Comments on Hebrews 8

     Chapter 8 forms something of a summary and segue in the book
of Hebrews.  Verses 1-6 summarize the preceding text of ch. 3-7,
and v. 6 introduces the next major theme of Hebrews, namely the
New and Everlasting Covenant.  Verses 7-13 then present this new
covenant as superceding the old covenant of the Law of Sacrifice,
or more specifically the Law of Moses.  And the new covenant is
then discussed more in ch. 9-10.

v1-6  The summary states that Jesus is like a High Priest in
heaven acting as the mediator of the New and Everlasting
Covenant.

v3-5 is a parenthesis on how the high priest is a type of
messiah.  In v. 5 a proof text of Exod. 25:40 is given to show
that the Lord's intent from the start in the design of the
Tabernacle was typological, a "pattern".

v7-13 then show the Law of Moses was not intended to be an
enduring covenant (v. 7) as the Lord stated plainly that it would
be done away and replaced with something better (v. 8-12).  And
when the new covenant replaces the old one, the old one is
discarded as a frayed garment (v. 13).

v7  The fault is that of Israel in rejecting the higher Law and
therefore having the lesser Law imposed upon them.  The events
being referred to here are those of Exod. 32-34, wherein the
Levitical Priesthood was given to Israel.

v8-12 is a quotation of Jer. 31:31-34 taken from the Septuagint
with some minor alterations.



Copyright © 2002 by S. Kurt Neumiller <kurtn@cybcon.com>.  All rights 
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