Articles and Notes
Hebrews 8 notes
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Having demonstrated Jesus’ superiority to prophets, angels, Moses, and Levi, the author summarizes: we have a High Priest at God’s right hand who is Minister and Mediator of a better covenant established on better promises (1-6). Our attention is then directed toward that New Covenant which has replaced the Old Covenant (7-13).
POINTS TO PONDER
* The main point of all that has been said: "We have such a High Priest..."
* The two covenants (the first and old, replaced by the second and new)
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What are the main points of this chapter?
- The new ministry of Christ - He 8:1-6
- The new covenant of Christ - He 8:7-13
2) Where is our High Priest? In what does He minister? (1-2)
- Seated at the right hand of God; the sanctuary and true tabernacle build by God
3) If Jesus were on earth, what could He not be? (4)
- A priest
4) What served as a copy and shadow of the true tabernacle? (5)
- The earthly tabernacle Moses was instructed to build
5) In what way has Jesus obtained a more excellent ministry? (6)
- He is the Mediator of a better covenant, established on better promises
6) Why was it necessary to replace the first covenant with the second? (7-8)
- The first was not faultless; there was fault with those under the first
7) Which covenant was the first, old covenant? (9)
- That made with Israel when God led them out of Egypt (i.e., Mosaic Covenant)
8) List characteristics of God’s new covenant foretold by Jeremiah. (10-12)
- God’s laws will be in their minds and written on their hearts
- He will be their God, and they shall be His people
- None shall teach his neighbor to know the Lord, for all will know Him
- He will be merciful, and remember their sins no more
9) With the new covenant, what happened to the old covenant? (13)
- It had been made obsolete, old, and ready to vanish away
Hebrews 8
The new priestly service
[Heb 8:1-13 NKJV] 1 Now [this is] the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore [it is] necessary that this One also have something to offer. 4 For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; 5 who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See [that] you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
A new covenant
7 For if that first [covenant] had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- 9 "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. 10 "For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 "None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." 13 In that He says, "A new [covenant]," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.