We come now to the summing up in a few words went before, and then the taking up on one part after another of the Jewish system of worship, showing it all set aside by the heavenly Christ and His sacrifice. For instance, after the summing up as to the priesthood (ver 1,2) He is contrasted as Mediator, with Moses the mediator of the old covenant, which is set aside (ver 6-13). But this covenant had also ordinances of divine service and a worldly sanctuary (Eph. 9:1), which is set aside for a heavenly one (ver. 11,12), and the mediatorship of the New Testament was in connection with the blessings of an eternal inheritance, established on the ground of His blood, which introduces the sacrifices, as we see in Eph. 10; the many sacrifices of the Jewish system set aside by the one sacrifice of Christ, which perfects the conscience of the believer, and gives him boldness to enter the heavenly sanctuary of worship. This the whole system of Judaism crumbled under the feet of those who laid hold by faith of this heavenly High Priest and Mediator. The believers were introduced by His sacrifice into a heavenly sanctuary, there boldly to draw night to worship God and the Father. But let us return. Of the things which we have spoken this is the sum says the apostle. We have such an High Priest (Eph. 7) who is set on the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens; a Minister of the sanctuary which the Lord pitched and not man. Such an High Priest, in every way superior to Aaron and the Levitical priesthood, as we have seen. A heavenly High Priest set down at the right hand of God. A minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle; that is to say the Center of a new system of worship which had its sanctuary in the heavenly places (comp. Eph. 9:11,24) which the Lord pitched and not man. What a volume in a few words! The apostle gathers up all he had said about the High Priest before, and adds in a few words, what shows Him as an entirely new system of divine worship, having its seat in a heavenly sanctuary. This introduces the whole system of the sanctuary and its sacrifices. This was part of the work of the high priest; he had to offer gifts and sacrifices; wherefore it is of necessity that the Man had somewhat to offer; for if He were on earth he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law, who serve unto the example and pattern of heavenly things as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle (Ex. 25:4040And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount. (Exodus 25:40)) For see, saith He that thou make all things according to the pattern shown thee in the mount.
Thus, Christ’s priesthood could not go on, on earth, but now He hath obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the Mediator of a better covenant which was established on better promises. He is thus contrasted not only with Aaron as the priest, but with Moses the Mediator of the old covenant, which is also shown as set aside. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there should no place have been found for the second; but finding fault with them He said, “Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah; not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in My covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord; I will put My laws in their minds and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying Know the Lord; for all shall know Me from the least to the greatest; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jer. 31:31-3431Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: 33But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:31‑34)).
Thus, the remnant are established on new ground in connection with the heavenly Mediator of a new covenant. True, this covenant was not actually established with them except in spirit, it would be established with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah in the latter day, from whom now Jehovah was hiding His face. But already the blood had been shed, the Mediator had gone on high, and all the blessing seven of earthly Israel depended on Him who as High Priest was such an One after the order of Melchisedec and not after the order of Aaron, and as Mediator, was such an one of a new covenant, and not of the old one established by Moses. All this would be very convincing to these Hebrew Christians who were still clinging to Judaism, in showing that even in regard to all the future earthly blessings of Israel they depended wholly on Christ, the Heavenly High Priest and heavenly Mediator. They now belonged to Him, but if to Him then all their earthly connections were broken off.