יּקנרק'ד

Hebrews Chapter 8  Verses 1-5

:1 “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. 3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. 4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: 5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount.”

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”  Sometimes it is needful when writing or in discussion that we summarize what we have been writing or saying.  Sometimes we fail to see the forest for the trees.  That is we get bogged down in the details and lose sight of the beauty of the whole.  The sum of what Paul had previously written was that we have a high priest.  This high priest is set or firmly established at the right hand of the throne of God in heaven.  This high priest is a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle.  This sanctuary and true tabernacle was built by God and not man.  The sanctuary and tabernacle in the Old Testament were figures of the true tabernacle.  However, the true sanctuary of God and true tabernacle of God are fare better than the Old Testament types.  The High Priest after the order of Melchisedec is far better than the high priests after the order of Aaron.   

“For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.”  The high priests after the order of Aaron were ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices to God on behalf of the people as prescribed in the book of Leviticus and elsewhere in the Old Testament.  Our High Priest after the order of Melchisedec was ordained to offer the perfect sacrifice of himself to God on behalf of the elect family of God.  His offering was far better than the offerings of those high priests after the order of Aaron, for their offerings never did away with sin. 

“For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:” Christ is not on earth but in heaven.  He offered the perfect gift through the Holy Spirit unto God.   

“Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount.”  Examples and shadows of heavenly things are not the heavenly things themselves.  They are but examples and shadows.  The heavenly things are far better than the examples and shadows.  But even in the examples and shadows, they were to be carried out according to God’s pattern, just as Moses had been instructed to make all things according to the pattern God had shown to him in the mount.   

While we learn that those things that were depicted in the tabernacle worship and in the offerings, were examples and shadows of heavenly things and were pointing us to Christ, yet the heavenly things and Christ himself is far better than all the examples and shadows depicted in the Old Testament.