Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness.
2 For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence.[b] It
is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a second section[c] called
the Most Holy Place,4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.
5 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 6
These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties,
7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people.
8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing
9 (which is symbolic for the present age).[d] According
to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper,10
but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.
11
But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come,[e] then
through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)
12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify[f]for
the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our[g] conscience from
dead works to serve the living God. 15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions
committed under the first covenant.[h] 16
For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.17
For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.
18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.
19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.”
21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship.
22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
23
Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own,
26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.27
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Let’s say there is a fellow who has been in the church…all his life. He was baptized as an infant and his family brought him to church and he participated in all the
church activities as expected. He grows up going to youth group, he has his issues like all kids but nothing that really stands out as troublesome, not illegal activities or huge scandals. To be sure there is nothing about his life that makes his Christianity
stand out as unique…he is just a typical kid.
Over the years he gets morally outraged about social evils, and the behavior of others, he is even a bit judgmental about other Christian folks who are doing it wrong
but again, nothing unordinary. He grows up, gets married and takes his place in the church. He tithes…ok…he fudges here and there, but for the most part he gives, because you are supposed to, goes to evening worship once in a while and that really makes him
feel good about himself.
And then it is revealed, I don’t know how, it just is, that he has no love for Jesus, not really. In fact, there are many secrets and behaviors that are contradictory
to the Christian life, but no one really knows and he has no intention of dealing with them as a Christian should. He likes the discipline the Christian faith affords him, the structure it gives and the moral aspect of life it affords to set him apart from
other people, you know, bad people, and it is a safe environment in which to raise his own children, who he wants to be good citizens, like he is.
But he is just going through the motions and finds his peace in his religious duties, not what Jesus has done for him…just in being a good guy and again, better than
most. He is living correctly…the right way, externally anyway…therefore, he is good.
Affection for Jesus? No, that is not the point of his religion, rather, he is religious because it works for him and after all, this is how he has done it since he
was a kid. His Christianity has never cost him anything and he is going to make sure it never does. And if he took truth serum, he would admit, he is not a man of faith, he is just trying to be a good guy.
My question: Is this 21st century man, let’s say, this 21st century, Presbyterian man, caught up in the new covenant or the old covenant?
Or what about Abraham…Moses…Ruth…new covenant or old covenant? How about Judas or Demas?
Why this is important…today, wonderful, godly men and women refer to the OC as the OT…and the NC as the NT. They see the problem being with the system God set up in
the OT as being bad at worst and completely inferior at best, to the new system that is now in place.
I am suggesting that this misses the point. The issue is not the OT system, rather, the problem is lying within the hearts of the people who make up the visible church.
Some will say:
“We have so much more than they had.”
More what? Information? We are not saved by mere information, but by faith in God’s promises. Did they have God’s promises? We know that many great men and women of
the OT are our heroes because of their faith-filled lives!
Please don’t say we have more Holy Spirit. We have looked at that at length.
If David, Jeremiah, and Esther could do what they did without the Holy Spirit and I can only do as well as I do WITH the Holy Spirit…what does that say about the Holy
Spirit? I am not half the man that these saints were and they did all of that without the Spirit? Why does Hebrews 11 tell us to imitate the OT folks if we have it so much better than they did?
The paradigm that says the OC is the OT, or the OT sacraments etc… just doesn’t seem to answer the pressing questions. So, a few points from the text:
First, look at verse 23: Thus it was necessary for the copies of the
heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Now, pop back to 8:5. “They (OT priests) serve a copy
and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.”
A review: Moses goes up on the mountain, Ex 24-25 and he is shown a vision of heaven. He is told to make the worship tent, the Tabernacle according to the pattern
he saw in heaven. When the people worshiped as we read about in this chapter, they would reenact what goes on in heaven, through the earthly liturgy. The author calls these things a copy, or a shadow…they picture the real thing, but they are not the real thing.
That should not be a novel idea to anyone. The Lord’s Supper is not the actual body and blood of Jesus being sacrificed for us, it is not food enough to nourish our
bodies…it is a copy, a shadow, a type, that when faith is active, then the sacraments, OT or NT have effect, they are what they picture…for the time being.
The Lord says, believe me, trust my promises that I come to you in grace and mercy as you, in a faith-filled believing way, make use of these mysteries, until what
you are hoping for comes to pass.
The point that the author is making is that Jesus IS the substance…He is better in that He is the next, and final end of those sacrifices and sacraments…He
is what they are about.
If you had to be away for a long period and you took a couple of pictures of your wife and at night you looked at them, marveling at how beautiful she is…waiting to
see her again…but your absence went on for some time…you miss her, but you have your pictures. And then finally the day came for you to see her, to hold her, to look into her eyes and you said, “Nah…I have these pictures. That is enough.” Something would be
wrong.
The pictures, the types, the copies, the shadows…they were great and they carried the day as they were meant to do…but they were not the real thing…and when the real
thing, when your wife is in your presence, you might keep the pictures but you are more taken by the reality of her presence, her person than just having pictures of her.
Of course, the analogy breaks down to be sure. But you see the point. Just like our sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s Supper are to leave us at the feet of Jesus
and the promises of God, so were the sacraments of the Old Testament…and they did, for those who believed God’s promises, and those promises are Jesus…just as they are now!
In the Lord’s wisdom the OT people had many, many more sacraments: the sacrifices, the feast days, all of it…they were given more sacraments for the simple fact that
the fullness of what Christ would win for us, hadn’t happened yet. These things were repeated for the same reason we repeat things…to help us…to keep our minds and hearts to stay where they should be…to saturate life with Jesus…to bump into Him at every turn,
with every action. After Jesus resurrected, they were no longer necessary…He had accomplished all that these rites were pointing to.
Some say, but they became superstitious…yes…they did, and they can become so for us: Superstitious…the repetition making them mundane and ordinary. And yet, the Lord
knowing all of that, and watching His people do exactly those kinds of sinful things with the sacraments of the ancient era…still gives us sacraments, types and pictures that are effectual to those who have faith.
To summarize this: There is one way of salvation, there is one people of God. There is one, and there has always been only one. The OT people were not inferior in
their relationship and intimacy with God in comparison to us. You see what happens: The OT becomes filler…but Paul says: All Scripture is breathed out by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17
that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
When he says, “all scripture” he is chiefly referring to what we call the OT. It is not inferior…it is sufficient to make us complete, and equipped for everything.
Everything in the Bible, lands us as the feet of Jesus. Everything takes us to the cross and to the empty tomb…and for those who believe those promises…live those
promises they are part of the New Covenant…the relationship of faith, hope and love.
Prayer: Father, keep me from the snare that focusing my attention on anything but my Savior brings to me. May I see you as Holy, as majestic as You are. And, by
Your grace, may I see You as my Father, near, kind and compassionate. May I never set your transcendence as opposed to your imminence. Lord, if I could get but a glimpse of your holiness, I would live more soberly, more intentionally and more joyfully. May
Your Spirit give me such a sight! Through Jesus Christ my Lord, Amen.
Hymn: Adagio for Strings (Samuel Barber) For meditation, often called the most beautiful piece of music ever written.