Shadows

Mark Dunagan
08/20/17 - Sunday Morning

Shadows

At the beginning of Hebrews chapter 10, the Holy Spirit declares that the Law was a shadow of good things to come. The Law under consideration in the book of Hebrews was the Law given at Sinai that included the Tabernacle, Levitical priesthood and the Ten Commandments (Hebrews 9:1-6). It was a great Law (Romans 7:12), and yet it was never designed to be the final law.

A Shadow of Good Things to Come

Among other things, the Law of Moses was designed by God to purposely foreshadow the arrival of the blessings that we currently enjoy. Paul said in Colossians 2:16-17 “Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day, things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ”. There were many previews of an even better covenant and a greater Law Giver that were coming (Deuteronomy 18:15-17; Jeremiah 31:31-34). For example:

• The New Covenant practice of baptism was foreshadowed in the Israelites passing through the Red Sea from the land of bondage to the Promised Land (1 Corinthians 10:1-2).
• The Tabernacle in the wilderness looked forward to a greater Tabernacle or house of God, the church (1 Timothy 3:15).
• The Passover Lamb looked forward to Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice for our sins (1 Corinthians 5:7).

Can Never

Repeatedly in the book of Hebrews the point is made that the sacrificial system under the Law could not remove sin (Hebrews 10:1, 4; 9:9). In this chapter, the Holy Spirit will note the complete inadequacy of the Mosaic sacrificial system, and such is demonstrated by:

• The sheer repetition of the sacrifices: 10:1-4
• This very direct Scriptural statement: 10:5-9
• The replacement of the former system: 10:9-10

Continually Year by Year

Every year the same sacrifices were repeated, specifically on the annual Day of Atonement. “An effective thing does not need to be done again; the very fact of the repetition of these sacrifices is the final proof that they are not purifying men’s souls” (Hebrews, William Barclay, p. 113). Now someone might argue that such people needed another sacrifice because they probably had sinned since the last sacrifice, yet this is not the point. If a sacrifice is truly effective in cleansing sin, then it only needs to be offered once and all sins committed after that offering can be forgiven upon confession and repentance, because the effectiveness of that offering is still valid. Yet the fact that sacrifices had to be offered annually or every time sin occurred was proof that such offerings were not effective in providing a permanent remedy.

Make Perfect Those Who Draw Near

Although the sincere and godly Old Testament worshipper did what God commanded and offered the prescribed sacrifice, he still went home with an awareness that something more than animal sacrifice was needed. What a contrast with the sacrifice of Jesus, which never needs to be offered again (Hebrews 9:27-28). 

The Freedom We Have

In light of Jesus’ amazing sacrifice for sins, we can have absolute confidence that when we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins, our sins are completely removed (Acts 2:38; 22:16). Then, as we live the Christian life, when we sin, we have immediate and direct access to forgiveness through repentance, confession and prayer (1 John 1:8-2:1). 

Our Amazing Freedom

The Law contained daily sacrifices (Exodus 29:38-46); weekly sacrifices (Numbers 28:9-10); monthly sacrifices (28:11-15), and yearly sacrifices at each of the three great festivals (Leviticus 23), in addition to the offerings as the need arose (Numbers 15:27-28; Leviticus 4:3,14,23,28). Nevertheless, there was a Day of Atonement which in effect simply reminded the Jewish people (those who were honest and perceptive) that all the other sacrifices during the year, had not effectively removed their sins (Leviticus 16:20-22). It is easy to take our forgiveness for granted. When we sin, we don’t have to go to our flock and offer an animal, which also involved a never ending financial cost to the worshipper. We don’t have to travel all the way to Jerusalem, or go to a priest. If we are currently not right with God, we can immediately set things right with God (Hebrews 4:14-16) by sincere repentance and prayer. 

A Different Type of Shadow

The devil is constantly trying to convince us that the physical world that we live in is the only reality that exists, yet the truth is that even the physical universe is only a temporary stage:

• “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands, they will perish, but you remain; and they all will become old like a garment, and like a mantle you will roll them up; like a garment they will also be changed” (Hebrews 1:10-11).
• “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
• “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19).

All these passages remind us that there is a world that is far more secure and lasting than the physical world that surrounds us. The world may at times seem to be permanent, but it is only an illusion of permanency. The very existence of a simple thing like rust, reveals the temporary nature of this creation.

The World That Is Far More Real

• “For he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10).

In the context of the book of Hebrews we have Christians from a Jewish background, who had been believers for some time and had even suffered for their faith in Jesus (Hebrews 10:32; 12:4). From all appearances the Temple in Jerusalem and all its pageantry were still standing and operating when this epistle was penned (Hebrews 8:13). It would be very tempting to think that real security resided in that system, but the writer reminds his audience…

“For here, we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come” (Hebrews 13:14).

Within a few years of this letter being written, the city of Jerusalem, along with the Temple and the entire sacrificial system, would be leveled and destroyed by the Roman legions in 70 A.D.

What Can Be Shaken: Hebrews 12:27-28

• The economy of any nation can be easily shaken. Many of us here have lived through various economic ups and downs, booms and busts.
• The entire physical universe can be shaken: 2 Peter 3:10-11.
• The Stock Market can be easily shaken.
• Our physical health can be easily shaken.
• Earthly relationships can be easily shaken.
• Physical family ties can be shaken: Matthew 10:34.
• We have seen cities and population centers shaken in our lifetimes by earth quakes, hurricanes, tidal waves, and other natural disasters.
• Our physical existence can be instantly shaken.
• Our existence can be shaken even when we are at the height of prosperity, fitness and success: Psalm 73:19.

“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night you soul is required of you; and now you will own what you have prepared?” (Luke 12:20). Yet this was said to a man who was convinced that he had many years of life left ahead of him (12:19 “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry”). Think about it. Is your soul anchored to what cannot be shaken? Life storms are certainly coming. Is your life built on bedrock or sand? It takes courage to face the facts of our own morality an eternal afterlife. Are you living in the real world or in any illusionary one?

Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net