Week 2—Monday Hebrews 7:18-19
Week 2—MONDAY
“THE LAW CONTAINS BUT A SHADOW”
We ended yesterday on the attempt to reach God by moralism, by the Law. The inadequacy, even bankruptcy, of this method is expressed in the Epistle to the Hebrews:
For the Law contains but a shadow, and no true image, of the good things which were to come; it provides for the same sacrifices year after year, and with these it can never bring the worshipers to perfection for all time. . . . That is why, at his coming into the world, he [Christ] says:
“Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire,
but thou hast prepared a body for me.
Whole-offerings and sin-offerings thou didst not delight in.
Then I said, ‘Here am I: as it is written of me in the scroll,
I have come, O God, to do Thy will.’” (10:1, 5-7, NEB)
“The Law contains but a shadow, and no true image.” It was the Word become word, hence, a shadow and no true image. Then it follows that if the Law is but a shadow, all discussion and argument about the Law are but shadow-boxing. And all preaching of moralism to whip up the will to do good and to be good is but shadow-preaching. It ends in futility.
When sacrificers of animals and products of nature were at the end of their rope—God did not “desire” them—and when all human endeavor to gain salvation by offering our moral acts and good deeds fell short—for God did not “desire” them—then the Unexpected happened: “But thou hast prepared a body for me”—the Word became flesh. “Here am I . . . I have come, O God, to do Thy will”—the will of God became a Person—embodi ed in that Person it was the Will become flesh.
This was the Substance—all else is but “shadow.” So the Substance superseded all shadow manifestations. It now holds the field as the only real way of Revelation, that way—the word became flesh.
Dear God and Father, we see clearly now that only as you came to us, could we find you and know you. Now we know you and find you in available form—find you in the God-Man. And what a find! Our hearts sing with gratitude. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: My body is at your disposal to reveal your will.