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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 Matt. 2: 22 and Heb. 11: 7),
suggests the importance of this typical representation, whilst the parallel in
I Chron. 28: 11-19 concerning the pattern of the Temple confirms it. The typical
teaching of the Tabernacle is enlarged upon in Heb. 9: For the moment we are
occupied with the "principal thing", a seated Priest in a heavenly Sanctuary.
The Mediator of a better Covenant.
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 II Cor. 3: We have, with the re-introduction of the
subject of the Covenant, returned to the argument of Heb. 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 Jer. 31: occupies Heb. 8: 8-12 which testifies in no
uncertain way to the nature and scope of the New Covenant.
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 Matt. 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 I 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 (I Cor. 12: 1-2).