Now 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.
For 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.
But 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.
For 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:
And 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.
Hebrews 8 builds upon the arguments presented in Hebrews 7, highlighting the superiority of Jesus' high priesthood and the new covenant He mediates. This chapter emphasizes that the earthly institutions of the Old Covenant, particularly the tabernacle and its sacrifices, served as shadows of the heavenly realities now fully realized in Christ. This understanding paves the way for Hebrews 9, which will delve deeper into the surpassing excellence of Christ's sacrifice compared to the Levitical system.
The Essence of the Argument (Hebrews 8:1-2)
The writer of Hebrews, sounding much like a preacher, gets straight to the heart of the matter. He wants his readers to grasp a crucial point: a better high priest inevitably leads to a better ministry. Hebrews 8:1 declares, "Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens." This "main point" underscores the significance of Jesus' position. He isn't just a high priest; He is the High Priest, seated in the place of ultimate power and authority. His work, the perfect offering for sin completed on the cross (John 19:30), has earned Him this exalted position, from which He continually intercedes for us.
Hebrews 8:2 further clarifies Jesus’ role, stating He is "a minister in the holy places, in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man."
Earthly Shadows, Heavenly Realities (Hebrews 8:3-6)
The author draws a deliberate contrast between the ministry of the Old Testament priests in the earthly tabernacle and Jesus' ministry in the heavenly one (Hebrews 8:2-4). The Old Testament tabernacle, its priesthood, and its sacrifices were never meant to be ends in themselves. Instead, they were divinely ordained symbols, pointing towards the true tabernacle, the true priest, and the ultimate sacrifice that was to come. The system established by Moses, though good and implemented in obedience to God, was preparatory in nature, a "copy and shadow of the heavenly things" (Hebrews 8:5). It foreshadowed the superior ministry of Jesus, who mediates a better covenant founded on better promises (Hebrews 8:6).
The original readers of Hebrews faced the temptation to regress, to abandon their progress in faith and return to the familiar practices of Judaism. The writer argues that such a move would be a grave error, a step backward from the superior reality found in Christ. Their only viable path was to press on, to mature in their understanding and experience of Christ.
A New Covenant Promised (Hebrews 8:7-13)
The author emphasizes the superiority of the new covenant established by Christ. A covenant is a sacred agreement, a divinely initiated relational bond through which God reveals Himself and administers His kingdom program. Through His covenants, God exercises His kingdom rule on earth and blesses His people. The old covenant, made with the people of Israel, was good in its time, but it was also temporary and ultimately limited because God had something far better in store. As Hebrews 8:7 poses, "For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second."
To bolster his argument, the writer quotes Jeremiah 31:31-34 (Hebrews 8:8-12). Through Jeremiah, God declared that the law, in and of itself, lacked the power to transform the human heart. Under the new covenant, however, God promised a radical change: "I will put my laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts" (Hebrews 8:10). This speaks of an inward transformation, a spiritual renewal that transcends mere outward compliance.
When you become a Christian, you receive a new heart and mind. You are born again. But like an infant’s, your new heart and mind are underdeveloped; there’s a lot of growth needed. Nevertheless, you received a new spiritual radar—a new ability to perceive spiritual things. You now have the capacity to experience God and obey him. But while every Christian has this ability, not every Christian has developed it (see 5:11-14; 1 Corinthians 3:1-3).
This new covenant, established through Jesus Christ, renders the old covenant obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). The readers of Hebrews were no longer bound by the rituals and regulations of the old system, because at the heart of the new covenant lies this incredible promise: "I will remember their sins no more" (Hebrews 8:12).
The joy of knowing that our sins are forgiven is immeasurable. But God's promise goes even further. Through Christ, even our future sins are covered. Everything we have done – past, present, and future – is under the protection of the cross. When we truly grasp the magnitude of this grace, we are compelled to live in a way that pleases the One who saved us. We transition from a life of obligation ("have to") to a life of gratitude ("thank you"), freeing us to experience and delight in the power and privilege of our relationship with God.
Now 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.
For 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.
But 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.
For 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:
And 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.
Hebrews 8 builds upon the arguments presented in Hebrews 7, highlighting the superiority of Jesus' high priesthood and the new covenant He mediates. This chapter emphasizes that the earthly institutions of the Old Covenant, particularly the tabernacle and its sacrifices, served as shadows of the heavenly realities now fully realized in Christ. This understanding paves the way for Hebrews 9, which will delve deeper into the surpassing excellence of Christ's sacrifice compared to the Levitical system.
The Essence of the Argument (Hebrews 8:1-2)
The writer of Hebrews, sounding much like a preacher, gets straight to the heart of the matter. He wants his readers to grasp a crucial point: a better high priest inevitably leads to a better ministry. Hebrews 8:1 declares, "Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens." This "main point" underscores the significance of Jesus' position. He isn't just a high priest; He is the High Priest, seated in the place of ultimate power and authority. His work, the perfect offering for sin completed on the cross (John 19:30), has earned Him this exalted position, from which He continually intercedes for us.
Hebrews 8:2 further clarifies Jesus’ role, stating He is "a minister in the holy places, in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man."
Earthly Shadows, Heavenly Realities (Hebrews 8:3-6)
The author draws a deliberate contrast between the ministry of the Old Testament priests in the earthly tabernacle and Jesus' ministry in the heavenly one (Hebrews 8:2-4). The Old Testament tabernacle, its priesthood, and its sacrifices were never meant to be ends in themselves. Instead, they were divinely ordained symbols, pointing towards the true tabernacle, the true priest, and the ultimate sacrifice that was to come. The system established by Moses, though good and implemented in obedience to God, was preparatory in nature, a "copy and shadow of the heavenly things" (Hebrews 8:5). It foreshadowed the superior ministry of Jesus, who mediates a better covenant founded on better promises (Hebrews 8:6).
The original readers of Hebrews faced the temptation to regress, to abandon their progress in faith and return to the familiar practices of Judaism. The writer argues that such a move would be a grave error, a step backward from the superior reality found in Christ. Their only viable path was to press on, to mature in their understanding and experience of Christ.
A New Covenant Promised (Hebrews 8:7-13)
The author emphasizes the superiority of the new covenant established by Christ. A covenant is a sacred agreement, a divinely initiated relational bond through which God reveals Himself and administers His kingdom program. Through His covenants, God exercises His kingdom rule on earth and blesses His people. The old covenant, made with the people of Israel, was good in its time, but it was also temporary and ultimately limited because God had something far better in store. As Hebrews 8:7 poses, "For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second."
To bolster his argument, the writer quotes Jeremiah 31:31-34 (Hebrews 8:8-12). Through Jeremiah, God declared that the law, in and of itself, lacked the power to transform the human heart. Under the new covenant, however, God promised a radical change: "I will put my laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts" (Hebrews 8:10). This speaks of an inward transformation, a spiritual renewal that transcends mere outward compliance.
When you become a Christian, you receive a new heart and mind. You are born again. But like an infant’s, your new heart and mind are underdeveloped; there’s a lot of growth needed. Nevertheless, you received a new spiritual radar—a new ability to perceive spiritual things. You now have the capacity to experience God and obey him. But while every Christian has this ability, not every Christian has developed it (see 5:11-14; 1 Corinthians 3:1-3).
This new covenant, established through Jesus Christ, renders the old covenant obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). The readers of Hebrews were no longer bound by the rituals and regulations of the old system, because at the heart of the new covenant lies this incredible promise: "I will remember their sins no more" (Hebrews 8:12).
The joy of knowing that our sins are forgiven is immeasurable. But God's promise goes even further. Through Christ, even our future sins are covered. Everything we have done – past, present, and future – is under the protection of the cross. When we truly grasp the magnitude of this grace, we are compelled to live in a way that pleases the One who saved us. We transition from a life of obligation ("have to") to a life of gratitude ("thank you"), freeing us to experience and delight in the power and privilege of our relationship with God.