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Hebrews 8 (1) The Edenic Covenant (Ge. 2:16) conditions the life of man in innocence.
(2) The Adamic Covenant (Ge. 3:15) conditions the life of fallen men and gives promise of a Redeemer.
(3) The Noahic Covenant (Ge. 9:16) establishes the principle of human government.
(4) The Abrahamic Covenant (Ge. 12:2) establishes the nation of Israel and confirms, with specific additions, the Adamic promise of redemption.
(5) The Mosaic Covenant (Ex. 19:5) condemns all men, "for all have sinned" (Ro. 3:23; 5:12).
(6) The Palestinian Covenant (Dt. 30:3) secures the final restoration and conversion of Israel.
(7) The Davidic Covenant (2Sa. 7:16) establishes the perpetuity of the Davidic family (fulfilled in Christ, Mt.1:1; Lk.1:31-33; Ro.1:3), and of the Davidic kingdom over Israel and over the whole earth, to be fulfilled in and by Christ (2Sa. 7:8-17; Zec.12:8; Lk.1:31-33; Ac.15:14-17; lCo.15:24). And
(8) The New Covenant (Heb. 8:8) rests upon the sacrifice of Christ and secures the eternal blessedness, under the Abrahamic Covenant (Gal. 3:13-29), of all who believe. It is absolutely unconditional and, since no responsibility is by it committed to man, it is final and irreversible.
The relation of Christ to the eight covenants is as follows:
(1) To the Edenic Covenant, Christ, as the "second man" and the "last Adam" (1 Co.15:45-47), takes the place over all things which the first Adam lost (Co I. 2:10; Heb. 2:7-9).
(2) He is the Seed of the woman of the Adamic Covenant (Ge. 3:15; In. 12:31; Gal. 4:4; 1Jn. 3:8; Rev. 20:10), and fulfilled its conditions of toil (Mark 6:3) and obedience (Php. 2:8; Heb. 5:8).
(3) As the greatest Son of Shem, in Him was fulfilled supremely the promise to Shem in the Noahic Covenant (Ge.9:16; Col. 2:9).
(4) He is the Seed to whom the promises were made in the Abrahamic Covenant, the Son of Abraham obedient unto death (Ge. 22:18; Gal. 3:16; Php. 2:8).
(5) He lived sinlessly under the Mosaic Covenant and bore for us its curse (Gal. 3:10-13).
(6) He lived obediently as a Jew in the land under the Palestinian Covenant, and will yet perform its gracious promises (Dt. 28:1-30:9).
(7) He is the Seed, Heir, and King under the Davidic Covenant (Mt. 1:1; Lk. 1:31-33). And
(8) His sacrifice is the foundation of the New Covenant (Mt. 26:28; 1 Co. 11:25). |
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The High Priest of a New Covenant 1.The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2.and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.
3.Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. 4.If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already men who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 5.They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." 6.But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.
7.For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8.But God found fault with the people and said:
"The time is coming, declares the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.
9.It will not be like the covenant
I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.
10.This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
11.No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,'
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
12.For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more."
13.By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.
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