Today’s scripture: Hebrews 8:1-7 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Steve Adams):
The author of Hebrews is making a point here — namely, that Jesus Christ, the new high priest who reigns from heaven, is superior to any earthly high priest from previous (Old Testament) times. His audience is evidently rooted in the old tradition of earthly high priests, such as Melchizedek, discussed in chapter 7. From our vantage point in the 21st century, none of us need to be convinced that our Lord Jesus Christ is naturally greater and far more effective than the Old Testament priests. But the readers of Hebrews evidently need some serious convincing!
This is where it gets fascinating! In order to persuade his audience, the author makes some statements that are surprising — perhaps even shocking — not only to the original hearers but also to modern-day Christians. Case-in-point: Jesus is the mediator of a better convenant than the previous Old Testament one, and this new covenant has been enacted through better promises. Wait a minute! If you are a fundamentalist (which I was for 15 years) it just doesn’t sound right to say some of the covenants in the Bible are better than others. After all, God’s Word is perfect, from the opening words in Genesis to the final phrases of Revelation, right? But the argument grows even stronger: verse 7 states that the first covenant had faults, and therefore we needed a new, better one! Now, from the perspective of fundamentalism, how can this be? How can a biblical covenant have faults? The writer of Hebrews seems perfectly content and comfortable with what we call “progressive revelation” — the belief that the Bible progresses from partial truth to a more complete truth.
So, this invites us to look at the Bible with a refreshing perspective. As for me, I love the wisdom, the insight, the courage, the raw faith that’s on display in the Old Testament. The recorded, accumulated wisdom of our predecessors in the faith is exhilarating to learn about, and to emulate. And the New Testament — it’s even better!
But time marches on. What was new in Jesus’ time is now 2000 years old. The “New” Testament seems more like “The Latest” Testament. This line of thinking begs the question: is there anything new, or refined, or varied, that God has desired to reveal in the approximately 2000 years since the New Testament was written? This is what Jesus talked about in Matthew 13:52 — “Every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is OLD and what is NEW.” (Before Pastor Jeff taught this verse, I had no idea Jesus had uttered these words, and that they are in the Bible!)
To me, it it’s fantastic to mine the truths embedded in the Bible, while in addition keeping an open ear to other, newer revelations — messages God has inspired since the completion of the Bible. But, as I said, I didn’t used to see it that way. What do you think about this? Do you see the Bible as God’s complete revelation, or do you believe other messages compliment it? How does John 14:26 fit into your view of this issue?
Thought for the day: Jesus is our high priest, ready to give us incredible spiritual gifts. May we always have faith in the power of Christ.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.