The writer has shown the superiority of Jesus’s priesthood. The readers of this letter, Jews, knew what the Aaronic priesthood did, but what is the priestly work of the Lord Jesus?
Hebrews Chapter 8
The Priestly Work of Jesus
1 Now, this is the summary of what we have talked about. We have such a High Priest who sits at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.
2 [He serves as] the minister of the most holy place and the true tent, which the Lord set up, not man.
3 Every high priest is appointed to bring both gifts and sacrifices, and so [it is] necessary that this man have something to bring also.
[See Hebrews 9:14, Hebrews 10:10-12, John 6:51, Ephesians 5:2, and Titus 2:14].
4 If he were on earth, then he would not be a priest, since there are priests, who bring gifts according to the law,
5 Who serve as an example and shadow of heavenly things just as Moses was warned by God when he was ready to make The Tent, for he says, “See, [that] yous make everything according to the pattern shown to yous on the mountain.” [Exodus 25:40]
6 But now he [Jesus] has gotten a more excellent ministry and is far superior, as he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
[Verses 1-6 list the superiorities of Jesus Christ, THE High Priest].
Jesus Is the Priest of The New Covenant
7 For if that first [covenant] had been faultless, then there would be no need to seek the second.
[This doesn’t mean God made a mistake. God used the Law for specific purposes—to reveal His holiness, His hate for sin, and the inability of humans to have sins forgiven permanently. A ONE FOR ISRAEL author explains: The main difference between the Sinaitic covenant and the new covenant is that the Sinaitic covenant was a collective, national covenant distanced from the individual. The new covenant is not only for one specific nation but is personal between man and God].
8 But finding fault with them, he says, “Look, the days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,
[‘Them’ represents the weakness of the Law and Israel. Robertson writes (WORD PICTURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT): The covenant was all right, but the Jews failed to keep it. Hence God made a new one of grace in place of law].
9 “Not like the covenant that I made with their ancestors on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. Since they did not continue in my covenant, I had no interest in them,” says the Lord.
[The Mosaic Law blessings were conditional on keeping/obeying the Law].
10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel in those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their heart. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
[The believers will receive a new mind and heart. Note the ‘I wills’ which indicate promises to believing Israel].
11 “Never again will they teach their neighbor saying, ’Know the Lord,’ for they all will know me, from the least to the greatest.
[See Romans 11:26. Dr Henry Morris writes (DEFENDER’S STUDY BIBLE): The complete restoration of Israel will climax the purging trials of “the day of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7). Paul refers here to Isaiah 59:20. This will take place when Christ returns to earth to establish His millennial kingdom centered in Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:8-10; Zechariah 13:1; Zechariah 14:9), following the great tribulation period (Matthew 24:29-31). The surviving and resurrected Jews will all acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Savior in that day].
12 “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and I will certainly no longer remember their sins and wickedness.” [Jeremiah 31:31-34]
[Note the mercy of God. Some teach and believe that the ‘god’ of the Old Testament is mean and cruel. Nothing could be further from the truth. God does not have a memory problem; the forgetting is an illustration of forgiveness and not bringing punishment].
13 By saying, “New,” he has made the first [covenant] old. Now that which is worn out and grows old [is] soon to disappear.
[This teaches the idea of the Old Testament law ‘disappearing’ and appears elsewhere. See Romans 11:27, Romans 7:4, and Romans 10:4. The old covenant is no longer needed, since there is a new law and a new High Priest].