Now the point in what we are saying is this: we
have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of
the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the
Lord set up, not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and
sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to
offer. Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there
are priests who offer gifts according to the law. They serve a copy and shadow
of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was
instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the
pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” But as it is, Christ has obtained
a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he
mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first
covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a
second. (Hebrews
8:1–7 ESV).
When we come to today’s reading we find
another example cited by the writer of how Jesus is greater than anything
before. In the last two verse of this section he says that Jesus a “more excellent
ministry” that was a result of the “old covenant” (v. 6). Further he writes
that the reason for this new covenant is the first one had faults. He says this
in regard to the first covenant not being “complete.”
Perhaps a definition of “covenant might
be helpful at this point. A search of definitions provides us with this
explanation:
A covenant is a formal, solemn, and binding agreement,
promise, or contract between two or more parties. It often implies a deeply
personal or sacred commitment, going beyond a mere contract to create a lasting
relationship or pledge. Covenants are frequently used in legal, religious, and
international contexts, requiring specific actions or restrictions.
We see here that the reason for the need
for this new covenant is that we have now been given a better mediator. Previously
in the old covenant it was dependent on the works of the Law. No one was able
to keep that covenant until Jesus. So, when Jesus comes, He is the mediator of
a "better covenant," which is established on superior promises and a
higher ministry in heaven rather than an earthly tabernacle. This new covenant
replaces the obsolete, external Mosaic law with an internal
transformation—writing God's laws on hearts—providing complete forgiveness.
There are some key components in this
covenant that we should both understand and appropriate. First, we now have a
superior High Priest. Jesus is the High Priest seated at the right hand of God,
serving in the heavenly sanctuary—the "true tabernacle" built by God
rather than man.
Second, we now have superior promises.
Unlike the Old Covenant, which focused on external obedience and was broken by
the people, the New Covenant, predicted by Jeremiah, involves God placing laws
directly into minds and writing them on hearts. It is God initiated and God
maintained.
Third, there is a better covenant basis.
The covenant is not merely "better" in quality but in its very
nature, offering direct access to God, internal transformation, and full
forgiveness of sins, rather than just covering them. God is not glossing over
our sin. Through Jesus He is absolving them from us. They are paid in full,
never to hold us accountable for them.
And fourth, the writer argues that if
the first covenant were flawless, a second would not be necessary. Because the
first was broken and temporary, it is deemed obsolete. This is the meaning
behind Jesus’ declaration that He had “completed” the old covenant. Where none
of us could ever do all that was required for the covenant to succeed, Jesus
has already finished that work.
That is the hallelujah of our faith!
