Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Hebrews 9:15-22.

 

“¹⁵ For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.  ¹⁶ For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it.  ¹⁷ For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.  ¹⁸ Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. ¹⁹ For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, ²⁰ saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.”  ²¹ And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. ²² And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”  Hebrews 9:15-22.

 

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As an attorney who practices in the area of wills, trusts, estates, and probate, it is interesting to me to think of the analogy of a Last Will and Testament to this new covenant.  Hopefully, the readers too are more familiar with Last Will and Testaments (than covenants) which will also help them better understand this Scripture through the use of an analogy of a Last Will and Testament and administration of an estate, keeping in mind the reservation of general limitations of the use of any analogy. 

 

Think of God as the testator of the Last Will and Testament a/k/a the new covenant.  Here is His Last Will and Testament: 

 

“¹⁰ “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
After those days, says the Lord:

I will put My laws into their minds,
And I will write them on their hearts.
And I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.
¹¹ “And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen,
And everyone his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
For all will know Me,
From the least to the greatest of them.
¹² “For I will be merciful to their iniquities,
And I will remember their sins no more.”  Hebrews 8:10-12.

 

This is God’s Last Will and Testament.  This is His new covenant.  There are no more wills.  There are no more covenants.  

 

Now, we go back to today’s Scripture to see how this Last Will and Testament makes provision for beneficiaries as specified in Scripture.  “For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called (the beneficiaries) may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”  Verse 15.   

 

Going back to the analogy of a Last Will and Testament, we know that a will does not become effective until the person who wrote it (the testator) dies.  Until the death of the testator, the Last Will and Testament can be revoked or amended by the testator.

 

Now, we go back to today’s Scripture.  Like a Last Will and Testament, “For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it.  For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.”  Verses 16 and 17.  Jesus died as God the Son to bring God’s Last Will and Testament into “force”.  Jesus made that Last Will and Testament “accepted into probate” and effective.  This is one role of Jesus as mediator of the new covenant.  We will later see more roles of Jesus as mediator of the new covenant. 

 

After the death of the testator, the terms of the Last Will and Testament cannot be changed.  “Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it.”  Galatians 3:15.  In a sense, Jesus ratified God’s Last Will and Testament by His death on the cross.  The provisions of God’s Last Will and Testament were locked in and irrevocable upon the death of Jesus Christ as mediator of this new covenant, although you can also state that God the Father ratified His own covenant by His own oath.   See Hebrews 6:16-18.    

 

Going back to the analogy of a Last Will and Testament, we know that even after death and the Last Will and Testament is accepted into probate, there still needs to be administration of the estate according to the terms of the Last Will and Testament.  There needs to be an Executor (term used in most northern states) or “Personal Representative” (term used here in Florida).  

 

Now, we go back to today’s Scripture, Jesus Christ is that Executor a/k/a Personal Representative.  God’s covenant a/k/a Last Will and Testament specified who are the Elect, the beneficiaries of God’s estate, and Who is the Executor a/k/a Personal Representative of His estate.  Jesus as mediator died for those Elect, so that “those who have been called (the Elect, the beneficiaries) may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance”.  Verse 15.  Jesus needed to die for the Elect, because “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”  Verse 22.  This is “Limited Atonement”. 

 

There is more administration of the estate needed.  Jesus sent His Spirit to irresistibly draw His Elect into saving faith.  This is “Irresistible Grace”.  Jesus sent His Spirit to preserve God’s Elect to salvation.  This is “Preservation of the Saints”.

 

In conclusion, as stated in the very beginning of this devotion, there are general limitations of the use of any analogy, so this analogy of a Last Will and Testament and administration of estate is certainly not perfect.  Of course, we should foremost directly try to understand Scripture and use other Scripture as cross references.  But, analogies can be helpful to a partial, imperfect extent as I hope this analogy of a Last Will and Testament and administration of an estate is helpful.