HEBREWS 8: TAKING AWAY THE OLD TO ESTABLISH THE NEW
by
Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l
Dear Mishpochah (family):
This week I got two letters about Hebrew 8. In
this week's
teaching article, I want to make comment and answer the questions in
these two letters. The two letters are as follows:
Rena Monholland said:
I have searched all your archives and can not find anything about
Hebrews 8. I have read three of your books that my daughter bought me
and I loved them. I am very new at Hebrew roots study, am non-Jewish
and have no one that I know of in this area to go to for help. I do
not understand what it means by the statement a better covenant and
the first is made obsolete and growing old. I know you are busy so
maybe you could just send me a site where I can get more understanding
of Hebrews 8.
Thank you and be blessed.
Rena
The other letter was a reply to the teaching article
sent last
week on "Understanding the Moral and Sacrificial Law"
Robert Glenn writes:
Bro. Chumney,
I agree with most of what you are saying,but I
cannot agree
with the sacrificial or the offering of animals,dozen't this go
against the new covenant?
Hebrews
old.Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
Why would God re institute this in the millennium when the blood of
bulls and goats cannot take away sin? Hebrews 10:4 Also why would God
allow it when he has no pleasure in them? ...
In Christ,
Bro. Robert
REPLY BY EDDIE CHUMNEY
Mishpachah (family):
In sharing various teaching articles on Torah and Grace, I
have
shared with you the mindset of Christianity in interpreting the New
Testament as compared to the Old Testament. This mindset involves
the following:
#1) We SAY that we BELIEVE the ENTIRE Bible from Genesis to
Revelation but in our theology when presented with BELIEVING and
FOLLOWING what is written in the part of the Bible prior to Matthew
is that we BELIEVE that it DOESN'T PERTAIN to us. In other words, in
the way that we seek to LIVE according to the BIBLE, we BELIEVE that
the WORD of YHVH is NOT ETERNAL and that the OT has "passed away"
(even though we SAY that we believe that it IS eternal).
In other words, we DON'T THINK through what we
believe. We have
been TRAINED to BELIEVE a certain way. We have been TRAINED to
believe:
#1) The Word of YHVH is ETERNAL from Genesis to Revelation
#2) The OT has vanished away with the NT
Either it is ETERNAL or it has VANISHED away.
You can't have it both ways! Which do you
believe?
This is like believing that:
MESSIAH died on the tree to KEEP the moral laws.
MESSIAH died on the tree to DO AWAY with the sacrificial laws
In other words, we TEACH that Messiah died on the tree to KEEP the
TORAH and He died on the tree to DO AWAY with the TORAH.
You can't have it both ways! Which do you
believe?
#2) Christian dispensationalism (OT is law and the NT is grace) is
based upon the perception / acceptance that:
The OT contradicts what is written in the
NT.
The OT says that believers in YHVH
celebrate the Biblical
Sabbath (7th day) and the annual Festivals like Passover, Pentecost,
Tabernacles etc
but NT believers in YHVH through
Yeshua celebrate Sunday,
Christmas and Easter. We explain the "contradiction" by calling
it
"progressive revelation".
When you present what is written in the
Torah and the Prophets
to a believer in Messiah they will say, 'Yea but it says in Acts 10
or it says in Acts 15 or Paul said in Galations etc"
Yea BUT means that there is a CONTRADICTION.
So, we have a problem because we have a
PERCEPTION that the
the Bible or rather YHVH contradicts Himself in His written Word. We
are trained to believe that we are to follow YHVH but then we are
told that YHVH contradicts Himself. So our problem is what part of
what YHVH says are we to believe? We seek to solve our perceived
problem by saying that whatever is written closer to the book of
Revelation in the NT carries more weight than any book that appears
prior to it.
In other words, we try to resolve the
problem by saying that
the NT carries more weight than the OT.
But, it wouldn't sound good if Christians
leaders told the
people in a straightforward way that the Bible contradicts itself
because that would "confuse" the sheep. So, we have named this
perceived contradiction as "progressive revelation". The SHEEP seem
to like and accept the term "progressive revelation". It sounds
better than the OT contradicts the NT.
MORE PROBLEMS OF CONTRADICTION
We not only accept that the OT contradicts the
NT but we accept
that what Messiah DID (kept the weekly Sabbath and the annual
Festivals) and TAUGHT His disciples (to DO the same) CONTRADICTS with
what Paul said.
In other words, we believe that the NT contradicts
itself.
So, we have a problem. Do we believe the teachings of
the
Messiah (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) or do we believe the teachings
of Paul (the Epistles) ?
We resolve this perceived contradiction by believing
that the
writings of Paul (Galatians) carries more weight than the teachings
of the Messiah. Why? Because it is closer to the book of Revelation.
But, we don't explain it this way because this would
"confuse"
the sheep. So, we tell the sheep that we accept Galatians over the
teachings of the Messiah because Galatians is "progressive
revelation". The SHEEP seem to like and accept the term
"progressive
revelation". It sounds better than we believe that teachings of Paul
rather than the teachings of the Messiah.
Notice how the thought process of Robert
Glenn is based upon a
perception that the OT contradicts the NT who says:
>
>Bro. Chumney,
>
> I agree with most of what you are saying,but
I cannot agree with
>the sacrificial or the offering of animals,dozen't this go against the
>new covenant?
>
>Hebrews
>old.Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
>
He said that:
'The offering of animals" CONTRACTS (goes against) the New Covenant'
Then he quotes His verse: (Hebrews
How does Robert resolve the contradiction that He sees in the Bible?
He resolves it by accepting that the words of the NT carries more
weight than the OT.
IS THE PROBLEM WITH THE BIBLE OR WITH US?
Does the Bible contradict itself? Man doesn't
like to admit
that he is the problem so he blames YHVH and His written Word.
So we have a choice to accept one of the
following:
#1) YHVH contradicts Himself in the Bible
OR
#2) The problem is with MAN'S UNDERSTANDING of what He reads
I would like to submit to you the problem
is with MAN'S
UNDERSTANDING of what he reads.
Let's address what Robert Glenn said:
>
>Bro. Chumney,
>
> I agree with most of what you are saying,but
I cannot agree
> with the sacrificial or the offering of
animals,dozen't this go against
> the new covenant?
>
>Hebrews
>old.Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
>
>Why would God re institute this in the millennium when the blood of
>bulls and goats cannot take away sin? Hebrews 10:4 Also why would God
>allow it when he has no pleasure in them? ...
>
>In Christ,
>
>Bro. Robert
>
In other words, what Robert is saying is that:
YHVH said that He would re-institute the animal sacrifices in the
Messianic Era. But, Robert reasons that YHVH is WRONG in doing this
because YHVH said in Hebrews 10:4 that He doesn't like the animal sacrifices.
So, Robert reasons that He BELIEVES what YHVH said in
Hebrews
10:4 because YHVH didn't know what He was talking about when He said
that the animal sacrifices are to be instituted in the Messianic Era.
WHY DOES ROBERT THINK THAT YHVH IS CONFUSED?
Why does Robert think that YHVH is
confused by telling us that
He is going to have animal sacrifices in the Messianic Era when He
said in Hebrews 10:4 that He doesn't like animal sacrfices ??
ANSWER: YHVH ISN'T CONFUSED. The problem is that
Robert (and
most of Christianity) doesn't understand Torah.
WILL THERE BE ANIMAL SACRIFICES IN THE MESSIANIC ERA?
The answer is yes. Ezekiel 45 and Ezekiel 46 says that there
will
be.
KJV Ezekiel 43:7 And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my
throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in
the midst of the children of Israel for ever ...
KJV Ezekiel 43:10 Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of
Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them
measure the pattern.
PASSOVER / UNLEAVENED BREAD WILL BE
CELEBRATED DURING THE MESSIANIC ERA
KJV Ezekiel 45:21 In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the
month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened
bread shall be eaten.
KJV Ezekiel 45:22 And upon that day shall the prince prepare for
himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a SIN
OFFERING.
KJV Ezekiel 45:23 And seven days of the feast he shall prepare a
BURNT OFFERING to the LORD, seven bullocks and seven rams without blemish
daily the seven days; and a kid of the goats daily for a SIN OFFERING.
KJV Ezekiel 45:24 And he shall prepare a MEAT OFFERING of an ephah for
a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and an hin of oil for an ephah.
TABERNACLES WILL BE CELEBRATED
DURING THE MESSIANIC ERA
KJV Ezekiel 45:25 In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the
month, shall he do the like in the feast of the seven days, according
to the SIN OFFERING, according to the BURNT OFFERING, and according to
the MEAT OFFERING, and according to the oil.
SABBATH AND NEW MOON
WILL BE CELEBRATED
DURING THE MESSIANIC ERA
KJV Ezekiel 46:1 Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court
that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but
on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it
shall be opened.
KJV Ezekiel 46:2 And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of
that gate without, and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the
priests shall prepare his BURNT OFFERING and his PEACE OFFERINGS, and
he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth;
but the gate shall not be shut until the evening.
So during the Messianic Era, there will be:
BURNT OFFERINGS
SIN OFFERINGS
PEACE OFFERINGS
MEAT OFFERINGS
but WHY?
Robert Glenn asks:
>
>Why would God re institute this in the millennium when the blood of
>bulls and goats cannot take away sin? Hebrews 10:4 Also why would God
>allow it when he has no pleasure in them? ...
>
>In Christ,
>
>Bro. Robert
>
The answer is given in Ezekiel
43:10-12
KJV Ezekiel 43:10 Thou son of man, SHEW the HOUSE (TEMPLE) to the
HOUSE of ISRAEL (the people of YHVH), that they may be ASHAMED of
their INIQUITIES: and let them MEASURE the PATTERN.
KJV Ezekiel 43:11 And if they be ashamed of all that they have done,
shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the
goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms
thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof,
and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may
keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do
them.
KJV Ezekiel 43:12 This is the TORAH of the HOUSE; Upon the top of the
mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy.
Behold, this is the law of the house.
We are told in these passages that the
PATTERN to TEACH US of our INIQUITIES.
It is the TORAH of the house of
The GOAL of teaching the PATTERN of the
INIQUITY is to bring us to the MESSIAH.
KJV Romans
be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
The PATTERN of the
Messianic Era that they are SINNERS and NEED the MESSIAH.
KJV Ezekiel 43:10 Thou son of man, SHEW the HOUSE (TEMPLE) to the
HOUSE of ISRAEL (the people of YHVH), that they may be ASHAMED of
their INIQUITIES: and let them MEASURE the PATTERN.
KJV Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end <5056> of the law for
righteousness to
every one that believeth.
5056 telos {tel'-os} from a primary tello (to set
out for a definite point or goal);
MESSIAH is the
GOAL of the TORAH (and the
DOES THE ANIMAL SACRIFICES DURING THE MESSIANIC ERA
CONTRADICT HEBREWS
Robert Glenn writes:
>
>Bro. Chumney,
>
> I agree with most of what you are saying,but
I cannot agree
> with the sacrificial or the offering of
animals,dozen't this go against
> the new covenant?
>
> Hebrews
> old.Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to
vanish away.
>
>
Robert's question IMPLIES that the sacrifices
during the
Messianic Era contradicts Hebrews 8:13 that YHVH "took away the old"
(meaning the
the "moral laws" (killing, stealing etc).
WHY DOES ROBERT THINK THAT YHVH IS CONFUSED?
Why does Robert think that YHVH is
confused because He is
going to institute animal sacrifices in the
Messianic Era but tells us in Hebrews 8:13 that YHVH did away with
the "old" when YHVH established the new ??
ANSWER: YHVH ISN'T CONFUSED. The problem is that
Robert (and
most of Christianity) doesn't understand Torah.
DID YHVH DO AWAY WITH THE TORAH
OR IS THE PROBLEM OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE
BIBLE?
We have two choices to believe:
#1) YHVH did away with the Torah with the establishment of the New
Covenant
OR
#2) The problem is with our understanding of the Bible
Traditional Christianity
places the problem with YHVH for
giving the Torah so He had Messiah to die on the tree to do away with
the Torah.
However, the problem is NOT with
YHVH. The problem is with
our UNDERSTANDING of the Bible because we DON'T KNOW TORAH.
WHAT DID YHVH REMOVE WHEN HE REPLACED
THE NEW WITH THE OLD ???
The answer is found in Hebrews 8:7
KJV Hebrews 8:8 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:
Traditional
Christianity teaches that YHVH found fault
with the COVENANT at MOUNT SINAI and "replaced it" with the NEW
COVENANT where we don't have to follow Torah because we are not
"under law but under grace".
But, YHVH
DIDN'T find fault with the TORAH (because He
would have to find fault with Himself who GAVE the Torah). YHVH found
fault with THEM !!!!!!
What
is THEM that YHVH found fault with?
YHVH FINDS FAULT WITH THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE
KJV Hebrews 8:8 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:
YHVH found fault with the HEARTS of the people.
KJV Ezekiel 36:26 A NEW HEART also will I give you, and a NEW SPIRIT
will I PUT WITHIN YOU: and I will TAKE AWAY the STONY HEART out of
your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Notice that YHVH DIDN'T do away with the TORAH, He did away with
the STONY HEART and REPLACED it with a HEART OF FLESH.
What does traditional Christianity say?
Traditional Christianity when reading and interpreting
Hebrews 8
say that YHVH did away with the Torah and replaced it with the New
Covenant.
YHVH when speaking about the New Covenant said that He would
take
away the STONY HEARTS of His people.
THE NEW COVENANT IS TORAH BASED
KJV Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you
to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Notice that that HOLY SPIRIT
was given for the purpose of
giving the people of YHVH the desire to KEEP the Torah.
KJV Jeremiah 31:33 But this shall be THE COVENANT that I will make
with the house of
MY TORAH in their INWARD PARTS, and write it in their hearts; and
will
be their God, and they shall be my people.
Traditional Christianity says that
YHVH gave the New Covenant
so that we don't have to follow the Torah anymore because we are "not
under law but
under grace".
YHVH says in Jeremiah 31:33 and
Ezekiel 36:26-27 that the New
Covenant is the TORAH written upon our hearts.
ARE YOU LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT?
Traditional Christianity says
that the Holy Spirit leads and
guides me to understand that I am not to follow Torah. Traditional
Christianity teaches me that to follow Torah is "bondage".
YHVH says that He gave
the Holy Spirit to give us the
desire to KEEP His Torah.
KJV Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU, and cause you
to WALK in my STATUTES, and ye shall KEEP my JUDGMENTS, and DO THEM.
BEING LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT = FAITH IN MESSIAH AND KEEPING TORAH
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF TAKE AWAY THE OLD
TO ESTABLISH THE NEW?
So, if YHVH found FAULT with THEM (the HEARTS of
the people)
and gave the NEW COVENANT and the HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN US to give us a
desire to KEEP the Torah then what did YHVH take away?
KJV Hebrews
first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish
away.
For those of you who have a King James Bible or other
version
that shows in Hebrews
ITALICS means that the word is NOT found in the Greek
text. It
was added by the translators.
So, what Hebrews
KJV Hebrews 8:13 In that he saith, A NEW, he hath made the
FIRST OLD. Now that which decayeth and waxeth OLD is ready to VANISH
AWAY.
What is the NEW?
KJV Ezekiel 36:26 A NEW HEART also will I give you ...
NEW = NEW HEART and NEW SPIRIT that will want to KEEP
TORAH
What is the OLD?
KJV Ezekiel 36:26 A NEW HEART also will I give you ... I will TAKE
AWAY the STONY HEART
WHAT IS A STONY HEART?
KJV Zechariah
SHOULDER, and STOPPED their EARS, that they should NOT HEAR.
KJV Zechariah
OLD = STONY HEART that will NOT
follow Torah
SO HOW IS HEBREWS
KJV Hebrews 8:8 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:
KJV Hebrews 8:13 In that he saith, A new, he hath made the
first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish
away.
If we knew that YHVH found fault
with the HEARTS of the
people and know what the prophets wrote about the New Covenant well
enough to know that the prophets wrote that the New Covenant was
prophesied to replace a stony heart (won't follow Torah) with a heart
of flesh (does want to follow Torah) then we can link Hebrews 8:8 ...
KJV Hebrews 8:8 For finding FAULT with THEM ...
with
KJV Hebrews 8:13 In that he saith, A NEW, he hath made the
FIRST OLD ...
FIRST that is OLD = STONY HEART (won't follow Torah)
NEW = Heart of flesh (sins forgiven in Messiah and
keeps Torah)
WHAT IS THE OLD THAT IS
VANISHING AWAY?
The "old" that is vanishing away is the STONY
HEART who REBELS
against wanting to have faith in Messiah but doesn't want to follow
Torah.
When HIS SPIRIT is WITHIN YOU and TEACHES YOU the
"heart of
flesh" will REPENT of believing in Messiah and NOT wanting to follow
Torah with believing in Messiah AND wanting to KEEP TORAH.
As we YIELD to the TEACHING of the HOLY SPIRIT then
the "old
man" or the "old stony heart" vanishes away and the NEW HEART is
established in the heart of the believer in Messiah.
KJV Romans
INWARD MAN = NEW HEART which wants to FOLLOW TORAH.
DELIGHT IN TORAH = INWARD MAN = NEW HEART
The New Covenant Holy Spirit filled believer in
Messiah will
DELIGHT in the TORAH of YHVH.
DOES HEBREW 8 CONTRADICT THE TORAH AND PROPHETS?
Traditional Christianity teaches
that Hebrews 8 contradicts
the OT so we need to believe the "progressive revelation" of the NT
(that we don't follow Torah) over what is written in the OT.
However, if we understand what is written
in the Torah and
Prophets, we find that Hebrews 8 is CONSISTENT with what is written
in the Torah and the Prophets.
In other words, the Torah and Prophets
help me to understand
why I believe in Yeshua as Messiah and express my faith in Him by
folloiwng Torah.
KJV Matthew 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least
commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in
the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same
shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
KJV John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
THE COMMANDMENTS IN JOHN 14:15 = TORAH
Exodus 20:6 = John 14:15
KJV Exodus 20:6 And shewing MERCY unto thousands of them that LOVE ME,
and KEEP my COMMANDMENTS.
KJV John 14:15 If ye LOVE me, KEEP my COMMANDMENTS.
So, the words of the Messiah is CONSISTENT with
what is written
in the Torah.
Because:
TORAH linked to PROPHETS linked to NEW TESTAMENT
This is why I believe the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.
I pray that this teaching on Hebrews 8 has been a blessing
to you.
May YHVH continue to bless you in your studies.
Eddie Chumney