Letter to the Hebrews Volume 97

 All of the Hebrew/Jewish Animal Sacrifices were Inferior Part 1

Hebrews 10:1 For the Law which has a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the things, appearing year by year with the same sacrifices, which they offer continually, they are never able to perfect those drawing near. MKJV Note: MKJV=Modern King James Version

The Hebrew/Jewish people before the coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ lived under a legal system that demanded strict adherance to the Mosaic Law which included the Ten Commandments as well as all the rules of religious observance given in the first five books of the Old Testament (in Judaism these books are called the Torah). The writer of Hebrews here declares that all the observances and many animal sacrifices for sin were but a shadow of the good things that were to come during the Gospel of Grace reign following the death, buriel, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ back to heaven, as it is written here in the very first verse, "For the Law which has a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the things, appearing year by year with the same sacrifices, which they offer  continually, they are never able to perfect those drawing near." (Hebrews 10:1) (MKJV). The little English phrase 'a shadow' is translated by the Greek word skia meaning 'shade; or a shadow (literally or figuratively [darkness of error or an adumbration, that is, the act of providing vague advance indications; representing beforehand and a sketchy, imperfect or faint representation]): - shadow. In other words, God the Father knew that it would take many centuries to prepare His people the Hebrew people and the rest of the Gentile world for the era or reign of the Gospel dispensation, therefore, He knew that what they needed during that waiting period was a regimented or organized or strictly controlled set of patterns, procedures, and practices that were to be kept to the letter because there would be no grace upon or in the hearts of sinful men and women during that period of time, again as it is written for us by the Apostle Paul with these words, "So that the Law has become a trainer of us until Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But faith coming, we are no longer under a trainer." (Galatians 3:24-25) (MKJV). The Law was then for the Hebrew people and now Hebrew and Gentiles alike a trainer, a testament, or a teacher that always and at all times rendered evidence that it could not be kept by any person Hebrew or Gentile, therefore, we see that this was done by God the Father to show all humanity how deficient, debased, and depraved each and every one of us in the human family truly are and that we need something (grace) and Someone (Jesus Christ) to stand up for us (1 John 2:1) and make us acceptable to God the Father which none can do without grace and without the Dispenser of grace Christ Jesus our Lord. When the writer declares these words, 'they are never able to perfect those drawing near', he means that all of those who worshipped God under the Mosaic dispensation with all their animal sacrifices were never able to clear, clean, or cleanse the conscience of shame, that is, the painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt of their sin, but the Blood of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ can wipe away all shame and remove the guilt from our conscience when we flunk, fall, and fail in sin and weakness during our sojourn on the earth, as we are reminded by the words of the Apostle John, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us." (1 John 1:8-10) (MKJV).

Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of Hebrews 10:1, "That is, the whole of the Mosaic economy was a shadow; for so the word 'Law' is often used. The word 'shadow' here refers to a rough outline of anything, a mere sketch, such as a carpenter draws with a piece of chalk, or such as an artist delineates when he is about to make a picture. He sketches an outline of the object which he designs to draw, which has 'some' resemblance to it, but is not the 'very image;' for it is not yet complete. The words rendered 'the very image' refer to a painting or statue which is finished, where every part is an exact copy of the original. The 'good things to come' here refer to the future blessings which would be conferred on man by the Gospel. The idea is, that under the ancient sacrifices there was an imperfect representation; a dim outline of the blessings which the Gospel would impart to people. They were a typical representation; they were not such that it could be pretended that they would answer the purpose of the things themselves which they were to represent, and would make those who offered them perfect. Such a rude outline; such a mere sketch, or imperfect delineation, could no more answer the purpose of saving the soul than the rough sketch which an architect makes would answer the purpose of a house, or than the first outline which a painter draws would answer the purpose of a perfect and finished portrait. All that could be done by either would be to convey some distant and obscure idea of what the house or the picture might be, and this was all that was done by the Law of Moses. The sacrifices here particularly referred to were those which were offered on the great day of atonement. These were regarded as the most sacred and efficacious of all, and yet the Apostle says that the very fact that they were offered every year showed that there must be some deficiency about them, or they would have ceased to be offered. They could not free them from the stains of guilt; they could not give ease to a troubled conscience; there was in them no efficacy by which sin could be put away."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…