HEBREWS-JESUS IS BETTER:"I'll Crush Satan" - God (Genesis 3:15)

‘I’ll Crush Satan” – God (Genesis 3:15) Hebrews 8:7-13 My oldest son and I workout together in the mornings, we have the radio playing in the gym (garage) when we do. This week there was a news story about how some percentage of people’s entire plan for retirement and future financial stability is hoping on an inheritance from their parents. Interesting way to “plan”, I mean aside from the darkness of that - you cannot KNOW what you’re getting, how much, when, and under what terms you just receive what someone else planned for you. The writer of the book of Hebrews, the Pastor and this book a sermon to His people, reminds them and calls them back to God’s plan - today they’ll be reminded that the received a covenant, a new covenant that is like an inheritance, but it’s not a new concept. Notice that you’ll find that as a key point in the layout of the text today. These people Jesus’ church needed to be called back to His plan, to His dispensation of grace, The Church. Maybe you’ve needed to be ‘called back’ before - maybe you’ve stepped far out beyond God’s plan, beyond God’s revelation, beyond maybe God’s specific will for your life, away from Jesus Church, and so maybe you’ve needed to be called back? Maybe you’re in the midst of the clearest calling of all scripture - to come to God in Christ for the first time - that’s what’s happening to these believers through the Pastor in the book of Hebrews, and this new covenant makes coming to God, completely possible. Last week we talked about all of scripture pointing on to Jesus. John noted Sinclair Ferguson calls the entire Bible a ‘footnote to Genesis 3:15’, Genesis 3:15 brings the promise to crush the servants head - to defeat sin and death, and so the plan then begins through the line of Adam, down through Abraham and the 12 sons/nations of Israel through David and Solomon and the Kings Chronicled across time to Pentecost (bring the message to nations not stopped by language, culture, or location) captured in Luke and Acts as the message that brings the crushing blow to the serpent and the curse that came with him was delivered in the person of Jesus - the entire story demonstrates God’s ability and describes his plan to crush Satan’s head. As the Pastor here addresses the people who need to come back note 7, 8-12, 13 by that I mean that’s the pattern: 7= this covenant is new. 8-12 (Jeremiah 31) there was always a new covenant coming. 13 = a new covenant is radically different and wholly replacing of the old. We’ll read it all together then circle back through its parts. Hebrews 8:7–13 (ESV) 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. 8 For he finds fault with them when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” 13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. The Pastor want’s them to know a) this is a new, b) different better, c) encompassing covenant - and he uses this to call them back to God. Hebrews 8:7–13 (ESV) 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. What was the “fault” then with the Old Covenant? First I think we have to talk about the Old Covenant and be on the same page: The Old Covenant was given at Mt. Sinai where Moses went up to the mountain to meet God. This scene is INSANE for so many reasons. Moses goes up to meet with God, the people are down at the base - they’re going insane worshiping a golden baby cow, rather than God. Mean while here is what’s going on in Moses world: he is receiving the law from God. One of which being you should only have one God - remember what the people are doing, giving worship to a golden baby cow. Law broken. BUT, check this out, we always seem to miss God’s grace. The law comes in Exodus 19, here is how God starts the download from the cloud to the tablets, Exodus 19:9 (ESV) 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, Their calling wasn’t predicated on their obedience - their blessing was. Will you be blessed by this covenant, Romans 11:17–24 (ESV) 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. We’re grafted into the promises that God made - this was and is the plan, it’s not be crafted on the fly, it was God’s plan to fulfill the promise in Genesis 3:15 to crush Satan, through his own promises, not peoples performance. Through guarantees given to humanity. Romans 11:29 (ESV) 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Isn’t this amazing - our salvation isn’t determined by the covenant and obedience to God’s law and will completely - rather we’re saved by Grace through faith in God’s covenant plan now extended to Jesus’ church to the world. Galatians 3:29 (ESV) 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. Nothing about God’s plan has changed - that’s the author’s point. God’s story and his plan is stitched all the way through time, all the way through history, all the way back to one promise - I’ll Crush Satan - God. You can take that promise to the bank. Galatians 3:7–8 (ESV) 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” Oh no, maybe you say, I’m not a descendant of Abraham, or can I really know if I am, I’m a mutt… Lets check Jesus’ concern level there, Matthew 3:9 (ESV) 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Lets keep going: 8 For he finds fault with them when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. This is a direct quotation from the Hebrew prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31) see there is NOTHING new. And it’s important to note that the Pastor to the Hebrews is pointing back some 2k years in time to show them, a new covenant was ALWSYS coming and it’s better - stop going back. He’s calling them forward by saying - guys this was ALWAYS the plan. Enjoying the methods and ceremony involved in the Old Covenant is enjoying the signs that say your almost near rather than the destination. and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. It’s an issue of blessing. Not of God’s steadfastness to the people he called. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. This new covenant, that we’re grafted in to by faith in Jesus, puts His law on our minds and hearts, not a law with prescribed law but rather, internal testimony. You see the old covenant law was a magnifier. How so, to make sins bigger, no not imbignifying magnification - but magnification that allows for inspection. When law is provided and we have to interact with our hearts are magnified and projected, we’re disobedient people who don’t love and treasure God, rather we’re after our own good. And so blessing is withheld in the old covenant - rather in the new, blessing is present because Jesus is our righteousness; we’re blessed by that and enabled to work to become more and more conformed into Jesus image. We’re free to work towards that. Galatians 5:22-23 and Romans 8:29 (note that comes directly after Romans 8:28). 11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. Previously - the priest was the one called to bring the people to God and vice versa. If you wanted to know God’s will you went to the priest and he’d pull the stones out and help you determine God’s will. This wasn’t connection to God. You’d read the law, rather than live and experience the world as forgiven and striving. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” Why is the New Covenant better - church read this passage again this week, Hebrews 8:12. Memorize this as God projects through Jeremiah in Jeremiah 31 to a time when the New Covenant would come, a will in Christ - what comes in the will - no remembrance of sin. Simmer on that. You know what simmering looks like right - the pot with lid bouncing as the insides boil and mix and have their flavors not only extracted but blended and mixed like a good sauce - not several flavors but one new mixed flavor - simmer on lack of remembrance of sins and mercy. The old covenant covered sins frequently but they were still there - blessing impacted, the new covenant is in inheritance from Christ written by God - mercy toward iniquities and forgetting of sins. No mountain of Good works built up to God, rather one step through faith in Christ to God. Hebrews 8:13 (ESV) 13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. I knew someone growing up who was a trust fund kid. She had a relative who’d been silly rich. They left behind a fund to pay for her school and seemingly lots more - they bought her a new car, but the terms were laid out. In fact, a lawyer administered the account. When she turned 16 she went to the lawyer with an argument as-to why she needed a car to get to and from school and so the fund bough her a brand new car. But their were terms that were set - the covenant is like that there are terms, and so we should desire to know the terms we live under - that’s why we study scripture. Here is the amazing thing - The pastor in Hebrews wants them to see you’re the benefactor of a will, with terms written out for you - that say you’re secure because of Jesus. Your sins are forgotten - you’re righteous in God’s eyes and so you’re set free to celebrate that before your community, the nations, and the world. You’re to do that in the context of a local church who’ll together glorify God as they live imperfectly, fighting against every inclination to run from each other - and learning to find Joy in the mix of people. It elevates God, not you - because there is no reason to stay all together and serve God here we should all move all the time, chasing after our joy in how we’re served by the Church but rather we fight through and find joy here - God’s covenant with us promises us blessing in Christ’s righteousness lets share that openly.