Sacrifices: Moses rewinds to the time before the tabernacle completion and the glory of God filling it (9:23), the time when the LORD gave instructions for the sacrifices (7:37-38). These provided the way for Israel to commune with the holy God who required that sinners come with a sacrifice. Thus, all the offerings upheld the holiness of the LORD. In His presence, either the sinner died or the sacrifice died in his place even as it was seen with the fire that consumed the sacrifices then later the priests who dishonored His holy majesty (9:24-10:2). Both the annual (16:34) and the everyday sacrifices (Ex. 29:38-39) looked ahead to Jesus’ one-for-all efficacious sacrifice for sin.[1]

Shadow: The sacrifices were “only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things” (Heb. 10:1). Like the shadow, the dark silhouette similar in shape to the actual object but not the object itself, the OT sacrifices revealed aspects of Christ in His atoning sacrifice for His people. Even as the sacrifices were occasioned by our consciousness of separation from God arising from our sin, so Jesus came to address the root problem of sin (Matt. 1:21; John 1:29). The costly and clean animals were the only symbolic sacrifices the Father would allow to signify His beloved and holy Son. The sacrifices also portrayed atonement for sin, the reconciliation with God which Jesus accomplished through His death (Col. 1:21-22). The hand on the head of the animal meant substitution like Jesus for sinners (1 Cor. 15:3; 1 Pet. 3:18). Finally, the soothing aroma captured the propitiation of the wrath of God through Jesus’ sacrifice (Eph. 5:2; 1 John 4:10). Hallelujah, what a Savior!

[1] Heb. 10:11-18 contrasts the once for all sacrifice of Jesus with the continual sacrifices of the OT, both the annual (10:1) and daily (10:11). Jesus’ sacrifice gave the right to approach the LORD with confidence (10:19).