The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. [Hebrews 10:1 NLT]
Shadows are two dimensional in nature. They give us an idea about what we are looking at but not a complete picture. And, depending on the position of the light source, shadows can misrepresent the image that is projected. Such is some of the imagery in the scriptures.
Scriptural passages are sometimes skewed by cultural shadows that falsely envision God as a wrathful and avenging warrior. The ministry and teachings of Jesus shone a bright light on such shadows. In Christ we understand that we no longer need to rely on shadowy images of God.
In writing to the Colossians Paul tells us that Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. And earlier in this letter the writer tells us that Jesus is the exact representation of the Father. In reading these verses we understand that we no longer need to rely on shadowy depictions of God.
Help us Lord to reject shadowy images of you and embrace the reality of Christ.
... this devotion is part of a series from the book of Hebrews.
Amen Bob.
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