Hebrews 8: 13 Commentary

1)God has spoken through the prophet Jeremiah about the establishment of a New Covenant.Jer.31:31.By calling the second covenant as new,the first covenant has become old.Heb.8:6,7.
2)The high priestly ministry of the Levitical priests foreshadows the superior high priestly ministry of Jesus Christ.The sacrifices of the old covenant pointed to the final & perfect sacrifice to be offered by Jesus Christ.The new covenant dedicated by the blood of Jesus Christ is a better covenant established on better promises.The prophecies of Jer.31:31-34 had found fulfillment in Jesus Christ.The law has become our tutor to bring us to Christ.Gal.3:25.Jesus Christ has come not to destroy the law or the prophets but to fulfill.Matt.5:17.He is the end of the law.The old covenant has fulfilled its purpose.It has to give way to the new & better covenant.
3)By calling the second covenant as new,God has made the first obsolete.
Obsolete means “no longer in force” and “out of date.” As the new covenant comes into force after the death & resurrection of Jesus Christ,the first one has become out of date & it is no longer in force.
4)The old covenant has disappeared.It is abolished.Read 2 cor.3:13.The new covenant which remains is more glorious than the old covenant.The new covenant enacted by the blood of Jesus Christ is the eternal covenant.Read Heb.13:20.

By Alex (wrote 499 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 9/21/2008 23:59 pm

In addendum to the below, I want to point at that even though the Law is slain, we are not lawless, but as Paul says in 1st Corinthians 9:19-23, specifically in verse 21, “always under the law of Christ.”

By josh (wrote 51 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 9/10/2008 02:52 am

The Law was nailed to the cross and slain. Ephesians 2:13-17 says “But now in Christ Jesus ye who *sometimes were* (i.e. used to be) far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both (i.e. Jews and Gentiles) one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”

By slaying the Law of Moses, which was a middle wall of partition separating Jews and Gentiles, which was an enmity between them causing division and war, he made peace, and joined both Jews and Gentiles into one body, one new man, by his cross. Since that he slew the Law of Moses, the law as any other dead body was decaying. And it was ready to vanish away. I think Paul means by this that the corpse of the Law of Moses was propped up before men as though still alive, by the existence of the temple. When the temple was finally destroyed in AD 70, the Law vanished away, for the puppet masters could not longer prop it up and feign as though it was alive.

By josh (wrote 51 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 9/10/2008 02:49 am