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Hebrews 8:7-8, "For if that
first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the
second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the
Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the
house of Judah:"
This morning, one of the devices thrown at disciples of Christ by the world and
Satan is that there is no need for formal worship or public assembly. A
disturbing trend today among professing Christians is the thought that formal
Sunday worship services is an "outdated" or "antiquated" tradition. Many ideas
have sprung up in recent times to take the place of public assembly in an
organized church. One of the ideas is family worship in the home to the neglect
of formalized religion in a church. Another idea is the personal interaction of
us with God, leaving off any formal method of worship. Further still, some
believe that no formal body of believers (under any name) have claim to the
succession of apostolic line because that system "has been undone" or is "no
longer necessary." In some of these claims, there is truth in that our families
do need to worship together in study, prayer, and meditation. (I Peter 3:7) We
do need personal interaction and fellowship with our God while not in public
assembly. (Micah 6:8) However, there is no truth to the thought that these can
fully take the place of formal worship in organized assembly, and there is no
Scriptural or certifiable proof that the line has been broken or will eventually
- in this life - become unnecessary. (II Timothy 2:2)
One of the tactics that is thrown in this discussion quite often is the thought,
"Well, how do you know that your order and belief is right? You don't even do
what they used to do in the Old Testament." Old Testament worship is utilized by
the enemies of the gospel quite often as a "red herring" attempt to convince
hearts and minds that "our way" might not be the right way as there was a way in
the Bible that we do not follow. However, one of the major premises of the New
Testament is the structure of New Testament worship based on what Christ has
done for us at Calvary. Paul will later describe this change of worship as a
reformation. (Hebrews 9:10) While Christ did put away our sins at Calvary, that
event marked the distinction of something else as well. When He laid down His
life, was resurrected three days and nights later, and went back to glory forty
days after that, He had fully set in place the foundation and principles for a
pattern of worship that was suitable and proper for His people from then on.
Paul describes this new covenant in our verses by comparing and contrasting it
to the old covenant. Many times, language is seen in the Bible as teaching a
certain thing, while the primary emphasis is upon something else. Oftentimes,
the language of Hebrews 8 is run towards the application of the new birth
(Verses 9-11). Indeed this language is descriptive of the new birth as affected
by God through the Holy Spirit. Paul is quoting from Jeremiah, and without
doubt, the description is that of people with born again souls that have the
capacity to please God. However, Paul's point is not to dissect the new birth
with multiple points and proofs. Rather, he is using the new birth as the
starting point to show the foundational point of proper New Testament worship.
What was the foundational starting point of Old Testament worship? The starting
point was whether someone was a national Israelite and in the realm of the
tabernacle and Levitical priesthood.
The starting point for the new covenant of worship is that someone is born
again, not what nationality they stem from. (Ephesians 2:11-22) Another change
is that the mode and focus is different. Paul will later describe the mode of
the old covenant as being forward looking year by year unto the coming of
Christ. (Hebrews 10) Now that His first coming has occurred, all the "forward
looking elements" of that mode of worship have been fulfilled and been rendered
unnecessary. Why cease animal sacrifices? That was simply a forward looking
element that is now ceased through the manifestation of the perfect offering of
Christ Jesus the Lord. Why no priests of Levi to daily work in a tabernacle or
temple? That was another forward looking element that has ceased through the
perfect work of our Great High Priest that ever liveth to make intercession for
us.
Noting all of these changes, the immediate question springs up, "Why the change?
Why the reformation?" Paul asserts in our verses that the old covenant had
a fault, not in the covenant itself but with the ones adhering to it. God found
fault, not with the covenant, but with them who administered it. Notice that the
prescription of worship is not imperfect, but the applicators of worship were
imperfect. Nothing wrong with the prescription, but many things were wrong with
the application of the prescription, as Christ so often rebuked the Pharisees
for. Now that we are in the new covenant of worship, based on the new birth,
worshipping by faith in spirit and in truth, there is absolutely nothing wrong
with the prescription of our mode. What God has prescribed is perfect and
without flaw or fault. However, there is fault with those that adhere to it.
I have never preached a perfect sermon, nor have we sung or prayed to Him
perfectly in our efforts. That does not mean that the mode of singing, praying,
and preaching is a flawed structure. Rather, it means that our efforts of labour
have flaws that stem from the old man that still weighs upon us with every step.
Seeing then that there was fault with them then and fault with us now, what can
we glean by logical inference about the future? Knowing that the old covenant
pointed to the day of Christ's coming and our efforts today point back showing
that He came and will come again, what can we conclude about what is coming?
Even though people have always been and always will be born again the same way
(John 3:8), Paul declares that the old covenant was not based on the new birth
but upon national preference. Being a nationalized child of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob was the starting point to be included in the old covenant worship. Moving
into the new, we see the starting point as being that of the new birth with a
heart that is tendered to offer up praise and worship to our High Priest that
brings those praises and worship before the Father in the heavenly portal. What
was brought in the old at the hand of old testament mediators (such as Moses and
Aaron) is brought in the new at the hand of Jesus Christ. The worshippers then,
national Jews, had fault in their worship based on imperfections of the flesh.
The worshippers now, spiritual Jews, have fault in our worship based on
imperfections of the flesh.
The logical inference to make is that another reformation is necessary and most
certainly coming. This reformation will not occur on this earth, for the piece
of the puzzle that prevents us from having faults has not yet occurred. Even
today, our worship under the proper prescription by God occurs while in old
bodies of death. What keeps us from perfectly worshipping Him is that our bodies
are still fallen and corrupt frames of dust. The reformation that we need to
worship Him perfectly cannot come at the hands of a man no matter how mighty he
may be in his preaching. No man alive today or tomorrow is fitted and suitable
to reform God's new covenant prescription. Reason being is that this
prescription that we follow is perfect in its design, and we await our
reformation to perfection that will conclude in perfect praise to God.
The reformation that we await is the resurrection where we will body, soul, and
spirit stand in His presence to praise Him perfectly forever. In the old
covenant, they had a perfect letter that stood in meats, drinks, and diverse
ordinances that was suitable for the time that then was. In the new covenant, we
have a perfect spirit that stands in spirit and in truth (letter, deed, and
heart) that is suitable for the time that is now. In the endless ages of
eternity, we will have righteousness and holiness that stands wholly and
completely to glorify God to every facet and degree.
Until that great and notable day of the Lord when the last reformation will take
place, we have available today was is perfectly suited for this time. Public
worship is proper and right (Hebrews 10:25), for the Lord prescribed it and
founded it perfectly. Failing to follow God's prescription of worship is not the
answer. Doing better in our efforts within that prescription is the answer.
While perfection will never be fully realized until that great change, we have a
glorious building in God's house that is designed to offer up public worship
that goes through the very channel of the GodMan Jesus Christ. (I Timothy 2:5)
That channel takes our weaknesses and imperfections, our groanings that seem so
weak, and makes them a beautiful fragrance that fills the heavenly throneroom.
(Revelation 5:8) May we never shirk from this prescription, and may we
understand not only why it is the way that it is but also why it is so important
and worth holding on to, adhering to, and contending for. May we cling to this
new covenant ever longing and looking for that blessed time when glory is
realized and beauty of worship is had by all forever.
In Hope,
Bro Philip |