(Hebrews 10:1) The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming-- not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.
"The law is only a shadow..."
Only? What then was the purpose of the law? Consider the days of Noah; men did what they thought was right, and it was only evil.
The Greek word for shadow is skia, meaning shade or a shadow.
".. of the good things that are coming..."
What was coming?
- Christ, the Messiah
- The New covenant (it was part of the plan all along.)
".. for this reason it can never ..."
it? - the law, a shadow
What can a shadow do? Nothing
".. can never.."
But making sacrifices is what they did for years. Was it all just a waste of time?
It does not take that much effort to look and you will see the source of what caused the shadow. Is it possible that God intended for all this, to get them to look?
What then were they looking at?
You cannot have a shadow without a light source. God has always been the light source.
Things that made up the shadow:
- The tribes setup in the form of a cross around the sanctuary.
- The serpent on the pole. Jesus was made to be sin and was hung on a pole.
- The rock that Moses struck
- The water from the rock
- The manna from heaven, and he is our daily bread.
- The cloud by day and the fire by night.
"..it (the law) can never... (This statement just boggles my mind. )
".. by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year..."
".. make perfect.." (Not even for a moment?)
"..those who draw near to worship..." (This was not about the sacrifices or cleansing themselves; God wanted relationships. That was impossible without giving the people a way to get close to him.
This is exactly why the writer of Hebrews could say "because we have such a high priest let us draw near.." Why? For worship, fellowship, and relationship.
".. by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year..."
Did they need to change the object sacrificed? Other religions tried that and it brought them no closer to God. The Samaritans had integrated child sacrifice into their religious practices and God sent lions in to destroy them. So that did not work. But yet we understand that a representative of man ( a sin free man, and without Christ that was impossible) had to pay the debt that man owed.
Jesus said here am I (verse 7)
"..if it could (make perfect) would they not have stopped (the sacrifices) being offered.
You struggle to make something work and suddenly one day you figure it out; do you continue to struggle? NO.
"...it could never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship"
Was that the intent, to make the worshipper perfect? God knew the inherent flaws from the very beginning. Clearly a restoration of man and creation is the ultimate goal, so the sacrificial system can only be a temporary fix.
There is an answer to this, but it is long. The annual reminder issue is not a positive feature, therefore it is not the answer. Verse 5 - "Therefore when Christ came into the world, he said: Sacrifice and offerings you did not desire, with burnt offering and sin offerings you were not pleased."
Here comes the answer. - Verse 7 "Here am I ... I have come to do your will, O God."
Then entire purpose behind the sacrificial system had to do with obedience. Consider, Jesus said he only did what he saw the Father do. Cain had problems with his sacrifice because he chose to do his own thing. Shortly thereafter we find Cain pouting and so God tells him "that if you do right it will go well with you". You can ascertain from God's interaction with Cain, that Cain knew what was right. Notice that in that story we are not told that God had that conversation with Cain, so how did Cain know?
You and I are different. God has written his moral law upon our hearts. You can find that in Hebrews also. Should you be so lucky as to find a tribe of six cannibals, in the bushes of South America, you would find that even they have a moral law or code embedded with in them, for they know that they cannot kill the chief, nor eat him, and they worship some strange god.
"The law is only a shadow..."
Only? What then was the purpose of the law? Consider the days of Noah; men did what they thought was right, and it was only evil.
The Greek word for shadow is skia, meaning shade or a shadow.
".. of the good things that are coming..."
What was coming?
- Christ, the Messiah
- The New covenant (it was part of the plan all along.)
".. for this reason it can never ..."
it? - the law, a shadow
What can a shadow do? Nothing
".. can never.."
But making sacrifices is what they did for years. Was it all just a waste of time?
It does not take that much effort to look and you will see the source of what caused the shadow. Is it possible that God intended for all this, to get them to look?
What then were they looking at?
You cannot have a shadow without a light source. God has always been the light source.
Things that made up the shadow:
- The tribes setup in the form of a cross around the sanctuary.
- The serpent on the pole. Jesus was made to be sin and was hung on a pole.
- The rock that Moses struck
- The water from the rock
- The manna from heaven, and he is our daily bread.
- The cloud by day and the fire by night.
"..it (the law) can never... (This statement just boggles my mind. )
".. by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year..."
".. make perfect.." (Not even for a moment?)
"..those who draw near to worship..." (This was not about the sacrifices or cleansing themselves; God wanted relationships. That was impossible without giving the people a way to get close to him.
This is exactly why the writer of Hebrews could say "because we have such a high priest let us draw near.." Why? For worship, fellowship, and relationship.
".. by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year..."
Did they need to change the object sacrificed? Other religions tried that and it brought them no closer to God. The Samaritans had integrated child sacrifice into their religious practices and God sent lions in to destroy them. So that did not work. But yet we understand that a representative of man ( a sin free man, and without Christ that was impossible) had to pay the debt that man owed.
Jesus said here am I (verse 7)
"..if it could (make perfect) would they not have stopped (the sacrifices) being offered.
You struggle to make something work and suddenly one day you figure it out; do you continue to struggle? NO.
"...it could never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship"
Was that the intent, to make the worshipper perfect? God knew the inherent flaws from the very beginning. Clearly a restoration of man and creation is the ultimate goal, so the sacrificial system can only be a temporary fix.
There is an answer to this, but it is long. The annual reminder issue is not a positive feature, therefore it is not the answer. Verse 5 - "Therefore when Christ came into the world, he said: Sacrifice and offerings you did not desire, with burnt offering and sin offerings you were not pleased."
Here comes the answer. - Verse 7 "Here am I ... I have come to do your will, O God."
Then entire purpose behind the sacrificial system had to do with obedience. Consider, Jesus said he only did what he saw the Father do. Cain had problems with his sacrifice because he chose to do his own thing. Shortly thereafter we find Cain pouting and so God tells him "that if you do right it will go well with you". You can ascertain from God's interaction with Cain, that Cain knew what was right. Notice that in that story we are not told that God had that conversation with Cain, so how did Cain know?
You and I are different. God has written his moral law upon our hearts. You can find that in Hebrews also. Should you be so lucky as to find a tribe of six cannibals, in the bushes of South America, you would find that even they have a moral law or code embedded with in them, for they know that they cannot kill the chief, nor eat him, and they worship some strange god.
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