I would like for us to re-read
Psalm 1 verses 1 and 2. If you know it, you don't have
to turn to it, and by now you should know it. Blessed is the
man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth
in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful,
but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth
he meditate day and night." Now turn with me, if you will, to
the book of Revelation and the 21st chapter. Revelation chapter
21, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle John, and in the midst
of the revelatory experience beyond revelatory experiences.
He writes, and I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first
heaven and the first earth passed away and there was no more sea. That's literally, there's no
longer sea. Might just add here, my brother
clarifies that, because I told him, I says, you know, one of
the great beauties of the earth is its oceans. And it's hard
for me to fathom an earth with no oceans. And he says, well,
he didn't think that's what it means. It means there's no more
briny sea, no more sea of death. It's just a sea of life. The
water of our oceans cannot sustain us, and that would mean if that's
right, and he extracts that from this verse. I haven't done that
much study on this one verse to try to exegete that, but I
trust my brother, and I find that to be very comforting. There's
just no more sea of death for man. the new heaven and new earth. And John saw this. Verse 2, And
I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God
out of heaven. Now, I hope you're learning to
attribute any reference to heaven to a framework of when, not just
where. Or what? But you're asking yourself
and answering the question, when? Because this would mean it's
coming from eternity. It's always been there, but now
it's coming down from eternity. "...prepared as a bride adorned
for her husband. And I heard a great voice out
of heaven saying, Behold..." Look at this. The tabernacle
of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall
be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their
God. And God shall wipe away all tears. That's literally every tear from
their eyes. And there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain,
for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the
throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto
me, Write, for these words are true and faithful. And He said
unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning
and the end. This is the first real time reference
that we've come to in our reading this morning. When Jesus says,
he's the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is
a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit
all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."
That's literally, he shall be to me a son. So ladies, that doesn't leave
you out. You are, all of God's elect are
sons of God. So your question is, does that
mean that when we die we go to the new heaven and the new earth?
I think that we discover what is a reality in eternity is complete. Enoch had a vision of the coming
of Christ with Jude says ten thousands of his saints, or the
translation is ten thousands, and that comes from 1611 English,
and that was the way they expressed what is really indicated in the
language. It's literally myriads upon myriads. It's all the elect. He saw all
the elect. He saw, in essence then, a vision
of himself coming with the Lord. And when did that happen? That
happened before the flood, for crying out loud. That goes back
to a point in history that is incomprehensible to us. It's
the stuff that myths are made of with the world. And if that's
what Enoch saw, and then Paul makes mention to the Thessalonians
that they were going to be his joy when the Lord comes with
all of his saints. Well, I read that one day and
I said, well, if I'm a saint, I'm gonna be in that coming.
If you're a saint, you're gonna be in that coming. All God's
saints are gonna be in that coming. So what we're doing, we're living
out, we're fulfilling our description, our biblical description. That's
why in this book, whenever it says it is written, it means
it's predestined. When it says, and it came to
pass, that's God saying, that's when I brought to fruition in
time. But it's always a reflection
of an eternal reality. This goes beyond what we can
fully comprehend. But this is where Christ performed
everything that we needed to have performed to save our soul.
So it's easy for the grace of faith that he gives us to embrace
this because it's grand, it's glorious, it's good news, it's
gospel. And he said unto me, it is done. I am alpha and omega, the beginning
and the end. I will give unto him that is
a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit
all things. I will be his God, and he shall
be to me a son. But the fearful," that word literally
means cowardly, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers,
and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars,
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire
and brimstone, which is the second death. And there came unto me
one of the seven angels, which had the seven vials full of the
seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither,
I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me
away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, Hope you're
taking note of the mountain. "...and showed me that great
city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven, out of eternity,
from God, having the glory of God. And her light was like unto
a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal."
I want to re-read. "...and He carried me away in
the Spirit to a great and high mountain." that which Mount Zion
is a type of, and showed me a great city, the holy Jerusalem. That's the church. Descending
out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Now jump down
to verse 22. And I saw no temple therein. This is a Jerusalem where there's
no temple. For the Lord God Almighty and
the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the
sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it. For the glory of
God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which
are saved, all the different nationalities, shall walk in
the light of it. And the kings of the earth do
bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it shall
not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory
and honor of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise
enter into it anything that defileth. neither whatsoever worketh abomination,
or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb's book
of life." Now flip back over to the book of Hebrews with me,
where we're going to be spending the rest of our time when I come
to my message, and read with me the first seven verses. These
are the verses that we're going to focus on this morning. Hebrews
8, the Holy Spirit again writes to us and says this, �Now of
the things which we have spoken, this is the sum. We have such
a 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. 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. But now hath he obtained a more
excellent ministry, by how much also he is a mediator of a better
covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if
that first covenant had been faultless, then no place should
have been sought for the second. May the Lord bless this portion
of the public reading of His Word. Now pull out your Don Fortner
hymnal and stand again with me and let's sing number 127, In
Christ We Are Free. As we turn this morning to the
eighth chapter of Hebrews, we will see that it continues to
progressively unfold before our understandings a definitive and
descriptive declaration of what is included in the eternal law
of the Lord. The law that is the delight of
the blessed one of Psalm 1 verses 1 and 2. The law that has become
their constant meditation both day and night throughout their
life in this fallen world. We shall also see from Hebrews
8 that the declaration of this truth comes to us from out of
the context, from out of the context of the Mosaic law of
the Old Covenant that has been historically delivered unto us
through the ministry and mediation of Moses. That old covenant law
that, in particular, focuses on the divine mandates of the
earthly, in time, events and rituals of the tabernacle and
the Levitical priesthood. So, let's now look and see how
chapter 8 of Hebrews, in particular, sets up this teaching platform. that uses the temporary types
of time in reflecting and declaring unto us the glorious realities
of eternity. Verse 1, chapter 8. Now, there's
a time frame of reference in that very first word. Now, of
the things which we have spoken, that is in particular of the
things which we have referred to from chapters 1 through 7.
Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum. We have such an high priest. If you don't remember what chapters
1 through 7 have brought to a definite conclusion, it is this, that we have such
an eternal, holy, and unchangeable High Priest in the eternal, holy,
unchangeable Son of God, that person of the great triumvirate
God, the Son of God, as manifested in the end-time historical person
and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then it goes on to say in
verse 1, "...of him who is set on the right hand of the throne
of the majesty in the heavens." Chapter 1, verses 1 and 2 declare
this right up front. This means that the eternal Son
of God has come into time and into the history of fallen mankind. And as the person and work of
the Lord Jesus Christ, He has historically manifested from
this platform of time, as we know it, that He has accomplished
in eternity all that's needed to be done in order to reveal
and unfold for us the truth that He and only He is our sovereign,
ruling, and eternal Savior and substitute. For He has by Himself
eternally purged away all of our sins. And He has historically
rendered apparent, that's what the word manifest means in Scripture
by the way, He has rendered apparent right now. the pure gospel truth
that He has been and always will be from eternity, in eternity,
and for eternity sovereign over us, governing all of our circumstances
and all the while in unceasing intercession on our behalf before
the Holy the great, holy, triumvirate God. Furthermore, verse 2, Hebrews
8, goes on to tell us that He, as our eternal priest before
God, is specifically on our behalf, it says, a minister of the sanctuary. Now we wouldn't know what that
meant if we didn't have the law of Moses, and if we didn't have
the blueprint of the tabernacle given by God unto Moses, and
if Moses wasn't faithful. to the house of God and building
it precisely according to the measurements, the colors, the
furniture that God demanded that it be constructed with. We wouldn't know what the sanctuary
was. The word sanctuary literally
points to that Jesus is the minister of the holy places. The holy
places. And it says that he is a minister
of the true tabernacle. Of the true tabernacle. Which,
as it goes on to say, the Lord pitched and not man. What the Lord by Himself alone
had put together with no man's help. which tabernacle and holy
places are in the eternal heavenly presence of holy God Himself."
They always have been, they always will be, and they presently are. In other words, Hebrews 8.2 is
declaring unto us that Jesus of Nazareth, this person who
in the fullness of time was born in Bethlehem, is identified as
the only eternal, holy, high priest of God to minister unto
us who are His people. In the eternal, holy place of
the true tabernacle of God, which the Lord has eternally pitched
and fixed, He has eternally set up and prepared from eternity,
in eternity, and for eternity, in holy God's eternal, heavenly
presence." where Jesus is. That's where
He ascended to. This means that He has been,
He is now, and He will always be right there before God on
our behalf as our forever living and eternal High Priest. Next,
our attention is from this context of Hebrews 8 brought back from
eternity to time. It is brought back from the heavenly,
eternal tabernacle and holy places that we just spoke of to the
description of the earthly end time under the law of Moses,
commanded practices of the temporary priesthood system as it specifically
pertains to the keeping of the law of the Old Covenant. The
keeping of the law of the Old Covenant. The practices that
are being referred to are those ceremonial rituals that were
commanded by God to be performed through the Law of Moses. These
ceremonies were to be religiously carried out in this world according
to the divinely ordered injunctions of the Mosaic Law that govern
the priestly services and validity of the earthly tabernacle. Verse
3 gives unto us the descriptive conclusion. It says, For every
high priest is ordained, that is, for every earthly, fallen,
type, in time, high priest, of the one true, eternal, and holy
high priest. He's a type of Christ. is appointed
by God, it says. That's what the word ordained
literally means, is appointed by God, by law, through the law
of Moses, God appoints it, appoints the Levites, through the law
of Moses, through the divine injunctions of the Mosaic Law. And the Levite priests were appointed
by God according to the Law of Moses, it says, to offer, literally,
both gifts and sacrifices. This is what they, of the God-appointed
Levite priesthood, did on a daily basis as a type and shadow of
Christ, the eternal Son of God. the eternal and holy high priest
of heaven, of all the saved ones." He's their high priest. They,
the type of priest, performed this, their daily duty, religiously. That adverb is a part of the
definitive description. They religiously performed these
ceremonies, these rituals. This was expected of them under
the mandates of old covenant law throughout the entire time
of their fallen earthly existence. And verse 3 draws a conclusion
for us. Therefore, if this is what the
appointed by God, in time, temporary types and shadows of Christ,
the eternal high priest did, then verse 3 goes on to conclude
and explain by saying, wherefore, which word literally means from
which, from out of this types and shadows we learn this, we
can conclude without a shadow of a doubt, this fact. It is
of necessity. that this man, that is the subject,
not only of chapter 8 of Hebrews, but of the whole epistle, of
the whole of Scripture, that this man, that is, it is of necessity
that this eternal God-man, Christ Jesus, have somewhat also to
offer. In other words, the Word of God
is here, focusing directly upon the offering of the eternal Lamb
or the Christ of God. Why do we say that? Because if
the end time type of priest offered up gifts and sacrifices that
had to be acceptable according to the end-time commandments
that were given in order to maintain the integrity of the sacrificial
system as stipulated, exactly stipulated in the Law of Moses,
so also, must also, the eternal, heavenly, and holy archetype
high priest, Christ himself, offer up in eternity. acceptable
gifts and sacrifices in accordance with the law of the new covenant. He must make according to the
eternal law of the Lord, eternally acceptable gifts and offerings. And this He did with the gift
and offering of Himself. This gift and offering is of
eternal magnitude and value. Why? Even because He is the eternal
Son of God. Praise His name. This is why
the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ was what all the
gifts and offerings of the temporary in time type of priest had actually
and ultimately represented. There's not one of the sacrifices
that are given that isn't a representation of Christ. Not one of the priests
that didn't represent Christ. The altars upon which they offered
the animals was a type of Christ. The blood was a type of Christ's
blood. The journey made from the different
pieces of furniture of the temple and tabernacle worship We're
all a type of Christ, is a portrait of Christ. It's all Christ. Christ is all and in all that
was performed. This is what was historically
demonstrated in history with the actual death and resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Once again, the historical event
of Calvary and the empty tomb of our resurrected Lord provides
proof positive that our redemption and salvation has already been
accomplished in eternity. Again, praise His name. The Word
of God from this earthly, end-time context unfolds before us and
reveals unto us this most wonderful and marvelous, pure, gospel,
eternal truth. Why? Even because of what the
previous seven chapters have told us. This is the sum of what's
been said thus far in Hebrews concerning the person and work
of Christ. It's even because of who it is
speaking of as having performed this most wonderful promised
accomplishment, promised since the Garden of Eden. May we be
truly given ears to hear this and eyes to see this and hearts
to understand and believe this eternal glorious gospel reality. This is what it's talking about.
when Paul was inspired to write in Romans 10, 9 and 10, that
if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, say the
same things that God does, say the same things that the law
of the Lord does about the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine
heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, guess what? Thou shalt be saved. Not thou shalt become saved.
Thou shalt be saved. Verses 4 and 5 go on to further
explain concerning Christ, our eternal sovereign Savior and
eternal High Priest by saying, verse 4, for if indeed He were
on earth, He should not be a priest. That is, if indeed he were on
earth in time, if he were here right now, Paul is writing because
the temple was still in place. The temple was reconstructed
and the sacrificial, Levitical sacrificial system, Mosaic-mandated
sacrificial system was still being performed. And the point
that's being made is saying, if Christ were right here, He
should not be a priest. He should not even be among those
appointed priests of the Levitical priesthood. This point is made
from the standpoint of what Hebrews 7, 13, and 14 declare. Look with me back to chapter
7 and down at verses 13 and 14. It says, "...for he of whom these
things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no
man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord
sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning
priesthood." This portion of Hebrews 7 in particular has already
declared and established the point that's being made here
in Hebrews 8. that if indeed Jesus were here
on earth, He should not even be a priest. This is obvious
from the fact that He is the promised eternal Messiah and
High Priest, came or literally sprang upon the fallen human
scene from out of the tribe of Judah, and not from the God-appointed,
through the law of Moses, priesthood tribe of Levi. And also, this
is obvious by virtue of the fact of what Hebrews 7, 15 through
17 goes on to say. Look at these verses with me
for just a second. This is Hebrews 7, 15 through
17, which says, and it is far more evident. For that after
the similitude of Melchizedek there ariseth another priest,
who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but
after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, and
that's that the writer of the Hebrews is saying, God testifieth,
thou art a priest. And literally, the verbs Those two little words are injected.
Let's just read it with the forcefulness that it comes right from the
original. Thou priest forever unto the eternal ages after the
order of Melchizedek. From this context, it is declared
that His holding the office of High Priest is not by God appointed
by legal mandate through the Law of Moses, but rather in accordance
to the immutable oath and declaration of Almighty and Eternal God,
who cannot lie, who from eternity, in eternity, and for eternity
swore that the Lord Jesus is a priest forever, according to
the order of Melchizedek. Now this eternal oath of God
is emphasized by the fact that historically, because it keeps
pointing to it, the earthly time of Melchizedek's appearance And
that's significant because it was 430 years before the time
of Moses and the event of Mount Sinai and the appointment of
the law of the Levitical priesthood. Now, Kesedek, therefore, also,
whoever he was, he reflects a type in time of an eternal reality. as far as our eternal High Priest
is concerned. And this fact is emphatically
established by Melchizedek not having any written genealogy
of an earthly origin or even any record of his death. We don't
really know where he came from or where he went. He just showed
up as the King of Salem, which means peace. He's the King of
Peace and the King of Righteousness. Those are terms that are easily
attributed to Christ. They modify Him perfectly. But
where Mechizedek's concerned, this points to the fact that
of this eternal reality, of a God-declared, a God-decreed high priest, after
the order of Melchizedek." And that this high priest, therefore,
death, the wages of sin, cannot discontinue his eternal high
priestly ministry. This is but another great blessing
of the eternal sonship of our Lord Jesus Christ. He ever and
forever continues being, before God, our great High Priest and
substitute Savior. And the reason this is, in God
the Father's decorative declaration that God the Son is become for
us an eternal High Priest, He who cannot lie, swears by an
oath, that He will continue forever holding and performing just such
a holy and heavenly office on our behalf. And He cannot help
but do so. Why? Due to the profound fact
of who He is that's doing this as the eternal Son of God, the
second Person of the Triune. Nevertheless, verse 4 goes on
to explain by saying, seeing that there are priests that offer
gifts according to the law, that is, understanding that there
are earthly, in time, temporary types of priests who offer gifts
in accordance with the commands of the law of Moses for the historically
earthly Levitical priesthood, of which verse 5 also explicitly
says, "...who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly
or eternal things." You see that? It's right there in God's Word. Literally, they serve unto the
similitude, the likeness, the identicalness. That's what the
word example literally means. They serve only as a type and
shadow in time. Temporary of the eternal, heavenly,
holy reality of the same things. Verse 5 goes on to further clarify
by saying, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make
the tabernacle, about to construct the tabernacle, as Moses was
explicitly and sternly warned by God, When he was about to
undertake the construction of the earthly end-time type and
shadow of the eternal, heavenly, and holy tabernacle, God commanded
him, saying, For see, saith he, that thou make all things according
to the pattern showed thee in the mount. That is, see that
you follow my God-given instructions to the letter, the letter of
the law of Moses that I revealed unto you from Mount Sinai. And
Moses did exactly as he was told. The book of Hebrews will make
that clear. He was faithful. The next statement that is biblically
made is one that is descriptive strictly of our Lord Jesus. and how His eternal person and
ministry is much more superior than that of Moses. Jesus' ministry
is one that comes from the special high priestly order of Melchizedek. Jesus' ministry is one that is
not simply appointed for just a temporary period of time. from
within the course and genealogy of fallen humanity. But His ministry
is according to an unchangeable oath and decree that was made
by eternal, holy, omnipotent God the Father unto His eternal,
holy, omnipotent God the Son. And it was made in accordance
with a changed order of priesthood that forever exists. And therefore, also, because
there is a changed order of priesthood for God's elect, there is also
a changed law that governs God's elect, which also forever exists. This is what Hebrews 7.12 declares
unto us. You remember that verse, don't
you? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity
a change also of the law. What a statement in God's holy
word. It clears up so much misunderstanding
and delivers so much understanding with it. As a result, Hebrews
8.6 says, But now hath he who is the Christ
of God, and the eternal High Priest of God's chosen people,
but now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry. or literally, but now hath he
obtained a different priestly ministry, and yet it is a priestly
ministry that is surpassing in value, quality, and capability
than the mosaic Levitical one. Indeed, it is a more better priestly
ministry, even because he who is the high priest is not of
the same fallen and corrupt sort and kind of priestly minister
as the Levites were. And verse 6 goes on to tell us
more about this eternal priest. It says, "...by how much also
He by Himself," I might add, "...is the mediator of a better
covenant." A stronger, more noble covenant. That's what the word
better delivers unto us definitively. A better covenant which was established
upon better promises. And this word established is
a legal term. It literally means it was established
by law. Not by the law of Moses though,
but by the law of the Lord upon better promises. These promises
are better promises because not one of them is dependent upon
some fallen man to keep and to perform and to make good. That's
why I wanted you to sing Standing on the Promises through the eternal
ages. The word promises actually connotes
by definition announcements and assurances. In other words, these
promises are better, stronger, and more noble promises even
because they are all already kept promises by the life and
walk and sacrifice of the eternal person and being and nature of
our eternal High Priest Substitute, who is the eternal Son of God,
who is the eternal Lamb of God, who is the Lord Jesus Christ,
in whom the eternal God the Father is eternally well pleased, and
with whose precious blood the eternal New Covenant has been
eternally ratified. Woe to those folks that even
slight, in a small way, the eternal sonship of Jesus Christ. Finally, the comparison between
the old and the new continues. And it does so in order to further
teach us, in order to further firmly instruct us in how much
better, how much more excellent the new is over the old. Verse
7 says, For if that first covenant had
been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the
second." Two relevant things are being brought forward from
this verse. First of all, verse 7 is telling us exactly what
sort of covenant between us and God is necessary, absolutely
necessary, in order for it to eternally secure our salvation. Why it must be a faultless covenant. What's that mean? That means
faultless from the standpoint of both parties. God, well, He
is. He always has been, always will
be. He's holy. He has no faults. There can be no faults attributed
to Him and to us. Oops, we're in trouble. In ourselves, we're in trouble.
But that's the whole point of what the epistle of Hebrews is
bringing out. Our troubles. He has delivered
us from all our troubles. Like Psalm 34, this poor man
cried, and the Lord delivered him out of all of his troubles. Where the old covenant is concerned,
Israel, the end-time type of the elect, have already demonstrated
how futile it is to even expect faultlessness. Why do we say
that? Because Israel proved to be miserable
fallen failures before God in keeping a holy covenant with
God. In fact, Hebrews 8-7 echoes another verse in Hebrews 7, verse
11 this time. Hebrews 7-11, which already firmly
established this point by its saying. Look at Hebrews 7-11. It says, "...if indeed therefore
perfection..." which is the just and right divine demand of Holy
God for all of His eternally saved children to be perfect.
Jesus said at the end of His Sermon on the Mount, Be ye perfect
as your Heavenly Father is perfect. And Hebrews 7.11 says, If indeed
therefore perfection were through the Levitical priesthood, that's
the Levitical priest substitute system governed by the law of
Moses. For under it, it says, the people
received the law. That is, under the Levitical
priesthood, the people, God's people, were to be instructed
in and were to be led by example by the Levites in fulfilling
the holy demands of the law of Moses. And they were failures
at doing that. They weren't even faithful. They
weren't even sinless. They were infractors of the law.
But that's what they were to do. And if that was perfectly
performed, Scripture asks, what further need was there than another? Or what further need was there
than a different, a stronger, a more excellent, a more lasting
priest should arise after or according to the order of Melchizedek
and not be called after the order of Aaron? Melchizedek's a type. of an eternal high priest. Aaron
is a type of the eternal high priest, but
all the fallibility is focused on Aaron. We don't know that
much about Melchizedek. We only see a type of Christ
in him. That's why Scripture keeps pointing
the floodlight on Melchizedek. He's got to be like this, not
like this. He's got to be like Melchizedek,
not like Aaron. That is, not to be called according
to the same fallen, fallible, temporary, corrupt calling and
order of Aaron. Therefore, the kind of covenant
between us and God that would eternally secure our salvation
before God must necessarily be perfectly faultless from eternity
and eternity for eternity. And second, what is relevant
from Hebrews 8.7 is the answer to the question of exactly who
it is that is seeking something different, something faultless. than that which the law of the
Levitical priesthood has laid down in and through the law of
Moses. And the answer as to who it is that is the seeker of something
different, something better, something more excellent as a
faultless system of high priestly ministry and as a perfect mediator
of an eternally holy covenant relationship between God and
elect mankind is none other than God Himself. So the seeker of
something different here, therefore, is none other than the Savior. And that's the way it always
has been, isn't it? Fallen and sinful man is not a seeker after
God. You get religious men in every
generation, even ours, the people that are alive and walking the
earth right now, all in an uproar when you tell them you've got
to be as perfect as God. Romans 3.11 tells us, ìThere
is none that seeketh after God.î It is Jesus who declared of Himself,
ìFor the Son of ManÖî Luke 19.10, ìFor the Son of Man has come
to seek and to save that which was lost.î All the end-time temporary
types and shadows of the Old Covenant reflect that there must
exist from eternity, in eternity, and for eternity a perfect and
a faultless holy covenant relationship between holy and almighty God
and ourselves, or it is most certain that we are damned. There's no two ways about it.
This is undeniable truth. That's why, as we shall see further
develop before us as we continue on, and next week hopefully we
will look at the rest of chapter 8, but as we go on and look at
chapter 9, what unfolds there, and chapter 10 and onward, we're
going to see a very grand picture develop before us. We're going
to see the end time types reflect the in eternity reality of the
new and everlasting covenant. The new covenant as described
at the end of the book of Hebrews. It's Hebrews chapter 13, verses
20 and 21. Turn over there and reflect upon
this portion as a conclusion for this morning. These verses tell us. Now, there's
that time frame of reference. Now, the God of peace that brought
again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of
the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
let that sink in, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
make you perfect in every good work to do His will. working
or literally doing in you that which is well-pleasing in his
sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Heavenly Father, we thank
you. for this truth, this gospel truth,
the hearing ear and the seeing eye, even both come from you.
The changed heart that really changes lives comes only from
you. Grant us these graces, I pray
this morning, by virtue of the merits, the character, the nature,
and the being of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.