A New Voice of Freedom

Podcast 127, Hebrews, “Pt 8, Ch 8”Of the 12 chapters in the Book of Hebrews, Chapter 9 speak of High Priests, Chapter 7 being the pivotal chapter. Chapter 8 opens with the following declaration. Hebrews 8:1-3Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an 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.The Holy Priesthood is the power to act in God’s Name—and that name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Remember his words to Peter, Matthew 16:15-19He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.Those keys are priesthood keys. That power is priesthood power, and as we learned from Hebrews 7, it is called the Melchisedec Priesthood. Paul said of Christ, Hebrews 7:21-24(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.It is the everlasting nature of the atonement of Christ, an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, that should always be at the forefront of our minds.  Paul distinguishes between Christ as high priest and man as high priest, speaking of the Aaronic Priesthood. Hebrews 8:4-5For 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 shewed to thee in the mount.The high priests of the Levitical or Aaronic Priesthood were but “the example and shadow of heavenly things.” Only Christ, the High Priest, sits “on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.”Christ gives us a more excellent way.Hebrews 8:6But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.When Christ came to the earth, he fulfilled the covenant of Moses; therefore, it was fulfilled and replaced with a new and everlasting covenant of a higher order. Hebrews 8:7-10For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 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 continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:It is helpful here to review the Sermon on the Mount for it reveals the essence of that new covenant. For sake of economy, I shall just include the unsurpassing Beatitudes.Matthew 5:3-12Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.That is a long way from ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ And as anyone can tell you who strives to live those laws, they are not always easy. I remember a delightful old comic strip called ‘Wilberforce.’ The father, red-faced and on fire with anger, was chasing his son. His wife said something to the effect, ‘Give him another chance.” The father answers, “What if he doesn’t do it again?” He, of course, represented the natural man whose righteous indignation often turns into revenge. Christ is trying to perfect us. Christ never sinned. We cannot reach that standard. That is why Christ gave us the law of mercy. Christ achieved perfection by the things he suffered, and he commanded us, Matthew 5:48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.Of course, that is not possible in this life; however, if we strive to keep the commandments and endure to the end in this life, Christ, through his atoning sacrifice, can make us perfect through the resurrection in the next life.Christ promises the faithful.Hebrews 8:11-13And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.