Looking For Shadows

Introduction

Good morning once again. Turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 10. We will be zooming in on verses 1 through 18 today.

When a person receives a presidential pardon, all of their crimes are forgiven... but it is insufficient for any crimes that they commit in the future. 

The History Channel’s website states: The American president has the ability to circumvent the justice system by issuing official pardons to anyone of his choosing. Unlike most executive powers, the authority to grant clemency is unchecked by Congress and cannot be reviewed, blocked or overturned. This lack of oversight has made the pardon one of the most controversial presidential powers, but in some instances the act of pardoning has helped ease tensions, heal political wounds and even right historic wrongs. 

From Mr. Lincoln’s Whitehouse.org

**Mr. Lincoln’s Office: Pardons & Clemency**

Because the President was considered a compassionate man, many requests for pardons and deferrals of executions came to him. During his presidency, he reviewed over 1600 cases of military justice. Mr. Lincoln called many cases of military cowardice his “leg cases” because “if Almighty God gives a man a cowardly pair of legs how can he help their running away with him?” When in doubt, President Lincoln tended to delay his decision on such cases: “I must put this by until I can settle in my mind whether this soldier can better serve the country dead than living.” David R. Locke, a journalist and humorist observed: “No man on earth hated blood as Lincoln did, and he seized eagerly upon any excuse to pardon a man when the charge could possibly justify it. The generals always wanted an execution carried out before it could possibly be brought before the President.” House Speaker Schuyler Colfax reported the innovative way in which the President met the conflicting needs of army discipline and human compassion:

Let me give another anecdote bearing on the same subject. A Congressman went up to the White House one morning on business, and saw in the anteroom, always crowded with people in those days, an old man, crouched all alone in a corner, crying as if his heart would break. As such a sight was by no means uncommon, the Congressman passed into the President’s room, transacted his business, and went away. The next morning he was obliged again to go to the White house, and he saw the same old man crying, as before, in the corner. He stopped, and said to him, ‘What’s the matter with you, old man?’ The old man told him the story of his son; that he was a soldier in the Army of the James – General Butler’s army – that he had been convicted by a court-martial of an outrageous crime and sentenced to be shot next week; and that his Congressman was so convinced of the convicted man’s guilt that he would not intervene. ‘Well,’ said Mr. Alley, ‘I will take you into the Executive Chamber after I have finished my business, and you can tell Mr. Lincoln all about it. On being introduced into Mr. Lincoln’s presence, he was accosted with, ‘Well, my old friend, what can I do for you to-day?’ The old man then repeated to Mr. Lincoln what he had already told the Congressman in the anteroom. A cloud of sorrow came over the President’s face as he replied, ‘I am sorry to say I can do nothing for you. Listen to this telegram received from General Butler yesterday: ‘President Lincoln, I pray you not to interfere with the courts-martial of the army. You will destroy all discipline among our soldiers.’ – B.F. Butler.”

Every word of this dispatch seemed like the death-knell of despair to the old man’s newly awakened hopes. Mr. Lincoln watched his grief for a minute, and then exclaimed, ‘by jingo, Butler or not Butler, here goes!’ Writing a few words and handing them to the old man. The confidence created by Mr. Lincoln’s words broke down when he read – ‘Job Smith is not to be shot until further orders from me. – ABRAHAM LINCOLN.’

‘Why,’ said the old man, ‘I thought it was to be a pardon; but you say, ‘not to be shot till further orders,’ and you may order him to be shot next week.’ Mr. Lincoln smiled at the old man’s fears, and replied, ‘Well, my old friend, I see you are not very well acquainted with me. If your son never looks on death till further orders come from me to shoot him, he will live to be a great deal older than Methuselah.’ 1

In the presidential pardon we see a human action done to prevent someone for being penalized for a crime they likely have committed. The issue therein, is that it could potentially be argued that it was based on some kind of backroom dealing or the like. People still don’t trust it. Further, the pardoned individual will face prosecution for any further crimes they commit. The pardon is only valid on past crimes. If they commit more crimes, they would need pardoned again. 

In the Old Testament, under the Old Covenant and sacrificial system we see that priests would present the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement year after year. It would have to be continually done because it was insufficient to cover all sin.

As we read [[Hebrews]] 10:1-18, you should see that God provided a shadow of good things to come, that Jesus came to do the will of God, and that there was only one sacrifice that was sufficient. 

Let’s read:

Hebrews 10:1–18 (ESV)

1 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.

2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?

3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.

4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;

6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.

7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ”

8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law),

9 then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second.

10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,

13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.

14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,”

17 then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

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This is the Word of the Lord. Let's pray and ask Him to make us undersand and know how to apply it.

PRAY

What is this shadow of good things that is spoken of in verse 1?

I. The shadow of good things.

The Law contained a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of their realities.

The sacrificial system foreshadowed Jesus' coming. 

The word shadow here gives the idea, not of an exact representation but of a foreshadowing. 

Foreshadowing: to represent, indicate, or typify beforehand, Foreshadowing is a literary term that occurs when an author provides hints or clues for future plot events.

The word used for form is eikon “the very image”

- an exact replica

- a manifestation of the reality itself

- Paul, in the NT, repeatedly refers to Christ as the eikon of God

- 2 Cor. 4:4

2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV

4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

- Col. 1:15

Colossians 1:15 ESV

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

- Believers should be conformed to the image of the Son of God

- Rom 8:29

Romans 8:29 ESV

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

- 2 Cor. 3:18

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

- Col. 3:10

Colossians 3:10 ESV

10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

But what he is talking about here is a shadow and he is clear that he’s not taking about the eikon or exact representation. This instead is a shadow instead of “the true form of these realities.”

Example: When you are reading a good book or a watching a movie, there will often be clues along the way to what is coming. It’s not a complete revealing of what is coming but there are little pointers that clue you in on what is going to happen later on in the story.r It’s foreshadowing.

Foreshadowing:

Christ and his new order are the perfect reality to which the earlier ordinances pointed forward to

The author wants his audience to understand that these good things that were to come, have now come and so they should hold firm to them and draw close to God.

This old order, as a shadow could never bring those who participated in it into a state of perfection. They continually had to offer the sacrifices and offerings.

The Day of Atonement was an annual reminder of sins. In the new covenant God promises to never again remember the sins of His people. The yearly reminder of sins, according to F.F. Bruce, is more than a calling to mind of the sins, but requires some form of action. It may involve repentance of the sin or persistence in them. That is on the part of man.

The remembrance of sins in the sight of God involves Him taking appropriate action, either pardon or retribution.

To the writer of Hebrews there is a great contrast between the economy of the old covenant and the new covenant where instead of a constant reminder of the failures and sin, there is God’s promise to his people that He will remember their sins no longer! This is HUGE. Instead of the annual reminder of the Day of Atonement, there is a constant reminder of Jesus who paid them once and for all.

Friends there is a difference between our humble and contrite confession of our sin to God and being someone who morbidly dwell son their sins already confessed and forgiven.

Romans 8:15 ESV

15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

As long as the people’s ideas about God and sacrifice were tied up in the old covenant way of thinking, they would continue in spiritual imperfection. 

“Moral defilement cannot be removed by material means.” - F. F. Bruce

Psalm 51:10 ESV

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

The Law cannot perfect believers. But thanks be to God, Jesus came, following the plan of God.

Let us now turn our attention to Jesus following the plan.

II. Following the plan

Jesus came to do the will of God.

- God did not desire sacrifices

- God’s will was that we be sanctified.

Psalm 40:6–8 ESV

6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. 7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: 8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

God desires our wholehearted obedience. This is the sacrifice He wants. It was this sacrifice that He received perfectly from Jesus, His Son when He came in the flesh into this world.

Jesus was perfectly obedient on our behalf. He fulfilled the law and was the perfection that we could not be on our own.

And it is by his fulfilling the will of God to the uttermost that he has "sanctified" his people and provided that which was unattainable on the basis of the ancient sacrifices. His fulfillment of God's will to the uttermost involved the "offering" once for all of his body—that body, prepared for him at his incarnation. “It is the Atonement which explains the Incarnation: the Incarnation takes place in order that the sin of the world may be put away by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ.”

Jesus was yielded to God in an obedience which was maintained even to death.

The sanctification His people receive is their cleansing from sin and being made fit for the presence of God so that they can offer him acceptable worship. 

Sanctification

- Luther says because of faith, we,

“ ...freely, willingly, and joyfully do good to everyone, serve everyone, suffer all kinds of things, love and praise the God who has shown us such grace. Thus it is as impossible to separate faith and works as it is to separate heat and light from fire!” - Martin Luther

- Faith leads us to to be declared righteous in God’s sight and also results in our sanctification. This is the inward transformation we experience from the point of our conversion on. 

- Two ways in which Scripture speaks of sanctification.

- The reality of positional or declarative sanctification. When we trust in Christ alone for salvation, we are definitively set apart as God’s holy people, our Creator’s special possession. We are holy in God’s sighted are forever marked as His. 

- Scripture also teaches that until we are glorified, we are often unholy in practice. So, God’s Word calls us to engage with the Lord in the process of sanctification wherein we more and more die to self and live unto Christ, seeking to obey Him in all things. Because we have been marked out as holy, we are commanded to be holy, to become in our experience what we are already in God’s sight.

- Faith is no less essential for our sanctification than it is for our justification. We must believe God to bear fruit. He asks us to do things that many times seem strange from an earthly perspective.

@RichStearns wrote this on social media some years ago:

Once you’ve signed up for Christ’s mission, everything else becomes a question of “does this help me get there?”

III. No other sacrifice needed

 There is no need for any other work to be done for salvation.

No other sacrifice.

F. F. Bruce writes this was, “A sacrifice not of a passive animal who is sacrificed but of a rational and spiritual being that in dying makes the will of God its own. “

J. Denny writes in the Death of Christ,

“The Aaronic priests never sat down in the sanctuary: they remained standing, through the whole performance of their sacred duties. In this our author sees a token of the fact that their sacred duties were never done, that their sacrifices always have to be repeated. But it was equally in keeping with the perfection of Christ's sacrifice himself that, when he had presented it to God, he sat down. No further sacrificial service can be required of the priest who appeared on earth in the fulness of time to put away sin and sanctify his people once for all. 

A seated priest is the guarantee of a finished work and an accepted sacrifice. 

And our high priest is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven as the mediator of these promises, this new covenant in His blood!”

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I read an illustration from a popular scholar from years back. He said, “I once shared a conference with a fine Christian psychiatrist whose lectures were very true to the Word. “The trouble with psychiatry,” he told me, “is that it can only deal with symptoms. A psychiatrist can remove a patient’s feelings of guilt, but he cannot remove the guilt. It’s like a trucker loosening a fender on his truck so he won’t hear the motor knock. A patient can end up feeling better, but have two problems instead of one!”

When a sinner trusts Christ, his sins are all forgiven, the guilt is gone, and the matter is completely settled - forever.”

Application/Conclusion:

So… what should we do about all of this? How might the original audience have responded and how should we respond?

- Number one, be thankful in Christ!

- See the law for what it is. Repent of revealed sin.

- Follow Jesus in doing the will of God. Where do we find this? The Word.

- Study and obey.

- Stop trying to be good enough and just trust the gospel and out of that gospel grace drenched heart obey.

- Take part in your sanctification process.

- The spiritual disciplines

- Worship corporately

- Worship privately

- Read, pray, fellowship, serve, meditate on the Word, evangelize

- Read great books on this like The Imperfect Disciple by Jared C. Wilson.

- Stop trying to earn your way to Heaven. Stop trying to earn Dad’s approval and trust that Jesus already accomplished everything necessary for salvation and eternal life on the cross. Live your life on that.

I started this message by telling a story about the presidential pardons of Abraham Lincoln.

A presidential pardon doesn't describe this well. A better illustration would be that the crime must be paid for. If Abraham Lincoln had instead of giving the old man a note of the pardon, had stepped in and offered up himself to be shot in punishment for the man's crime... that would be more accurate of a representation of the gospel. Jesus stepped in and took the judgment for our sin and it is finished.

Hebrews 10:18 ESV

18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

He put sin away. Have you trusted Him to put yours away?

Pray