Hebrews 8:1-8 The main point

The Main Point!

Hebrews 8:1-8a

The Superiority of Jesus’ priesthood has been the theme for several chapters of Hebrews now, and it is reinforced in the early part of Chapter 8 again as the “Main idea” of this whole sermon.  Then, after this reiteration and further elaboration on this theme, the preacher turns his attention to the better covenant that Jesus mediates, which will be his theme for another large piece of the sermon.  He begins this section of the sermon with a lengthy quote from the Septuagint version of Jeremiah 31, the clearest explanation of the new covenant in the OT.  

1. Vs 1: The Main Point
1. κεφάλαιον kephalaion: The Sum, total.
1. Acts 22:28 and here only
2. The ancients drew a line across the top of a list of numbers and added upwards, so that the sum was written at the top of the problem, not the bottom.
3. Everything he has been saying in his Sermon hangs on this idea, which is a Jewish construct to put the “main thing” in the middle of an argument (Chiasm).
2. Jesus’ superiority as a priest over and above all other priests descended from Aaron has been the theme for a while, and it is the central idea of the sermon.
3. Taken his seat:
1. His work is finished (Jn 19:30), whereas no other priest is ever done with their task.
2. The old covenant makes nothing and nobody perfect, complete. Only Christ's work does this on our behalf (Eph 1:3; Col 2:10).
4. At the right, the place of honor (Psa 110:1; Matt 22:44; Acts 2:33; 7:55-56; Rom 8:34; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1; Heb 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1Pe 3:22; Rev 3:21)
5. Majesty on High: μεγαλωσύνηmegalōsynē
1. Luo: “to loose” or destroy.
2. Mega: Big, major
3. The ability to massively destroy.  
1. Life and death in his hands (Deut 32:39; 1Sam 2:6; Job 5:18)
2. Matt 10:28, the power of temporal and eternal life.
4. Heb 1:3; 8:1; Jude 25
2. Vs 2-5: Ministry on Earth vs Ministry in Heaven
1. A copy of of the pattern in heaven,
1. Copy: ὑπόδειγμα hypodeigma below-diagram.
2. Platonic? Not likely.  Exodus 20-40 happened before Plato.  Plato was well-read in near-eastern literature.  Perhaps plato is Hebraic as opposed to Hebrews being Platonic.
3. Interesting that he references the tabernacle, not the temple.
1. God specifically gave the pattern for construction to Moses for the tabernacle.  No such instruction for temple.
2. The tabernacle, then, is built on the pattern of a heavenly ideal, but the temple is not.
3. Temple is obviously meant to represent Christ (covered in skins, overshadowed by the glory cloud. Temple built with the same organizational cues as the tabernacle, but after the phoenician style.
2. Priests must have something to offer.
1. On Earth, Levitical priests offer animal sacrifices.
2. In Heaven, Christ has offered himself once.
3. If Christ were on Earth, he would not be a priest, since earthly priests have to be from Levi.  Melchizedek’s priesthood is a heavenly one.
3. Vs 6-8a Second covenant superior to first.
1. The announcement of a second (Jer 31) while the first was operating testifies to the imperfection of the first.
2. No “place” to look for a second if the first were perfect.
3. Why is the second better?
1. Better promises.
2. Better people with new hearts
1. The problem was not with the law.  It was with the people (vs 8)
2. Part of the new covenant is a heart replacement (Ezek 11:19; 36:36)
3. Interesting, this preacher does not say that the law is broken, but that the followers were.
4. Law will be replaced (7:12) but it was perfect and good (Psa 19:7; Rom 3:2; 15:4)