Hebrews 8

Hebrews 8:1

Heb. 8:1. Now of the things which we have spoken (this is) the sum: We have such a high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; Notes on the Bible provides commentary on Hebrews 8:1 :

[310] Hebrews 8:1, “We have such an high priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.” This is often taken notice of in this epistle, as Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 10:12; Hebrews 12:2. This high priest, when he enters into the holy of holies with his own blood, does not only appear there standing before the throne, or mercy-seat, as the high priests of old were wont to do when they entered into the holy of holies once a year with the blood of others, but sits down on the throne in the holy of holies, on the right hand of God; which shows the exceeding dignity of the priest, his nearness and dearness to God, and the absolute sufficiency of the sacrifice that he had offered, the blood of which he entered in there with, and the dignity and honourableness of the manner of interceding there; which was not merely by supplication, as one in humble posture before the throne, but by representing his will to the Father, as one sitting in glory with him on the throne, as John 17:24. “Father, I will that they that thou hast given me be with me,” etc. His thus being admitted and invited of God to sit with him on the throne, denotes God’s full, and perfect, and great satisfaction, and well-pleasedness in, and rest on, this high priest when he had offered his sacrifice, and entered into the holy of holies with the blood of it to obtain of God that for which he shed his blood. God immediately receives him, and accepts him and his plea, and says to him, “Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool.” And it is a note of Christ’s perfect assurance of the Father’s acceptance of him as priest, and his rest in him, as having virtually obtained what he intercedes for, having all things put into his hands, being made head over all things to the church, that he does not merely stand before the throne supplication, hoping, and waiting, as the legal high priests did, but sits down in perfect rest, as being satisfied in his full acceptance and virtual possession of all he seeks. He sits on the throne as a royal priest, as a priest on the throne agreeably to the prophecy in Zechariah 6:13 : being made to reign to accomplish the ends of the priesthood, according to his own will; for God has given all power in heaven and on earth, that Christ may give eternal life to as many as God hath given him.

Christ is a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. In “Christ the Example of Gospel Ministers,” Hebrews 8:2 teaches that

The work of ministers in many respects like the work of that Christ himself was appointed to, as the Savior of men; and especially the same with the work which Christ does in his prophetical office; only with this difference, that ministers are to speak and act wholly under Christ, as taught of him, as holding forth his word, and by light and strength communicated from him. Christ himself after his baptism, followed the work of the ministry: he was a minister of the true sanctuary, Hebrews 8:2; he spake and acted as his Father’s minister; was a minister of the gospel, and as such preached and administered sacraments. Pastors of churches are ministers of the same gospel; but in their ministry they act as the ministers of Christ. Jesus Christ is the great Bishop of souls; ministers are also bishops under him. Christ came into the world that he might be the light of the world; ministers are set to be lights unto the churches and are also said to be the light of the world, Matthew 5:14. Christ is the bright and morning star; ministers are stars in Christ’s hand.

Christ is the messenger of the covenant; ministers are called messengers of the Lord of Hosts. Christ is his people’s shepherd, the good shepherd, the great shepherd of his sheep. Ministers are also frequently called shepherds, and are directed to feed the flock of Christ, which he purchased with his own blood. Heb. 8:3-4

Hebrews 8:3-4

Heb. 8:3-4. 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:

Heb. 8:5

Hebrews 8:5

Heb. 8:5. 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.

Blank Bible:

according to the pattern shewed thee in the mount] the apostle means that that mount represented heaven (?) he was charged to make ’em according to the pattern shewed in the mount signifying that they were to be imaged and shadows of heavenly things patterns of things in the heavens as Hebrews 9:23 .

Heb. 8:6

Hebrews 8:6

Heb. 8:6. 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. In response to Edwards’ Qualifications for Full Communion, the Rev. Solomon Williams published a refutation, The True State of the Question concerning the Qualifications Necessary to Lawful Communion in the Christian Sacraments to which Edwards responded with Misrepresentations Corrected, and Truth Vindicated (1752). Williams had maintained that moral sincerity alone qualified for admission to the Lord’s Supper. Edwards answered using our text as part of his response:

I. There is no such thing as moral sincerity, in the covenant of grace, distinct from gracious sincerity. If any sincerity at all be requisite in order to a title to the seals of the covenant of grace, doubtless it is the sincerity which belongs to that covenant; and that is a gracious sincerity: the covenant of grace has nothing to do with any other sincerity. There is but one sort of faith belonging to that covenant; and this is saving faith in Jesus Christ, called in Scripture unfeigned faith. As for the faith of devils, it is not the faith of the covenant of grace. Here the distinction of an internal, and external covenant, will not help at all; as long as the covenant, of which the sacraments are seals, is a covenant of salvation, or a covenant proposing terms of eternal salvation. The sacraments are seals of such a covenant: they are seals of the New Testament in Christ’s blood, Matthew 26:28; Luke 22:28, a testament which has better promises than the old, Hebrews 8:6, and which the apostle tells us, “makes us heirs of the eternal inheritance,” Hebrews 9:15. Mr. Williams himself speaks of the covenant sealed in baptism, as, “the covenant proposing terms of salvation,” p. 23. So he speaks of the covenant entered into by a visible people, as the covenant “in which God offers everlasting happiness,” p. 24, 25. But there is no other religion, no other sincerity, belonging to this covenant of salvation, but that which accompanies salvation, or is saving religion and sincerity. As it is written, Psalms 51:6, “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts.” Heb. 8:7

Hebrews 8:7

Heb. 8:7. For if that first (covenant) had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. An important discussion of this text on the relation between the first and second covenant is found in “Perseverance of the Saints.”

§10. The first covenant failed of bringing man to the glory of God, through man’s instability, whereby he failed of perseverance. Man’s changeableness was the thing wherein it was weak. It was weak through the flesh. But God had made a second covenant in mercy to fallen man, that in the way of this covenant he might be brought to the glory of God, which he failed of under the other. But is is God’s manner, in things that he appoints and constitutes, when one thing fails of its proper end, he appoints another to succeed in the room of it; to introduce that the second time, in which the weaknesses and defects of the former are supplied, and which never shall fail, but shall surely reach its end, and so shall remain as that which needs no other to succeed it.

So God removed the first dispensation by Moses, Hebrews 8:7-13 : “For if the 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, that 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 - 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 neighbor, etc. - for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and 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.” So the priesthood of the order of Aaron ceases, because of the weakness and insufficiency of it to answer the ends of priesthood, which are, to reconcile God to man. Therefore God introduces another priesthood, of the order of Melchisedec, that is sufficient, and cannot fail, and remains for ever: Hebrews 7:11; Hebrews 7:12, “If, therefore, perfection were by the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should arise, after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.” Verse Hebrews 7:15-19, “After the similitude of Melchisedec, there ariseth another priest, who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedec. For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before, for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

For the law made nothing perfect; but the bringing in of a better hope did.” - What the law failed of, being weak through the flesh, Christ performed: Romans 8:3; Romans 8:4, “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, that walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” So the old heavens and earth are destroyed, because of their defects, and a new heaven and earth introduced, that are to remain for ever. Hebrews 12:26-28, “But now hath he promised, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of those things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we, receiving a kingdom which cannot be removed,” etc. - So Moses, the first leader of Israel, failed of bringing them into Canaan; but Joshua, the second leader, did not fail. The kingdom of Saul, the first anointed of the Lord, did not continue; but the kingdom of the second anointed remains for ever. The first sanctuary, that was built in Israel, was a movable tabernacle, and therefore ready to vanish away, or be removed finally: - and God forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh.

But the second sanctuary was a firm building, an immovable temple, which was typically an everlasting sanctuary, and that which God would never forsake, 2 Samuel 7:10; 2 Samuel 7:11. So the first covenant that God made with Adam failed, because it was weak through the flesh, or through the weakness of human nature, to whose strength and stability the keeping was intrusted.

Therefore God introduces another better covenant, committed not to his strength, but to the strength of one that was mighty and stable, and therefore is a sure and everlasting covenant. God intrusted the affair of man’s happiness on a weak foundation at first to show man that that foundation was weak, and not to be trusted to, that he might trust in God alone. The first was only to make way for the second. God lighted up divine light in man’s soul at the first; but it remained on such a foundation, that Satan found means to extinguish it; and therefore when God lights it up a second time, that it may never be extinguished. Heb. 8:8-9

Hebrews 8:8-9

Heb. 8:8-9. 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 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.

Blank Bible: “continued not in my covenant] This refers especially to their making the golden calf.”

Hebrews 8:10-13

Heb. 8:10-13

Hebrews 8:10-13 . 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.

Chapter 9

Heb. 9:1-3