Hebrews 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.

I left off yesterday saying that the law is a mirror to show us what we are, sinners. This prescription of sacrifices made under the Levitical law is a foreshadowing of things to come and not the express image of that thing itself, tells us that this also is an image of things to come.

Exodus 30:10 And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the Lord.

This atonement is upon the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant, once a year, blood for the sin offering. Aaron the first high priest, the first to receive instructions for the atonement of sin for the nation. He is a foreshadowing image of another high priest.

Hebrews 8:1-2 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

Hebrews 9:11-12 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Genesis 2:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

For decades preachers and teachers told me that the flaming sword was keeping us from God.

Genesis 4:6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

If that is true, then how did the Lord speak to Cain about his feelings of rejection? The first words recorded to have been spoken to sons of man were in connection to sacrifices.

As we go on with this study on God’s plan to remove the obstacle of sin in our relationship with God it is important to consider first occurrences as important messages in that plan. Just as we learn a new language, this faith language, the basics are covered first. Just as we teach our children to say mommy or daddy in recognition of relationship, these first lessons are important.

As we move on in greater detail about God’s plan, sacrifice is going to be a recurring theme, and it is one of our earliest lessons given to us in this plan. The issues of sacrifices are not always simple. While I want to break down these issues to the bare essentials for easy consumption, I cannot cover all the aspects in one devotional.

God’s prescription for sacrifices is recorded in the Levitical laws. Sacrifices were performed in Genesis but it was not until the Levitical laws were given that those sacrifices were tied to the covenant promises of God. That is an important distinction.

Romans 7:7b Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

The law is a mirror to show us we are sinful.