We need food. We need shelter. We need love. We need respect.<\/p>\n
But what is our greatest need?<\/p>\n
Scripture is clear: Our greatest need is to see Jesus for Who He is, and to respond accordingly. Only in this way can we fulfill the purpose of our creation. Only in this way can we draw near the One in whose presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). If we are His people, and He is our God, we can lose everything else \u2013 and yet still gain (Mark 8:34-37, 10:29-30).<\/p>\n
So the book of Hebrews exalts the Lord Jesus and commands to consider Him, to keep our eyes fixed on Him. In particular, the author shows that Jesus is superior to any Old Testament priest and that the New Covenant in Him is superior to the Old Covenant.<\/p>\n
Seeing these contrasts, we today are tempted to denigrate Old Testament worship \u2013 either to ignore the long sections of Scripture that describe it, or to go further and think of such worship as false and misleading.<\/p>\n
But the New Testament never treats Old Testament worship that way, neither in Hebrews nor anywhere else.<\/p>\n
Remember: All Old Testament worship forms were commanded by God! They are all part of God\u2019s torah<\/em>, His instruction about Who He is, who we are, how we can be reconciled to Him, and how we can fulfill the purpose of our creation in a fallen world.<\/p>\n Thus, there is a greatness to Old Testament worship.<\/p>\n At the same time, as Hebrews make abundantly clear, there is a weakness in that worship.<\/p>\n So let\u2019s ask: How was Old Testament worship great<\/em>? And how was it weak<\/em>?<\/p>\n Hebrews 8:5 tells us of its greatness: The Old Testament priests \u201cserve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things.\u201d<\/p>\n Think of the glory! These priests were serving a copy of heavenly things<\/em>!<\/p>\n So their worship forms were not something that they thought up, that they decided would be appropriate ways to worship God.<\/p>\n Neither was their worship patterned after forms that peoples around them were using.<\/p>\n No! God showed Moses the true, heavenly reality! And then God helped Moses to see how to best reflect that heavenly reality on earth, through the tabernacle, through the sacrifices, through the annual feasts and other forms.<\/p>\n Thus, all these forms of worship pointed as effectively as possible to the heavenly reality on which they were patterned. And today, you and I have the privilege of being able to read God\u2019s instructions to Moses, and thereby to learn about the heavenly realities \u2013 indeed, to learn about Jesus through them. As He Himself says, \u201cIf you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me\u201d (John 5:46; see also Luke 24:44).<\/p>\n So Old Testament worship is great because the Israelite priests serve a copy of heavenly things<\/em>! It is precious! It was a wonderful gift of God to the people of Israel \u2013 and the description of it is a wonderful gift to us today.<\/p>\n But if that\u2019s the case, how is it weak?<\/p>\n Old Testament worship is weak because those priests served a copy <\/em>of heavenly things. Only a copy.<\/p>\n No one was ever redeemed by their sacrifices \u2013 that redemption had to take place in the true<\/em> tent (Hebrews 8:2).<\/p>\n Furthermore, many Old Testament worshipers \u2013 even many of the priests \u2013 were simply going thru the motions. There was no inner delight in God, no broken and contrite heart before Him (Psalm 51:16-17).<\/p>\n So Jesus has obtained a much more excellent ministry (Hebrews 8:6). He ministers in the heavenly reality! Not in a shadowy copy. And He mediates a better covenant, with better promises \u2013 the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:8-12, Jeremiah 31:31-34). The very phrase \u201cNew Covenant\u201d \u2013 written 600 years before Christ \u2013 implies that the first covenant one day will be obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). Now that Jesus has come, has died, and has risen to the right of hand of God, that time has come. Jeremiah\u2019s prophecy is fulfilled. As great as Old Testament worship was, as wonderful as it was for the priests to picture heavenly realities, now that the perfect has come, the partial can pass away.<\/p>\n So the author of Hebrews emphasizes once again: Look to your great High Priest! Keep your eyes fixed on Him!<\/p>\n That is our greatest need today. It will remain our greatest need forever.<\/p>\n So exalt Jesus in your heart \u2013 and read about God-ordained, Old Testament worship forms so that you might exalt Jesus all the more.<\/p>\n Then praise God for the Old Covenant \u2013 and praise Him all the more for fulfilling that covenant in the New.<\/p>\n