Before continuing we need to remind everyone the following about this Epistle. The Epistle of Hebrews is written to the Jewish people, so the whole thing is naturally flavored in that direction. Although the overall doctrines go right back into Romans and Galatians and Ephesians (and pick up almost the same things), never forget that these things are written to the Hebrew, Jewish-Christians people who are having a hard time turning their backs on all the traditions and the teachings of Judaism. It’s no different than someone coming out of a cult. My, it is so hard to turn their backs on something that’s been pounded into them for a lifetime, and then suddenly they realize that it’s no longer the right way. So, Paul is addressing these admonitions to the Hebrews who were understanding his Gospel of Grace to a point, but they still had to be convinced that all of this was part and parcel of God’s program for the ages [past, present and future], as I like to call it. The changing of the guard, if you will. His way of dealing with man kind through His Son Christ Jesus.
We’re going to go back to some of the things in Romans, but first let’s read Hebrews chapter 10 verse 1 where he writes:
Hebrews 10:1a
"For the law…"
The Law, the Old Testament economy or the word that few like because of a lack of understanding, dispensation. Usually we think of the Ten Commandments as the Law. But, you can’t confine it to just the Ten. Because of the Ten Commandments, God instituted the Temple worship within the confines of the Mosaic Laws or what we call the ceremonial aspect of the Law with its external dealings or works of man to prove his trust. In other words, if they committed a particular sin, they had to bring a particular sacrifice. But naturally, basic to all of it was the moral law, the Ten Commandments. The moral law or code of conduct for all of mankind as a relational extension towards our fellow men. But Israel had made all of it a religious legalism and therefore became idolistic by nature as it replaced God's intended purposes. Remember that all religion is is bondage of some form or another.
Hebrews 10:1a
"For the law having a shadow of good things to come, (not necessarily good while it was in practice but looking forward to something that was good or better in the future.) and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect."
In plain English, what’s he saying? All of the practice of the Levitical Law with its activities could never bring the Hebrew to a full relationship with God. It was impossible, because they were still under a system of animal sacrifices, and works of self-sufficiency or doing of works and everything was merely a shadow of that which was to come.
Remember I gave you the illustration of this gentleman who had a big beautiful tree. And his best friend was a woodworker. And that friend could just see that beautiful tree sawed into lumber that he could use for whatever he was going to make. So, he asked his friend what he would take for that tree. Well, of course, he wanted several hundred dollars, which was a lot more than the woodworker wanted to pay. So the owner of the tree said, "Well, I’ll sell you the shadow of the tree for $50." Well, you know we all smile. But the lesson is the shadow is the exact outline of that tree but that’s all it is. Christ is the tree and at what price are we willing to surrender to acquire Him. Remember this also he is the gift and we can't work to earn a gift nor can we pay in dollars for a gift, so what are we to surrender, our all.
You cannot determine what kind of a tree it is from the shadow. You can’t see the shape of the leaves. You can’t see the configurations in the bark. All you see is the outline. You can go up to the tree, and you can examine it and you know exactly what it is. Now that’s the analogy throughout Hebrews, and indeed the scriptures that all these things back under the Law were not the ‘tree;’ they were the ‘shadow.’ But if you start at the far end of the shadow and you follow it, where does it take you? To the tree and if that tree bears fruit in the form of a seed. Then you can begin to see the mysteries that are hidden but still in our sight. All right, now that’s the whole idea of the Old Testament economy. It’s just like the shadow of a tree, that as you follow it, it’s going to bring you to the image or the real thing. God's Grace, Truth, Love and Light in Christ.
Now the word image here in the Epistle of Hebrews in the Greek is the same Greek word that, when the disciples were confronting Jesus about materialistic things, He asked them for a Denarius, a Roman coin. And what did He ask them? "Whose image is on that coin?" What was their answer? Caesar’s. All right, now that word image is the same word translated image here in Hebrews.
When they looked at a Roman coin, what did they see? They saw the likeness of Caesar. That was the image. All right, now this is what we’re supposed to understand, that all these Old Testament things and everything that took place under the Law were just the shadow of the real thing. And what’s the real thing? Christ – death, burial, resurrection, ascension to glory. And the revelation which God imparts to us about this action of His doing or making for us, for our benefit. All found in the person of Christ Jesus.
Okay, so the Old Testament economy was good while it existed. But it was only a shadow looking forward to something which would be, as we’ve seen throughout all these previous nine chapters, something far Better. Over and over we’ve seen that. Yes, that was good, but this is Better. Let’s go back to Romans chapter 3 where the same Apostle Paul writes now, not in the language that pertains to the Hebrew, but in language that pertains to the non-Jew, the nations or Gentile world.
That’s why Paul is always emphasizing that he was the Apostle of the Gentiles (Romans 11:13). But he’s basically saying the same thing. Only, he’s approaching two different kinds of people.
Romans 3:19
"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." "Guilty before God"
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