PERFECTION

PERDITION

OR

The `somewhat' suggests something different from the offerings of the law, and verse 4 puts forward the

argument that the Lord could have no priesthood on earth, as the prescribed offerings were already ministered by an

earthly and an exclusive priesthood. Their service, however, was typical of a higher and a greater.

`Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things' (8:5).

The Levitical economy was one of type and shadow:

`As Moses was admonished (or "warned") 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' (8:5).

The fact that Moses was `warned' (see same word in Matthew 2:22 and Hebrews 11:7), suggests the importance

of this typical representation, whilst the parallel in 1 Chronicles 28:11-19 concerning the pattern of the Temple

confirms it. The typical teaching of the Tabernacle is enlarged upon in Hebrews 9. For the moment we are

occupied with the `principal thing', a seated Priest in a heavenly Sanctuary.

The excellency of the ministry of this seated Priest is further enforced by the superiority of the Covenant which

forms the sphere of His activities. The degree of this superiority is gauged `by how much' the New Covenant is

superior to the old. This forms a fruitful line of teaching in 2 Corinthians 3. We have, with the re-introduction of

the subject of the Covenant, returned to the argument of Hebrews 7:18, but we have returned with fuller knowledge.

There, in 7:18, we learned that the commandment which appointed the Levitical priesthood was `disannulled'

because of its `weakness' and'unprofitableness'. Here, in 8:6-13, we learn that the Covenant with which the

Levitical priesthood was associated was likewise set aside as being `not blameless', the Lord `finding fault' with it

and introducing the New Covenant as the better hope founded upon better promises, ministered by a better Priest,

and ratified by a better Sacrifice.

A lengthy quotation from Jeremiah 31 occupies Hebrews 8:8-12 which testifies in no uncertain way to the nature

and scope of the New Covenant.

There are still quite a number of God's children who have hazy ideas concerning this New Covenant (or

testament as it is translated in Matthew 26:28), therefore it will be helpful if we set out its chief features from the

passage before us, before passing on to chapter 9.

(1) The New Covenant is made with Israel and Judah and with no other people.

(2) It was not engraven upon stone as at Sinai, but written upon the heart.

(3) The Old Covenant was connected with the exodus from Egypt, and its commemorative feast was the

Passover, whilst the New Covenant is connected with a greater and a spiritual deliverance, and its

commemorative feast was instituted at the Passover by the Lord (Matt. 26:28).

(4) It is essentially connected with the national restoration of Israel (Jer. 31:35-40).

(5) The only reference to this New Covenant memorial feast, outside the three synoptic gospels (for John omits

it) is in that section of 1 Corinthians, that is addressed to those whose `Fathers' went through the Red Sea.

This section covers chapters 10 and 11. With chapter 12 the apostle addresses those who were `Gentiles' and

who had been idolators (1 Cor. 12:1-2).

The apostle sums up the matter for us in Hebrews 8:13:

`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'.