BOOK
BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY
Larrydalexanderbiblestudies.blogspot.com
BIBLE
STUDY LESSON
For
the week beginning Sunday November 8, 2015
CHRIST
IS OUR HIGH PRIEST
(CHRIST
is the perfect sacrifice)
Hebrews
8-9
JESUS ministers on the
basis of a better covenant. HE is GOD’s superior priest and our ultimate representative
in the presence of the FATHER in Heaven. A superior priest could never operate
on the basis of an inferior covenant. Here in chapter 8, the writer begins to
move toward the conclusion of his discussion and argument regarding the
superiority of CHRIST JESUS as our HIGH PRIEST. Aaronic priests ministered on
earth in a sanctuary that was a mere copy of the Heavenly Sanctuary. It was
only a shadow of the true sanctuary in Heaven that was built by the hand of
GOD, and where CHRIST now ministers. The superiority of JESUS’ ministry is also
reflected in the superiority of the New Covenant, which HE ushered in to us,
during HIS three-year ministry here on earth.
Unlike the earthly high
priest who was required to offer gifts and sacrifices for, first, their own
sins, and then ours, JESUS has no need to offer sacrifices for HIMSELF because
HE, quite frankly has never sinned. And the sacrifice HE offers for our sins, past,
present, and future, is HIS OWN life, which was offered up on the cross at Golgotha,
where HE spilled HIS blood, some 2000 years ago.
Back in Exodus 24,
verses 1-8, the Israelites accepted GOD’s covenant as it had been given to Moses
on Mount Sinai. However, man would not then, and quite frankly, will not now,
abide by such a covenant, because we let our sins continuously interrupt our relationship
with GOD. It took the life of CHRIST to restore our lost relationship of friendship
with GOD. If we, as a people, would have abided by the first covenant, there
would have been no need for the, more superior covenant that was ushered in by
CHRIST JESUS to replace it. The first covenant was offered by GOD to show us how
much we need HIM in our lives to survive, and, how far we were from living according
to HIS OWN glorious standards. Therefore, as a result, the old Covenant, in
essence, could only condemn us. The New Covenant, by contrast, brings
forgiveness through CHRIST JESUS, and thereby, can only save us. However, this
salvation can only be given to those who voluntarily accept GOD, in all HIS
fullness.
In the Greek, the word
used for “covenant”, in all normal secular applications, is “suntheke”
(soon-tha-kay), and it is “an agreement between two equal parties or entities,
on equal terms”, i.e. a marriage, or a business deal or partnership.
However, in the New
Testament Scriptures, the Greek word that is always used for “covenant” is
“diatheke” (dee-ath-ay-kay), and it is “an agreement that is actually along the
terms of a “devised Will”. In other words, only one party draws up the terms,
and the other party can either accept or reject the terms, or inheritance, that
is offered. They cannot change or alter any of the contents within that Will. The
choice of this word, (diatheke), is understandable, because we, as human
beings, cannot enter into an equal partnership with GOD, and cannot be on equal
terms with GOD for obvious reasons. We are only able to make a voluntary
decision to accept, or reject HIS covenant offer, and cannot alter, or change
HIS terms in any way.
Even in the secular
world, we know that a Will does not go into effect until the person who wrote
it has been proven dead. JESUS, WHO is our HIGH PRIEST, first died on the cross
for our sins, then, re-entered into Heaven itself, bearing HIS OWN blood to
present as a sacrificial atonement for all of our sins, past, present, and
future. And with HIS sacrifice, HE purchased eternal salvation for all mankind in
general, and all Christians in particular, once, and for all time. In short,
JESUS is the mediator of the New Covenant that was activated by HIS OWN death.
In the Greek, there are
two words that are used for “new”. One is “neos” (neh-os), which is “new in
respects to time”. It can be a regeneration, or “exact copy” of something
already existing, such as a new piece of clothing, or a new pair of shoes. The
other word used for new is “kainos” (kahee-nos), which means, not only new in relation
to time, but also new in quality and expression. It is something that is a new creation
altogether, or a new product that has been introduced into the world for the
first time. “Kainos” is the word used here by the author to describe the
covenant ushered in by JESUS CHRIST. However, this New Covenant ushered in by CHRIST
can never be improved upon, or copied.
There is one other
essential that we should accentuate regarding the New Covenant. In Hebrews
10:16-18, the author of GOD tells us that the New Covenant is one that calls
for “internal”, rather than “external” adaptations. This means that people would
no longer want to obey GOD simply because the law compels them to, or they fear
punishment, but rather, because the desire to obey HIM will be written on their
hearts and minds.
Under the old Covenant,
man could only hope to keep a right relationship with GOD by obeying HIS laws,
through their own efforts. Here, in the New Covenant Age, everything is
dependent, not on, what we can do, but rather, everything rests solely on the
grace of GOD, and what JESUS CHRIST has done, by way of HIS vicarious
sacrifice. JESUS, both, removes our guilt, and, mediates our New Covenant with
GOD.
With the coming of the
New Covenant, GOD wishes to place HIS laws for living on our hearts, not just
in writing on stone or, even paper, for that matter. HE wants us to understand
HIM in our innermost being, so that we can obey HIM more completely. HE wants
to be our GOD, and HE wants us to be HIS people. HE wants us to teach of HIM,
not just with the words of our mouths, but more importantly, with our behavior
as professed Christians.
We, as Christians, must
make our old selves obsolete, just as GOD made the Old Covenant Law obsolete
when HE sent us HIS only begotten SON to save us from ourselves. In the New
Testament Greek, the word used for “old”, or “obsolete” is “palaioumenon”
(pal-ah-yo-o-me-non), and it describes “something that is out of date” and “ready
to be set aside”. In Hebrews chapter 9, the writer expands on his argument
concerning the superiority of the New Covenant that was ushered in by CHRIST
JESUS. In the first covenant between GOD and Israel (the Mosaic Covenant),
there were many regulations concerning worship, and, there was a sacred place,
a tent, in which to do it. Every element of the Mosaic Covenant had special
significance because it reflected realities that are found only in Heaven.
Inside this sacred tent were two rooms. In the first room there was a lamp stand,
a table, and loaves of holy bread on the table, and it was called, the “Holy
Place”.
Now there was a curtain
that separated this first room from a second room. This second room was called the
“Most Holy Place”. Inside this second room, were a gold incense altar and a
wooden chest called the “Ark of the Covenant”. The Ark was covered with gold on
all sides, and inside it were three items, a gold jar, which contained the two
quarts of manna that were placed there by Aaron at the command of GOD, through
Moses (Exodus 16:32-34). There was also Aaron’s blooming staff, which GOD
commanded to be put there as a warning to those who try to rebel against HIM
(Numbers 17:10-11). And, there were the tablets upon which the Ten Commandments
were written (Exodus 40:20).
Above the ark were
angels whose wings were stretched out over the Ark’s cover, the place of
atonement. Any of the priests were able to go in and out of the first room on a
regular basis, as they performed their religious duties to man and GOD.
However, only the high priest was allowed to enter into the second room, the
Most Holy Place, and then, he could enter it only once a year, always with
blood that would be offered up to GOD to cover, first, his own sins, and then,
the sins of the people.
By these regulations,
the HOLY SPIRIT was communicating that the Most Holy Place was not open to
everyone, as long as the first room, the Holy Place, and all that it
represents, was still in use. This was also an illustration of how the gifts
and sacrifices that the priests were offering were not able to cleanse the
consciences of the people that brought them.
This old system only
dealt with food, drink, ritual washing, and other external regulations that
were, in effect, only until their limitations could be corrected by the
introduction of the New Covenant, that was ushered in by JESUS CHRIST. All of
the old system’s Levitical arrangements were designed to convey the idea that
the true way to GOD did not lie in them, but rather, would lie in CHRIST. What
this tells us in this day and age, is that, the old covenant sacrificial system
never met our human needs on their most profound level, and could not, by any
means, clear the spiritual consciences of the people who seek to worship GOD.
JESUS CHRIST has now
entered into the perfect sanctuary that was not made by human hands, but
rather, by the hand of GOD. There HE has become high priest over all that is
good. Once and for all time HE has carried HIS OWN blood into the Most Holy
Place in Heaven, and with it, HE has secured our salvation forever. Under the
old law, the blood of goats, bulls, or rams could be used to cleanse the
defilement of human sins. How much more effective then, must the blood of
CHRIST be in purifying the human heart from deeds that had long led man to
death, and is now allowing man to re-establish a relationship of friendship
with GOD.
Here in chapter 9, the
writer prompts his readers to recall that all elements of the Mosaic Covenant had
special meaning in that, it reflected the realities in Heaven. But our HIGH
PRIEST, JESUS, entered into Heaven itself, bearing HIS OWN blood, and by HIS
OWN sacrifice, obtained for us, the greatest gift of all time, salvation. JESUS
is the mediator of the New Covenant, a covenant that was activated by HIS OWN
death on the cross.
In Old Testament times,
animal blood sacrifices were the standard requirement by GOD for the sins of
man. In essence, it indicates that sin merits death, but GOD is willing to accept
a substitute in place of the life of the sinner. Hebrews chapters 8-10 teaches
us that the system of Old Testament sacrifices was actually an “object lesson”
used by GOD to aid us in the understanding of the coming sacrifice of HIS only
begotten SON, JESUS, the CHRIST.
The Old Testament
sacrifices had an external effectiveness, but JESUS’ sacrifice at Golgotha has
an internal effect that cleanses the conscience that bounds us to the guilt of
our past. We are no longer overcome with a past that renders us inadequate to
function in the present, and keeps us from moving forward to a brighter future
with GOD.
When a person dies and
leaves a will, no one can collect on the benefits of that will until there is
proof that the person who wrote that will is actually dead. Likewise, under the
old covenant, GOD required the blood of certain animals as proof of death, and
the blood confirmed man’s obedience to the covenant. Afterwards, man was able
to collect on the benefits of GOD’s will, which was found in HIS forgiveness,
instead of the death of the sinner.
The blood of animals
was sufficient to purify things here on earth, and by the sprinkling of animal
blood, man was allowed to continue to live here on earth. However, the real
things, which are only found in Heaven, had to be purified with a far better
sacrifice than the blood of unblemished animals. It took the blood of an
unblemished man to meet the requirement of GOD to enter into the Kingdom of
Heaven, and that perfect sacrifice could only come in the person of JESUS
CHRIST.
But first, JESUS had to
become a man, born into the world like all other men, so that HE could suffer
through everything man has to suffer through, overcome it, and then, present
HIMSELF faultless before HIS FATHER GOD as the perfect sacrifice for the sin
atonement of all persons, past, present, and future, once and for all time.
And just as it is
appointed by GOD that each person dies only once, and after which comes
judgment, so too, CHRIST died only once as a sacrifice that took away the sins
of the people who choose to believe in HIM. JESUS will come again, but not to
deal with our sins again. This time HE will bring with HIM, the salvation that
is promised to all those who believe, and eagerly await HIS return.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
