Tuesday 27 January 2009
- Bible Book:
- Hebrews
"Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who approach." (v.1)
Background
One way of reading the New Testament is to place the Jewish lawas the 'bad guy' and God's grace (as shown through Jesus Christ) asthe 'good guy'. If we read the system of Jewish law as a waytoearn justification and salvation, thenaccording to the writing of Paul throughout the New Testament, wecan be rightly critical of it. However, the writer of the Hebrewsdescribes the Jewish law as "only a shadow of good things tocome".
It seems that the Jewish law - the Old Covenant - was just not aseffective as the New Covenant in the cleansing from sin. The lawpointed to and foreshadowed a time when the restoration ofconsciences would be a reality. The old sacrifices needed to bedone time after time after time whereas Jesus' sacrifice was onceand for all. The old ways were not wrong, as such, but they lackedthe power to deal with the problem. What they did do was point to atime when there would be sufficient power to deal with the heart ofthe human problem - the problem of the human heart.
This passage contains a quote from
God's gift of salvation through Jesus has made perfect this law anda fitting response is holy behaviour from the receiver of suchgrace. This is very different from the old way of the Jewish lawyou may say. But before we become content with this, let usconsider an alternative view. God took the initiative by making acovenant with Israel. God's grace came first and the people keptthe law out of gratitude. Some things don't change but they justget better!
To Ponder
Examine how thankful you really are for being thereceiver of grace.
Reflect on how the Jewish law has been fulfilledin the coming of Christ.