Closer To Heaven
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You can view an in-depth discussion of “The New Covenant” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. Click on the image to view:
With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.
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The book of Hebrews places a heavy emphasis on Jesus as our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary. In fact, the clearest exposition of the new covenant found in the New Testament appears in the book of Hebrews with its emphasis on Christ as High Priest. This is no coincidence. Christ’s heavenly ministry is intricately tied to promises of the new covenant.
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The Old Testament sanctuary service was the means by which the old-covenant truths were taught. It centered around sacrifice and mediation. Animals were slain, and their blood was mediated by the priests. These, of course, were all symbols of the salvation found only in Jesus. There was no salvation found in them in and of themselves.
All these sacrifices, and the priestly mediation that accompanied them, met their fulfillment in Christ. Jesus became the Sacrifice upon which the blood of the new covenant is based. Christ’s blood ratified the new covenant, making the Sinaitic covenant and its sacrifices “old” or void. The true sacrifice had been made, once and for all (Hebrews 9:26). Once Christ died, there was no more need for any animals to be slain. The earthly sanctuary services had fulfilled their function.
Tied, of course, to these animal sacrifices was the priestly ministry, those Levites who offered and mediated the sacrifices in the earthly sanctuary on behalf of the people. Once the sacrifices ended, the need for their ministry ended, as well. Everything had been fulfilled in Jesus, who now ministers His own blood in the sanctuary in heaven (see Hebrews 8:1-5). Hebrews stresses Christ as High Priest in heaven, having entered by shedding His own blood (Hebrews 9:12), mediating in our behalf. This is the foundation of the hope and promise we have in the new covenant.
| How does it make you feel, understanding that, even now, Jesus is ministering His blood in heaven on your behalf? How much confidence and assurance does that give you regarding salvation? |
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Yesterday we saw that regarding the basic elements, the old and new covenants were the same. The bottom line is salvation by faith in a God who will forgive our sins, not because of anything worthwhile in us but only because of His grace. As a result of this forgiveness, we enter into a relationship with Him in which we surrender to Him in faith and obedience.
Nevertheless, the book of Hebrews does call the new covenant “a better covenant.” How do we understand what that means? How is one covenant better than the other?
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The problem with the old covenant was not the covenant itself but with the failure of the people to grasp it in faith (Hebrews 4:2). The superiority of the new to the old lies in that Jesus — instead of being revealed only through the animal sacrifices (as in the old covenant) — now appears in the reality of His death and high-priestly ministry. In other words, the salvation offered in the old covenant is the same offered in the new. In the new, however, a greater, more complete revelation of the God of the covenant and the love that He has for fallen humanity has been revealed. It is better in that everything that had been taught through symbols and types in the Old Testament has found its fulfilment in Jesus, whose sinless life, His death, and high-priestly ministry were symbolized by the earthly sanctuary service (Hebrews 9:8-14).
Now, though, instead of symbols, types, and examples, we have Jesus Himself, not only as the slain Lamb who shed His blood for our sin (Hebrews 9:12) but who stands as our High Priest in heaven ministering on our behalf (Hebrews 7:25). Though the salvation He offers is the same, this fuller revelation of Himself and the salvation found in Him, as revealed in the new covenant, make it superior to the old.
| Think about this: Why would knowing about Christ’s life, death, and high priestly ministry on our behalf give us a better understanding of God than one would get merely from the earthly sanctuary-service ritual of animal sacrifices? |
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“And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, every one who keeps the sabbath, and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant — these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isaiah 56:6-7, RSV).
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Jeremiah states that the new covenant is to be made with “the house of Israel” (Jeremiah 31:33). Does this mean, then, that only the literal seed of Abraham, Jews by blood and birth, are to receive the covenant promises?
No! In fact, that was not even true in Old Testament times. That the Hebrew nation, as a whole, had been given the covenant promises is, of course, correct. Yet, it was not done in exclusion to anyone else. On the contrary, all, Jew or Gentile, were invited to partake of the promises, but they had to agree to enter into that covenant. It is certainly no different today.
Though the new covenant is called “better” (see Wednesday’s study), there really is no difference in the basic elements that make up both the old and new covenant. It is the same God, who offers salvation the same way, by grace (Exodus 34:6, Romans 3:24); it is the same God who seeks a people who will by faith claim His promises of forgiveness (Jeremiah 31:34, Hebrews 8:12); it is the same God who seeks to write the law into the hearts of those who will follow Him in a faith relationship (Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10), whether they be Jew or Gentile.
In the New Testament, the Jews, responding to the election of grace, received Jesus Christ and His gospel. For a time they were the heart of the church, the “remnant, chosen by grace” (Romans 11:5, RSV) in contrast to those who were “hardened” (Romans 11:7, RSV). At the same time, the Gentiles, who formerly did not believe, accepted the gospel and were grafted into God’s true people, made up of believers, no matter to which people or race they belonged (Romans 11:13-24). So the Gentiles “at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise” (Ephesians 2:12, RSV) were brought near in the blood of Christ. Christ is mediating the “new covenant” (Hebrews 9:15, RSV) for all believers, regardless of nationality or race.
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This quarter “The Week at a Glance” shows God’s covenant is spoken of mostly. God has made his promises (covenant) with many people in the Bible and continues to give us promises for today, hence for a theme hymn I find that I wish to keep standing on the Promises that God has given to us all –
Hymn 518 – Standing on the Promises as
My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less – Hymn 522.
The covenant of grace God has with humanity is sung in
Hymn 657 – O God From Whom Mankind.
The new heart that each person wishes to receive is asked and given in
Hymn 323 – O for a Heart to Praise My God! As we see in Monday’s study time.
On Tuesday, the study concludes with the Gentiles being “brought near in the blood of Christ”. There truly is
Power in the Blood – Hymn 294
Wednesday commences with forgiveness as in
Hymn 299 – Forgive Our Sins As We Forgive, followed by surrendering all –
Hymn 309 – I Surrender All. In Hebrew 4:2 we read that the people failed to grasp the covenant in faith. Please sing
Hymn 517 – My Faith Looks Up to Thee, or
Hymn 533 – O for a Faith and
Hymn 523 – My Faith Has Found a Resting Place. It is then that we can encourage others
O Brother, Be Faithful – Hymn 602. We rely on “our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary ministering on our behalf (Hebrews 7:25)” as in
Hymn 179 – The Wonders of Redeeming Love. This last hymn continues on into Thursday’s study where we see salvation clearly in Jesus:
Hymn 646 – To the Name That Brings Salvation and
Hymn 339 – God Is My Strong Salvation. Once again we find there is
Power in the Blood – Hymn 294.
What a wonderful Redeemer we have:
Hymn 343 – I Will Sing of My Redeemer (Friday).
To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/
Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing, but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.
2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
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