8
A Better Ministry
1 Now the main point of what we have to say is this: we have such a High Priest, [the Christ] who is seated [in the place of honor] at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty (God) in heaven, [Ps 110:1]
2 a Minister (Officiating Priest) in the holy places and in the true tabernacle, which is erected not by man, but by the Lord.
3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is essential for this One also to have something to offer.
4 Now if He were [still living] on earth, He would not be a priest at all, for there are priests who offer the gifts [to God] in accordance with the Law.
5 They serve as a pattern and foreshadowing of [what has its true existence and reality in] the heavenly things (sanctuary). For when Moses was about to erect the tabernacle, he was warned by God, saying, “Sᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏoᴜ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ it all [exactly] ᴀccoʀᴅɪɴɢ ᴛo ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀᴛᴛᴇʀɴ wʜɪcʜ wᴀs sʜowɴ ᴛo ʏoᴜ oɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍoᴜɴᴛᴀɪɴ.” [Ex 25:40]
6 But as it is, Christ has acquired a [priestly] ministry which is more excellent [than the old Levitical priestly ministry], for He is the Mediator (Arbiter) of a better covenant [uniting God and man], which has been enacted and rests on better promises.
A New Covenant
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second one or an attempt to institute another one [the new covenant].
8 However, God finds fault with them [showing its inadequacy] when He says,
“Bᴇʜoʟᴅ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʏs wɪʟʟ coᴍᴇ, sᴀʏs ᴛʜᴇ Loʀᴅ,
Wʜᴇɴ I wɪʟʟ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ and ʀᴀᴛɪꜰʏ ᴀ ɴᴇw covᴇɴᴀɴᴛ
Wɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʜoᴜsᴇ oꜰ Isʀᴀᴇʟ ᴀɴᴅ wɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʜoᴜsᴇ oꜰ Jᴜᴅᴀʜ;
9 Noᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ covᴇɴᴀɴᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ I ᴍᴀᴅᴇ wɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ꜰᴀᴛʜᴇʀs
Oɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʏ wʜᴇɴ I ᴛooᴋ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀɴᴅ
To ʟᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍ oᴜᴛ oꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀɴᴅ oꜰ Eɢʏᴘᴛ;
Foʀ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴅɪᴅ ɴoᴛ ᴀʙɪᴅᴇ ɪɴ Mʏ covᴇɴᴀɴᴛ,
Aɴᴅ so I wɪᴛʜᴅʀᴇw Mʏ ꜰᴀvoʀ and ᴅɪsʀᴇɢᴀʀᴅᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, sᴀʏs ᴛʜᴇ Loʀᴅ.
10 “Foʀ ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴛʜᴇ covᴇɴᴀɴᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ I wɪʟʟ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ wɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʜoᴜsᴇ oꜰ Isʀᴀᴇʟ
Aꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜosᴇ ᴅᴀʏs, sᴀʏs ᴛʜᴇ Loʀᴅ:
I wɪʟʟ ɪᴍᴘʀɪɴᴛ Mʏ ʟᴀws ᴜᴘoɴ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴍɪɴᴅs [even upon their innermost thoughts and understanding],
Aɴᴅ ᴇɴɢʀᴀvᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴜᴘoɴ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛs [effecting their regeneration].
Aɴᴅ I wɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ Goᴅ,
Aɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ sʜᴀʟʟ ʙᴇ Mʏ ᴘᴇoᴘʟᴇ.
11 “Aɴᴅ ɪᴛ wɪʟʟ ɴoᴛ ʙᴇ [necessary] ꜰoʀ ᴇᴀcʜ oɴᴇ ᴛo ᴛᴇᴀcʜ ʜɪs ꜰᴇʟʟow cɪᴛɪzᴇɴ,
Oʀ ᴇᴀcʜ oɴᴇ ʜɪs ʙʀoᴛʜᴇʀ, sᴀʏɪɴɢ, ‘Kɴow [by experience, have knowledge of] ᴛʜᴇ Loʀᴅ,’
Foʀ ᴀʟʟ wɪʟʟ ᴋɴow [Me by experience and have knowledge of] Mᴇ,
Fʀoᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴇᴀsᴛ ᴛo ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛᴇsᴛ oꜰ ᴛʜᴇᴍ.
12 “Foʀ I wɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴍᴇʀcɪꜰᴜʟ and ɢʀᴀcɪoᴜs ᴛowᴀʀᴅ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ wɪcᴋᴇᴅɴᴇss,
Aɴᴅ I wɪʟʟ ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ sɪɴs ɴo ᴍoʀᴇ.” [Jer 31:31-34]
13 When God speaks of “A new covenant,” He makes the first one obsolete. And whatever is becoming obsolete (out of use, annulled) and growing old is ready to disappear.