The writer of Hebrews begins his telling comparison between the saving powers of the old and new covenants with a brief summary in verses 1-5 of the layout and furnishings of the wilderness tabernacle, which he concludes by saying, “Of these things we cannot now speak in detail” (v. 5). Indeed, there was no real need to discuss them in detail because his Jewish readers were well acquainted with the desert sanctuary and its regulations for worship.

The inadequacy of the Old Covenant (vv. 6-10): The old system was inadequate for two reasons – its limited access and its limited efficacy. Just how restricted the access was, is seen in the experience of the official hereditary priesthood as verse 6 describes it. If they were fortunate, they got to go into the outer room once in their priestly lives for a week. The Israelite layperson’s access was even less – the front of the courtyard, and that’s all! If one was fortunate enough to attain high priest, one could have access for a blessed (and tense!) minutes at best. On the Day of Atonement, when the high priest took his censer in to first burn incense in God’s presence, it was prescribed that he must not stay too long “lest he put Israel in terror.” The people waited with bated breath, so that when he came out from the presence alive, there went up a sigh of relief. In verses 7-8 the point is crystal-clear: throughout the ages of the old covenant, there was no direct access to God, period!

But as inadequate as the access to God under the old system was, it was exceeded by its limited efficacy. The blood sacrifice that the high priest offered only covered sins of ignorance (v. 7). There was no provision in the old covenant’s sacrificial system for forgiveness of premeditated sins! Premeditated, willful sins were called sins of the “high hand,” and for such there was no remedy (see Num. 15:30-31).The spiritual limitations of the old system went even deeper, because since only sins of ignorance were forgiven no one could have a completely clear conscience (vv. 9-10). So the limitations of the old covenant were profound – limited access and limited efficacy.  The average Joes were several ecclesiastical layers removed from access to God’s presence – and their consciences never rested easy.

The adequacy of the New Covenant (vv. 11-14): Christ’s unrestricted access is dramatically stated in verses 11-12. Christ came having given His own precious blood once and for all, and then He sat down at the right hand of the Father – never more to leave. Everything foreshadowed by the earthly tabernacle is fulfilled in His priesthood in ways beyond description. But there is even more, for the unlimited access is crowned with unlimited efficacy as Christ makes consciences clean. To make this point, the author reiterates the limited nature of the old system in verse 13. Considering that the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer had that much effect described in Numbers 19:1-13, “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (v. 14). There is deep glorious forgiveness in the new covenant, and it is available to all! What more can we ask for than forgiveness of our sins and a clear conscience? We have exactly that in Christ!

Hebrews 9:1-14 Reflection Questions:

What type of priest was Zechariah in Luke 1:5-25?

How does the old covenant point to Christ?

What type of sins were committed by the high priest and Jewish leaders that convicted Jesus to death?

The study of the Word of God, especially lofty passages in Revelation or Ezekiel or Hebrews, sometimes makes us feel like we are traveling on the wings of angels. Certainly John’s Revelation was given to expand our minds and quicken our heartbeats to the glories we will experience. As we continue to consider the surpassing glory of the Christ’s heavenly priesthood, let us imagine what it must have been like when the Lamb of God ascended to take His seat at the right hand of the Father as our eternal High Priest. This is what the writer of Hebrews wants us to see and take to heart at this point in the letter (vv. 1-2). The precise point here is that Christ’s priestly session in Heaven is transcendentally supreme and superior to the old earthly priesthood of Aaron.

Apart from its unspeakable glory, the supremacy of His priesthood is seen in that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father. His posture points to His completed work. It is the physical expression of His triumphant cry from the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Because in His person He brought finite man and infinite God together, He could then do what no one else could – He could bear all our sins in a single cosmic sacrifice.

Jesus’ footwashing service here on earth was not an aberration of the Incarnation. Serving is part of His divine being. Think of it! Jesus, our eternal Priest who sits at the Father’s right hand in ineffable glory enthroned on emerald atop a crystal sea amongst the adoration of millions, serves in our behalf! “God serves me”! It is a ludicrous expression but true. Take a deep breath, swallow your disbelief, and humbly believe it. Jesus’ prayers are placed in your service and mine. There are no lapses, no disaffections, no uneven devotion – only a loving constancy of intercession – serving, serving, serving… The writer goes on to further demonstrate the surpassing nature of Christ’s priesthood by pointing to its superior reality and substance (vv. 3-5).

Our author’s logic moves from Christ’s superior session, through His superior reality, and now to His superior covenant and ministry. He introduces the subject of the new covenant by pronouncing the old covenant flawed (vv. 6-8). The old covenant was flawed, not in what was spelled out in the Law’s requirements, for the Law was good, but in that it was “weakened by the flesh” of the people (Rom. 8:3), because “the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s Law; indeed, it cannot” (Rom. 8:7-8). Because of this, it could not deliver on its wonderful promises. But the new covenant was founded on “better promises,” both because of their extent and because of the covenant’s ability to bring them to fulfillment in the lives of sinful humanity. This new covenant was to prove superior in every way, because it was founded on “better promises” (v. 6).

So what are these promises? First of all, the new covenant promises superior inwardness (v. 10a). The problem with the old covenant was, it was patently external. Its laws were written on stone. They provided no internal power to live them out. To be sure, there was (and is) great benefit in memorizing God’s Word, but the writing on the heart was beyond the power of unaided man. Something far more radical was needed – a spiritual heart operation.

Next, the new covenant promises a superior relationship (v. 10b). This is perfectly fulfilled in all who partake of the new covenant, in which believers actually become God’s possession and possess God. There is a tender, truer relationship of heart to heart, spirit to spirit – so that “I will be their God, and they shall be My people” is true in a deeper, more soul-satisfying way than those on the outside can imagine.

Superior inwardness and superior relationship are followed by a superior knowledge (v. 11). The old covenant was corporately entered into by a nation, including many who did not know God personally. But those who experience the new covenant come one by one as they are born into a relationship with God. Jesus defined eternal life by saying, “And this is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). God’s command “Know the Lord” is meant to allure men and women, boys and girls toward life. For those on the inside, personal knowledge will make them ache for more.

Finally, there is the promise of superior forgiveness in the new covenant (v. 12). This is precisely what the old covenant could not do. Under the old covenant, sins were never completely forgiven because they were never truly forgotten. They were covered, awaiting and pointing to the forgiveness through Christ’s death. Forgiveness is the most important of the qualities we have discussed, for it is the basis of the other three. Here forgiveness is tied to memory. God never forgets anything. In fact, He cannot forget unless He wills to do so. Any sin He remembers must be punished because He is holy. The new covenant brings total forgiveness! God does not just forget our sins. It is impossible for God to remember them!

Hebrews 8:1-13 Reflection Questions:

Do you know God personally? Do you ache for more of God?

Why is important that we forgive “those who sin against us”?

How are the above promises accomplished?

So far we have seen that Christ is a superior priest because of God’s oath and because of the permanence of Christ’s priesthood. No matter how devoted and obedient the Aaronic priests were, they could not always meet the needs of all the people. But Jesus Christ perfectly meets all our needs. Being perfect, He is able to exercise a perfect ministry for His people. Because of their sins, some of the Old Testament priests not only were unable to serve the people, but actually abused them. This could never happen with Jesus Christ and His people.

Old Testament priests were “set apart” for their ministry, so in that sense they were “holy.” But they were not always holy in character. They were sinners like the people to whom they ministered. The word “harmless” (v. 26) means “blameless.” No Jewish priest could claim this distinction. “Undefiled” means “unstained.” Again only Jesus Christ can claim these characteristics. When He was ministering on earth, our Lord was a friend of publicans and sinners (Matt. 9:10; 11:19), but His contact with them did not defile His character or His conduct. There was contact without contamination. He was not isolated, He was separated. Today, He is “separate from sinners” because of His position (“made higher than the heavens”); but He is not separate from the people to whom He ministers. He is always available to us at His throne of grace.

Another proof of His sinlessness is the fact that our Lord never had to offer sacrifices for His own cleansing, as did the priests. On the annual Day of Atonement, the high priest first had to sacrifice for himself before he could sacrifice for the people (Lev. 16). There were also daily sacrifices offered as a part of the temple ritual; and if a priest had sinned, he had to bring a sacrifice for his own cleansing. But Jesus Christ offered just one sacrifice for our sins and settled the matter forever (9:23-28).

This is the kind of priest we need! We are prone to sin daily, even hourly; and we need to be able to turn to Him for spiritual help. As our High Priest, Jesus Christ gives us the grace and mercy that we need not to sin. But if we do sin, He is our Advocate at God’s throne (1 John 2:1-2). If we confess our sins to Him, He forgives us and restores us (1 John 1:9).

The application is obvious: why turn away from such an adequate High Priest? What more can you find in any other person? The men who served under the Law of Moses had human infirmities and weaknesses, and they often failed. Our heavenly High Priest has been “consecrated [perfectly] forevermore” (v. 28) and there is no spot or blemish in Him. Such a High Priest “suits us perfectly”!

Hebrews 7:26-28 Reflection Questions:

When you are out in the world, does your character and conduct model that of Christ’s? Do you stand out?

Are you availing yourself of Jesus’ gracious ministry? What is your need? Bring it to Him in prayer today!