoboam. The kingdom became divided between Israel which occupied the Northern territory and Judah, which remained under Rehoboam’s leadership and occupied the Southern territory. In addition to the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Benjamin also remained faithful to Solomon’s son, (1 Kings 11-12). Many years later, Jeremiah was a prophet to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Israel had already fallen into exile and was experiencing the judgment of God. Judah was not far on Israel’s heels and Jeremiah was commissioned by God to announce to Judah their impending exile unless they

199

Lesson Fifteen Commentary

would turn from their ways and follow after their God. After an initial hopefulness, the King of Judah makes the decision to follow the advice of kings rather than the prophet of God and the ensuing results are disastrous. Judah is led into exile, the people and the land of Judah are devastated, and any remaining hope that God would lead and guide the Israelites is extinguished. Of course God has not turned His back and abandoned Israel, which is exactly the point of the passage quoted from Jeremiah 31:31-34. The author of Hebrews introduces the quote from Jeremiah with the qualifying statement that if the first covenant had been faultless, there would be no need for a second. So, what is the fault with the Law? According to the passage in Jeremiah, the fault is that the Law is external and incapable of addressing the internal inclination of the heart. Paul tells us that the Law arouses sin in us (Rom. 3:20), so the Law is incapable of making us perfect. The covenant spoken of by Jeremiah is one in which the Law becomes internalized. It is emblazoned on the minds and written on the hearts of God’s people. This can only happen if a radical transformation of the heart occurs. Jer. 24:7 says that God will give His people a heart capable of knowing Him. Heb. 10:22 describes the heart that God is able to write upon as sincere, full of assurance and faith, and sprinkled clean. This last phrase is a reference to the sprinkling of blood that occurs with a sacrifice. In this case the sacrifice is that offered by Christ. Heb. 8:7-8 makes it clear that both the Law and the people are at fault. The Law is at fault because it is unable to affect internal heart changes in a person. The people are at fault because from the beginning of humanity the trend has been a long trajectory of doubting God’s goodness, punctuated by occasional bouts of devotion. The passage quoted from Jeremiah stands in the midst of God’s decisive act of turning Judah over to the Babylonians. In spite of God’s judgment in allowing Israel and Judah to experience the consequences of their choices, He announces His intention to effect a new covenant with the house of Israel. This covenant will look entirely different from the old because both the people and the covenant will be changed. Heb. 8:8 tells us that Jeremiah predicted the coming of a new covenant “effected” by God, or in other words, brought to fulfillment by God. The word that is translated “effect” has the sense of completion and finality. This new covenant is the final covenant of God. It is superior to the old because like those made with the Fathers of Israel there is a requirement of obedience. Unlike those made with the Fathers of Israel this perfect obedience is attained by Christ on our behalf. In his exposition of this passage, F. F. Bruce points out three particularities of the new covenant as expressed through the prophet: 1) it implants God’s law in our hearts, 2) it involves personal knowledge of God, and 3) it involves a permanent blotting out of sin.6 Regarding the internal change of the heart, F. F. Bruce writes, “What was needed was a new nature, a heart liberated from its bondage to sin, a heart which not only spontaneously knew and loved the will of God but has the power to do it.”7 The new covenant, which is ushered in through the blood of Christ, enables a person to live in an ever-present sense that God is satisfied on behalf of our sins and that He now actively 6 7

F. F. Bruce, 189. F. F. Bruce, 190.

200

Lesson Fifteen Commentary

pursues a relationship in which He can be our intended, perfect Father and we can flourish under His attention and care. We are granted the capability to relate to God the Father in a way that those under the old covenant were not able to do. Although the Spirit worked in and through the Old Testament saints and they had a relationship with God the Father, they were unable to experience the reality of the promise of eternal forgiveness and a right standing before God. They looked forward to the future promise of what the New Testament believer experiences in the present through Christ. Related to this is that the new covenant involves a personal knowledge of God. This knowledge is such that there will no longer be a need for teachers because each individual will have within them the ability to know God. The saints of the Old Testament stood behind the veil of the inner sanctuary. The saints of the New Testament are allowed direct access behind the veil, so in a different way, we are granted the privilege of being able to approach God the Father at any time and for any reason. We do not need to wait for an annual appointment in which the high priest intercedes for us. It is this personal, experiential knowledge of God that enables the heart to take hold of what God offers us. One of the primary benefits is that of forgiveness of sins. The old covenant allowed for temporary forgiveness, the new covenant is based on the permanent sacrifice of Christ and the eternal benefits of His death. As New Testament believers, we are proclaimed, holy, righteous, blameless, and pure. It is only through Christ that this can be said of us. The permanence of this reality could only be a future hope under the old covenant. With the new covenant, comes a new reality which was promised by God the Father and secured through His Son’s death and subsequent exaltation. Heb. 8:13 concludes the quotation from Jeremiah much like Heb. 8:7 introduced it: with a statement that God’s unfolding plan of redemption has taken a decisive turn with the life, suffering, death, resurrection, and continuing ministry of Christ enacted from the heavenly throne. What has been promised in the covenants to the Fathers, is now fulfilled through the Son. Christ’s sacrificial death makes the ministry of the priests and the accompanying sacrifices obsolete. These demands of the Law have disappeared as we are granted the ability to know God, to experience God’s forgiveness and God’s care with unrestricted access. As is the case when God’s promises are fulfilled, there is a present and a future aspect involved. There are elements of the old covenants and the Law that are no longer appropriate and to return to these elements is to misunderstand the greatness of what Christ has done. There are also elements of the covenants and Law that have even greater significance following Christ’s work on the cross. The promise is made that those who seek God will be His people. This was true of the Israelites in the Old Testament, but although they experienced God’s covenant faithfulness, they were unable to complete the required demands of the covenant. With the new covenant, not only do we belong to God, but we have fulfilled the demands of the covenant in Christ. We are able to love and pursue God with a deep sense of security that everything that keeps a marred, imperfect person from a Holy, set apart, and perfect God has been eradicated through Christ.

201