Thursday: Jesus Mediates a Better Covenant
Hebrews Chapters 8-10 focuses on the work of Jesus as Mediator of a new covenant. The issue with the old covenant was simply that it was only a foreshadowing of the good things that would come. Its institutions were designed to prefigure, to illustrate, the work that Jesus would do in the future. Thus, the priests prefigured Jesus, but they were mortal and sinners. They could not provide the perfection that Jesus did. And they ministered in a sanctuary that was a “copy and shadow” (Hebrews 8:5, NKJV) of the heavenly sanctuary.
Image © Lars Justinen at Goodsalt.com
Jesus ministers in the true sanctuary and provides us access to God. The sacrifices of animals prefigured the death of Jesus as a sacrifice in our behalf, but their blood could not cleanse the conscience. Jesus’ blood, however, purifies our conscience, and through Him, having faith in Him and accepting His mediatory work in our behalf, we can approach God with boldness (Hebrews 10:19-22).
Read Hebrews 8:8-12. What did God promise to us in the new covenant?
By appointing Jesus as our High Priest, the Father inaugurated a new covenant that will accomplish what the old covenant could only anticipate. The new covenant delivers what only a perfect, eternal, human-divine priest can. This High Priest not only explains the law of God but implants the law in our hearts. This Priest offers a sacrifice that brings forgiveness. This Priest cleanses and transforms us. He transforms our hearts from stone to flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). He really creates us anew (2 Corinthians 5:17). This Priest blesses us in the most incredible way, by providing us access into the very presence of the Father Himself.
God designed the old covenant in order to point toward the future, to the work of Jesus. It was beautiful in its design and purpose. Yet, some misunderstood its purpose. Unwilling to leave the symbols, the shadows, and embrace the truths that the symbols were pointing to, they missed the wonderful benefits that Jesus’ ministry offered them.
“Christ was the foundation and life of the temple. Its services were typical of the sacrifice of the Son of God. The priesthood was established to represent the mediatorial character and work of Christ. The entire plan of sacrificial worship was a foreshadowing of the Saviour’s death to redeem the world. There would be no efficacy in these offerings when the great event toward which they had pointed for ages was consummated.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 165.
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I have a love affair with steam trains. When I need to take a break from bird photography or writing comments on SSNet, one of my favourite ways of wasting time is to sit and watch videos of steam trains. I particularly like the ones where the trains are labouring up a steep incline and are puffing their exhaust steam into the cool air producing clouds of condensation. The wail of a steam whistle just caps it off. How I wish they would bring back steam trains as the main form of transport - those were the days. Showing my age a bit aren't I!
Do you remember the story of the little steam engine climbing a hill and as he neared the top he kept puffing out the message: "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, ...!" As he gets closer to the top, the rhythm gets slower and slower. Then, he gives a big sigh and stops with a hiss and a wail. But, help is on the way and a helper engine hitches on the front and pulls both the exhausted little engine and its carriages to the top. Then, he starts off again down the other side chanting, "I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could, ...!"
Now I don't want you to get the wrong message from this story but there are a couple of parallels between steam engines and the old and new covenants that we can learn from. We are like the little steam engine climbing the hill of sin, chanting, "I think I can, I think I can" (our perspective of the old covenant) Then, all along the big powerful engine (Jesus) is waiting to pull us up and over the hill. And we can go on our way chanting, "I knew he could, I knew he could!" (our perspective of the new covenant) When we digest that message it is reassuring.
Hmmn! I must watch that Youtube clip of the 3801 again.
I can understand your love affair with the steam engine. I watched the Relaunch & Inaugural Service video. I enjoyed it and really loved
the sound of the whistle. Thank you for calling it to my attention.
Today's lesson makes a key point when it says:
I would humbly propose that even today, there is still significant misunderstanding within Christianity because we, understandably as humans, have a default tendency to seeing the symbolism and metaphors of scriptural things too literally. I don't say this as a criticism, but as an invitation to be aware of our human tendency to do this and from that awareness, ask the Holy Spirit to help improve our 'eyesight' so we can grow in comprehending the wider reality that those symbols and metaphors are only a shadow/silhouette of.
Why might this be important? To be clear, I am not talking about merely developing theological knowledge, but rather developing understanding that actually impacts our life and living on a daily basis - by beholding we become changed (2 Corinthians 3:18). The reality (that the metaphors and symbols of scripture are but a shadow) is a God who is authoritative, not authoritarian, and in His authoritativeness, abundantly compassionate. As we grow in this 'awareness', we too are progressively transformed to be more and more abundantly compassionate toward others so that we really do see John 13:35 becoming a reality.
Hi Phil,
Here is what gives me pause when I think of covenants... If they are made by God, then they are eternal and so technically there should be no need to have a new one. God knows everything, so wouldn't He have created a Covenant that would have considered all the nuances that could stand the test of time? Wouldn't He have been able to put something in place to have the old Covenant still stand and be relevant? Like a marriage that's a Covenant, how come we don't have a new and old Covenant in that scenario?
I hope you understood my confusion. 😕
Hi Cherrone,
The problem wasn’t with a covenant God had made. According to Hebrews 8:7-8 the problem was with the people and the faulty promises they made. God’s covenant is perfect as it’s built on better promises-God’s promises.
For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— Galatians 4:24 NKJV
What did Paul mean by Mount Sinai? Many believe he was referring to the Ten Commandments. Was he? Paul speaks favorably of the Ten Commandments in Ephesians 6, and I doubt he would do so if he really thought they led to bondage. Paul also mentions Hagar. Instead of referring to the Ten Commandments, is Paul referring to a Hagar-like attitude at Sinai?
Hagar represents the man-made covenant or man-made promises. Hagar was not really at fault, and God promised to bless her, but Abraham used Hagar to try to help him get the promised child by the works of his own flesh, instead of trusting God’s promise.
Likewise at Sinai the people promised three times,
“All the Lord has spoken we will do.” Exodus 19:8, 24:3, 24:7.
Their promises are like the “Hagar” mentality. The people were trusting their own promises and works of the flesh, instead of trusting God to work in and through them. When Paul referred to Sinai in Galatians 4:24 instead of the the law of Ten Commandments, he mentions Hagar. In Hebrews Paul explains that the problem at Sinai was the people were making their own promises, instead of trusting God’s.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Hebrews 8:7-10 NKJV
Paul promotes the Law and says it is to be written on our hearts. The Law was not the problem at Sinai. The problem, Paul says, is how the people tried to establish the Law. They were depending upon themselves instead of God’s promises. Remember Joshua telling Israel that they could not serve the Lord in Joshua 24:19, but they went on and promised they could anyway?
So Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord for yourselves, to serve Him.” Joshua 24:22 NKJV
Joshua sees the people are making the same mistake made at Sinai. In Galatians, Paul sees the Galatians making that same mistake. They thought they could earn God’s favor. They thought they could rely on their own promises to keep the Law. By trusting the strength of their own promises they were making the “Hagar” mistake, just like Abraham. The commandments are good, and while we can’t keep them in the strength of our own promises, what is impossible with us is possible with God. Remember what we read last quarter?
by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:4 NKJV
Abraham trusted the works of his own flesh with Hagar, instead of trusting God’s promise. The problem at Sinai was that the same Hagar mentality was present. Paul wants the Law written on the Galatians’ hearts as well as our hearts, by trusting God instead of the works of the flesh.
Very well said William (and Inge). The lesson author incorrectly equates the old covenant with the sanctuary service.
The everlasting covenant between God and man has always been about what God promised to do for His fallen creatures.
Man's worthless promises to God were doomed to fail as they arrogantly claimed that the creature could do the work of God.
Man could never save/justify himself (Romans 8:33), sanctify himself by giving himself a heart transplant (Ezekiel 36:26; 2 Thessalonians 2:13) or make himself immortal (2 Timothy 1:10).
This was the mistake of the Israelites, claiming the ability and promising to do the work of their Creator, God. As noted last week, this was also Moses' sin that kept him out of Canaan.
Are some of us making this same mistake?
William provided an excellent explanation of what I had in mind.
The way I see it, God made only one covenant - the one we now know as the "new covenant." It is described in Jer 33:31-34. Here, the Lord recognizes that the people had totally misunderstood/rejected His original offer to save them at Sinai* when they saw His Law only as a set of rules. The promises they made, they immediately broke. After they realized their sin, God gave them the sanctuary services, which were not part of the "old covenant" (in which the people promised to follow God's law without giving Him their hearts) but part of the "new covenant" because the services all pointed forward to the Messiah to come who would restore the image of God in all who consented to give Him their hearts.
The "new covenant" is actually the eternal covenant. It is the promise of God to write His law in His children's hearts to restore them to the perfection that was in Eden. The angels and Adam and Eve all had the Law of love written in their hearts - until, inexplicably, Lucifer focused on his glory and his position and thus began the terrible experiment of sin.
Yes, God's covenant is perfect and never needs to be changed. It governs all created beings in the universe, other than those in this one lost planet. But those who here consent to enter into this covenant with God by trusting Him to restore His image in them, will soon join the faithful in the unfallen worlds to be with God through eternity.
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*Notice that in Heb. 8:6, it mentions the new covenant based on "better promises" - the promises of God, rather than the promises of humanity, as at Sinai. And in Heb 8:8, it says the Lord found fault with *them* - IOW their response to the covenant.
I believe that all the covenants the LORD made with humans are sub-sets of the Everlasting Covenant wherein He says
I will be your God,
you will be My people,
and I will dwell with you
Which Moses explained meant - what does the Lord your God desire of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good Deut 10:12-13
Which is similar to what Jesus said:
If you love me keep my commandments, and
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
John 14:15; Matt 22:37-40
Sometimes in a marriage one of the partners is unfaithful and chooses to divorce/reject the other, if the partners are reconciled then they might re-new their vows and get remarried. This is what the LORD did, His people rebelled/rejected Him and broke the covenant, but the LORD offered to renew His covenant with them with the same laws because He loved them.
Heb 13:20-31
20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Hi Cheronne
I am glad you felt able to raise your thoughts and 'confusion'.
You are correct that God is capable of creating something that could stand the test of time. However, in order for that to guarantee a 'perfect' outcome, God would also have to control human responses. But that would come at the cost of over-riding freedom. Unfortunately, where there is freedom, there is significant risk.
So, God has 2 options available - ensure things are perfect but at the cost of limiting freedom, or provide His creation with freedom but at the cost of risk of 'sub-standard' outcomes.
What does it say about God that, rather than override our freedom, He is willing to patiently and compassionately work with us in our brokenness even though it makes things much messier by doing so and also risks Him looking bad in the process?
Yes, ‘Jesus has indeed mediated a better Covenant – a Covenant based on Faith by writing the laws of God on the heart of the believer, guided by Christ’s Spirit of Truth and Light to lead the faithful into all Truth on the Way toward his/her Life Everlasting.“
In my opinion, Ellen White’s statement: “the priesthood was established to represent the mediatorial character and work of Christ”, refers to Jesus' ministry of being 'about the Father’s business', establishing the Father's Way for the Salvation of mankind here on earth. This mediatorial work in the flesh was in preparation for us to be able to ‘come boldly to the throne of grace; to enter the Holy of Holies directly by having our 'being' in Him – Heb.4:16KJV
I also think the title ‘High Priest’ is given in the context of the earthly high priest being allowed to come into the presence of God in the 'Holy of Holies'. The Son of God has been and is in the presence of the Father at all times; we in Christ Jesus are therefore now in the presence of the Father at all times. John14:12-14; v.13 Whatever you will ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Again, I want to highlight that Scripture tells the faithful that they have now access to the Father directly at any time under all circumstances. John16:26-28 records the following: ”At that time you will make your requests in MY Name; and I do NOT promise to ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father Himself holds you dear, because you have held me dear and have believed that I came from the Father’s presence. Weymouth New Testament.
Christ Jesus’ Name now represents/containes God’s full authority. I understand this to mean that the Father vested all power and authority to administer the Salvation of mankind in His Son; the Father and Son are one in spirit and purpose. Our Creator Christ Jesus has now full authority over the affairs of the universe, including the Salvation of the inhabitants of this world. The believer, being hid in Christ Jesus by faith, is therefore in the spiritual presence of the Father at all times.
Certainly, there will always be an open exchange between the Father and Son regarding matters needing attention, though I think that the Son of God did all the 'mediatorial work' on behalf of mankind whiles He was with us in the form of Jesus here on earth. His assignment was to do the will of the Father to provide Salvation for all mankind and He completed that work successfully! Being honored with receiving full authority from the Father, we can now trust in the Name(power) of Christ Jesus’ to hear our requests and to compassionately and faithfulness administer His response.
John16:32-33; Rev.1:17,18; Rev,3:11.