The Law is a Shadow
Devotional Reading: Hebrews 10:1 ESV
For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.
The scripture describes the law in the Old Covenant as only a shadow of the good things to come. It was a faint outline of the real thing, but not the real thing itself. Think of it like a menu at a restaurant – the menu describes the food, but it’s not the food itself. The law described the perfect righteousness of God, but it couldn’t deliver it.
The problem with the law was that it required the same sacrifices to be offered every year. It was like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in it – no matter how many times you poured water in, it would never stay full. The sacrifices were a reminder of sin, but they couldn’t take away sin. They were a shadow, but not the substance.
But then came Jesus, the true form of these realities. He is the substance, the real thing. He is the perfect righteousness of God, come to earth in human form. And He offered one sacrifice for sin, once for all. It’s like He took the bucket and fixed the hole, so that the water of His righteousness could flow in and stay.
Practically, this means we don’t have to keep trying to earn our way to God. We don’t have to keep offering sacrifices, whether literal or figurative. We can rest in the finished work of Jesus, knowing that He has made us perfect in God’s sight. For example, when we feel guilty or ashamed, we can remind ourselves that Jesus has already taken away our sin, and we are perfect in Him.
As we go about our day, let us remember the difference between the shadow and the substance. Let us not try to live by the rules and regulations of the law, but by the power and grace of Jesus. May we rest in His finished work, and may we live with the confidence and freedom that comes from knowing we are perfect in God’s sight. Amen
Prayer and Confession
Thank you Jesus for the revelation of this truth. I declare that I am conscious of what Christ has done for me. Amen!
Further Reading: Hebrews 10, Romans 3
