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Hebrews 8 Commentary

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Hebrews 8:1-2

Jesus is the perfect high priest. He sits at the right hand of God. He helps us from Heaven.

The job of a priest is to offer gifts and sacrifices to God on man’s behalf. Christ, as a priest, has a superior office to earthly priests, and offered a superior sacrifice. Earthly priests are serving as a picture of Heaven.

Hebrews 8:6-8

Christ’s ministry as our High Priest is greater than any other ministry. The earthly priests served the Law and the Old Covenant, but Christ has brought a New Covenant with new and better promises.

Hebrews 8:9-13

The law was not useful in changing men’s hearts, but Christ has put God’s law into our hearts and has restored our relationship with God. Our sins are forever forgiven under this New Covenant.

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Chapter Context

This chapter begins by reaffirming the superiority of Jesus’s role as High Priest over the Levitical priests. The instructions that the Lord gave to Moses regarding the priesthood and tabernacle were not so that he could establish a religious system that perfects people, but to provide a glimpse of that which has been ordained in Heaven; a perfect priesthood in Jesus and a glorious tabernacle built by the Lord. It is not a system that brings our “perfection” or completion, but a person, our High Priest, King, and perfect sacrifice, Jesus.