“Listen up: this is better” -- A study on the Bible book of Hebrews
A 13-week series given in 2020
By Bob Mendelsohn
Jews for Jesus, Sydney
Given 18 September 2020
To watch this 'live', click on this link: https://youtu.be/o4mrYajIu8U
Lesson Eight: A new and better covenant
Shalom to each of you here on the Zoom call and those who will watch this class lecture on YouTube later. I hope you will feel welcome and when this section ends in about 20 minutes, that you will be a participant in the rest of the questions and discussion time. This letter to messianic Jews was written before the destruction of the Temple in AD 70. Today we study chapter 8, and if you haven’t yet read it, please, those of you on YouTube, pause the playback, read the chapter, and then press play again to re-join us. Thanks.
Welcome back.
Today we will look at another controversial issue in the messianic world, especially today among many Jewish believers about the role of the Mosaic covenant. Surprisingly a large number of Gentile believers are keen to practice what they call “Judaism” or “Messianic Judaism” so we will discuss this both in the lecture part of the class today and certainly in the discussion section when this concludes. I’m also guessing that next week’s D-Groups will unpack this even moreso. If you aren’t already a member of one of our Discipleship Groups, you are seriously missing out, and I urge you to join one sooner rather than later.
Tonight begins Rosh Hashanah, the first day of the 7th month of the Jewish and biblical calendar. Most of you would know this day also as the Jewish New Year, and therefore you want to understand the differences. The Jewish Civil Year begins tonight, which is the anniversary of the Creation of the World 5,781 years ago. The religious year begins in March/ April with Nisan (Exodus 12.1-2).
Now that we have that calendar conundrum out of the way, let’s dig into this old vs new argument by the author in Hebrews 8. The author quotes two Older Testament citations to build the case that our Great High Priest, Yeshua, is the mediator of a better covenant. In fact the word ‘mediator’ is always associated with the new covenant (8:6; 9:15; 12:24; cf 7:22).
Let’s unpack this chapter and see the argumentation to prove that the covenant we embrace is altogether better.
1. The priest himself is better
The author continues to pound this message which has been unveiled since the mention of Aaron. Yeshua is from the order of Melchizedek, and he’s the Great High Priest. He sympathizes with us, he lives to intercede for us, and we can go to him for grace to help in time of need. Here, we read he has taken his seat (.1), is a minister in the Sanctuary (Temple) and in the tabernacle that is true (heaven).
Let’s take those one by one.
a. Taking his seat
Priests don’t sit in either the Temple or previously in the Tabernacle. Not until they were done, but they were never done since the system required them to come back to work the next day. When we read that Yeshua’s priesthood is perpetual, it’s about the result of his sacrifice, not the activity of ongoing sacrifice. We’ll see that point in the weeks to come more and more.
Taking his seat means his work is complete. When Yeshua said, “it is finished” from the cross, he’s saying the offering is satisfactory. As we enter tonight into the 10 holiest days in the calendar, and many Jewish people around the world will wonder if their prayers and offering will be acceptable, a heavenly ‘nod’ would be most welcome. By offering Yeshua a chair, the Father says ‘yes’ to him.
2. The place is better (.2-7)
a. He is a minister in the Sanctuary
This would have immediately made the reader to think of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and that our Great High Priest would be working there on his roster rotation with his own family designation. But that’s not what the author is intending. Link this Sanctuary (hagios) with the next phrase (The true Tabernacle) and you have it. The High Priest of our confession has ascended into the heavenlies and his priesthood has not only allowed him to be seated here (as if any of the priests did that) but to be enthroned in heaven. Remember the quote from Psalm 110, “Sit here at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” (110.1)
This also hearkens the reader to Daniel 7, the great vision of the prophet
“I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames…
I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away: and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. (7.9, 13-14)
This prophecy of the Son of Man approaching the Father is wondrously fulfilled in Yeshua, the better priest in the better place.
The first quote we read today is from Exodus 25. There we see a hint of something other than the Tabernacle.
b. The pattern was the Tabernacle (Ex. 25.40) It’s a copy of something in heaven (.2-5)
Moses was instructed on Sinai with detailed instructions for the tent and he hired Bezalel and Oholiab to complete the construction. They did just that. Perfectly. But the author here introduced a term which many in modern days love to use and it’s the term ‘type’ or ‘shadow.’ It’s similar to our word ‘metaphor’ or even better to say ‘stencil’ or ‘template.’ The word in verse 5 for ‘pattern’ is the Greek word ‘tupos’ which transliterates to ‘type.’
Not only was heaven better for the Great High priest, Yeshua, it’s our final destination and thus it’s better for us.
3. The covenant is better (.8-.13)
a. Without fault!
i. Based on God’s design
Back in Exodus God showed Moses directly what his plan and purpose was for the Tabernacle. We will look at it in more detail next week as chapter 9 and a bit of 10 requires its layout to be in our minds. Of note here is that God’s design is flawless, but the author clearly shows that there was a flaw, and it’s the Jewish people and our execution of his covenant.
ii. Not based on human whim or failure (.7-8)
What makes the first covenant a failure was the people who signed up for the completion and satisfaction of the stipulations. We are sinful and fail again and again. No amount of self-will or self-assurance would get us and our covenant keeping across the line.
Verse 9, we fail. We did not continue in it.
b. Promises
I don’t know about you, but my wife and I are watching the US election enterprises with great enthusiasm. In 46 days, votes will be fully cast and dozens of governor, senator and house races will be ending, finally, and the presidential election will conclude as well. Over these next seven weeks more promises will be made and commitments assured. And those promises are as believable to be fulfilled as Jack and the Beanstalk, Lucy not pulling the football away from Charlie Brown, or a 15% gain in your superannuation next year.
(for more on promises at all: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/contemporary-psychoanalysis-in-action/201406/why-we-cant-keep-our-promises )
But in our chapter here we read of better promises from heaven. They were made to Jeremiah the prophet. (Born 650 BCE) He recorded them in our 2nd quote today, chapter 31, beginning in verse 31.
1. God’s performance, not ours: The agent of the promise (.7-9)
2. The change will work: The scene of the promise (.10) [our heart]
3. The forgiveness of our sins: Not a covering (.11-12) [Yom Kippur AND BEYOND!]
4. The extent of God’s blessings: Jerusalem and beyond (.13)
Verse 13: “He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.” What is this ‘whatever’ referencing? I believe it’s the Holy Temple. And as such, all the regulations and institutions of that come into view. But this is not related to all things Jewish. Not at all, let me explain.
Obsolescence and growing old… those are not words you want to hear on Erev Rosh Hashanah. I ask you to buckle your seatbelt as I show you how this can be taken wrongly. Let me quote my friend Alex Jacob in his book “The Case for Enlargement Theology” (page 36) as he cites the horrible conclusions some in the historic church made by reading or shall we say mis-reading Hebrews 8.13. These are all rulings from the medieval period of church governments.
“Firstly, Christians may not enter a synagogue. Secondly, Christians may not eat Passover with Jews. Thirdly, Jews may not appear in public during the celebrations of Holy Week. Fourthly, no member of the clergy who is free to marry must ever marry a Jew. Fifthly, any Jew, prior to being baptized, must denounce the whole of his or her Jewish identity and heritage by making the following statement:
I renounce all customs, rites, legalisms, unleavened breads and sacrifices of lambs of the Hebrews, and all other feasts of the Hebrews, sacrifices, prayers, aspersions, purifications, sanctifications and fasts, and new moons, and Sabbaths, and superstitions and hymns and chants and observances and synagogues and the food and drink of the Hebrews. In one word, I renounce absolutely everything Jewish, every law, rite and custom, and above all, I renounce Antichrist, whom all the Jews await in the figure and form of Christ, and I join myself to the true Christ and God.”
How’d you like that? Taking a volatile anti-Jewish view about the Old Covenant is not even close to the author’s intent. The highlight of this portion of Bible is to glorify Yeshua, not to denigrate the words of the Lord to the Jewish people and any customs we hold. Sure, by comparison, the glory of Messiah is awesome and fulfilling, but there is no need to dismiss or deride the car that got us to the station.
Lane: “The argument that by designating the covenant “new” God declared the covenant concluded at Sinai to be unserviceable and outmoded (πεπαλαίωκεν, “obsolete, antiquated”) carries the corollary that God himself has cancelled its validity. He intends to make no further use of the old covenant and the forms through which it operated to achieve his redemptive purpose for his people (cf de Vuyst, “Oud en nieuw Verbond,” 254–55; Seesemann, TDNT 5:720). Consequently, the old arrangement is on the point of disappearing. The principle that a new act of God makes the old obsolete (cf 7:11–12) reflects an eschatological outlook that perceives the Mosaic and Levitical institutions as fulfilled and superseded by Christ.”
What Lane says is so important. It’s that the redemption is no longer available through the rites of the Temple. Full stop. There is no comment about reading Jewish literature, watching Seinfeld, hearing shofar sounds or about eating kosher foods. That’s not the point of the author. The misread, however, has caused great horror coming on my Jewish people.
Dear friends, the point today is to help you see that our Great High Priest loves us and wants to bring us into relationship with the Almighty. He alone can do it; He alone HAS done it. He established a new covenant, not like the one with Moses at Sinai. This one is better, because it didn’t depend on us to fulfil it. He has done it for us. Our job is to receive his love and grace.
If you’ve never received Yeshua as your Lord and Saviour, I invite you to do so now. Right where you are. Receive him who gave his life for you. Say a prayer of thanks. Say a prayer like “I need you, Lord Yeshua” … he loves to give to you of his life.
If you want to write me with a question, I’m happy to try to answer. Just write me at the address on the screen, it’s bob@jewsforjesus.org.auand I’ll give it a go.
Until next week, when we will meet again to share about chapter 9 and more about our better High Priest who dominates and allows us entry into the Better Tabernacle, that is, heaven itself. Until then, l’shana tovah um’tookah and
Shabbat shalom.
Actual text:
Heb. 8:1 Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that thishigh priest also have something to offer. 4 Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; 5 who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “SEE,” He says, “THAT YOU MAKE all things ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN.” 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.
8 For finding fault with them, He says,
“BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; 9 NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR 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 INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 11 “AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, ‘KNOW THE LORD,’ FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM. 12 FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.”
13 When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.
Bibliography
Jacob, Alex, The case for Enlargement Theology, Glory to Glory, Walden, UK, 2010.
Ladd, George E., A Theology of the New Testament, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1974. (Pages 571 – 587)
Lane, William L, Word Biblical Commentary Series, Hebrews.
Vine, W.E., An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words,Revell, Old Tappan, NJ, 1966.
Weirsbe, Warren. Be Confident. David C. Cook Publishing, Colorado Springs,1982.
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D-Groups for this week
1) Tuesday 11 am Sydney time. Led by James Howse
2) Monday 10 am Sydney time, led by Rebekah Bronn
3) Thursday 7 pm, Sydney time, led by James White
(Contact our office for zoom details)
If you’d like to host a D-Group either online or in person, please contact bob@jewsforjesus.org.au for further details.
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