In the first chapter we saw that the Lord Jesus had set Himself down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, as the One who had made purification of sins. In this chapter (8) He has set Himself down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, as our High Priest. His priesthood is essentially heavenly, for the law and the Jewish system had an order of priests on earth, whose functions were connected with an earthly tabernacle and service; but the priesthood of Christ is exercised, not on earth, but in heaven. The "examples" and "shadows" of heavenly things have passed away, because the reality and the substance have come. The inspired writer uses many characteristic words in order to give emphasis to the contrast, and in order to set forth the superiority and excellence of what is brought in under Christianity. Christ, he says, has a "more excellent" ministry, and He is the Mediator of a "better" covenant, established on "better" promises.
Many sincere people fall into the mistake of supposing that the Christian is placed under a covenant of some kind; thus they put themselves under law, instead of seeing that they are under grace. Now the first covenant was made with the house of Israel and of Judah, and so is the new covenant also—it is not made with Christians at all. It will be fulfilled in the millennium, when God will put His laws into their mind, write them in their hearts, and when all shall know Him, from the least to the greatest. But the important point for us to notice here is that the bringing in of a new covenant necessarily displaces and renders the first covenant old, and it is ready to vanish away. Meantime we, Christians, have all the privileges and blessings of the new covenant (while yet we are not under law but under grace), for it is founded on the death and blood-shedding of our Lord Jesus Christ.