Hebrews Chapter 8

• Hebrews 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such a high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
• 2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

Now we have a more clear picture of what is being said. It is so simple now. The way has been made that we worship God in spirit and in truth instead of depending on tabernacles, cathedrals, altars, sacrifices, rituals, sacraments, priests, ordinances and any outward religious observances.

Jesus is at the right hand of God as a high priest. Our worship is with Him. We can go straight to God without any other intercessor except Jesus Christ. Once we believe in Jesus Christ and believe what He did on our behalf, we can pray and worship God without any intercessor or mediator. Jesus is the only way and the only mediator. Once we come to Him and receive the salvation bought and paid for by His death on the cross, the way to God is perfected. God pitched this tabernacle. We now worship in spirit. We can now worship anywhere, anytime and it doesn't depend on a place or person.

Here is the story of Jesus talking with a woman from Samaria about worship. Words of Jesus are underlined.

• John 4:20 Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
• 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
• 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
• 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
• 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
• 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
• 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

Now our worship is not a place but we worship from the depths of our soul and spirit. We worship God freely because Jesus broke that wall of separation. He paid the price for our sins. When we believe in Him, our sins are washed away by the blood He shed on the cross. That broke the wall that separated us from God. God and sin cannot mingle for He is holy. To be able to renew our fellowship with God that was broken at the fall of Adam and Eve, we must come through faith in Jesus Christ.

• Hebrews 8:3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
• 4. For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
• 5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount.
• 6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
• 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

The first covenant could show us what sin was but it could not free us from the sin. Moses brought the law and the promise of the future Messiah that would save us from sin. Jesus kept all the law without breaking one commandment. The law says that the soul that sins shall die. Jesus didn't sin yet He died. He died though even though He was innocent and didn't deserve any death imposed by the law. His death counts on our behalf and the behalf of any who believe this.

What does it mean to believe? We believe that we have sinned and deserve death for the penalty of sin. We believe Jesus was the one God sent to save us from the penalty of sin. We believe in Jesus to the point of being willing to turn from or repent of sin. We believe in Jesus enough to turn our lives over to Him and allow the Holy Spirit to come into our lives making a change. We pass from eternal death into eternal life and are born again by God's spirit. We are alive in Christ but dead to sin. Our temporary bodies still may die but our soul and spirit live eternally and will receive a new immortal body at the resurrection. We might not understand every detail but as a child we simply believe in this one called Jesus who God sent to save us.

• Hebrews 8:8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
• 9 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 continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
• 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

Old Testament reference:

• Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
• 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband unto them, saith the LORD:
• 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
• 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

See the difference here: When we come to Jesus for salvation, we receive the Holy Spirit which comes into our lives. The law is put within us. We keep the moral law in our hearts and minds. We lose our desire to sin. When the temptation to sin comes, the Holy Spirit is there to help us not to yield to sin and be in bondage to sin any longer. The law is in our hearts now. We no longer have to use strong will power to keep the old law. We are no longer under the part of the law that requires sacrifices and ordinances because Jesus was the supreme sacrifice to pay for our sins but the moral part of the law is now within our hearts.

We do it automatically as we study the word and walk in the spirit. Naturally we still have a free will and can return to the sin we were saved from but we don't have to if we abide in Christ and walk in the Holy Spirit.

• Hebrews 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

This is being fulfilled and will be fulfilled when Israel accepts their true Messiah Jesus Christ or Yeshua in the Hebrew language.

• Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

This is the good part for all nations and all tribes, through faith in Christ, our sins and iniquities will not be remembered by God. Jesus came to save us from sin. To be part of this salvation we must be willing to turn from sin and not only be forgiven of sin but forsake sin. Sin kills and destroys our souls.

• Hebrews 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

The law was good, the old covenant was good but a better covenant replaces it. Now we have a helper, God's Holy Spirit given by Jesus Christ when we come to Him by faith. This helper will abide with us continually and teach us God's word. DC