Hebrews 8:1-13
The uniqueness of the book of Hebrews is further accentuated by the exposition of Jesus Christ as our Priest. While other passages talk about Christ being our intercessor, Saviour, Mediator, Friend, Counsellor, Healer and King, Hebrewsexplains the role in which Christ's Priesthood overrules the old covenant made between God and Israel. Christ's Priesthood is the purpose for which Christ came to earth in the form of a man (Hebrews 2:17); the reason we should hold on to our faith as believers (Hebrews 4:14); and proof that the old covenant has been set aside for the better covenant by Christ.
The new covenant by Christ overrules the old Abrahamic covenant in the Old Testament. Christ gives a better relationship with God and because He lives forever at God's right hand, He intercedes for the world. The Old Testament Priests could not save, but Christ can save fully from sin. What the Old Testament priests, principles and practices could not achieve, Christ has come to fulfil. He does this not by adding Himself to the Old Testament and covenant, but by fulfilling the Old Testament so much that He can establish the New Testament.
SACRED PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST TO CHRISTIANS
Hebrews 8:1, 2, 7; Leviticus 21:16-23
The eighth chapter of Hebrews starts with a summary of what had been explained in the first seven chapters. The previous seven chapters had described the supremacy of Jesus Christ the high Priest after the irder of Melchisedec, the King of Salem over the Levitical priests who had ruled the Jews over the years. The Priesthood of Christ remained a mystery which many rulers of the Jews refused to accept as they knew it would invalidate a lot of beliefs with which they had held the people captive. Jesus is our high Priest and He is exalted higher than all others.
A priest, which name first occurs as applied to Melchizedek (Genesis 14: 18), is someone who represents the people before God and offers sacrifice on behalf of the people. The priest also speaks the word of God to the people and counsels them in the right path. Before the coming of the law, man was his own priest and presented his own sacrifices before God. Afterwards, that office devolved on the head of the family, as in the cases of Noah (Genesis 8: 20), Abraham (Genesis 12: 7; 13: 4), Isaac (Genesis 26: 25), Jacob (Genesis 31:54) and Job (Job 1: 5).
With the Abrahamic covenant in place and the coming of the law, the priesthood was changed and the office of the priesthood was limited to the tribe of Levi, and to only one family of that tribe, the family of Aaron. The priesthood was unique and distinct from any other spiritual leadership and there were a lot of very difficult conditions which were features of their service. The priests were not distributed over the country but lived together in certain cities (forty-eight in number and six were cities of refuge), which had been assigned to their use. From thence, they went up by turns to minister in the temple at Jerusalem. With all the tough working terrain, the high display of awe and respect and unprecedented high qualifications required for the priest's office, the priests were not perfect. In fact, they always ran risk of being destroyed by God as a result of defilement. This shows the inability of the priests to forgive sins and the incapacity of the sacrifices made to keep anyone completely free from sin.
Hence, just like most Old Testament traditions, the priesthood was a shadow of the Church of which the head and high Priest is Christ. The priests all prefigured the great Priest who offered "one sacrifice for sins", "one for all" (Hebrews 10: 10; 10:12). There is now no human priesthood as a barrier between man and God to believers. The term "priest" is indeed applied to believers ( 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6), but in these cases, it implies no cultural and traditional functions like the priests of old. All believers are now "kings and priests unto God" (Revelation 1:6). As priests, they have free access into the holiest of all and offer up sacrifices of praise, thanksgiving and grateful service from day to day.
Christ as our sacred high Priest today opens the door for believers to be able to pray to the father and receive answers. He is the Way, Truth and Life. For anyone toqualify to be part of the Church today, there must be genuine repentance and turning away from all sins. As priests, our lives should reflect God's glory at all times. Our conduct, conversations and companions are to reflect the personality of Christ in us. Just like the high priests of old were different and distinct from those who they led in spiritual service, Christians of today need to be separated and sanctified to be able to offer acceptable service.
SUPERIORITY AND PRIORITY OF CHRIST'S COVENANT
Hebrews 8: 3-6; Isaiah 9: 6,7; John 14: 1-4; Hebrews 3:1; 4:14-16; 6:19,20; Philipians 2:4-11
"For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it s of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer". The priesthood at every point in time was led by the high priest who was chosen to offer the most sacred sacrifice and perform the rites required for worship both at the tabernacle and after at the temple which was later built. To be able to offer the gifts and sacrifices, the priest needed to have something to offer the people, which included knowledge of God and the worship process. The priests were highly respected and regarded because of their deep understandingunderstanding of God and His ways. However, they were often limited in their ability to offer real spiritual help to men.
The priests were limited because of their inadequacies of the covenant with which they operated. The following are differnces between the Levitical covenant/priesthood and the new covenant by Christ. The Levitical had many high priests who had to be changed as they died, but Christ is our only high Priest and He lives forever (Hebrews 7:23,24). Each of the priests had a temporary tenure as high priest but Chrisy is our permanent and eternal high priest (Hebrews 7: 23, 24). The priests sacrificed daily to make atonement but Christ paid the sacrifice for sins once and for all at Calvary (Hebrews 7:27; 9:12). The sacrifice of the priests did not make man live a holy life, they had to come and renew the sacrifice as man remained sinful while the covenant by Christ through His blood makes man holy, innocent and unstained (Hebrews 7:26,27). The priests themselves were not holy so they had to offer sacrifice for themselves while Christ is holy and pure and only offered animal sacrifice for others (Hebrews 7:26, 27); The prests offered animal sacrifices and could not bear to offer their own lives but Christ gave up himself on Calvary for man (Hebrews 7:27; 9:11-14). The priests entered the holy of holies after doing various sacrifices with the blood of goats and calves while Christ entered by means of His own blood (Hebrews 9:11, 12).
As the result of these great differences between Christ and the former hish priests, the covenant of Christ supersedes and is of far higher priority to that of Old Covenant. Christ is not just to be categorised as a Priest or Prophet for He is far greater. Jesus is the Son of God and express Image of the Father. Even though He fulfils the role of the high Priest to the Church today, "...But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises" (verse 6). Anyone operating in any other covenant outside the covenant of Christ is operating within an outdated and uprofitable covenant. The covenant of Christ is what gives hope, deliverance and freedom to man today. With the covenant of Christ, man is not bound to the challenges of the Law. Man can now receive forgiveness and grace to walk in holiness and righteousness before God all the days of his life. The covenant of Christ brings healing, health, prosperity, power, protection, preservation and breakthrough. The superiority of Christ's covenant also gives hope that beyond this world, man can dwell with God eternally in heaven (John 14:1-4).