The Sabbath-School Worker

LESSON XV

JANUARY 11, 1890. Hebrews 8:2-6

1. In the Mosaic dispensation, did God have a dwelling place among his people? SSW 6.1

2. Where was it made? and by whom? SSW 6.2

3. What were its two rooms called? SSW 6.3

4. Who were permitted to go into the sanctuary? Numbers 18:1-7. SSW 6.4

5. How often did the priests go into the holy place? Hebrews 9:6. SSW 6.5

6. Who was permitted to go into the most holy? Verse 7. SSW 7.1

7. In what does our priest minister? Hebrews 8:2. SSW 7.2

8. Where is the sanctuary in which he ministers? Verses 1, 2. SSW 7.3

9. Who made that sanctuary? Verse 2. SSW 7.4

10. Where was the blood of the sin-offerings presented before the Lord? Leviticus 4:7; 16:14, 15. SSW 7.5

11. Could Christ have any priesthood on earth? Nehemiah 8:4. See note. SSW 7.6

12. Who were the priests that served according to the law?—Ib. Exodus 28:1. SSW 7.7

13. What was the nature of their service? Hebrews 8:5. SSW 7.8

14. What is meant by the example and shadow? Ans.—They were typical. SSW 7.9

15. How was the pattern or example obtained? Same verse, last part. SSW 7.10

16. Of what is Christ the mediator? Verse 6. SSW 7.11

17. How does this compare with the old covenant?—Ib. SSW 7.12

18. What was the old covenant? See Exodus 19:5-8; 24:3-8. SSW 7.13

19. What is a covenant? See note. SSW 7.14

20. Upon what was the better covenant established? Hebrews 8:6. SSW 7.15

21. What was the condition of the covenant in Exodus 19:5-8?—It was that which the Lord called his covenant. SSW 7.16

22. What was his covenant which he required them to keep? Deuteronomy 4:12, 13. SSW 7.17

NOTES

At first glance it might seem that the reasoning is not good, which decides that Christ could have no priesthood on earth; for, if the law which confined the priesthood to the family of Aaron were abolished, what would hinder one serving though he were of another tribe? But it must be remembered that the priesthood and the law ordaining the priesthood stood and fell together. The only law for an earthly priesthood was that law which gave the office exclusively to the family of Aaron, and if any would act as priest on earth he must conform to the law of the earthly priesthood. It was impossible for one of another tribe to act as priest on earth. Further, it must be borne in mind that the service in the temple was still kept up by the Jews at the time when this letter was written, so that the words in this verse were conformable to the facts as they existed, as well as to the facts concerning the change of dispensations. For no one could possibly have then officiated as priest unless he were of the family of Aaron. SSW 8.1

Webster gives two principal definitions to the word “covenant.” The first is, “A mutual agreement of two or more persons or parties, in writing and under seal, to do or to refrain from some act or thing.” The second is, “A writing containing the terms of agreement between parties. But neither of these definitions is extensive enough to cover all the uses of the word in the Bible. For instance, in Genesis 9:9-16 the word “covenant” is used with reference to a promise of God, given without any condition expressed or implies. The common idea of a covenant more nearly fits the transaction recorded in Exodus 19:5-8; yet even here we shall find that the thing called a covenant, which God made with the people, does not in every particular correspond to a contract made between two men. It is only another instance of the impossibility of a perfect comparison between divine and human things. In other places in the Bible the word “testament” or “will” is used with reference to the same transaction, although a contract and a will are greatly different. The transaction between God and Israel partakes of the nature of both. But it is of little consequence that a human covenant does not perfectly represent the affair, or that the Bible uses the word “covenant” in so widely varying senses. The main point is to understand just what is meant in each instance, and this the Scriptures themselves enable us readily to do. SSW 8.2

Still another sense in which the word “covenant” is used in the Bible, is found in the text under consideration. Exodus 19:5-8. The condition of the covenant which the Lord made with Israel, was that they should keep his covenant. Here was something already existing, which God calls “my covenant,” concerning which he was about to make a covenant with the people. What God’s covenant is, may be found from Deuteronomy 4:12, 13. It is the ten commandments. God’s law-called his covenant-was the basis of the covenant between him and Israel. The matter is so plain that there is no necessity for confusion. It makes no difference that the same term is applied to both; it is sufficient to know that God’s covenant-the ten commandments-antedated and is entirely distinct from the transaction at Horeb-also called a covenant. That to which the apostle refers as the first covenant, was, therefore, simply this: A promise on the part of the people to keep his holy law, and a statement on the part of God, of the result to them if they should obey him. SSW 9.1