Hebrews Chapter 8 (ESV) 8 For he finds fault with them when he says:
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”
13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
REFLECTION:
Chapter at a Glance: The ministry of Jesus Christ as our High Priest involves a better covenant, a better sanctuary, and a better Christ has instituted the promised new covenant which brings forgiveness and renewal to all who believe.
The old system of Law didn’t work and was “becoming obsolete and growing old”. The New Covenant is superior for two things: First, it provides total forgiveness for all our wicked acts (v 12) and God no longer holds us accountable for our sins. Second, the New Covenant operates to “put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts”. The Old Covenant engraved standards on tablets of stone that men were unable to meet. The New Covenant engraves the desire to please God in our heart and moves us to what Law demanded, but could not produce.
Do you function better under external restraint (the law) or inner constraint (God’s Spirit) (v. 10)? Why?
What happens to you when you say to God, “Thank you for forgiving and forgetting my sin”?
PRAYER:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.
Hebrews Chapter 7 (ESV) 18 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.
20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:
“The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
‘You are a priest forever.’”
22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.
23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.
REFLECTION:
Chapter at a Glance: Christ’s high priesthood is superior to the Levitical one, and is of a totally different order. Therefore elements of Mosaic Law and its mortal priesthood are replaced by Christ’s priesthood.
The author quoted Ps 110:4 to indicate that God provided us a Priest who could guarantee us salvation, for He made an oath that “You are a priest forever”. Jesus Christ being the Priest forever means that God guarantees that the purposes He had in mind in Christ’s death will be fulfilled, “a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God” (v19).
We are not just saved by Jesus from punishment for our sins. We are being saved from sin’s insidious control of our thoughts and actions daily. Jesus is the source of our forgiveness and the source of our transformation as well.
What does it mean to you that Christ is able to save you “to the uttermost” (v25)? Think about it for a little while. Then praise God for giving you a high priest over all in Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.”15 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
REFLECTION:
Chapter at a Glance: To reach maturity, Christians must build on the foundation of God’s salvation and leave the elementary teachings and press on to maturity. When we are rooted in faith, we will produce the fruit that accompanies salvation. The author concluded this warning with a word of hope to his readers – We are rested on the unbreakable promises God has made to us in Jesus Christ.
God took an elaborate way to reassure Abraham of His faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to him (v13, ref Gen. 22:15-18). He is doing so to us as well. God, who doesn’t lie, has not only promised to bless us. God sealed His promise with an oath, which is executed in the blood of His one and only Son. God wouldn’t lie in the first place. But God would never ever consider violating an oath that He made at such unimaginable cost.
Why did God take such pains to confirm His promise? Because He knew how vulnerable we are to fear and doubt. He knew how weak our faith becomes at times. And so, not because He needed to, but as an anchor for the hope we have in Christ, God promised, and He swore His oath – to reassure us.
What a gracious God we have. And how little cause we have to doubt Him. In Jesus we have “a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (v19).
How does Jesus fulfill your deepest aspirations and help you to go on to maturity in your faith journey?
PRAYER:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.
