RPG Adults
THE NEW AND BETTER COVENANT
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24
Hebrews 8:1-13
Psalm 110:1-7
“The LORD hath sworn,
and will not repent …”
THE NEW AND BETTER COVENANT
A covenant is an agreement made with an oath. In the context of the present passage, God made a covenant with the fathers. In it He spelt out how He was going to work with His people. It began with Abraham and it is preserved with addition when He had it put into writing by the hand of Moses. The law that the Lord gave became a guide to the relationship He had with His people. He chose the house of Israel to manifest His glory. Now He spoke of a new and better covenant. He made a promise in the prophets.
The sum of the things that had been spoken was given. It was to introduce the new covenant to a people who held on to the old covenant as a matter of tradition and not with reason from the Scriptures. The new covenant has everything to do with Jesus Christ. He was introduced in the text thus: “…We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man” (Heb 8:1- 2). The high priest was a very important minister in worship in the old order. The people were so used to the routine of their ministry, and so with their little knowledge they did not expect a change to that order. The description of the high priest here shows that He was entirely different from that which the people knew. The similarity here is that both priests offered sacrifices as the law requires. This new high priest did not minister in the earthy tabernacle. The earthly priests did as were assigned by the Law.
The new priest is a special one and the revelation here shows that He is none other than the Son of God. The facts pertaining to this high priest may have been agreeable to the Jews but they failed to identify Him who walked among them. He taught in the temple and in their synagogues. They, however, failed to link Him with the prophecy.
THOUGHT: “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests …” (Rev 5:10).
PRAYER: Father, may I recognize only Jesus Christ as my High Priest.