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Hebrews 8- ‘A Perfect Covenant’
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The word ‘covenant’ is at the heart of today’s passage from Hebrews 8. And, let me say from the outset… that poses a big problem! You see…we don’t hear the word ‘covenant’ used much these days, but when we do, it’s inevitably in a legal context.
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Hebrews: ‘The Journey of Becoming’
Sermon 6- ‘A Perfect Covenant’
Passages: Hebrews 8: 1-13
Mark 14:22-26
The word ‘covenant’ is at the heart of today’s passage from Hebrews 8. And, let me say from the outset… that poses a big problem! You see…we don’t hear the word ‘covenant’ used much these days, but when we do, it’s inevitably in a legal context. For example:
1. Many business deals are written up in the language of covenant.
2. Banks often engage with their corporate customers in something called a ‘bank covenant’.
3. Covenants are also drawn up when you sell a piece of land.
4. Even the marriage ‘covenant’, in today’s world, is defined in legal terminology as a binding agreement between a man and a woman.
The simple point I’m trying to make here is that, because the language of ‘covenant’ in today’s world is primarily found in legal contexts, any Biblical use of the word can easily be misunderstood as some legal arrangement with God.
A good example of this is ‘the 10 commandments’. Now, we all know that the 10 commandments were given by God as part of the ‘covenant’ He made with Moses on Mt. Sinai. Sadly, most people read them through a legal framework… as if God was twisting Israel’s arm: “If you do these 10 things, then I will bless you and be on your side. But if you mess up, I’ll see to it that you pay the price!”
We’ll come back to the 10 commandments in a minute, but to really discover the truth about God’s covenants, I suggest we go back to the beginning…to the first chapter of Genesis. There, in the story of creation, we find a bucket-load of covenantal language… but, it is never used in a legal sense! Rather, the covenantal language found here is the unilateral language of grace and promise. When the Triune God created the universe from nothing, His Word sounded forth with promises of life and vitality into the future. At the same time, His Spirit was seen hovering over the proceedings, ensuring that these promises of life were kept on course.
Clearly, this was nothing less than an expression of the Triune God’s grace to the world. There were no legal strings attached. There was never a hint of God saying to the created order, “If you do this, then I’ll do that.” To the contrary, what we see is God, the life-giver, engaging in a ‘Covenant of life’ with all of creation.
But that was just the start! From verse 26 of Genesis 1, God takes the next giant step of creation by making humankind “in His own image”. The picture couldn’t be more beautiful! Here, at last, are those who will replicate the communal love of the Triune God on earth, in flesh and blood. Adam and Eve are God’s children, established on this earth as His co-regents… fully equipped by God with everything they need for life and health, enjoyment and prosperity. Indeed, according to Genesis 2, even a place is carved out for them to call home- a Garden of delight in which everything they touch responds with bountiful productivity; life springs forth from the work of their own hands. To them, God issues this loving command: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.”
Do you get the picture? Implied in these words is God’s promise…God’s covenant of life… similar to the promise that all good parents make to their children as they send them forth into the world—“We promise to stand by you. For you are our children- You’ve been made in our image. So go forth and radiate that image outwards. Freely you have received; freely give! We will be with you, to support with our life as you give your life to others.”
What I hope you can see is that, at the centre of these 1st two chapters of Genesis is a ‘covenant of life’… the notion that the life of God flows out into (and through) those who abide/rest in Him. And, as far was God was concerned, all this was ‘Very good!’
Of course, we all know about ‘the fall’-- through the deceit of Satan, Adam and Eve turned their backs on God and cut off the flow of God’s life. Nevertheless, despite this action, God’s ‘covenant of life’ continues to stand at the heart of His dealings with humankind. Why else would God immediately kill an animal in order to clothe Adam and Eve and cover their shame? God was proving that He would never give up on us; He’s forever committed to His covenant of life!
That’s why this same covenant of life is found at the heart of God’s dealings with Noah. If you remember, when Noah and his family emerged from the ark, God repeated the same command given to Adam and Eve in Genesis 1—“Be fruitful and multiply- fill the earth and subdue it.” Then, on top of that covenant of life, God added one more covenant- “I promise to never again destroy the earth with a flood!” Amazingly, God was willing to write His ‘covenant of life’ in the sky, with a rainbow, for all to see!
Of course, you might be asking yourself, “Why did God destroy the earth with a flood in the first place? Surely, that can’t be part of God’s ‘covenant of life’? Maybe not at first glance…, but, you know, when you stop and think about it, the underlying reason for the flood was essentially an issue of life. I mean, how could those who really wanted to engage with God’s promises and be His co-regents in multiplying life exist side-by-side with people who only wanted to multiply death? There were two contradictory movements at work in Noah’s day! That’s why God stood on the side of life! God stood with Noah and his family inside an ark that was brimming over with life, while, outside, a flood was ridding the world of every influence of death. This was God’s way to enable His covenant of life to continue unabated!
And even though the flood really didn’t solve the problem—hence, the reason why God promised never to do it again)-- the point is still clear: God’s covenant was always to be a ‘covenant of life’, built on the grace of God which enabled humanity to bring forth life in His life.
Now, the same thing can be said of God’s covenant with Abraham. Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was barren…unable to have children…but God made a covenant of life with him, pledging that from his wife’s barren womb would come forth an entire nation… a people so vast it could not be numbered! There were no strings attached. All that God asked of Abraham and his descendents was that they hold firm to His promise of life through faith.
Now, I think we’re ready to talk about the 10 commandments. When God called Moses up the mountain, He was not laying down laws on which a new relationship with Israel would be established. (“If you do this, I will do that.”) In actual fact, the 10 commandments (known in Hebrew as the ‘10 Words’)… might be better understood as ‘10 words about life’. They begin with his preamble: (Exodus 20:1) “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” (In other words, I am the One who brought you from death to life.) Therefore, if you really want to remain in life, then here’s the only way it will work: “You shall have no other gods but me. Do not worship idols. Do not take my name in vain. Honour the Sabbath. (All these things will help to keep you from wandering away from Me and my life, and drifting into death.) The list goes on: Honour your father and mother. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not commit adultery. Do not lie to one another or covet each other’s goods.” In other words, by choosing this path of harmony and love with Me and with your neighbour, you are choosing the way of life! For that’s where I will always be found!
Joshua echoed these same words when he challenged the people of Israel in the desert to a ‘covenant renewal’. “Choose this day who you will serve”, he shouted! “Choose the path of blessing or cursing. Choose the life-giving ways of God or choose the way of death.” Joshua was simply using the language of covenant.
As we come to God’s covenant with King David, this same ‘covenant of life’ is again on view. If you remember, David had inherited a nation that was on the road to self-destruction…the road of death, not life. David, himself, contributed to the movement of death. And yet, as David repented and turned again to God’s ways of life, God wonderfully used him to lead the nation. Under his leadership, life began to sprout forth and the nation prospered and grew. God’s covenant with David was a promise of life to Israel…for those who, by faith, remained in the life flow of God. Psalm 89 is David’s musical testimony to God’s covenantal faithfulness.
Now, there are many more examples that we could mention, but the point is simple: Ever since the beginning of time, God has been making the same covenant …the same promise…by offering His very presence to us as the source of our very life. To open oneself to His covenant is to learn to walk in the ways of life, but to turn away is to curse oneself with wages of death.
That leads us to today’s passage from Hebrews 8.
You see, there was only one problem with God’s ‘covenant of life’. It didn’t have the power to keep Israel in the flow of life! As we know from the Scriptures, from Adam and Eve to Noah, to Abraham, Moses and David… everyone in Israel, at some time or other, was guilty of wandering from God’s ways by failing to trust Him. Time after time, as pain or suffering loomed ahead, God’s people would look for a short-cut around it. Essentially, they lacked faith in God’s covenant of life. Deep down, they couldn’t believe that God’s promise of life would take them through even through toughest times of darkness, gloom and death.
Look at Hebrews 8:7-8a. (read)
That’s why God became a man in the person of Jesus Christ. He became a man to fix our side of the covenant—to make it possible for us to truly believe and receive this life flow from God. How does it work?
In Jesus Christ, at least one human being from the fallen stock of Adam’s race has taken God’s ‘covenant of life’ at face value and proven that God’s promises can be trusted, despite pain and suffering...and even death! Although Jesus went through times of doubt and temptation, yet, the Book of Hebrews insists that He “learned obedience through the things He suffered”. Jesus learned to focus on the promises of His Father and not to trust in His circumstances. Hebrews 12: 2 underscores this idea--“Who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
As a reward for His faith and trust in God, Jesus was raised up to sit at God’s right hand…because He stood the course. (see Phil 2:9)Indeed, the fact that Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God’s throne is an essential part of the argument of Hebrew! He repeats this fact four times! Look, for example, at verses 1-2 of chapter 8. “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, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.”
Why is it so important that Jesus now sits at God’s right hand? Simple! Now there is a man who is gazing into the face of Almighty God…a man who no longer sees “as through a glass dimly”. There is nothing that obscures His knowledge of the Father. He, who went through death and hell, is now face to face with the Father...and He knows without any doubt the true nature of the Father’s ‘covenant of life’.
Now, here’s the million dollar question: Is it possible for the rest of the human race to see what Jesus now sees? Is there a way for Him to communicate His knowledge of the ‘covenant of life’ to us, even as we go through our doubts and hard times? Is there any possible way for Jesus to somehow reach into His own soul, take His knowledge of His Father’s heart, and give it to us? Well, this is exactly what several OT prophets predicted would, one day, happen. This, they said, would be the essence of God’s New ‘Covenant of life’.
Listen again to words from Jeremiah as recorded in Hebrews 8:8-9. (read)
According to this prophecy, a new ‘covenant of life’ would one day come to replace the old one. It’s not that the old covenant was no good. It was simply inadequate. No matter how much God proclaimed this ‘covenant of life’ to us, if human beings couldn’t see it in their minds or believe it in their hearts, no one would ever fully appreciate it.
That’s why a new covenant needed to be established… one that would break into our fallen world and open our blind eyes to the truth of God’s love. What we needed was a covenant, not etched in stone for us to read, but one written deep in our hearts and seared into our minds so that we might truly believe it.
Let’s continue reading Hebrews 8:10-12. (read)
According to the 2nd chapter of Acts, it was only after Jesus ascended to the Father’s side that the Holy Spirit was able to be poured out on all flesh. On that day, the ‘covenant of life’ was renewed and re-established from our side of the equation. A man from our fallen world, one of us, now sits at the right hand of God’s throne and communicates to us (via the Holy Spirit) the truth of all that He sees and hears. This is the new covenant, one that fully caters to our fallen human needs.
Verse 13- (read)
The new covenant has been established. The presence of Jesus Christ at the Father’s right hand means that (by the Holy Spirit) Jesus is able to speak to us… to our fallen minds…and to correct all our misconceptions about God. We have no need of anyone to teach us, for this voice, if we truly listen to it, will confirm that God is our life… and in His life, we find life and give life. God has spoken a new Word… a fuller and more convincing covenant of life…a perfect covenant in Jesus Christ.
There’s only one problem we must contend with—Don’t let the English word ‘covenant’ ever drag you down the path of a legalistic misinterpretation about what the Triune God has done for us. This covenant of life has always been a movement of pure grace toward us, flowing down from on high. It’s only now, in Jesus Christ, that it has been perfected…once and for all…that we might truly receive that grace!
Amen!
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