Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - Kansas City, Missouri, United States - "Established on Better Promises" Wednesday, 21 January 2015 - Scripture: Hebrews 8:1-13

Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - Kansas City, Missouri, United States - "Established on Better Promises" Wednesday, 21 January 2015 - Scripture: Hebrews 8: A Better Promise
1 What I mean is that we have a high priest who sits at the right side[a] of God’s great throne in heaven. 2 He also serves as the priest in the most holy place[b] inside the real tent there in heaven. This tent of worship was set up by the Lord, not by humans.
3 Since all priests must offer gifts and sacrifices, Christ also needed to have something to offer. 4 If he were here on earth, he would not be a priest at all, because here the Law appoints other priests to offer sacrifices. 5 But the tent where they serve is just a copy and a shadow of the real one in heaven. Before Moses made the tent, he was told, “Be sure to make it exactly like the pattern you were shown on the mountain!” 6 Now Christ has been appointed to serve as a priest in a much better way, and he has given us much assurance of a better agreement.
7 If the first agreement with God had been all right, there would not have been any need for another one. 8 But the Lord found fault with it and said,
“I tell you the time will come,
when I will make
    a new agreement
with the people of Israel
    and the people of Judah.
9 It won’t be like the agreement
that I made
    with their ancestors,
when I took them by the hand
    and led them out of Egypt.
They broke their agreement
    with me,
and I stopped caring
    about them!
10 “But now I tell the people
of Israel
    this is my new agreement:
‘The time will come
    when I, the Lord,
will write my laws
    on their minds and hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be
    my people.
11 Not one of them
will have to teach another
    to know me, their Lord.'
“All of them will know me,
    no matter who they are.
12 I will treat them with kindness,
even though they are wicked.
    I will forget their sins.”
13 When the Lord talks about a new agreement, he means that the first one is out of date. And anything that is old and useless will soon disappear.[Footnotes:
8.1 right side: See the note at 1.3.
8.2 most holy place: See the note at 6.19.]
"Established on Better Promises" by Phil Pinckard
The author of Hebrews says that “the new covenant is established on better promises.” How do we understand and respond to the ministry of Jesus as superior to the old one? History records a series of events, items and inventions that illustrate this truth. Examples: automobiles replaced horses; planes replaced trains. Electric lights replaced whale oil lanterns. The new covenant replaces the old one. But how?
Under the Mosaic Law the gifts of sacrifice were prescribed as gold, silver, bronze; blue, purple and scarlet; fine linen, etc., in other words, the best that could be offered. Yet, these proved inadequate. Consequently, God proposed that His only Son, Jesus Christ, become the mediator. A superior mediator and better promises established an improved new covenant.
When we say ‘yes’ to God and receive salvation, we exclude allegiance and obedience to other gods. Eventually, we desire a deeper, more significant relationship.
Hymn for Today: "Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus" by Charles Price Jones (1900)

1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus

Daily let me go;

Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,

More of grace to know.

Chorus:

O deeper yet, I pray,

And higher ev'ry day,

And wiser, blessed Lord,

In Thy precious, holy word.

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,

Take me deeper still,

Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,

And His perfect will.

Chorus:

O deeper yet, I pray,

And higher ev'ry day,

And wiser, blessed Lord,

In Thy precious, holy word.

3. Deeper, deeper! tho' it cost hard trials,

Deeper let me go!

Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,

Let me fruitful grow.

Chorus:

O deeper yet, I pray,

And higher ev'ry day,

And wiser, blessed Lord,

In Thy precious, holy word.

4. Deeper, higher, ev'ry day in Jesus,

Till all conflict past,

Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image

Perfected at last.

Chorus:

O deeper yet, I pray,

And higher ev'ry day,

And wiser, blessed Lord,

In Thy precious, holy word.

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