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Psalms 137:1-9 By the
rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion. We
hung our harps Upon the willows in the midst of it. For there those who carried
us away captive asked of us a song, And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" How
shall we sing the LORD's song In a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
Let my right hand forget its skill!
If I do not remember you, Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth— If I do
not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy. Remember, O LORD, against the sons of
Edom The day of Jerusalem, Who said, "Raze it, raze it, To
its very foundation!" O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed,
Happy the one who repays you as you have served us! Happy the one who takes and
dashes Your little ones against the rock!
Father God, thank
you for all you do for us and our loved ones. I ask that these lessons touch
the hearts of those who read them and bring them into a closer relationship
with You! I pray and ask for this in Jesus name, Amen!
Book of Hebrews 8:1-13 NKJV
This
chapter is somewhat of a summary in all that has been stated in the previous
chapters. Paul is talking about the High Priests, earthly and Heavenly things,
sacrifices, temples, and OT prophecies about the New Covenant. The group Paul
is addressing must have been a tough stubborn crowd for him to constantly
repeat himself, but people are the same today. They don’t want to give up their
religion that they have been raised up in and replace it with faith in Jesus,
true salvation. We scoff at the Israelites and their unbelief, but we are just
as bad in not believing with our hearts. Sure we believe with our minds, but
have we actually repented of our worldly lifestyles; pleasing ourselves;
desiring earthly material things instead of Heavenly rewards; placing God
first; loving our neighbors; placing ourselves last and not first? It is a good
thing we have a merciful God that will forgive and forget our sins when we
finally get it all figured out and turn our life over to Jesus.
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,
Now
this is the main point of the
things we are saying; This
phrase is referring to the following. The two Priests, the two Covenants, the
two Sanctuaries, the two Mediators, the two Ministers, all being compared in
the prior Chapters, and the Better Promise and the foundation set showing the superiority
of the Messiah as High Priest.
We
have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the
Majesty in the heavens; In
this Chapter Paul uses several very important expressions to establish the
excellence of Christ’s Ministry over that of the Earthly priesthood of Israel.
He says:
1. Christ as High Priest “is set on the Right Hand of the Throne of
the Majesty in the Heavens.”
2. Our High Priest is “a Minister of the Sanctuary, and of the True
Tabernacle.”
3. Our High Priest is “the Mediator of a Better Covenant.”
4. The Covenant that He mediates
is based on “Better Promises.”
“In contrast, Paul points
out that the earthly Priesthood of the Aaronic order, with its sacrifices and
holy places is only “the example and shadow of heavenly things.” Christ’s
Ministry as Priest is more excellent because He fulfilled all the types in
Himself.” (Fjordbak) Types, meaning without sin; offering up Himself; He being
the sacrifice; following through with the sacrifice; seated at the right hand
of God; thus becoming our High Priest.
With Jesus being seated at
the right hand of God, this signifies that His work is finished and the only
thing left for us is to repent and submit ourselves to Him.
2 a
Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected,
and not man.
A
Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle; This is referring to Jesus being the minister
of the Heavenly sanctuary and true tabernacle. “Minister” in the Greek is
“leitourgos,” and means “belonging to the people.” What does Jesus do then? He
is at the right hand of God to serve all Believers, and does so by making
intercession for us, and on a continuous basis.
“Sanctuary” in the Greek
is “ton hagion,” and means “holy places, the Heavenly Sanctuary.”
Which
the Lord erected, and not man; This
sanctuary in Heaven was made by our Lord. It is the true everlasting sanctuary.
It is unlike the tent temple and inner Holy of Holies that was built by men of
Moses time, which was only temporary, but a picture of what was to come.
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.
For
every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; Offering gifts and sacrifices was the
duty of the priest of the OT, which portrays the fact that they were mediators
for the people.
Therefore
it is necessary that this One
also have something to offer; This
One is speaking of Jesus and He had something far greater than the Levitical
priest to offer and that was Himself as the perfect unblemished lamb. His
sacrifice was the ultimate sacrifice which put an end to the Levitical system.
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;
For
if He were on earth, He would not be a priest; This is speaking of Jesus and stating
that He would not be a priest here on earth due to the fact that He was from
the tribe of Judah and not Levi. The priests on earth were all from the tribe
of Levi, and their duty was to be an intercessor between God and the people.
With Jesus death and resurrection the earthly priest of any type was done away
with and Jesus took the place of all priests past and present and intercedes
for us.
Since
there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; This phrase is referring to the
Levitical priesthood performing sacrifices according to the laws of the Old
Covenant.
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."
Who
serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things; This “who” is referring to the
Levitical Law/system. As stated previously it was all instituted by God as an
example of what was to come, meaning Jesus being the perfect sacrifice and our
High Priest in Heaven.
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."; He
is referring to God when He was giving Moses all the details of the temple he
was to build. What Moses was to build on earth was a replica of what is in
Heaven, but far inferior. Exodus
25:40 And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which
was 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.
But
now He has obtained a more excellent ministry; “But now”, is in reference to a time
period pertaining to Jesus death on the Cross to present day. He has obtained a
more excellent ministry because Jesus is perfect and above all creation. Jesus
blood of the New Covenant is far superior to the blood of animals in the Old
Covenant.
Inasmuch
as He is also Mediator of a better covenant; The better covenant refers to salvation by faith in Jesus
death and resurrection and Him being the perfect sacrifice. A person can live by
trusting in the Lord through faith were as the Old Covenant required keep the
laws perfectly to gain salvation which is humanly impossible. The Patriarchs of
old figured this out and lived by faith. Look at David’s life, the things he
did, but yet his salvation was by faith. His Psalms verify his faith.
Which
was established on better promises; The
better promise pertains to the New Covenant and clearly based on the cleansing,
forgiving, and forgetting of all sin, which the Old Covenant could not do. Jeremiah 31:33-34 But this is
the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says
the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I
will be their God, and they shall be My people.
34 No more shall every man teach his
neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all
shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD.
For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."
7 For if
that first covenant had been
faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.
This verse is a strong
statement proclaiming the Old Covenant was definitely insufficient for
salvation. Had it been sufficient, the animal sacrifices that priests offered
would not have been repeated, therefore no need for Jesus to come to earth in
human form as a sacrifice.
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—
Because
finding fault with them; This
phrase is in reference to verse 7 pertaining to the flaws of the Levitical ways
in that the laws could not be kept, although it did point out sin/wrong doing
because the people came to the priests for atoning sacrifices, but the biggest
flaw was that the sacrifices always had to be repeated.
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; This statement is taken from the book
of Jeremiah 31:31.
This is something the Hebrew Jews should know and understand, provided they
were actually well versed in the OT scriptures. It is stated very plain that a
New Covenant would be coming in the future, yet they still rejected Jesus as
the Messiah.
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.
NOT
ACCORDING TO THE COVENANT THAT I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS; This refers to the Law of Moses after
God led them out of Egypt, in particular referring to the Ten Commandments.
IN
THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; God led the Israelites out of Egypt
like a father takes the hand of his child when crossing a busy street. The
Israelites were very much immature at that point in time, therefore God gave
them the Ten Commandments to point them down the road of righteousness.
BECAUSE
THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT; All
one has to do is read the Book of Exodus and they will soon see how soon the
Israelites forgot what God did for them and they would complain and murmur
against God. This shows there immaturity and lack of faith, when they should be
praising God for what He was doing and providing for them. Even today we are
the same way, we grumble and complain woe is me when things aren’t going well
not even thinking about all the good things God provides us with.
AND
I DISREGARDED THEM, SAYS THE LORD; As
a result of the Israelites unbelief and complaining, God allowed them to wander
around in the wilderness for 40 years. I believe the same holds true for today,
when we try doing things on our own and not include Jesus, we are left to
wander and stumble in the mess we create.
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.
FOR
THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL; Pertains to the New Covenant where God
writes His precepts on our heart and the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the
new temple that is form, meaning, our body. John 14:16-17; I
Corinthians 3:16
AFTER
THOSE DAYS; Pertains
to the end of the Old Covenant when Jesus died on the Cross.
SAYS
THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS IN THEIR MIND AND WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS; This is what the New Covenant is all
about, Jesus sending the comforter to take up residence in our heart to guide
us in God’s Laws. John 14:16-17
AND
I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE; With the New Covenant the Born Again
Christian embarks on a relationship with God that they have never experienced
before. Zechariah 8:8
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.
NONE
OF THEM SHALL TEACH HIS NEIGHBOR, AND NONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, 'KNOW THE
LORD,'; The Old
Covenant was quite elaborate with all the laws the Jewish people had to abide
by. It took people like the Pharisees and Scribes, who were masters of the laws
to administer the many laws and what they meant. There weren’t numerous Bibles
laying around, so it took people well versed in the scriptures to teach them.
Even Moses was bogged down with administering the laws, read Exodus
Chapter 18.
FOR
ALL SHALL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST OF THEM TO THE GREATEST OF THEM; This phrase is also saying that the
Holy Spirit will teach and guide a believer. John 16:13-15
12 FOR I
WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS
DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE."
FOR
I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS; What took place at Calvary on the Cross is why God is
merciful to our unrighteousness.
AND
THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE; Because of the purity of Jesus and
because He died on the Cross in our place, we are transfused with the perfect
blood of Jesus. It is through repentance and faith, this transfusion occurs,
and then we are made holy in Gods eyes and He will no longer remember our sins.
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.
The New Covenant is all
about Jesus and what He did on the Cross for us. The Old Covenant waxed old and
has become obsolete. All we have to do is repent, come to Jesus with a
sorrowful heart, ask forgiveness, and submit ourselves to Him to rule and reign
within our hearts.
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created
that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible
and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him
and for Him.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
The Lighthouse Full Gospel Church
Sinners Prayer;
Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!
“Lord
Jesus I know I am a sinner. I confess my
sins to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a
sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness of all
of my sins. I believe that only you can
forgive sin. I commit my life to you and
ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life. I believe that you died to set me free from
my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and right
now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are the Son
of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my Savior.” I believe this and have faith you will make a
new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and lead
me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”
(John 3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1
John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom.
1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)
