Chapter 8
2023 - Chapter 7 ended showing that Jesus was high priest IN HEAVEN at God's right hand. He was not a high priest such as those under the law, mere men, who died and had to be replaced, and so on. Then look at these first points of 8:
This is the point of what I have built thus far:
We have a heavenly high priest now, in the heavenlies.
He is at the right hand of God's own throne. He can whisper in God's ear.
He is in the TRUE tent, the original, not some earthly imitation of that "side by side" relationship that now exists in heaven.
The arrangement in heaven is set up by God, not by man.
The Levitical priesthood daily offered sacrifices for themselves and those they represented. This verse:
3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. [Heb 8:3-4 ESV]
Says that it is necessary for Jesus to have something to offer since he is the high priest. I think that's what it says... On earth though, the Law has set up and priests appointed by birth and sacrifices specified.
2024 - I see this now...The high priest under the Law, annually, first made atonement for his own sins, and then by entry into the Holy of Holies and sprinkling of the blood of the goat upon whom the lot fell, atoned for the sins of the people. There had to be a sacrifice because there had to be blood. If this was the "picture" on earth of God's requirement, then we must try to "see backward through the shadow" to what the original ceremony, in perfect heaven, would have to be? The point is that Jesus is both the High Priest, and the offered sacrifice presented directly to the Father in the heavenlies. This is a "proof" that the crucifixion was in fact a sacrifice to God to atone for the sins of all men. And now that sacrifice - in the office of High Priest - is presented continuously to God, so that sins no longer accumulate, but are constantly forgiven. Because they are forgiven constantly, the Holy Spirit - God - can live inside our bodies - the tabernacles of the New Covenant - and not be in the presence of sin. Come on! Who could make this up! This is God's own truth here!!!
This is described as "they serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things." Since the earthly, Levitical rites and rituals and indeed the priesthood itself is only a "picture" of the more perfect heavenly priesthood and intervention, the heavenly priest is the better priest.
2023 - The point being made, I think, is that we can learn MUCH about the TRUE TENT from careful observation of the earthly tent, understanding that it is a representation of the heavenly.
2022 - The conclusion of the logic of the whole first paragraph is that if the Law had been sufficient, there would have been no necessity of the promised priesthood in Psalms. God would not have replaced the Law with a better covenant, if the first had been sufficient. What is tripping me up is the part about the heavenly priest needing to have something to offer. There is a sort of "embedded" argument that Jesus is high priest in heaven because he would not be high priest on earth, since there are already priests on earth that are making the sacrifices. So it is a big deal that he ascended back to heaven, instead of just walking around on earth after his resurrection. Is that the point?
I am having so much trouble understanding...This book is written to devout, intense, meticulous Jews in an effort to convince them by argument that they should abandon the Law of Moses and put all the faith they previously placed in that Law in Jesus Christ instead. The arguments are likely a direct and point for point refutation of a defense of the Law of Moses that either had been presented, or was in fact a documented apologetic for Judaism that this writer of Hebrews was intimately familiar with. He is systematically tearing down that defense by showing that the New Covenant, in Christ, is superior in every way, and in fact is the "end" of that covenant. The New Covenant is a replacement of the Old Covenant because the events the Old Covenant anticipated and pictured have now taken place - being fulfilled in Jesus, and effectual forever since he lives forever.
THEREFORE, I am going to move on through the rest of this book pretty quickly and not get bogged down and frustrated. I recall that the MSB intro said you need to be pretty familiar with Leviticus to make sense of Hebrews. I am obviously lacking in this respect.
There is a long quote from Jeremiah about the coming New Covenant. This is used to convince the audience that the time of the New Covenant has arrived with the coming of Messiah. This is so. However, the Jews have by and large rejected this New Covenant and so it's full and complete details are not immediately evident. This New Covenant is clearly a covenant between God and "the house of Israel and with the house of Judah". It is NOT with Gentiles!!! This looks forward to the wholesale establishment of the covenant in the latter days, during trib and great trib and then the Millennial most especially and specifically. Jesus brought that covenant, is the key to that covenant, and is King and High Priest of that Covenant. It is offered. But it's actual "playing out" will not come until much later still. We are in the church age - a marking of time to the great benefit of those not in the original promises - but the Jeremiah prophecy has not yet exploded onto the scene.
2023 - I think this quote from Jeremiah is showing just how very much was missing from the Old Covenant in terms of the relationship of God to man. What COULD NOT be under the old was that God could not dwell inside us, could not communicate directly with us because of our impurity. There could not be "personal revelation" because sin on the part of the recipient precludes it.
2023 - And then vs 12:
12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." [Heb 8:12 ESV]. ONLY under the New Covenant will our INTENTIONAL sins be forgiven. Until Jesus, intentional sin could not be forgiven, but it's punishment could be delayed. Adam CHOSE sin. Israel in the wilderness repeatedly CHOSE sin. They knew it was sin, yet they went ahead. Bulls and goats cannot fix intentional sin. But we know from all the way back to Jeremiah that something better was coming. A relationship where God COULD and WOULD communicate with us directly - through the indwelling Holy Spirit - made possible by the offering of the perfect High Priest, God's own Son, who gave his own sinless blood and body, and moved the "point of interaction" between God and man from the earthly temple to the very throne of God.
2024 - Found this today in Jeremiah: 19 I will restore Israel to his pasture, and he shall feed on Carmel and in Bashan, and his desire shall be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead. 20 In those days and in that time, declares the LORD, iniquity shall be sought in Israel, and there shall be none, and sin in Judah, and none shall be found, for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant. [Jer 50:17, 19-20 ESV]. Couple of things...It is possible, even likely, that the writer of Hebrews is quoting, at least partially, this passage from Jeremiah. BUT, I would point out that the passage in Jeremiah has made a distinction between Israel and Judah. Jeremiah's promise of restoration, at least in this passage, is about ISRAEL - the Northern 10 tribes. There is, however, another place in Jeremiah where the new covenant is discussed.
2022 - So as I read Ezekiel and Revelation, there will be a sacrificial system in the Millennial. I think the long quote from Jeremiah is about that. But even that system will go back to the law, because the altar will be on earth, and I believe the Levitical line will be re-established to do the sacrificing. But with Jesus as High Priest and King. Hmm...Just like last time, chapter 8 is where I get lost.