Christ, High Priest in the True Sanctuary, superseding the Levitical Priesthood—The
New renders Obsolete the Old Covenant. (78) Heb. 8: 10-13.
Covenant-relationship has always been the basis on which God has dealt with His people. The foundation of all is the Everlasting Covenant, an agreement which God made with Christ as the Head and Representative of the whole election of grace. There was an original covenant made with Adam and all mankind in him: see Hosea 6:7. This consisted of an agreement between God and man concerning obedience and disobedience, reward and punishment. To that covenant were annexed promises and threatening. The symbols were expressed first, in the tree of life; the latter in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It was a covenant of works and had no mediator. It ceased as soon as sin entered the world. God had provided a way of salvation for His own elect apart from their personal obligation to sinless obedience as the condition of life, and that through their Surety discharging all their responsibilities in His own person. This was made known in the first promise of Genesis 3:15. All who receive the grace which is tendered through the promises of the Gospel, are delivered from the curse of that covenant which Adam, their legal representative, broke.
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put My laws into their minds and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people” (v. 10). His design is to prove that the Lord Christ is the Mediator and Surety of a better covenant, than that managed by the high priests according to the law. That His priesthood is greater and far more excellent than theirs. First, the introduction of the new covenant was made by the ministry of John the Baptist Lk 16:16. He was sent to prepare the way of the Lord. The Jews were then bound absolutely unto the covenant at Sinai. But John’s ministry was “the beginning of the Gospel” Mk 1:1, 2. He called the people off from resting in the privileges of the old covenant Matt. 3:8–10, and instituted a new ordinance of worship, baptism. He pointed away from Moses to the Lamb of God. His ministry was the beginning of the accomplishment of God’s promise through Jeremiah. Second, the incarnation and ministry of the Lord Jesus further advanced it. His appearing in the flesh laid an axe to the root of the whole Mosaic dispensation Matt. 3:10, though the tree was not immediately cut down. By His miracles and teaching Christ furnished abundant proof that He was the Mediator of the new covenant. Third, it was solemnly enacted and confirmed in and by Christ’s death: thereby the “promise” became a “testament” Heb. 9:14–16. The old covenant and its administration had received its full accomplishment Eph. 2:14–16, Col. 2:14, 15, and it continued to abide only in the longsuffering of God, soon to be taken out of the way. Fourth, the new covenant was further established in the resurrection of Christ. The old covenant could not be abrogated till its curse had been borne, and that was discharged absolutely when Christ was “loosed from the pains of death” and delivered from the hell and the grave. Fifth, as the high priest of good things to come Heb. 9:11-13, with a better sacrifice took the blood to heaven.9:23-24
Sixth, the new covenant was promulgated and confirmed on the day of Pentecost. From Pentecost onwards the whole Church of God was absolved from any duty with respect unto the old covenant and the ordinances of worship and all the institutions of the new covenant now became obligatory upon them. Seventh, the question was formally and officially raised as to the continuance of the obligatory form of the old covenant, and the contrary was expressly affirmed by the apostles under the infallible superintendence of the Holy Spirit: Acts 15:1–29.
