Shadows in the Bible

Shadow of Things to Come

Christianity Oasis provides this Shadows in the Bible study about Old Covenant laws being a shadow of things to come bringing forth truth, understanding & peace.


Daily Bread Devotional Bible Study
The Epistle to the Hebrews
Chapter 10


Shadows in the Bible

Shadow of Things to Come

Welcome to our Christianity Oasis Daily Bread study program. This is our thought provoking Shadows in the Bible study on Old Covenant laws being a shadow of things to come. The absolutely awesome Shadows in the Bible study on shadow of things to come message will truly bring a smile to the lips and heart and shine the LIGHT of Truth upon your be-YOU-tiful Christian walk path.

Shadows in the Bible Study
Shadow of Things to Come Adventure

It's always a pleasure to have you back again to share more Daily Bread. If you've ever read the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, you know that a major part of the "law" was offerings and sacrifices. In the first part of this chapter, Paul again shows how these offerings and sacrifices were "shadows" of the sacrifice of Jesus, and that His sacrifice of Himself permanently replaces the old law.

The law, being a shadow of heavenly things to come, and not being the tangible form of the things, can never make the people perfect with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually. If those sacrifices did purify them, wouldn't they have stopped offering them? Because once the worshipers were cleansed, they should have no more awareness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder again made of sins every year. Because it isn't possible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take away sins.

Shadows in the Bible Covenant
Shadow of Things to Come Prophecy

Here's a great passage from the Book of Micah that explains:

Micah 6:7-8

7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

There are several more places written in the scriptures of the Old Testament that plainly say that sacrifices and offerings aren't what God wants ...

... And this one that Paul quotes next, comes from Psalms. It is :

Psalms 40:6

Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me ...

Shadows in the Bible Promise
Shadow of Things to Come Blessing

Paul explains what the Lord was revealing. In the Word of God ... In scripture, Jesus told us, God didn't want those sacrifices, so He made Jesus into flesh and blood so that He (Jesus) could perform the will of God, (Matthew 26:39 and John 4:34) and be the one and only sacrifice that would cleanse the sins of man.

Another thing to know about the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant is that in the old way, people had to wait until they made sacrifice in order to reconcile themselves to God, but in the new way, God's Grace is at hand immediately through repentance.

Now, you may think that Paul is a bit redundant about this High Priest business, but consider how important this subject really is. The patterns of the Old Testament, representing the New Testament that was to replace it, was a fact that was totally missed by the unbelieving Jewish people who crucified our Lord. Something so clear to see, yet misunderstood, deserves repetition. If Paul couldn't make his point clear in one way, he would try again in another way, and again in another, and again and again and again. His persistence is admirable, really, and as you'll see in Verse 36 of this chapter, he encourages patience, or persistence from the Hebrews as well.

Shadows in the Bible Meaning
Shadow of Things to Come Purpose

Paul doesn't stop there either. If that's not enough to convince the Hebrews, he adds how the Holy Spirit told them beforehand through scripture all about this change of covenants.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Shadows in the Bible Story
Shadow of Things to Come Vow

So, as Paul has taught over and over again, where there is forgiveness or sins, there is no longer a need for offerings for sin.

Now because the blood of Jesus washes us from our sin we are free from the law of sacrifices and offerings. This is His new, living way that He prepared for us to let us be in God's Holy presence. And since Jesus, our great High Priest rules over God's family, let us go straight to God Himself, totally trusting Him to accept us because Jesus has made us clean.

Now we can look forward to God's promise without doubt and can share with others that salvation belongs to us, because there is no question that He is true to His Word.

Let us encouraging one another to love and do good works, and not neglecting to gather together, like some are doing, but to continue our praise and support each other, especially since the Day of the Lord is approaching.

There is no longer any sacrifice that will take away sins if we purposely go on sinning after the truth has been made known to us. all that is left is to wait in fear for Judgment Day.

Those who refused to obey the laws given by Moses were killed without mercy if there were two or three witnesses to his sin. Imagine how much more terrible the punishment will be for those who have trampled underfoot the Son of God and treated His cleansing blood as though it were unholy, and insulted the Holy Spirit of Grace who brings God's mercy to His people.

For we know Him that has said:

Deuteronomy 32:35

To me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.


Psalms 135:14

For the Lord will judge His people, and He will repent himself concerning his servants.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Shadows in the Bible Facts
Shadow of Things to Come by Love

And you've just seen again, Paul likes to use the scripture of the Old Testament to prove the validity of the New Testament, because the Hebrews held the Old Testament so dearly, but the Old Covenant, written in stone, cannot compare to the New Covenant written in our hearts. Let's look at the closing of this chapter together.

Don't forget those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you persevered even though it meant terrible suffering. At times you were laughed at and beaten, and at times you watched and sympathized with others going through the same things. You suffered with those thrown in jail, and you were even happy when all you owned was taken from you, knowing that better things were waiting for you in heaven, treasures that would be yours forever.

Do not let this elation in the Lord fade away, no matter what. Remember your reward! Keep on patiently doing God's will if you want Him to do all that He has promised. His coming will not be delayed much longer. And those whose faith has made them good in God's sight must live by faith, trusting Him in everything. Otherwise, if they slip back into unbelief, God will have no pleasure in them.

We are not people who turn back and are lost. Instead, we have faith and are saved

Shadows in the Bible Conclusion
Shadow of Things to Come Summary

In the next chapter, Paul talks to the Hebrews about faith, sighting several people of the Old Testament and showing how their faith profited them. You don't want to miss it, right here at Daily Bread.

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