Trinity Presbyterian Church North Bay — Sermons & Sunday School

Sermon preached on Hebrews 9:16-22 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Worship Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 9/9/2018 in Novato, CA.

Sermon manuscript

Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.

Hebrews 9:15-22

9/9/18

“The Blood of the Covenant”

As we’ve been going through Hebrews, we’ve been increasingly presented with the point of the new covenant. We Christians belong to a new covenant now in Christ. This new covenant fulfilled and replaced the old Mosaic covenant established with Israel at Mt. Sinai. In context, we saw this back at chapter 8 especially established by Old Testament Scripture when Jeremiah 31 was quoted which prophesied the coming of the new covenant. When that prophecy was given, the people had to wait for the future when one day that new covenant would be enacted and ratified. Hebrews is saying that day came with the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. That when Hebrews says here that this new covenant was ratified and went into effect.

Though, as we look at this passage, especially verses 16-17, we come to a part of Scripture that has given translators and interpreters some difficulty. The difficulty is rooted in the fact that the Greek word used for covenant in this passage can also be translated as “testament.” Or to put it another way, the word that our pew Bibles translates as “testament” in verses 16-17 is the same Greek word that gets translated as “covenant” in the other 15 usages in this book of Hebrews. Similarly, in the rest of the New Testament, this same Greek word gets translated in the NKJV as “covenant” in every other usage but one, where it arguably could be translated there as covenant as well (2 Cor 3:14). Yet, interestingly, when you look at the history of translation for this verse into English, as well as interpretation, you’ll find that there is a strong preference for “testament”. In our first point for today, I’ll discuss that view. However, there has been an alternative view put forth by a decent minority that thinks “covenant” is the better sense in verses 16-17. I’ll discuss that view in our second point for today. So, basically option one is “testament” as in the sense of a last will and testament which goes into action when the testator dies and leaves his inheritance to his heirs. Option two is “covenant” which speaks of how death and bloodshed is required in the ratification of a covenant. Let me point out, however, that regardless of which of those two views are correct, they both point to general biblical truths and make the point here that our new covenant benefits are effective for us because of Jesus’ death.

Let’s think then first about the more commonly held view that verses 16-17 and refer to a testament or will. This view understands that the word translated as “testator” in verses 16-17 refers to Jesus. It sees that Jesus has essentially given a last will and testament to bequeath to his heirs an inheritance. But of course, in last wills and testaments heirs don’t get the inheritance until the testator dies. That’s what this view thinks is being said here in verses 16-17. If this view is correct, then likely what the author is doing is a sort of play on words to illustrate the truth that in Jesus’s death we receive an inheritance. He would be taking this same word that he’s been using in the sense of “covenant” and momentarily drawing on its other meaning of “testament”.

There are a number of strengths to this view point. First, the primary use of this Greek word outside of the Bible is in fact about a “will” or “testament”. Some have even argued because of this that “testament” would be a better translation in many other occurrences in the New Testament. For example, the KJV does that very thing, translating this word as “testament” 13 times in the New Testament, compared to only 3 times in the NKJV. The point here is that a strength of this view is that Greek language does support a translation, in general, for this as “t[...]

Adult Sunday School class led by Rev. W. Reid Hankins at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 9/9/2018 in Novato, CA. This week we continued a series on public worship, studying chapter II of the OPC Directory for the Public Worship of God, specifically on the topic of public confession of faith.

Sermon preached on Hebrews 9:1-15 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Worship Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 9/2/2018 in Novato, CA.

Sermon manuscript

Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.

Hebrews 9:1-15

9/2/18

“Ordinances of Divine Service”

Today’s passage revisits and further develops what we read at the start of chapter 8, that Jesus’ priestly service was in the true, heavenly tabernacle whereas the Levitical priestly service was done in an earthly tabernacle. So, we continue to compare this old covenant priestly service with the new covenant priestly service that we have in Christ as our Great High Priest. As we continue to learn from the comparisons between the two priesthoods, we’ll see today more about the legitimacy but also the limitations of the old covenant priesthood. Then we’ll get to see how God addressed these limitations in Christ and his high priesthood in the new covenant. This is in fact what we’ve needed and so we’ll be wonderfully encouraged again today in the grace of God in redeeming us in Christ Jesus.

Let us then begin by first seeing what this passage tells us about the legitimacy of the old covenant service. This is important to keep reminding ourselves as we keep going through the book of Hebrews and seeing how much better we have things in Christ and the new covenant compared to the old. Yes, the new is better, but that doesn’t mean the old was illegitimate. It was good for the time and purpose God intended. This passage then speaks to some of the good things that were there under the old covenant. We see this in summary in the first verse. Verse 1 acknowledges that the first covenant, the Mosaic covenant, had ordinances of divine service and a sanctuary, albeit an earthly one. That word “service” is sometimes translated as worship, because it refers so often the religious service done by priests in the context of divine worship. And the sanctuary in verse 1 is a reference to their tabernacle that we talked about last chapter, the one Moses created based on the heavenly pattern God showed him. These two aspects, the ordinances for priestly service and the tabernacle both relate to the legitimacy of the old covenant worship. We’ll touch on both here.

Regarding the ordinances for priestly service, we start by recognizing why they are ordinances. They were ordinances because God commanded them. They were regulations imposed upon them, as it mentions in verse 10, that same word for ordinances appearing there too. With regard to the specific ordinances, we see that the same word for service from verse 1 also appears again in verse 6. There in verse 6 it specifically mentions the priests doing such services. So, the many different ordinances relating priestly service find their legitimacy first in the fact that it was according to God’s command. He instituted that first covenant through Moses and gave these priestly provisions for the Levites. As we see in verses 6 and 7, these ordinances included things for the priest to do regularly throughout the year. There were daily and yearly services to be performed. And actually, the reference to the showbread back in verse 2 involved a weekly duty; every sabbath they had to replace the bread. So many different priestly duties were required by God and therefore legitimized by God under the old covenant.

Furthermore, we see the effectual nature of those ordinances. We see descriptions of the various offerings done in these priestly services. There was blood shed, verse 7. There were requirements for food and drinks and various washings, verse 10. Verse 13 expands on these to even go as far as to say that they did have a real cleansing power. It says they sanctified for the purifying of the flesh. Yes, we’ll go on to see the need for better cleansing but don’t miss that the text acknowledges that there was a real cleansing value to them. On a related note, we can think of so many washings under the old covenant [...]

Adult Sunday School class led by Rev. W. Reid Hankins at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 9/2/2018 in Novato, CA. This week we continued a series on public worship, studying chapter II of the OPC Directory for the Public Worship of God, specifically on the topic of congregational singing.

Sermon preached on Hebrews 8:7-13 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Worship Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 8/26/2018 in Novato, CA.

Sermon manuscript

Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.

Hebrews 8:7-13

8/26/18

“Sought for a Second”

In human relationships, conflict between friends is normal. What is also normal is that in such conflicts, usually both sides have contributed in some way to the conflict. Sure, there can often be one side in the conflict that is particularly guilty for starting the conflict. We could say that it is that person’s “fault” that there is a conflict in the relationship. But even in such cases, the so-called “innocent” party usually is not completely innocent. In human conflicts among friends, usually both sides have contributed to the conflict, even if in differing degrees.

Well, when we turn and think about our relationship with God, we see that things are very different. Yes, there has been a history of conflict between God and his people. Yes, there has been fault in the relationship, but its been with us. God is not to blame, ever, in the ways us humans have fractured our relationship with God. God, on the other hand, has repeatedly taken the initiative to reconcile us sinful humans to himself. In working out his plan to reconcile a people to himself, this included what God did with Israel under the old covenant. Yet, here we are reminded that this old covenant didn’t go far enough in solving man’s problem with sin. We especially see how this passage states that it didn’t go far enough in being able to change man’s sinful nature. Yet, praise the Lord, God provided another covenant that would finish addressing man’s fundamental needs.

So then, today’s passage will help us to see a little bit of the fault God found under the old covenant and how God graciously promised to address it with the new covenant. We’ll begin then by briefly looking at this idea of God finding fault under the old covenant. Then we’ll talk about how he addresses that in the new covenant. Lastly, we’ll consider the obsolescence of the old covenant.

Beginning then in our first point, let me make sure we know what we are talking about when we refer to the old covenant. We are talking specifically about the Mosaic covenant; the covenant God made with Israel as a nation as he brought them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Verse 9 tells us that, in case it wasn’t already clear. We can see that covenant ratified in Exodus 24. God brought the people out of Egypt and to Mt. Sinai. There, he gave them the law including the Ten Commandments written on stone tablets and ratifies that covenant. When Hebrews is talking about the old covenant, this is what it’s referring to.

Of course, it would be helpful to remember, that God did not begin his saving work among humanity with Moses and the Exodus. From the Garden, God had promised a way of redemption to Adam and Eve, Genesis 3:15. We see God’s redeeming work among people like Noah, as well. God especially worked his plan of redemption among the patriarchs of Israel, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, entering in covenant with them long before he enacted the Mosaic Covenant. So, remember that this old, first covenant was neither the oldest nor the first covenant that God made to work his redemptive purposes. God’s overarching covenant of grace has been underlying all human history since God promised it back in Genesis 3:15. Yet, Scripture definitely sees the prominence of the Mosaic covenant as an administration of God’s covenant of grace, and thus can refer to it as both the “old covenant” and “first covenant” when comparing it to the better covenant that Christ has brought.

So then, when God established this old covenant, God had already been working his saving purposes and was continuing to work his saving purposes for the elect. So then, I direct you to the issue identified in verse 7. There it specifically notes that the first covena[...]

Adult Sunday School class led by Rev. W. Reid Hankins at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 8/26/2018 in Novato, CA. This week we continued a series on public worship, studying chapter II of the OPC Directory for the Public Worship of God, specifically on the topic of congregational singing.

Sermon preached on Hebrews 8:1-6 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Worship Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 8/19/2018 in Novato, CA.

Sermon manuscript

Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.

Hebrews 8:1-6

8/19/18

“A More Excellent Ministry”

Hebrews has been giving us such an amazing picture of Jesus as our Great High Priest. That point is summarized starting in verse 1. But don’t worry, he’s not done teaching about the priesthood of Jesus. He still has lots more to tell us and we will get more today about the nature of Jesus’ priestly service. But notice the summary point that is made here. Verse 1 starts out with the words “Now this is the main point of the things we are saying.” We might think that main point is then given in verse 1 and only verse 1. But notice in the pew Bibles that verse 1 ends with just a comma. The period comes at the end of verse 2. I believe that’s the right way to punctuate the Greek here. The main point he has in mind is in both verses 1 and 2. So then let me read his full main point again: “We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.” When we read the main point like this we see it speaks of a royal priest, a king who is also our priest. The right hand reference speaks to his kingly authority, seated now in glory at the right hand of God. That was the point that Hebrews made in its opening chapters. And of course the priestly reference to Christ reminds us of our more recent chapters in Hebrews, that have shown Christ to be our great high priest. Notice in this summary that for both the kingship and the priesthood the reference is to the heavenly. His kingly authority is seated in his heavenly session at God’s right hand. And his priestly service is in the true tabernacle, which today’s passage will make very clear is a heavenly sanctuary and not an earthly one. So then, that becomes the focus of this passage and therefore our sermon for today. After giving this “main point” he then proceeds to further describe the heavenly nature of Christ’s priestly ministry in this “true tabernacle”.

So then, let’s begin in our first point with thinking how Jesus’ priestly ministry was done in the true tabernacle in comparison to the tabernacle of the Levitical priesthood. Note that the comparison is not true versus false. The Levitical priesthood didn’t minister in a false tabernacle. Here, the difference is between the true tabernacle versus a copy or shadow of the true tabernacle, per verse 5. It’s not true versus false, it’s the real thing versus an authorized copy of the real thing. So, don’t get me wrong, the Levitical priesthood had a real tabernacle that was ordained by God for old covenant worship. But their real tabernacle was not the real tabernacle.

Verse 5 clarifies what this means with an Old Testament quote. There, Hebrews quotes Exodus 25:40 where God instructs Moses about how he was to be constructing the earthly tabernacle. There we are reminded that when God told Moses how to build the tabernacle, it wasn’t just verbal instruction. God also showed him what to build. The language there in verse 5 is that God showed Moses the true tabernacle in heaven as the pattern for what Moses would build on earth. The word “pattern” there means that what God showed Moses from heaven was the archetype. It’s like a sculptor who looks at a human model and then sculps and molds the clay after the likeness of the real human being. Of course, in Moses’ case, God didn’t just show him the model; he also gave lots of explanation (you can find that in great detail in the book of Exodus). Nonetheless, Scripture emphasizes that God also showed Moses a pattern to follow. Interestingly, Scripture doesn’t per se describe what Moses saw, but it does go out of its way to tell us in four different places that Moses did s[...]

Adult Sunday School class led by Rev. W. Reid Hankins at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 8/19/2018 in Novato, CA. This week we continued a series on public worship, studying chapter II of the OPC Directory for the Public Worship of God, specifically on the topic of congregational singing.

Sermon preached on Hebrews 7:20-28 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Worship Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 8/12/2018 in Novato, CA.

Sermon manuscript

Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.

Hebrews 7:20-28

8/12/18

“Such a High Priest”

We just read of how amazing of a high priest we have. We have such a high priest! There are many things we can “get” out of a text of scripture. Let us “get” today that we have “such a high priest”! Let us be spurred on again to worship and exalt our royal priest, King Jesus. Let us be encouraged today in all the saving benefits we have in such a high priest. Let us be drawn to worship our great God for giving us such a high priest. Let us see this as a wonderfully chief application of this passage: that we exalt such that is our great high priest, our Lord Jesus Christ!

This chapter has been displaying how great of a high priest we have by comparing priesthoods. It began in verses 1-10 by showing how Melchizedek’s priesthood was superior to the Levites. Thus, since Jesus’ priesthood came in the order of Melchizedek’s priesthood, his priesthood was also superior. Then verses 11-19 began to more specifically compare Jesus’ priesthood with the Levitical priesthood, focusing especially on the weakness of the Levitical priesthood – they couldn’t complete God’s saving plans for his people. Thus, another priesthood – the one that came in Jesus – was needed. So then, today’s passage continues this comparison between Christ’s priesthood and the Levitical. It has three main points and they each especially highlight the strength of Jesus as priest.

Let’s begin then in our first point by seeing that we have such a high priest compared to the Levitical order because Jesus’ priesthood was established by divine oath. This is verses 20-22. Verse 20 asserts this of Jesus. Verse 21 asserts the opposite for the Levites. This of course doesn’t make the Levitical institution illegitimate. It too was instituted by God and served God’s purposes at the time under the old covenant. God instituted that priesthood under the Mosaic covenant. He gave the sons of Aaron of the tribe of Levi the job to serve as priests in the earthly tabernacle and temple. God’s command under that covenant was sufficient to legitimize their priestly ministry. On a side note, as an additional comparison, I would also point that Scripture doesn’t record any oath regarding Melchizedek’s priesthood either. And so, if there was no Scriptural doubt for the Levitical priesthood (or the Melchizedekian), then we should certainly have no doubt with regard to Jesus. If former precedence only required God’s Word to establish a legitimate priesthood, then how much more legitimate and authenticated is Jesus’ priesthood when God established it additionally with an oath? Again, if there were any at that time or still today that wanted to say that Christians needed to go back the Levitical priesthood or somehow thought Christ’s priesthood was either inferior or even illegitimate, they were wrong.

Obviously, the point is that a solemn oath in general, even among humans, is useful to confirm the validity of something. Like for example, if I purchase some product and the manufacturer states that it is a quality product and they will stand behind it if there is any problem. Well, that is comforting. But it is all the more assuring if that manufacturer provides a written warranty stamped with the company seal guaranteeing in writing that they will fully warranty the product. Well, that’s what God did for Jesus’ priesthood even though he didn’t do it for the other biblical priesthoods. So, Jesus’ priesthood is all the more sure and certain.

Don’t miss however, that this point is saying something more than just that Jesus’ priesthood was sealed by an oath and the Levites’ weren’t. Verse 21 quotes where this oath was given: Psalm 110:4. There the oath is not just that Jesus would be a priest. It’s not like he’s b[...]

Adult Sunday School class led by Rev. W. Reid Hankins at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 8/12/2018 in Novato, CA. This week we continued a series on public worship, studying chapter II of the OPC Directory for the Public Worship of God, specifically on the topic of congregational prayer.