A Better Covenant and Better Promises

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. of the sanctuary...: Or, of holy things 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: there...: Or, they are Priests 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 shewed to thee in the mount. 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. covenant...: Or, Testament - 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.