There are many who believe that the Bible is two different books (Old Testament and New Testament) put together, and that these books are contrary to one another. Some even go so far to say that the God of the Old Testament is different than the God of the New Testament. When one actually reads the Bibles contents with purpose, it becomes a painfully obvious realization that the Old and New Testament are supportive of one another as Gods revelation of His plan and promises to destroy the works of sin for the benefit of those who believe. Hebrews 8:1-6 is a perfect illustration of that truth. In Hebrews 8:1-6 the author writes about the identity and role of Jesus as our High Priest. The Bible simply summarizes the role of the high priest as explained in the Old Testament. The responsibility of the high priest was to enter into the sanctuary of the Lord once a year to offer gifts and sacrifices for the atonement of the sins of the people. The high priest was Gods appointed person to purify himself according to the provision of the Law, enter into Gods sanctuary in the tabernacle once a year with gifts and sacrifices that were to be offered to God in accordance with the Law, on behalf of the people to atone for the sins of the people. Since Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the role of high priest, Jesus is found doing the same work for greater purpose according to the Law as well. Jesus entered into the sanctuary of the Lord God (the kingdom of heaven) by way of His death on the cross. Since Jesus was sinless, perfect and righteous in every way, He was qualified as pure to enter into Gods kingdom on behalf of the people as the high priest was to enter the tabernacle sanctuary on behalf of the people. While the high priest in the Old Testament was to offer gives and sacrifices, Jesus offered Himself as a gift and sacrifice as the Living God so that His gift and sacrificial offering was of the highest and most valuable of quality. Thus, as the blood of goats and rams was to atone for the sins of the people once a year, the blood of the Living God is able to atone for far more since Jesus was able and willing to present Himself as the gift and sacrifice. However, Hebrews 8:1-6 explains that if Jesus were simply a normal priest as in the Old Testament, He would have offered an animal according to the commands of the Law like the other priests. Yet Jesus didnt do that. He exercised greater authority to offer something different than the Law - something of far greater value. In this way, the Law of God is seen to be as a template for a greater work that would be done through Christ. Hebrews 8:1-6 explains that the commands of the Old Testament Law didnt change in the New Testament. Instead, the Old Testament Law served to be a picture or foreshadowing of the events that Jesus would later do as the Savior. The work of the priest in the Old Testament was merely a picture of the work that Jesus would do in a more excellent and beneficial way through His life, death, resurrection and ascension. Even the tabernacle itself was only a picture. The tabernacle is described as the mobile place of worship that served the role of the temple for the Jews to worship God during the wilderness journey in the Old Testament. Hebrews 8:1-6 explains that God warned Moses when He gave Moses the instructions on how to build the tabernacle. God emphasized that the tabernacle construction was to be build according to pattern. If the tabernacle was constructed form a pattern, what was the template? Hebrews 8:1-6 explains that the template for the tabernacle, and even the priestly sacrifices was Gods heavenly kingdom and the work of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the documented history of the Old Testament serves to be an example and a form of appetizer to the work that God would fully do through Jesus Christ. When one reads through the Old Testament, one can rest assured that the commands for sacrifice, temple worship, feast day celebrations and all other matters concerning Israels relationship to God is a foreshadowing of the work Jesus would do upon His arrival on earth as the Messiah. Then, since Jesus was able to perfectly achieve the will of God that the Israelites struggled so much to obey, the work of Jesus provides much greater benefits than the provision of the Law since Gods promises are fulfilled to perfection through the work of Jesus and not of sinful, mistake-prone people. It is for this reason that Jesus is the subject and object of our worship as Christians and what He alone is worthy of praise and glory as the Living God. God bless yall! --Bside--
Posted on: Fri, 08 Nov 2013 15:52:47 +0000
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