1 ¶ Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum: We have such a high priest who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

Now the important thing is this: We have such a Religious Leader Who has made the way for man to go to God. He is the One Who sits at the right side of the All-powerful God in the heavens.

2 a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

He is the Religious Leader of that holy place in heaven which is the true place of worship. It was built by the Lord and not by men’s hands.

3 F or every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices; therefore, it is also necessary that this one have something to offer.

Every religious leader of the Old Way of Worship had the work of killing animals and of giving gifts on the altar to God. So Christ had to have something to give also.

4 F or if he were on earth, he should not even be a priest, being present still the other priests that offer gifts according to the law,

If Christ were on the earth, He would not be a religious leader such as these. The religious leaders on earth give gifts like the Law says.

5 ( who serve as an example and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed unto thee in the mount);

Their work shows us only a picture of the things in heaven. When Moses was putting up the tent to worship in, God told him, “Be sure you make the tent for worship like I showed you on Mount Sinai.”

6 ¶ but now a more excellent ministry is his, in that he is the mediator of a better testament, which was established upon better promises.

But Christ has a more perfect work. He is the One Who goes between God and man in this new and better way. The New Way of Worship promises better things.

7 F or if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place should have been sought for the second.

If the Old Way of Worship had been perfect, there would have been no need for another one.

8 F or finding fault with them, he said, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new testament with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,

God was not happy how the people lived by the Old Way of Worship. He said, “The day will come when I will make a New Way of Worship for the Jews and those of the family group of Judah.

9 n ot according to the testament that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not continue in my testament, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

The New Way of Worship will not be like the Old Way of Worship I gave to their early fathers. That was when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. But they did not follow the Old Way of Worship. And so I turned away from them.

10 F or this is the testament that I will ordain to the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord: I will give my laws into their soul and write them upon their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

This is the New Way of Worship that I will give to the Jews. When that day comes, says the Lord, I will put My Laws into their minds. And I will write them in their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people.

11 a nd no one shall teach his neighbour nor anyone his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

No one will need to teach his neighbor or his brother to know the Lord. All of them will already know Me from the least to the greatest.

12 F or I will reconcile their iniquities and their sins, and their iniquities I will remember no more.

I will show loving-kindness to them and forgive their sins. I will remember their sins no more.”

13 I n that he says, New, he has made the first old. Now that which decays and waxes old is ready to vanish away.

When God spoke about a New Way of Worship, He showed that the Old Way of Worship was finished and of no use now. It will never be used again.