Hebrews 10:1-14

The Shadow and the Image

What it says:

Heb 10:1  For the law having a shadow of good things to come, 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.
Heb 10:2  For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
Heb 10:3  But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
Heb 10:4  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Heb 10:5  Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Heb 10:6  In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Heb 10:7  Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Heb 10:8  Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
Heb 10:9  Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
Heb 10:10  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Heb 10:11  And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
Heb 10:12  But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Heb 10:13  From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
Heb 10:14  For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

 What it means:

Heb 10:1  For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things,

What did the law have?  A shadow of good things to come.

What did the law NOT have?  The very image of the things to come.

Define: Shadow – silhouette, outline, hint, trace, suggestion, flicker

Define: Image – picture, representation, figure, likeness, impression, vision, view

Notice it says: “the very image.” This reminds me of the old saying: “Right before my very eyes,” which means right in front of my own face. So “the very image of the things” points out that the law had a shadow of good things to come but Jesus was the very or actual image of good things.

Believers Bible Commentary: The law was only a shadow of the good things that were to come. It pointed forward to the Person and work of Christ but it was a poor substitute for reality. To prefer the law to Christ is like preferring a picture to the person represented. It is an insult to His majesty!

Col_1:15  (Jesus) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

G. Campbell Morgan, “The Westminster Pulpit:” I remember staying, some years ago, while conducting some special services, with a friend in Devonshire. There came by the morning mail to him some roses wrought in silk by deft fingers here in London. And he put some of these roses wrought in silk by me, and said, "They are very beautiful." And holding them up in my folly and short-sightedness, I said, "They are perfect." He replied, "Are they, really?" And he brought his microscope, and put the rose beneath it, and the very silk itself became coarse as sackcloth. Then he brought from his greenhouse a spray of God's roses, and put them under the microscope, and the more closely I looked, the more perfect they were. The beauty of God as manifest in the tiniest cell of the flower as in its completion is manifest in the blossoming of the flower, as in the rhythmic order of the heavens about me. Brethren, God is very beautiful, and everything which is of God is essentially beautiful.

Jesus is the very image of God’s beauty. The law could never do what Jesus did. The Tabernacle and the law were like those silk roses: beautiful at first glance but upon closer inspection they were coarse as sackcloth when compared to the real throne in heaven and God’s eternal grace.

G. Campbell Morgan, “The Westminster Pulpit:” If God's ultimate thought is realized only along the line of His law, then the law is that which creates the beauty; and everywhere beauty is marred by the breaking of law.

He is not speaking of the “covenant law” here. He is speaking of the law of creation in which God made everything, like roses, beautiful, but the same rule applies. When the law is broken it is no longer beautiful. The people had turned God’s law into a ritual and a ceremony. They did not fully realize God’s beauty in their hearts. Let us worship God in His honor and majesty, strength and beauty; and not just in our need, only. (Optional: read Psalm 96)

can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

How often were the sacrifices in the law offered?  Every year (year by year continually)

What is meant by “the comers thereunto?” Those who brought their sacrifices to the priests.

The “comers thereunto” is a way of describing those who, in need of forgiveness, were obedient to the law and offered sacrifices and worship to the Lord under the system and format of the law.

What did their sacrifices never make them?  Perfect.

BBC: The weakness of the legal system is seen in the fact that its sacrifices had to be constantly repeated. This repetition proved their total inability to meet the claims of a holy God. Notice the expressions used to capture this idea of repetitiveness:  the same sacrifices; offer continually year by year;. The sacrifices were utterly unable to perfect the worshipers, that is, they never gave the people a perfect conscience as far as sin was concerned. The Israelites never enjoyed the consciousness of being cleared forever from the guilt of sin. They never had complete rest of conscience.

To never have the complete rest of conscience means they were never at rest inside themselves. They were always wary and afraid. The law did not give them peace of mind, unless they truly trusted in God. Some trusted in God for He did give them peace, but for those who trusted in the law, without trusting in God, they were bound to futility, just as those who trust in themselves, today. It is only trust in God that brings peace.

This reminds me of when I was baptized. I was still a new believer and still had some of the notions I was taught in the Mormon Church. When I was baptized I saw my performance of that ceremony as “washing away my sins”…. As I had been taught. So even though I was being baptized in a Baptist church I had inaccurate notions about it. I was really looking forward to being baptized and becoming a Christian (and fully leaving the Mormon way behind) but I thought that by my doing the ceremony of baptism all my sins would no longer be in my mind and on my conscience. I was very excited. I remember mentioning that to the men who were going to baptize me and they immediately just looked at each other and said nothing. I wish they had said something, but, that is not how it happened. I went through the ritual and came out feeling like I was “clean as a whistle.” My joy and elation lasted about two days when I once again sinned and all my sins and guilt came crashing down upon me again. It is not the rituals that we perform that cleanse us from sin, it is Jesus Christ. And that is also why we must persevere in our faith in Him, to the end. We cannot rest on our laurels for we have none, but we have Jesus and we can rest on His laurels – having faith in Him.

God’s forgiveness removes our sin. In Christ He has taken us back to a state similar to that which existed before Adam sinned. We are a new creature in Christ. We will see it for ourselves on the Day of Salvation! Let not man tear asunder what God has done. Let not man put sin on his back again to carry around a burden that no longer exists. God really has forgiven us – made us new in Christ!! It is already accomplished in Christ! Trust in God! Have faith in Jesus! We are made new!

2Co_5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Gal_6:15  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Rom 8:23-24a  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope:

That is why the Gift of the Holy Spirit “seals” us. We are still waiting for the adoption. God is patient and long suffering, not wanting anyone to be lost. In His grace, we wait for them, and serve Him.

Eph_1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

2Co 1:20-24  For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth. Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

Heb 10:2  For then would they not have ceased to be offered?

With his question our author wants us to think about this and to reason it out. Does it not make sense that if those who offered their sacrifices according to the law had been made perfect and had become free from sin by them, why did they continue to offer these sacrifices?

Why do you think they continued to offer sacrifices?  They “offered for sins” repeatedly, because they sinned repeatedly. They were also “obedient” but to the wrong thing. They were obedient to the letter of the law, but not to the Spirit of God.

BBC: Whoever has to take medicine every hour to stay alive can hardly be said to be cured.

because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

With the word “because” he now states the obvious. If those sacrifices had changed their hearts, they would have had what? They would have had no more conscience of sins. Their sin would no longer be on their conscience.

So what was not changed?  Their heart. Their conscience.

Define: Conscience – G4894, συνείδω, suneidō, soon-i'-do, to see completely; to understand or become aware, and to be conscious: - consider, know, be aware of -- the inner man, spirit, mind, heart

Heb 10:3  But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

The word “but” always paints an “opposite” picture. So, instead of their sacrifices cleansing their consciences, they had a yearly reminder of how sinful they were.

BBC: Instead of pacifying the conscience, the Levitical system stabbed it awake each year. Behind the beautiful ritual of the Day of Atonement lurked the annual reminder that sins were only being covered, not removed.

Heb 10:4  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

So, while the hearts of the comers thereto were not cleansed from sin, they were demonstrating obedience. The Levitical system of priests and sacrifices was able to legally provide an outlet for their contrition and also pronounce them “clean,” even though it did not always touch the heart of the believer.

Heb 10:5  Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not,

Jesus knew that God was not interested (“thou wouldest not”) in millions of animal sacrifices and mountains of offerings for sin. It was never ritual, nor routines, nor habitual ceremonies that God was interested in.

Deu 4:29  But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

It has always been our hearts, the love from the inward man, that God desires. He is the God of love. He gives love and receives love from those who truly seek Him. It is relationship, not ritual, that God desires.

BBC: God had instituted these sacrifices, yet they were never His ultimate intention. They were never designed to put away sins but rather to point forward to the Lamb of God who would bear away the sin of the world. Could God be pleased with rivers of animal blood or with heaps of animal carcasses?

Another reason for God's dissatisfaction is that the people thought they were pleasing Him by going through ceremonies while their inward lives were sinful and corrupt. Many of them went through the dreary round of sacrifices with no repentance or contrition. They thought that God could be appeased with their animal sacrifices whereas He was looking for the sacrifice of a broken heart. They did not realize that God is not a ritualist!

God was most offended by their idol worship. Can you imagine how it looked to God when on the Sabbath the people came and offered sacrifices to Him, then on Tuesday they went into their groves and worshipped a wooden carving? Their hearts had become wooden like their idols and they were no longer suitable to worship God.

Joh_4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 

Do you see that the spirit of worship is concerned with the Father? Every word Jesus spoke (truth), every act He did (spirit), was directed toward the Father in love. We also reveal our spirit, by the things we say and the things we do. As we worship Him in spirit and in truth we grow in love for Him. The Holy Spirit leads us to Jesus, and Jesus directs us to the Father. When we cling to Jesus we are drawing near to the Father.

Jer 29:11-14a  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end (a future and a hope -- NKJV). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, ….

but a body hast thou prepared me:

God prepared one body to be sacrificed. Whose body was that? Jesus Christ.

BBC: Dissatisfied with the former sacrifices, God prepared a human body for His Son which was an integral part of His human life and nature. This, of course, refers to the unfathomable wonder of the Incarnation when the eternal Word became flesh so that, as Man, He might die for men.

Heb 10:6  In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

In what does God have no pleasure? In burnt offerings and sacrifices.

Heb 10:7  Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

What book is he talking about? The scriptures of the Old Testament.

What does “It is written of me,” mean? There was a prophecy that the Messiah would come to do God's will. Many of the prophecies found in the Old Testament were written of Jesus.

Robert Hawker, “Poor Man’s Commentary,” -- Hence, we find the Prophets with one voice, and in the most lofty strain, speaking in raptures of the Lord’s coming. The Patriarch Abraham saw the day of Christ afar off, rejoiced, and was glad. Jacob spake of the Shiloh. David lived, and died in the full assurance, that of his loins Christ should arise after the flesh. Isaiah, under the same divine teaching, cried out to the Church; Behold, your God will come and save you. Jeremiah, Micah, Zechariah, Malachi, yea, and all the Prophets. I stay not to quote passages from their inspired writings in proof, this would be almost endless.

Then said I, “Lo, I come”…. This response means, “I answer your call. Here stand I ready to serve Thee.”

These verses are from Psalm 40. Yet they are the words, the thoughts, the responses and intentions of the Messiah!!

What did Jesus come to do? Notice how it is stated: “to do thy will, O God.” – It was an act of worship. He was seeing the Father, He was speaking and responding directly to Him.

Mary also demonstrated this spirit of obedience when she said to the angel announcing the birth of Christ:

Luk_1:38  Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

And that is exactly what God desires from us: the willingness to do the will of God in a personal and intimate way.

Heb 10:8  Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

By what were the sacrifices offered? the law.

Heb 10:9  Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

When Christ came to do the will of God, what got taken away?  The old covenant.

What did Christ establish? The new covenant

Rom_8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

The first covenant was removed, and the second covenant was established in Jesus Christ. We have a new law! Not the one written on stone tablets, but the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus written upon our hearts!

Heb 10:10  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

When he says “by the which will,” whose will is he talking about? God's will.

What happened to us by His will?  We are sancitified.

What did Jesus offer to God? His body.

How many times did Jesus Christ offer his body as a sacrifice? Once.

Whom did His sacrifice affect? All -- everyone.

It is by God’s will that we all are sanctified in Christ.

Jud 1:1-2  Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:  Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

1Th_5:23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Act_26:18  To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me (Jesus).

Jesus commissioned Paul to go to the Gentiles to teach them what Jesus has done for us: to open our eyes, to turn us from darkness to light, and to turn us from the power of Satan to the mighty power of God – that we may actually receive forgiveness of our sins, and inheritance, right alongside those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ. Sanctification is the free gift of God the Father to us in His Son, Jesus Christ. We receive it by faith in Jesus.

His sacrifice affected “all” – meaning “all” – believer and non-believer. That is why a simple prayer of repentance ushers a person into the Kingdom of God. It is already their's and waiting. Ready to be taken up at any moment. Adam brought sin into the world and placed it on us, his descendants. Jesus takes sin out of the world, and removes it from his adopted children -- to all them that call on Him, and trust in Him, and walk in His spirit.

Heb 10:11  And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

Did the priests stand or sit to do their ministry? They stood.

What can these many sacrifices never accomplish? They can never take away sins.

Heb 10:12  But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

But this man, Jesus, offered one single amazing unselfish sacrifice that lasts forever!!

What was his sacrifice for? For sins.

What did He do afterwards? He sat down on the right hand of God.

Heb 10:13  From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

Define: Henceforth – from now on, from this time forth, from this day forward, hereafter, in the future

Define: Expecting – waiting for, anticipating, looking forward to, imagining, counting on

What shall happen to His enemies? They shall become a place for him to rest his feet.

BBC: He waits till His enemies are made His footstool, till the day when every knee will bow to Him, and every tongue acknowledge Him as Lord to the glory of God the Father. This will be the day of His public vindication on earth.

Php 2:9-12  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

We’ve been given a clean slate. When we receive His sacrifice as our own, we then put on the new man and have a new masterpiece to work on: serving the living God!! Or as Paul puts it: “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” We are not in heaven yet, BUT WE WILL BE!!

Rom_4:6  Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

Jas_2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Jas_2:26  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

By the grace of God, we have righteousness without works, but we do not have faith without works!! Faith is knowing and trusting “Who He Is” and what he has done and responding to that faith, in everything that we do.   

Heb 10:14  For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

What has he done for them that are sanctified? Perfected them.

For how long are you sanctified and perfected to God? For ever!!

BBC: Those who are being sanctified here means all who have been set apart to God from the world, that is, all true believers. They have been perfected in a twofold sense. First, they have a perfect standing before God; they stand before the Father in all the acceptability of His beloved Son. Second, they have a perfect conscience as far as the guilt and penalty of sin are concerned; they know that the price has been paid in full and that God will not demand payment a second time.

1Co 1:30-31  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Let’s break this down and take a good look at what is being said here:

⦁    But of him

Who is the “him?”  “But of him” the source of all things is God, the Father, Omnipotent. The Majesty in Heaven. “Of Him” means: by His will, for His good pleasure, and to fulfill His purposes.

⦁    are ye

Who is “ye?” Ye are the ones reading the letter and believing in Christ!! This means you! The “are” is a “state of being” -- pointing out that our present state of being has been changed. We have become something that we were not, before.

⦁     in Christ Jesus,

This is what we are: “in Christ Jesus.”  All the things Jesus did for God, he did for us, also. We belong to him. We are “IN Christ Jesus.” He is our representative who lives in Heaven and preserves for us all the blessings of the Father. We trust in Him, who was and is and is to come: The perfect Lamb of God: Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

⦁    who of God

The “who” is Jesus and God has done something to Him, also.

⦁    is made unto us

Jesus “is made unto us.” Jesus, being God, was not made or created. God has always existed. He was there in the beginning with God. But he was “made something unto us.” He became our Redeemer, Rescuer, and Representative by his sacrifice here on Earth and confirmed by His resurrection and ascension to heaven.

⦁    wisdom, and

Jesus was made unto us: wisdom. (“Unto us;” means the same as “for us.”) There are two aspects to the wisdom of Christ. 1. What He taught us and provided for us by His sacrifice; and 2. The further wisdom that will be available to us in heaven. His wisdom, is still very safe in Him, and in Him it was made for us. We are not wise, but Jesus still is. He is preserving God’s wisdom for us. This wisdom shall be manifested in us, when we receive the final salvation.

Php 3:20-21  For our conversation (behavior) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Our present bodies will one day be like his glorious body, and not only that, but His wisdom shall be known by us.

1Co_13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

⦁    righteousness, and

Jesus is also our “righteousness.”  We are made righteous by faith in Him. He was righteous on this Earth by His love and obedience to God. He remains righteous and preserves our righteousness in heaven with Him. He represents us, at the Throne of Grace. Our righteousness is in Him. He is one of us, therefore, we are “of Him.”

⦁    sanctification, and

We are set apart to God by Jesus. We are sanctified in Christ. He is our sanctification:

1Co_1:2  Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

⦁    redemption:

Jesus is our Redeemer. We have redemption in Him.

Eph 1:13-14  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Rom 6:18  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Eph_4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

1Co 1:30-31  But of him (God) are ye (believers) in Christ Jesus, who (Jesus) of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Reading our verses again:

Heb 10:1  For the law having a shadow of good things to come, 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.
Heb 10:2  For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
Heb 10:3  But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
Heb 10:4  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Heb 10:5  Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Heb 10:6  In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Heb 10:7  Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Heb 10:8  Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
Heb 10:9  Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
Heb 10:10  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Heb 10:11  And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
Heb 10:12  But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Heb 10:13  From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
Heb 10:14  For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.