In my study of the word recently the Lord impressed me so deeply and the blessing inexplicable of being a believer today in the new testament. We have all that the old testament believers had and much more, we have the fulfillment and the reality of all the types of the old. Some thing better, yes, better things.
40 Because God has provided something 2better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.
402 The Greek word means superior, nobler, greater; hence, better. It is used thirteen times in this book: the better Christ (1:4), better things (6:9), a better hope (7:19), a better covenant (twice — 7:22; 8:6), better promises (8:6), better sacrifices (9:23), a better possession (10:34), a better country (11:16), a better resurrection (11:35), something better (11:40), and better speaking (12:24). (The other instance is in 7:7, where it is translated greater.) All these better things are the fulfillment and reality of the things that the Old Testament saints had in types, figures, and shadows. What God provided at that time was a picture of the things concerning us, the things that were to come in the new covenant and that are the true and real things, better, stronger, more powerful, nobler, and greater than their types, figures, and shadows. The Old Testament saints, who had only the shadows, need us for their perfection that they may share with us in the real things of the new covenant. Why, then, should we leave the real things of the new covenant and turn to the shadows of the old covenant?
Some thing better, yes, better things, these are the blessings of being a believer today! As a brother and I visited an elderly couple whose daughter and son-in-law were instrumental in bringing me to the Lord, they asked me to minister the word. So impromptu was the request, that I ran out of words. But the Spirit inspired me instantly to minister what I had enjoyed the previous day. That was this "better things."
Praise the Lord today, that I am not only of the new testament time, but also living in the new testament age. Many today are new testament believers with old testament beliefs and practices. When we have better Christ (1:4), better things (6:9), a better hope (7:19), a better covenant (twice — 7:22; 8:6), better promises (8:6), better sacrifices (9:23), a better possession (10:34), a better country (11:16), a better resurrection (11:35), something better (11:40), and better speaking (12:24) what more do we need? Christ is the reality of all these! Especially in the Lord's recovery in the church life today, all these are spoken, ministered, dispensed and being lived out. Not a boast, but declaring the fact, I am really blessed in the church-life today! May the Lord preserve me by His mercy that I enjoy the reality of all these better things of God, Christ and the Church for the fulfillment of God's eternal economy.
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