A Better Ministry, A Better Covenant And Better Promises

A Better Ministry, A Better Covenant And Better Promises
Hebrews 8:1-7

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” (Hebrews 8:1-2)

We have seen in previous discussions how that Jesus Christ has a different priesthood than the priests under the Mosaic law. The law was designed to make men aware of their guilt before God, according to Romans 3:19. “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” Galatians 3 tells us it was given as a separate covenant or testament from the promises as a temporary, stopgap measure to draw men to Christ.

Christ is a priest under the original promise to Abraham, of the true tabernacle made by God, not that made by the Jews. The other priests prepared and made the sacrifices for the people, killing the animals, and burning them on the altar, but the high priest was responsible for presenting them to God. He was the only one permitted to enter the Holy of Holies, the inner room of the tabernacle, or to see the Ark of the Covenant, and the Mercy seat, where he sprinkled the blood on the day of atonement. He was the only one who could do several of the other offerings. This is why the high priest was chosen.

“For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount.” (Hebrews 8:3-5)

The descendents of Aaron were the only ones qualified to serve as priests under the Mosaic law. Even other descendents of Levi were forbidden to take the office and Numbers 16 describes the destruction Korah and his followers for trying to take the priests office. Korah was a Levite, but not of Aaron’s family. Even Christ could not serve as a priest in the earthly tabernacle. There was already a priesthood charged with serving there.

The earthly tabernacle is just a shadow of the true tabernacle which Christ serves as priest. The Tabernacle was built according to a pattern based on the heavenly tabernacle. As we are told, it is a shadow of those things, not the reality. In the animated movie Peter And The Wolf, Peter and his friends were terrified of a shadow. They didn’t realize the shadow was not a real danger. The reality was something very different than they had inferred from the shadow.

A shadow only gives the most general portrayal of an object. A round shadow could be equally the result of a flat disk, a tubular object, a cone, a ball, or a balloon All that is seen is the round shadow. It is an even less precise representation than a picture. It is not an exact image. It has no depth. Notice Hebrews 10:1: “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” The law is not an exact representation of God’s plan and requirements, it is just a shadow.

Ministering in the true tabernacle, offering sacrifices that are capable of taking away the sin, rather than merely postponing judgment is a far greater ministry than that of the Aaronic priests under the law. Hebrews 10:11-12 describes the difference in their ministry. “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;” Not only was the ministry greater, but it resulted in a better covenant for us.

“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. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.” (Hebrews 8:6-7)

Deuteronomy 4:40 gives a concise statement of the promises under the law. “Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.” Though many other references expand on this, promising victory over their enemies, peace in the land, health and long lives, and productive crops and herds, all the promises end with this life. They are only physical, temporal promises, to be obtained through man’s efforts.

Our covenant is established on better promises. First, we will have our sin removed and be restored in the image of God, becoming like God or godly. “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust,” (I Peter 1:4).

Receiving that Godly nature is beneficial both in the present life, and for eternity. It does not end with death. “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come,” (I Timothy 4:8). Our own efforts to please God and accomplish things will be far outweighed in this life by letting God control our lives, and then extend into eternity, which it also guarantees us. “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life,” (I John 2:25).

Because the law offered nothing beyond this life, it needed to be replaced with a better covenant capable of providing Eternal benefits.