Shadow Of Good Things To Come

“for the law having a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offer year by year continually  make the comers thereto perfect”.  Though verse 18 of this chapter there is only one great thought. The ability of the sacrifice of Christ in comparison with the inability of the OT sacrifices of the Levitical priesthood. At the close of chapter 9:24, the author spoke of Christ putting away the sin by sacrifice of Himself, “so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many”. If those Hebrews Christians to whom the author is writing should reject Christ and His sacrifice, they would deny the only avenue open for remissions of sins. Heb. 10:26, “if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins”.

                In 10:1-4, the author brings out the insufficiency of the sacrifices made under the law. He begins by saying that the law was a, “shadow of good things to come”. If the law was a shadow, then it was a sketch or outline of something else. That something else the author shows as, “good things to come”, has reference to the spiritual blessing made possible by Christ through the gospel which was made possible by the sacrifice of Christ, forgiveness, redemption, eternal salvation.

                Having shown the inability of animal sacrifices to accomplish God’s purpose, he begins in verse 5 to ability of Christ sacrifice to accomplish God’s purpose for man. The author continues this thought through vs. 18.  Read Psalm 40:6-8. When Christ came into the world He said, “Sacrifice and offerings thou wouldest not”. God did not desire, approve of, nor accept these as just payment for sin. They were inadequate to remove sin. Vs. 6, 8

                Vs. 7,” Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God”. Volume of the book is OT.  Reading Eph. 1 will give more insight on Hebrews 10.  The Old Law could not accomplish God’s eternal purpose for man’s redemption. So, God purpose another sacrifice that could, “Lo, I come to do thy will, O God”. Vs. 9, “then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first that he may establish the second.

                Vs. 16 speaks of the New Covenant God would make, “I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them. The purpose of the writer in saying this is to prove from Scripture that the person under the New Covenant would experience perfection through the sacrifice of Christ. Verses 17, 18, “and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Where there is remission of these, there is no more offering for sin”.

                Christ made a sacrifice for sin. This sacrifice was accepted by God and on the strength of this sacrifice sins are forgiven. This being true, no reason exists for additional sacrifice. What could possibly be gained by further sacrifice? It was remembrance of sine that made the Old Law necessary. By virtue of the blood of Christ sin is no longer remembered and additional sacrifice unneeded.

- CL Bruner