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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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from the conscience. The prophets speak of a day of which the Lord declared, ‘T will remember their sin no more” (Jer. 31:34). Christ as Mediator is the Melchisedec priest of the new covenant (cf. Heb. 7:15-17,22). His death forever settles every question concerning the sins under the old covenant, that is, the law covenant. (The Revised Version bears a marginal note indicating that the Greek word it translates as “ cove nant” in verses 15 and 20 and as “testa ment” in 16 and 17 “signifies both covenant and testament.” ) The Lord’s purpose is that they who are called should obtain eternal inher itance. The sinner’s transgressions pre vented the securing of this inheritance, but the means for obtaining it can be found in the death of this Mediator. The first covenant could behold the inher itance, but could not bestow it, because of the transgressions that were present. The new covenant removes the trans gressions and elevates the Christian to the plane of the inheritance. The first covenant was wholly of law, that is: Do and you shall live, or else fail to do, and you shall die. The new covenant is wholly of grace, that is, the work is "done”—and your part is simply to be lieve (in Christ, the Mediator through His atoning death) and you shall live. And the object in view Nunder this cov enant is the inheritance, obtained by God’s grace. ni. T he N ew D eath (16-22) Death is necessary in a “testament” (vs. 16,17). It is after death that the testament, or covenant, becomes avail able. Death therefore was demanded by the old covenant, and there could be no re mission without it. JSven under the law, there needed to be purging with olood; the blood sanctified the Book wherein' the law was written, the people to whom the law was given, the t a b e r n a c l e wherein the law was maintained, and all the vessels of ministry wherewith the priests performed their official service (vs. 18-21). All was done to reveal that without the shedding of blood there could be no remission of the sins in volved (v. 22). This “no remission” is universal; it touches kings and paupers, the cultured and the ignorant, the moral and thfc immoral; all have the same standing before God. While the blood of bulls and goats could, not satisfy the requirements of God’s justice, nor fully and finally give remission of sins because it could not fully nor finally remove the transgres sions, the following v e r s e s in this passage reveal there is both the need and provision of the better sacrifice, even that of the Lamb of God. His blood utterly removes all the transgressions and opens the door into God’s eternal
rubber, increase the size of the nails until the magnet will not lift them.) Many Christians are like this magnet. If everything is favorable, they are will ing to work for Christ, but if anything goes wrong, they refuse to do His work. The Apostle Peter knew about this temptation, and he wrote, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: . . . Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf’ (1 Pet. 4:12, 10 ). Peter wanted all Christians to know that they could and should glorify God in hours of sadness as well as hours of gladness. purged "from dead works” (v. 14). These dead works are the things done by those who attempt thereby to obtain salvation; the contrasting good works are the acts of love and service per formed by those who already are saved. The new covenant Is founded upon blood—the atoning blood of Christ. He entered “once for all” (v. 12, R. V.) into the holy place, having ohtained eternal salvation for the believer. His blood— unlike the blood of bulls and goats that merely prefigured the coming divinely perfect Sacrifice, and could suffice only for the cleansing of the fiesh—purges the conscience from dead works “to serve the living God” (vs. 13, 14). We are to rest upon this fact, rejoice in it, and continually remind ourselves that the whole Christian system rests upon wiiat He has done, is doing, and will yet do through the power and efficacy of His own bloodv not upon anything we can or may do. n. T he N ew C leansing (15) The expression concerning Christ that He "offered himself w i t h o u t spot” (v. 14) p r e s e n t s the burnt-offering aspect of His death, while the word "delivered” (Acts 2:23), presents the sin-offering aspect. For the believer, the new covenant removes the sense of sin
God does not pick people up and force them to accept Christ. He wants them to respond to the drawing power 'of Christ. Christ’s drawing power is often manifested through Christians who are living for Him. We will let this magnet represent a Christian and will put it in this yellow sack suggesting sunshine. There are Christians who work for' God only when everything is favorable. The magnet in the sunshine sack gladly carries the nails to the cross. We will take the magnet out of the sunshine sack and put it into the grey sack, which suggests storms and un pleasant weather. It refuses to lift and take the nails to the cross. [If the magnet should be strong enough to attract the nails slightly through the Hebrews 9:11 But Christ being: come a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to **7, not of this building:; 12 Neither by the blood of goats «nd calves, but by his own blood he entered in once Into the holy place, having ob tained eternal redemption for us. 13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprink ling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; 14 How much more shall the blood of > Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal in heritance. 16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 Fot a testament is of force after men are dead: btherwise it Is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. 18 Whereupon neither the first testa ment was dedicated without blood. 19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and all the people, 20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. ' • 21 Moreover he sprinkled likewise with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And almost all things are by the law purged w i t h blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. LESSON TEXT : Heb. 9:11-22. GOLDEN TEXT : “Anil being made per fect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey himw (Heb. 5:9). ^ (DEVOTIONAL READING: Heb. 9:23-28. Outline and Exposition I. T he N ew P riesthood (11-14) O UR UORD JESUS CHRIST is "a high priest of good things to come” (v. 11). He is the Medi ator of the new covenant, by means of which the conscience of the believer is
AUGUST 24, 1941 THE WRITER OF HEBREWS EXPLAINS THE NEW COVENANT H ebrews 8:1 to 10:18
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