This page gives you a set of Bible study questions for Hebrews 8, ready for a small group, a Sunday class, or quiet personal study. Hebrews 8 shows that Jesus is a high priest who serves in heaven and mediates a better covenant, one built on better promises than the old system of the tabernacle and the law. The questions move from what the chapter says, to what it means, to how it should shape the way you live.
Hebrews 8 at a Glance
The chapter opens by summing up the argument of the book so far: we have a high priest seated at the right hand of the throne in heaven, serving in the true tabernacle that the Lord set up rather than human hands. The writer then contrasts this ministry with the earthly priesthood, which worked with copies and shadows of heavenly realities, and points out that a better covenant brings a better ministry.
The second half turns to the prophecy of Jeremiah about a new covenant. God declares that the old covenant failed, not because the law was wrong, but because the people did not remain faithful to it. The new covenant writes God’s law on hearts, promises a personal knowledge of him, and rests on his mercy in forgiving sins. The chapter closes by noting that calling something new makes the old obsolete, and what is growing old is close to vanishing.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first to make sure everyone has looked closely at the words of the chapter before anyone offers an opinion. Ask group members to point to the exact words in their Bibles, and let the answers come from the text rather than from memory or commentary.
Hebrews 8:1-2
1 Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this. We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a servant of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.
(WEB)
Read these verses first to set the main point of the chapter before the group moves into discussion. They describe our high priest and where he serves, which frames everything that follows.
Hebrews 8:5
Who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses was warned by God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for he said, “See, you shall make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.”
(WEB)
This verse explains that the earthly tabernacle was a copy and shadow of heavenly things, which helps the group understand why the writer treats the old system as a pattern. Reading it aloud gives the room a clear picture of the contrast.
Hebrews 8:6
But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, by so much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which on better promises has been given as law.
(WEB)
Reading this verse highlights the word “better” and the claim that Jesus mediates a better covenant on better promises. It is a good moment to pause and ask the group what they think makes these promises better.
Hebrews 8:10-12
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 mind, I will also write them on their heart. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 They will not teach every man his fellow citizen, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all will know me, from their least to their greatest. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.”
(WEB)
This passage holds the heart of the new covenant: God’s laws written within, his people known to him, and sins forgiven and forgotten. Reading it slowly allows members to hear the full promise before they begin answering the application questions.
Hebrews 8:13
In that he says, “A new covenant”, he has made the first old. But that which is becoming old and grows aged is near to vanishing away.
(WEB)
Ending the reading with this verse brings the chapter to its conclusion, showing that the old is passing away in light of the new. It leaves the group with the writer’s final note as they move into prayer.
Memory Verse for Hebrews 8
Hebrews 8:12
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.”
(WEB)
This verse is a powerful one to memorize because it holds God’s promise of mercy and his choice to remember sins no more. Encourage group members to repeat it during the week whenever guilt or shame returns, as a reminder of who God is toward them.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we thank you that you have given us a high priest who serves in the true tabernacle and who mediates a better covenant. We confess that we often rely on outward habits more than on the change you promise to work in our hearts, so write your laws within us and help us know you personally, not only in name. Thank you that you are merciful to our unrighteousness and that you remember our sins no more. Teach us to come to you without fear after we fail, and give us the courage to set aside whatever belongs to the old way. Let our lives reflect the new covenant you have made with your people, through Jesus our high priest. Amen.
