Daily Scripture Reading Hebrews 8:1 - 9:7

There is a stream within Christianity which believes the church replaced Israel. According to their beliefs, Israel became the church, meaning all the promises given to Israel in the Old Testament will be fulfilled through the church, not through the descendants of Jacob.

Today, we will read a section in Hebrews 8 in which the author of Hebrews quoted a passage from Jeremiah. This passage clearly speaks of a new covenant which will be struck in the future with the House of Israel and the House of Judah. Since the church includes Gentiles, the church cannot be the fulfillment of that promise.

The seventh chapter of Hebrews draws a distinction between the Levitical priesthood and the priesthood of Jesus. The Levitical priests had to daily offer sacrifices, and eventually each priest died and was replaced by someone else who eventually died. Jesus, on the other hand, offered Himself once as a sacrifice, and now He lives forever. The Levitical priests were sinners, but Jesus is perfect.

Heb. 8:1 ¶ Now the main point in what is being said is this: we have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

Heb. 8:2 a minister in the holy places and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.

Our priest is Jesus, and He is superior to the Levitical priests.

Look at the word “true”. The true tabernacle is the one pitched by the Lord, not the one that was pitched by the Israelites in the wilderness as recorded in Exodus.

Heb. 8:3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer.

Heb. 8:4 Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law;

Heb. 8:5 who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “SEE,” He says, “THAT YOU MAKE all things ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN.”

This is a quote from Exodus 25:40. The tabernacle erected at Mount Sinai was a shadow of the heavenly tabernacle.

Heb. 8:6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.

The pronoun “he” refers to Jesus. Notice the word “better” which occurs twice. Christians live under a covenant and set of promises which are superior to the covenant which was established at Mount Sinai.

Heb. 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.

The following verses, verses 8-12, are a quote from Jeremiah 31:31-34. Jeremiah lived during the time that Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed and the Israelites were taken to Babylon as exiles because of their sin, particularly their idolatry. That was a low point in the history of Israel, but Jeremiah predicted that the future was bright.

Heb. 8:8 For finding fault with them, He says,

“BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD,

WHEN I WILL COMPLETE A NEW COVENANT

WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH;

The pronoun “them” refers to Israel. The term “new covenant” tells us eventually something would replace the Mosaic Law. Look at the terms “House of Israel” and “House of Judah”. This tells us that someday there will be a new covenant between God and the Israelites. Since Christianity includes Gentiles, Christianity is not the new covenant promised in Jeremiah.

There is a stream within Christianity which believes the church replaced Israel and that the church fulfills all the promises given to Israel. However, the passage in Jeremiah specifically says the new covenant will be with Israel; therefore, the church does not replace Israel. Israel still exists and is distinct from the church, and someday in the future, God will strike a new covenant with Israel.

Heb. 8:9 NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS

IN THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND

TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT;

FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT,

AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD.

The Israelites did not obey the terms of the covenant which was established at Mount Sinai.

Heb. 8:10 FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL

AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:

I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS,

AND UPON THEIR HEARTS I WILL WRITE THEM.

AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD,

AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

Notice the term “House of Israel”. Once again we see that the new covenant referred to in this passage is between God and Israel. The church is not the fulfillment of this promise.

Heb. 8:11 AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN,

AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, ‘KNOW THE LORD,’

FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME,

FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM.

Heb. 8:12 FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES,

AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.”

Someday in the future, God will establish a covenant with Israel which they will obey. They will be so obedient that it will not be necessary for them to exhort each other to know the Lord.

Heb. 8:13 When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

This is more evidence that Christians are not bound by the precepts of the Law of Moses.

Heb. 9:1 ¶ Now even the first covenant had requirements of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary.

Heb. 9:2 For there was a tabernacle prepared: the first part, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread, which is called the holy place.

Heb. 9:3 And behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies,

Heb. 9:4 having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tablets of the covenant.

Heb. 9:5 And above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

Heb. 9:6 ¶ Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the first part of the tabernacle performing the divine worship,

Heb. 9:7 but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.

Some Christians believe the church replaced Israel, meaning Israel became the church and Israel is not an entity that is distinct from the church. However, Jeremiah 31 speaks of a new covenant between God and the houses of Israel and Judah. Since the church includes Gentiles, the church cannot be the fulfillment of that promise of a new covenant. That new covenant has not happened yet, it will happen sometime in our future.

How should this passage change your belief system regarding Israel, the Church, and the promises given to Israel which have yet to be fulfilled?

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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”