Lesson 15

Opportunity Cost

Hebrews 10:19-39

January 3, 2016

 

One of the practices every business uses is what is called, “opportunity cost.” It is the idea that to choose one alternative over another leads to either a gain or loss of revenue etc. when making that choice. It is all about making decisions and weighing the consequences in deciding one way or another. Even to do nothing will lead to gains or losses. Unlike many of you I have made choices in my life without any thought being given to what it might cost me in the future. There have been times when the grass has looked greener on the other side of the fence only to find when I would get there the grass was brown and dry. Any decision made without spending time in God’s word and prayer will lead all too often in disaster. I once took a job that looked good on paper and offered more pay. The five and one half years I spent with that organization were very difficult. The structure of the position was such that a person could not win. I was in charge of a storeroom with an open environment that allowed free access to the material on a twenty-four hour basis. It was impossible to maintain an accurate inventory under those circumstances. In my personal life I have done things that if done differently would led to more productive results. There is one decision that has the greatest gain. No other one even comes close. It is the day that I accepted Jesus as my Savior. I know that I can never lose because I am His. Of course even in that relationship I have to make sure that the process of discipleship on which I have embarked must be according God’s word.

We as the body of Christ cannot escape the principles found in “opportunity cost.” Many churches are plateaued or are dying because they have pretty much decided to continue to be the same church as they been in the past. They exist in a world that is changing so rapidly but yet refuse to realize that they are being passed by. Those who understand that the church cannot live in the twentieth century or before will revitalize themselves to meet the needs of people today. One final thought that is relevant to the situation in the church today is the dwindling attendance. One evidence of this condition can be found in the so-called inactive member’s list. The people on this list have chosen to disassociate themselves from the body of believers for any number of reasons. By leaving the fellowship they are saying that the gospel of Christ and being part of His followers are no longer important to them. The last part of Hebrews 10 speaks very emphatically to all of us that great care must be taken to maintain one’s solid connection to Christ or suffer the consequences of not doing so.

Hebrews 10:19-2

It should have been obvious to all by the point that the sacrifice of Christ had opened the way to direct access to the Father. The truth that the new and better covenant gave the follower of Christ the confidence he needed to enter into the holy of holies. Under the old covenant the high priest had to enter the holy of holies through the veil that was located in front of the Ark of the Covenant. The new covenant also had a veil it was the body of Jesus. In the way the old veil had been torn by God from top to bottom, so also as the body of Jesus had been broken at His crucifixion, man now had direct access inside the veil.

1. What issue did the writer indicate had been settled? (Christ’s sacrifice had opened the way into the presence of the Father.)
2. What did that do for the follower of Christ? (Gave him the confidence to enter in the presence of God.)
3. How was the veil in the temple that was torn from top to bottom a picture of what Christ did with His fleshly body? (See Ephesians 2:14-15

 

Hebrews 10:21-22

With the knowledge that man has a high priest he is able to approach Him with a heart:

• Heart in full assurance of faith
• Heart clean from an evil conscience
• Body washed with pure water.

 

1. How are we able to approach the Father? (Through the assurance that we have a high priest in Jesus interceding for us.)
2. What are the characteristics are to possess as we approach the throne of God?
3. Why does the writer begin with faith?
4. What does it mean not to have an evil conscience? (Because of forgiveness we do not have guilt hanging over us.)
5. What would you consider the writer means by pure water?

 

Hebrews 10:23

The writer exhorts his readers to be steady concerning the hope to which they had committed themselves. Each of them could do so because Christ is the One who promised them eternal life.

 

1. What are some of the verses that you know upon which the writer came to this conclusion? (See John 3:16 and 17:3 for starters.)
2. What was the exhortation he made before them?
3. Why was he able to make such a bold request?
4. How does this help you when you are witnessing to someone? (You are guaranteed by Jesus, Himself, that you can rely on His promises.

 

Hebrews 10:24-25

The two following characteristics are to be present in every church. They both come from a desire to encourage and exhort each other. Followers of Jesus are to stimulate or encourage others in loving one another and performing good deeds.

The way one shows that he or she is serious about the commitment that will result in the above is to be consistent in attendance in the body of Christ. Sadly the writer has to say that some had drifted away. This becomes more important when the church sees the world crumbling all about it and possibly moving ever closer to the day of judgment. Therefore it is imperative that each member be part of encouraging others.

 

1. What two responsibilities that flow from the love of Christ does each member have towards others in the church?
2. How do we go about accomplishing those tasks?
3. What are the evidences when we do not see this happening?
4. What does it do to you when you see those who attend sporadically or who have stopped attending at all?
5. What do you think it does to others if you are not part of the fellowship on a consistent basis?

 

Hebrews 10:26-31

For the person who willfully sinned by rejecting the Son of God after having heard the gospel and becoming a part of the body of Christ, the writer had a harsh warning. They could no longer expect forgiveness from sacrifices but only the most terrifying of judgments. He then made a comparison between the severity of breaking the law and turning their backs on Jesus. Breaking of the Mosaic Law resulted in physical death. The writer wanted the people to understand that the punishment would be much harsher for those who considered Jesus as worthless. He used the example of walking all over Him. The blood of Christ meant nothing to such individuals. To do so would result in God’s vengeance toward such people. He then ends with a statement that became a title of a Jonathan Edwards sermon titled “Sinners in the hands of a angry God.” That sermon was one of the sparks that started the Great Awakening in the 18^th century. It is still available online.

 

1. What is the difference in willfully sinning that leads to the judgment of God and those that will be forgiven? (To willfully sin according to the writer is to totally deny Jesus Christ and reject Him completely.)
2. What happens to those who reject Christ?
3. How did the judgment under the old covenant compare with that referred to by the writer?
4. What is the final judgment God will bring against those who reject His son? (They will receive the full fury of His vengeance as repayment for their behavior.)
5. How do you keep from falling into the hands of a living God as the writer described Him?
6. What is the writer saying in the last statement? (If God is alive then Christ is real because the Father testified of His Son in numerous places.)
7. How should this thought help you in your witnessing with others?

 

Hebrews 10:32-34

The writer wanted the people to think about their past experiences before turning back to Judaism. He reminded them of the things they had already endured after becoming followers of Christ. The things that had happened to them were:

• Great conflict of sufferings
• Being made public spectacles
• Being reproached
• Passing through times of tribulations
• Sharing with others who were experiencing the same treatment
• Showing sympathy to prisoners
• Accepting the seizure of property because they believed they had an eternal inheritance that was greater than any physical possessions here on earth.

 

1. Have you experienced any of these hardships because of your faith?
2. Why do you think that there is a possibility of facing such trials might even strengthen your faith?
3. Have you actually given any thought or spent time in prayer asking God to prepare you for hardships you may encounter?
4. What would you add to this list the things you might be suffering or could suffer for your faith in society today?

 

• From these verses understand that Jesus has promised those have believed eternal life.
• Approach worship with faith, a conscience that is clear and a life that has been washed with the pure water of baptism and His word.
• Realize how important it is to belong to a local body Christ and to be consistent in your participation in attendance.
• Be an encourager to fellow believers to love other and serve in the body of Christ.
• Remember, to be inactive displays a distain for the work Christ did on the cross.

 

We need to understand that every decision made by us leaves other options out. The writer was very clear that God has offered us so much including access to Him through His Son. We have to remember however how much free will plays a part in the direction our lives take. We can either heed the words of the Bible that holds such much for us as followers of Christ or we can trivialize them by our actions. Our concern should be that we do not seem to take our commitment to be a part of Christ’s body seriously. All we have to do is look attendance records of most churches to see that many are in decline. In one of his video series Thom Rainer, President of Lifeway made a disturbing assessment of the Southern Baptist Convention. He said that out of the sixteen million Southern Baptists on the roles of the church we would be hard pressed to find more than six million in attendance on any given Sunday. Jesus at one pointed to know that when He returned to earth would He find anyone with a steadfast faith. Our commitment to Christ is very important not only for eternal security for ourselves but to help others grow in their faith. We must not drift away from the body but recommit ourselves in a greater way.

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson 14

Hebrews 10:1-18

Worth Repeating

December 20, 2015

 

The book is better than the movie or so the saying goes. It may be a case that it is just different. A number of years ago I read a book called “The Bridge.” It was a novel about an owner of a bookstore and a young couple. I will not take time to tell the story. The point is that a movie was made about the events in the lives of those individuals. As I began to watch I felt that the movie was not the same as the book and therefore was disappointed that the story line had been changed so much. To satisfy my perspective I read the book once again. To my dismay I was wrong. The movie had stayed true to what was found on the pages of the book. I had just forgotten what had occurred having not taken the time to read the book before watching the movie. All this goes to say that it is important to continue to have what has meaning to each of us over and over again lest we forget the content. You might say that I made to big a deal of making sure entertainment was accurate. It is totally another thing to try to understand the message that God has for me that will change the way I look at life and follow His teachings.

 

Great care must be taken in the Church to follow the words of Christ in the way we practice Christianity. We can get so caught up in putting practices into place that may make us comfortable or allow us to rewrite what Church means. We can get to the point that what we do does not resemble the teachings of Christ in any way. Our worship may become self-centered, evangelism may be neglected and discipleship may become all about taking the easy road. By now one may begin to say that the writer of Hebrews must be stuck in a rut with his discussions with so much repetition. The reason that we have the teaching of the writer and the other sixty-five books is our tendency to forget what is in its pages. The church has become weak because we do not spend the time required to grow as disciples. The message is worth repeating so let’s hear it again.

 

Hebrews 10:1-4

Since the Law could never do what Christ did for mankind. In comparison they were like a shadow that represented the real but without the substance to be found in the genuine sacrifice of Christ. Therefore, all the repetition of the sacrifices year after year could never take away or perfect anyone.  If they had been able to do what Christ did then they would have ceased after the initial offering. The problem they were a constant reminder that man was sinful and therefore never truly free from the guilt of his sin. It is very clear to the writer that animals cannot remove sin.

 

1. How did the writer compare the Law and Jesus? (The law was just a weak representative of what Christ was sent to accomplish.)
2. What was the problem with the continual sacrifices? (They never took away sin.)
3. What did the writer mean by saying that the sinner still had the consciousness of sin? (Every time he brought a sacrifice he was reminded of his sinful nature all over again.)
4. What the result of the work of Christ? (The perfection of man.)
5. What was his final point? (Animals do not take away sin.)

 

Hebrews 10:5-7

To further drive home his point the writer quoted Psalm 40:6-8. In it he found the way that God viewed the sacrifices made according to the Law. The Psalmist indicated under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that:

• The sacrifice of animals had lost its meaning because it was only done out of obligation not a change of heart.
• The true sacrifice was to come in the form of a man.
• God took no pleasure in meaningless sacrifices
• One who would truly carry out God’s will for man have been prophesized about from the beginning of time.

 

1. What was God’s view of the sacrifices made under the Law?
2. Besides being ineffective what other shortcomings were inherent in them? (They did nothing to change the hearts of man.)
3. In what form was the true sacrifice to come? (In the body of a man.)
4. Why was it important for this to take place? (Only a representative of man could be a sacrifice of man.)
5. How did the writer know that was God’s plan? (It had been prophesied from the very beginning.)

 

Hebrews 10:8-10

Taking parts of the above Psalm he makes a contrast between what the law did and the life of Christ.

• God’s desire for man did not rest in the sacrifices of animals that could not take away sin.
• The things sacrificed according to the law did not bring any pleasure to God.
• What pleased God was the fact that Christ came to do His will.
• By doing so Christ did away with the first and put into place the second covenant.
• The new covenant established by the sacrifice of Jesus brought about the sanctified of man.

 

1. What has always been the desire of God for mankind?
2. Why did the sacrifices of animals mean nothing to God?
3. In what way did Christ please God? (He came to do His will.)
4. What did Christ accomplish for man?

 

Hebrews 10:11-14

While the work of the priests was an endless meaningless task of offering the same sacrifices every single day what Christ accomplished had a real eternal purpose to it. Once He had sat down at the right hand of God until He would defeat all of God’s enemies at the end of time. By His work He had done a complete work in the hearts of every person who had been saved.

 

1. What could the priest never accomplish with the sacrifices according to the Law?
2. What did Christ do for mankind?
3. Where is Jesus at this point?
4. What is Christ doing now?
5. What will be the final actions taken to bring about the final resolution of the enemies?

 

Hebrews 10:15-16

Once again the writer returns to Jeremiah 31:31-34 that began this discussion. He interjects that it was the Holy Spirit who carries on the work of Christ with the emphasis on what the new covenant would accomplish. He did reverse the wording by stating the law would be put upon the heart of man and put on his mind.

 

1. What is the source of the old and new covenant?
2. How did we get that word?
3. Who is responsible for our understanding of that word?
4. How can we keep from having the word put into our minds and written our hearts?

 

Hebrews 10:17-18

Under the new covenant God will forget about the lawless deeds. Total forgiveness came into being by the once for all sacrifice of Jesus. With His sacrifice the need for further ones have been eliminated.

 

1. How does God now view the lawless deeds of mankind? (Through the lens of Christ’s work on the cross.)
2. What does it mean to have total forgiveness?
3. What stopped with the work of Christ on the cross?

 

• Notice in this lesson and throughout Scripture how often the writers look back and reference passages found earlier.
• Take seriously the fact that in order for the God’s word to make a great impact on your life, it has to be read and studied.
• Be assured that the work done by Christ provides for forgiveness each of you need for eternal life.
• Take as your responsibility to know and tell the entire story of Christ because it is “worth repeating.”
• Salvation for each of you comes only through Christ and cannot be won by anything you can do.

 

This lesson is especially appropriate for this time of year. Christ came into a world locked in despair because of the law and oppression of earthly powers. What He brought was hope that the old covenant could not give. It is a story worth repeating because the new life that came that Christmas provides new life to each of us. Where the priests of the old covenant were obligated to carry out the law Jesus brought the new covenant to be put into our minds and written on our change. His grace brought about the transformation unavailable to those found in the Old Testament. Let’s give thanks for life meant to be a substitute for our sin.

 

 

 

Lesson 13

A Better Tabernacle

Hebrews 9:1-28

December 13, 2015

 

Humanly speaking we can never reach a state of perfection no matter how hard we try. I used to like to color, and still do. In one of my coloring books there was a picture of a horse. Being very careful I stayed in the lines. To my dismay I had colored a part of the picture the same color as the horse that was meant to be another object. Of course the crayon I had used was black. When I discovered my mistake I did everything I could to cover up that black. Nothing worked. I even tried scraping the wax off he paper, which also did not remove it. The picture that started off with great promise turned out in my young mind to be a disaster. My life like everyone else is like that picture. Each of us is born with a sin nature that before very long is manifested in our actions. Christ, thankfully, is able to take that spot called sin that we cannot erase and make it white as snow by His sacrifice on the cross.

 

There are more self help books being published today telling about successful churches and their programs. There is nothing wrong with books. The problem, even with the caveats given, comes when we try to implement what has worked for them as our road to success. First of all no church is perfect as Willow Creek discovered after building the church on the idea of being seeker friendly. They discovered later that they were getting people into the church but they were not maturing in Christ. We forget that every church is involved in the culture that is different than in other locales. There are always better ways to grow toward what Christ means for a church to be. Our problem is that we look to man made methods rather than the path that God wants us to take. There is only one perfect way for an individual and the church in which they are involved. The Jews never learned the lesson any better than many of us.

 

Hebrews 9:1-7

The reader of the letter would have been very familiar with the layout of the tabernacle. Therefore, it was not so much to refresh their memories as to get to the point that the tabernacle represented the old covenant. It was a temporary structure to one day be replaced by the true tabernacle found in heaven. He pointed out there was a ritual associated with it that was performed by the priest each day including keeping the lamps lit, burning incense and changing out the showbread once a week. Then one time a year on the day of atonement the priest was allowed into the most sacred part called the holy of holies to burn incense and sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat to remove the his sins and those of the people. Each part of the tabernacle came to represent something related to Christ. It was not the point of the writer to go into detail of what called the types of Christ but to use it as a contrast to Christ and the true tabernacle in heaven.

 

1. Why did the writer omit the meaning behind the furnishings of the tabernacle? (It was not his purpose to do so because he was only using the tabernacle as a shadow of the real.)
2. What were the rituals performed by the priests?
3. Why did God command the building of the tabernacle? (It was for the Israelites to know that God was present with them as they travelled in the wilderness for the forty years and to be a place of worship)
4. What does it mean to say that the structure was temporary?
5. What was the most important article in the tabernacle?
6. What was the most important ritual that took place in the tabernacle? Why?

 

Hebrews 9:8-10

The point of all of the description was to show that the entrance into the true holy of holies was not possible as long as the representation of the old covenant, the tabernacle, existed. The gifts and offering made in the outdated structure did not accomplish making the presenter free from the guilt that he still possessed. They only provided for external cleansing and did nothing to change one’s heart. Nothing would change until Christ’s coming to bring about true repentance.

 

1. What was the point of the writer? (Nothing would change for man as long as the old covenant remained intact represented by the tabernacle.)
2. What did the offers, sacrifices, washings and regulations of the old covenant accomplish?
3. What would it take to bring about a change?
4. In what ways do you hold on to the practices of the old covenant in your own life?
5. What has been the result of your efforts?

 

Hebrews 9:11

The coming of Christ was a contrast to the old. He was the future not the past. He entered into a permanent perfect tabernacle created by God, not one built out of material of this world that would eventually become worn out.

 

1. What point did the writer want to get across? (Christ replaced the old with the new covenant.)
2. What did He do to accomplish it? (He made the old tabernacle obsolete when He entered into the greater and perfect one in heaven.)
3. What does this mean for us? (We do not have to depend on that which is passing away, but is eternal.)
4. If what we see is temporary why do we hold on to it so desperately?

 

Hebrews 9:12-14

The writer presented some contrasts between the old system and the new covenant. The old one of:

• Blood offerings of goats and calves that had been sacrificed for sins
• Ashes from the unblemished red heifer mixed with water sprinkled on those who had become defiled to provide cleansing of the flesh to restore them to the fellowship of the nation of Israel.

 

Jesus on the other hand:

• Entered into the perfect tabernacle through the shedding of His own blood
• Rather than a temporary fix obtained eternal redemption.
• Was a sacrifice truly unblemished who was able to totally cleanse a person of all guilt found in dead works to serve God.

 

1. What contrasts are there between the old covenant and the work of Christ?
2. What were the old practices unable to accomplish? (A permanent solution to the problems of man.)
3. What did Christ accomplish for you and me?
4. What is the key word in verse 14 that guarantees Christ’s fitness as a sacrifice for us? (Unblemished)

 

Hebrews 9:15-18

Death occurred to put in force the benefits of both the old and new covenant. The difference is that Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant having established by His death that took away the sins committed under the old rules. According to the writer a covenant is only valid when the one making it is dead. With His death He completed the conditions of the covenant, which provided for the forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life.

 

1. What did it take for each covenant to be put into place? (Death.)
2. How did Jesus fulfill the requirements of the covenant?
3. What does it mean for you that He has fulfilled all of the requirements?

 

Hebrews 9:19-22

To reinforce his argument He shared what followed the writing down of the Law. Moses took the blood of calves and goats, water, scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled the book of the Law and the people to establish the covenant. (See Exodus 24:8). Then to consecrate the tabernacle and the items to be used in the ministry of the tabernacle he also sprinkled blood on them. Bringing this discussion to a conclusion He then wrote a verse that is so familiar to many. He stated that in his mind that it takes the shedding of blood to be cleansed and bring about forgiveness. Only One person was qualified to accomplish that. It took the blood of Jesus to re-establish the relationship with God lost in the Garden of Eden.

 

1. In the mind of the writer, what did it take to establish the covenant?
2. What action did Moses take to reinforce this idea?
3. What was the conclusion that the writer reached? (See verse 22.)
4. Who was the only one qualified to shed His blood for mankind?
5. What did His sacrifice accomplish? (Re-established the relationship lost in the Garden of Eden.)

 

Hebrews 9:23-26

The writer ended this chapter with another series of contrasts.

• Earthly copies needed to be cleansed with the blood of animals
• The high priests had to enter the holy of holies year after year to make atonement with the blood of animals for their sins and those of the people.

 

Conversely Jesus

• Made the greater sacrifice offering His own blood to cleanse all of mankind from His position in the heavenly holy place.
• Only had to offer Himself one time for the sins of mankind
• Does not have to repeat the suffering through which He went for us.

 

1. How does what Jesus did contrast with the work of the priests?
2. What does it mean that Jesus only died once for all eternity?
3. Going back to the idea of mediator how does it relate to these verses? (In His exalted state given to Him because of His one time sacrifice He is able to be our perfect representative before the Father.)
4. What does the idea that Jesus does not have to suffer over and over mean to you? (He accomplished the defeat of sin and death at one time. To have to do it over and over meant He did not get it right the first time.)

 

Hebrews 9:27-28

Jesus set the example for mankind. There is a moment of physical death for every man including Jesus. With His death He judged sin for all times. He never can again face that kind of judgment. After this life is over every person will go on living somewhere. There will come a judgment through which all believers have already passed. Depending on man’s commitment to Christ he will either spend eternity with Him or face the penalty of a life separated from God in hell. Christ died once for the sins of all mankind during His first appearance. He is coming again for the fulfillment of the promised salvation “to those who eagerly await Him.”

 

1. In what way was Jesus the forerunner of what faces every man?
2. What does it mean for a believer to hear the words to die once and then be judged? (For followers of Christ there is nothing to fear. When we became believers we died in our sins and were reborn into a new life that does not hold judgment for us.)
3. What does this verse mean for the lost?
4. What guarantee is given to us in verse 28? (The process of salvation will be completed)
5. What other assurance do we have? (Christ is coming again.)

 

 

• You need to understand that we do not live in a perfect world. Everything around us is only temporary and a mere shadow of the world we will know for eternity.
• Especially at this time of year be thankful that you have a mediator in heaven interceding for you who understands you better than you know yourself.
• Take a good look at your life to see if you truly believe in the One who died once that you do not have to be separated from the Father forever.
• Get rid of those things in your life that hinder you from knowing what is truly real.
• Trust that God’s word is true and the promises He made in it will come to reality.

 

We only need one book in our library that points to all that God has done for us. We can get so caught in what even the best of authors have to say that we make ill- advised decisions for the church. There are those who promote the health and wealth agenda for churches. We certainly do not want to get caught up in the idea that Christianity did not come in to being without a great cost to God. Salvation came to us only because the perfect Son of God was willing to die for each of us. The works of the Old Testament never got the Jews anywhere because salvation cannot be earned. God promised throughout His word that the serving suffering Messiah was going to come. All of the promises made of the Old Testament concerning Jesus either have fulfilled or will come to fruition in the future. That very idea should give each of us great hope. It began with Christmas and will end with the second coming of Christ when our salvation will be finalized.

 

 

Lesson 12

Hebrews 8:1-13

Good News Worth Repeating

December 6, 2015

 

With the birth of each of my children and grandchildren I could not wait to tell everyone I knew about those special events. I never got tired, even though my listeners might have, of repeating the news over and over again. I also still like to show pictures of them to anyone who asks about them. I discover a long time ago that there is something more important to share than a growing family. It is the message of Jesus Christ found in the pages of God’s word beginning with the book of Genesis. Although I have not done much lately, one way to be prepared to share the good news is to memorize verses, passages or books of the Bible. Only as a person hides God’s word will he be able to pass it on to others. I have been impacted in this study of Hebrews with how the author felt it necessary to repeat the lessons he wanted to instill in others layer upon layer and concept upon concept and truth upon truth until the recipients understood and responded to his words. No one can say that he understands God’s word with the hard work that goes into determining the meaning found in its pages. Scripture is totally true and accurate in the gospel it presents. This book is certainly no exception is definitely a word for a lost world today.

 

Back in the 1940’s C.S. Lewis wrote a book called “The Great Divorce.” In it the residents of hell or purgatory were offered an excursion to the out skirts of Heaven. What they discovered in ghostly or spirit state was that the reality of heaven was far greater than their limited minds could conceive. Everything, including a blade of grass was heavier than they could lift. Sadly, rather than accepting an invitation to explore heaven more deeply they chose to return to the city from which they had come.

 

So many of us today view God’s kingdom with a very limited viewpoint. In our worship and daily walk we are often a poor imitation of what is real. We cannot understand the reality of living a truly spiritual life because our senses have been dulled by all the static the world puts in our way. Many in church today go through the motions of responding to the fullness of what God has to offer. In effect we are no different than the characters in C.S. Lewis’ book. God has some new and exciting to offer each of us when we desire and take part in the process of having our hearts changed. That is the point of all that God has done, the change of our ongoing relationship with Him.

 

Hebrews 8:1-2

The point that the writer was trying to get across to those slipping away was the fact that they had a true high priest. That was all that needed to be said but he went on to describe Him in greater detail.   Their high priest, who was Jesus, was ministering along with His Father in the true sanctuary and perfect tabernacle of His own making in heaven. He wanted it to be clear that the place where man’s high priest lived was not the temporary dwelling found among the people of Israel and built by them. In fact by the time of David the tent of the meeting was no longer used.

 

1. What was the point the writer was trying to get across to those who were backsliding? (They had a high priest who was permanently located in heaven?
2. What does it mean that He was seated at the right hand of God? (Position of authority in carrying our the commands of God.)
3. What does this mean for mankind? (Christ is in a position to intercede for us all the time.)
4. What is the difference between where Christ reigns and the institutions man builds?
5. What example do you have from the Bible that proves this fact?

 

Hebrews 8:3

One of the function of the high priest was to offer up the gifts and sacrifices on behalf of himself and the people. In order for Christ to be viewed as a high priest He also was obligated to have something to offer. Of course the offerings of man were according to the Law.

 

1. What was one of the main functions of the high priest?
2. What other tasks did the carry out for the people? (Judged the disputes among the people.)
3. What qualification did Jesus need to have in order to be designated a priest?

 

Hebrews 8:4-5

Once again the writer points out the differences between Jesus and the other high priests. Although, He had something to offer He would not be allowed to be a priest because He was not born of the tribe of Levi and a descendent of Aaron. It is pointed out that what the earthly priests were performed according to the Law in the tabernacle built specifically as God had instructed as a copy of what exists in heaven.

 

1. What was different between the ministry of the high priests and that of Jesus? (They were under the law.)
2. What kept Jesus from being an earthly priest?
3. What commands were given to Moses concerning the tabernacle construction?

 

Hebrews 8:6

Everything that was done in the tabernacle and later in the Temple was according to the Law. Jesus, of course, because of what He accomplished offering Himself provides for man a permanent and greater ministry not limited by finiteness of man.

 

He brought about a new covenant not based on the law but on grace. God through the new covenant has promised salvation and eternal life that cannot be abolished.

 

1. Why did God command Moses to build the tabernacle? (It represented the presence of God in the midst of the people.)
2. What was the one thing that could be accomplished in the tabernacle? (Atonement for sin.)
3. Who was allowed to enter into the earthly tabernacle and how often?
4. How does this differ from what occurred under the new covenant? (Access into the holy of holies is available to believers at all times?
5. What is the basis of the new covenant?

 

Hebrews 8:7-10

For all of the formality associated with the old covenant the writer wanted the readers of his letter to understand that by the time of Jeremiah that God’s word indicated that it had major shortcomings. It is obvious that a new covenant would not have been put in place if the first had worked. Jeremiah shared in 31:31-34what would occur when the new covenant was implemented. It would not be according to the law that affected external behavior. When God instituted the new covenant He would:

• Put His laws into their minds
• Write them on their hearts
• Be the God of Israel
• Make the people to be His.

 

1. Why did the writer indicate that a new covenant was necessary?
2. What were the shortcomings of the old covenant? (It did nothing to guarantee a relationship with God.)
3. What was to occur under the new covenant?
4. What is the difference that you see between the old and the new? (Old external the new changed the heart of man.)

 

Hebrews 8:11

There would come a day that has not arrived yet when each follower of Christ would be so in tune with the Father that he or she would not have to be taught God’s law any longer,

 

1. What will God provide to end the need for one neighbor to teach another? (Commit to following the commands of God.)
2. What does it take to become a mature follower of Christ?
3. What effort are you making to become a true disciple of Christ?
4. What is comparable to the law of Israel for a Christian?

 

Hebrews 8:12

Under the new covenant sins would truly be forgiven and forgotten by God because of His great mercy. Under the old the best one could expect was atonement or covering of one’s sins.

1. What would the new covenant that was offered under the old?
2. Why would God be willing to forgive and forget? (Because of His mercy.)
3. Although not mentioned here what is the responsibility of man to have his sins forgiven?
4. In what way have you put yourself in a position to receive forgiveness?

 

Hebrews 8:13

With the words of God spoken to Jeremiah concerning the new covenant the old became obsolete. That which is obsolete will soon completely disappear as it is replaced with the new.

 

1. What are some of the things in your life that you consider obsolete?
2. What do you want to find in your life that will replace those things that are becoming obsolete?
3. What does this indicate that is taking place in your life?
4. Why is important that God made the old covenant obsolete?

 

• Understand that the covenant of works is dead and salvation cannot be found by trying to keep it alive. Salvation comes only through Jesus Christ who is the ministry of he new and perfect covenant.
• Study and meditate on God’s words so they will be written on your heart as if with indelible ink.
• Fill your mind with God’s word every day leaving no room for the influences of the world.
• Understand that forgiveness of sins only come through God’s mercy.

 

It is more important today than maybe any time in history that we make the Bible the true source of living. The world is trying in everyway it can to make the gospel obsolete. Hebrews says that which has no value is the very thing that is becoming obsolete. All around us we see the evidences of people who are rejecting the good news of the new covenant established through Jesus Christ. I do not know about you but I want to be part of a people who are so in tune with the Father that His message is very clear to me. We cannot live what we do not know. Every effort needs to be made to fill our minds with the good and righteous and filter out the bad and unrighteous. We talk a lot about unity but the only way that is going to happen is for all us to be united in Jesus Christ. Paul put into proper perspective what having God’s word written on our hearts should look like. He said, “Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” Only with that spirit can we impact the world with the good news.