Epistle to Hebrews #12
Chapters 8 and 9
CHAPTER 8
The last half of this chapter is the key-note. And this
chapter in a nut=shell is about the TWO COVENANTS - the first,
but more importantly the second or as it is put "a BETTER
covenant."
Paul sums up what he has so far spoken, and that is that we
have a High Priest, who is set down on the right hand of God, by
His throne, the Majesty in the heavens.
It is again worth noting that Jesus sits NOT on top of the
Majesty on High, not inside of Him, not taking His throne for
himself, BUT Christ sits on the RIGHT HAND of the Majesty on
High. This verse alone (without dozens and dozens of others in
the Bible and in the New testament particularly) PROVES that
Jesus Christ and God the Father (the Majesty on high) are TWO
SEPARATE BEING!! Both have their own FORM and SHAPE, both sitting
next to each other, not inside of each other, or being each other
at certain times. The idea of a Trinity of the Godhead, and
specifically a Trinity on ONE being (which such teachers say you
cannot understand, see, or give literal spirit dimensions to)
that manifests itself in the form ofthe Father, at one time, the
Son at another time, and the Holy Spirit, at yet another time, or
I guess they maybe teach, all three beings at a time if the ONE
being so decides.
This teaching is so silly and frankly a stupid mind bending
theological idea, that truly only some psychologically mixed up
minds can come up with such a teaching. A little child reading
the Bible will NEVER come up with such theology as the Trinity
idea above. I know I was there as a child, reading my Bible from
age 6, in a Church of England school, a Sunday school, and in the
quiet nights of my bedroom before falling asleep. NEVER did I get
the picture that God the Father and Jesus are some part of a
mystic vague, not understandable, form of a Trinity idea that
some hold.
This Jesus is the minister of the true sanctuary and
tabernacle, which was not made and pitched by human hands. Paul
will have much more to say about this true tabernacle in the next
chapter.
A high priest does offer gifts and sacrifices, that is part
of his calling and part of his service in a physical tabernacle
such as the Jews had in Jerusalem at the time this epistle was
written. So also, this High Priest of the true tabernacle, made
without human hands, had gifts and service to offer to the Most
High God. It was not that he was High Priest while on earth, as a
flesh and blood human, for there were already high priests in the
physical temple in Jerusalem. And those physical high priests in
a physical temple on a literal physical part of the earth, were
in reality just a SHADOW, of the much more important office of
the real spiritual High Priest that was to come in the heavenly
Temple.
Paul reminds them of the truth that Moses was to build a
tabernacle PATTERNED AFTER the heavenly tabernacle (verses 1-5).
A BETTER NEW COVENANT
This Jesus the Christ has obtained a BETTER AND MORE
EXCELLENT ministry, more excellent than any high priest could
ever imagine or obtain, serving in a physical tabernacle in the
city of Jerusalem. Hence Jesus is the MEDIATOR (the go-between,
the arbitrator, of two entering a covenant relationship) of a
BETTER covenant or TESTAMENT, which is established upon BETTER
promises.
One of the weaknesses of the first covenant was that the
Holy Spirit of power and nature of God, was not promises to the
Israelites as an automatic part of that covenant. This truth can
bee seen by reading Numbers chapter eleven.
And hence together with that covenant fact, the people were
weak, they had the fault, that made that covenant very poor in
comparison with the better covenant, with better promises, that
was to come. If the first covenant had been perfect, then no
place would have been found for a second. There is no need to
re-vamp a perfect covenant. but the first covenant was far from
perfect, so a second could be given and could be promised to
come.
Yes, the basic fault with the first covenant was a fault
with the people. Not having automatic access to the Holy Spirit,
through the first covenant, the people could not have the power
and strength and even the mind-set, to follow and serve all the
laws and commandments of the first covenant given through Moses.
All that was going to be corrected through the better covenant or
testament.
Paul once more uses the Scriptures, the word of God that the
Hebrew Jews were well acquainted with, to prove that it was
promised and written, that a NEW covenant, or Testament, was
going to come to the people. He quotes from Jeremiah 31:31. That
covenant was going to make sure that the LAWS of God could be
written in the hearts of the people entering that covenant
relationship with God.
There could now be, under the new covenant, a PERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP with God the Father. Those under the new covenant
could have their sins forgiven, and have access to the very mind
and nature of God the Father.
All of this truth Paul expounds upon in his other epistles
to other churches and people. All of those other epistles we have
covered already in this New Testament Bible Story. Then I have
also expounded myself the truth of the matter concerning
REPENTANCE, GRACE, SALVATION, FAITH, BAPTISM, LIVING TO SERVE
GOD, in many in-depth studies on this Website.
The apostle Paul here just sums it all up in a few
sentences, as he finishes his thoughts contained in chapter 8.
The promise of a new covenant makes the first covenant old,
and that which has become old and starting to decay, is read to
vanish away.
In Paul's day of writing this epistle, the physical Temple
in Jerusalem, still stood there, and that tabernacle's high
priest still functioned, and all the rites and offerings and
sacrifices of that tabernacle were still being performed. It had
not YET come to and end, not yet vanished away, but the day was
fast approaching when it would all vanish away. But that being
the fact, the NEW TESTAMENT, the new covenant was ALREADY IN
PLACE. Jesus the Messiah had come, had died for the sins of the
people, had been resurrected to glory, had been made High Priest
after the order of Melchisedec, had ascended to heaven to sit on
the right hand of the Majesty on High.
The NEW COVENANT was already in effect, for whomsoever will
may come, may come and enter that new covenant relationship with
God Almighty through Jesus Christ, as Savior and High Priest on
the right hand of the Majesty of heaven, in the Tabernacle above
made without human hands. This NEW covenant was NOW functioning,
the old covenant was soon to come to a full and complete stop, to
indeed vanish away (verses 6-13).
CHAPTER 9
Paul now goes into some details of the physical tabernacle
and service under that first covenant. The service was of divine
origin, yes, it was God who told Moses to build such a physical
tabernacle and institute the Aaronic priesthood and all that such
a line of priests with a body of tabernacle servers from the
tribe of Levi, were to perform.
That tabernacle contained within its first section, the
candlestick, the table, the shewbread. The second section behind
a veil or curtain, called the Holiest of all, or Holy of Holiest,
contained: the golden censer, the ark of the covenant, in which
was the golden pot that had manna. There was Aaron's rod that
budded, and the tables of the covenant. On top was the mercy seat
and the Cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat.
For detailed information on this tabernacle the reader is
pointed to the many pictorial Bible Dictionaries readily
available in some Public Libraries, from Bible Books Stores, or
on the Internet.
The high priest of the first tabernacle covenant went into
the first section of that tabernacle on a daily basis to do the
daily service of worship for the people towards God. But he could
only go in to the Most Holy place ONLY ONCE a year, on the Feast
day of Atonement. He went into this Holy of Holiest with BLOOD,
for himself and the people, he and they were mere human being
with sins.
Paul said, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that
this once a year entry into the Holiest place behind the curtain,
signified that the way to God the father in the Holy place of
heaven was not possible for the vast majority of the people, only
for the select few. The high priest would represent the FEW under
the old covenant that were allowed to have the Holy Spirit and
access to God the Father. These relatively few would include
people like Abraham, Moses, David and others of faith that are
mentioned in Hebrews 11.
All of this past service in the old tabernacle under the old
covenant, was a TYPE, a FIGURE, for a deeper spiritual truth and
meaning. Those gifts offered under the old covenant in the
tabernacle, would not make him that did the service PERFECT. No
real spiritual cleansing and personal connection with God could
come about by offering physical meat and drink offerings, in a
physical tabernacle. Yet this outward physical service was to be
done under the old covenant, it was IMPOSED, ordained, commanded
to be performed by the people of ancient Israel, UNTIL, ONLY
UNTIL, THE TIME OF REFORMATION!
There was to come a time of REFORM, a much deeper SPIRITUAL
REFORM, a time when the physical was to pass away, vanish away,
and a NEW covenant, a NEW TESTAMENT, was to be introduced to the
people, to whomsoever would come. To whomsoever would take Christ
Jesus as God's Son, as Savior, as High Priest of that new
covenant.
It is Christ who has become the High Priest of good things
to come, in a greater and more perfect tabernacle, made not with
human hands, neither by the blood of goats and sheep, BUT through
His OWN BLOOD, death on the cross, He was found worthy to bear
the sins of the world, and enter into the Holy of Holiest, thus
having obtained eternal redemption for US!
There was a type of reconciling ancient Israel to God, under
the old covenant and rites of the tabernacle. There was a
sanctifying of the flesh so to speak, under the old covenant. By
having a tabernacle and all its physical service through physical
animals and grain and bread offerings, there would be at least a
somewhat sanctifying of the flesh - the people of Israel would
continue to live, they would continue to reap blessings from God,
be His people, be used to glorify God to the rest of the world.
As long as their hearts were right in performing this outward and
physical service to God, as long as it gave them a mind somewhat
with God in the centre, it would preserve their physical flesh.
All the rites of the physical did have some good towards their
flesh. Yet in a perfect spiritual way ..... ah, well as Paul went
on to say:
"How MUCH MORE shall the BLOOD of Christ, who through the eternal
Spirit offered Himself without fault (without sin) to God, PURGE
your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (verses
1-13).
Jesus is therefore the MEDIATOR (the High Priest for us
towards God the Father) of the NEW TESTAMENT. Now Paul gets to
the real reality of it all, this is not just a "covenant" (an
agreement between two parties) - it is MORE than that, it is a
TESTAMENT. Like a "last will and testament," that people leave to
be executed or performed AFTER they DIE!
And in verse 15, is the answer to the question about those
under the old testament, called of God, given the Holy Spirit,
and will they be SAVED, and HOW will they be saved. Will they be
saved in a different way from us under the New Testament? NO, NOT
AT ALL! They will be saved, yes indeed, that is seen clearly from
chapter 11 and many other parts of the Bible. They will be saved
as WE ARE SAVED .... by GRACE, through faith, in the sacrifice
and BLOOD of Jesus Christ. Those called under the old testament
LOOKED AHEAD to the blood of Christ, they had faith in what was
promised to come. We today, look back in faith, to what did come
to pass .... Jesus dies to save sinners. God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him,
should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
Salvation is the SAME for all people, young or old, those
who lived thousands of years ago and those who will yet live in
the future. There is name other name under heaven whereby you can
be saved. All must look to God in faith, through the blood of
Christ, for the forgiveness of sins. God is no respecter of
persons. Salvation for all people has always been the same and
will forever be the same. Jesus is Lord and Savior, past,
present, and future.
Verses 16-22, give the proof that this New Covenant is MUCH
MORE than a covenant, it is a TESTAMENT! A Testament is in force
AFTER the death of the testator. Where there is a testament there
needs to be the death of the testator. While the person lives the
last will and testament is not in force. It only comes into
effect AFTER the death of the one who is the testator of the
testament.
Paul, as the great scholar he was of the word of God, nails
it down, shows the proof of all this. He takes his readers, the
Hebrew Jews, Hebrew Israelites, back to the very beginning of the
forming and ratifying, sealing, the first testament. It is found
in Exodus 24:1-11. There it is in CLEAR black and white - the
first testament was ratified WITH BLOOD, with DEATH!
He says that in law of the Lord just about all things are
purged with BLOOD. And WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD THERE IS NO
REMISSION!
It is the way the Lord has decreed it. It is the way He
planned it to be before the world was. I suppose we could argue
that God could have done it this way or that way. It makes no
difference as to what we may think about how the Almighty could
have reconciled the world to Himself, could have forgiven sins,
and could have made it possible for human kind to be saved and
have eternal life. It is the way that God decided to do it, that
is the end of the matter, that is the "Thus says the Lord" on the
subject.
He decided BEFORE the foundation of the world that a member
of the very Godhead would need to come to earth, as a human
person, live a perfect life, and shed His blood, to cleanse all
sins from all people, be resurrected to life and then be seated
on the right hand of the Majesty oh High, as High Priest, for
interceding work between the Father and His children.
The pattern of the heavenly needed a greater sacrifice than
that of earthy things. Jesus needed to offer himself just ONCE in
the heavenly Holy of Holiest. Jesus did not enter the physical
Holy Place in some physical tabernacle in a physical city on a
physical earth. He entered the heavenly place, not made with
human hands, to appear in the presence of God FOR US.
He did not need to offer Himself many times, as the old
covenant high priest had to do, every year going into the Most
Holy place on the Day of Atonement. He needed to die and offer
Himself just ONCE, or otherwise He would needs have to die over
and over again.
He came ONCE in the end of the age (in passing - note the
"end of the age" is used - that was two thousand years ago - so
the phrase "end of the age" can have a broader meaning at times
than just before Christ will return) to put away sin by the
sacrifice of Himself.
As is the basic true saying that it is appointed unto men to
die once, and after that the judgment day, so Christ was ONCE
offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for Him
shall He appear the second time, without sin unto salvation
(verses 23-28).
What glorious truths and salvation we are reading about.
What LOVE both the Father and His Son have for us. You need to
read and re-read and continue to read the New Testament Bible
Story as contained in the Gospels and all the rest of the New
Testament. In it was the words of LIFE, the only way you can be
saved, be glorified, inherit eternal life in the very family
Kingdom of God. Let the words of the New Testament be written in
your heart.
.................
Written January 2007
|
No comments:
Post a Comment