Continuing with my notes on sermons, I loved this one that connected the shadows mentioned in the Bible. I am using as a basis another sermon by awesome Steve Gwilt. I love it when the sun is out on a walk with my grandkids and I can point out their shadow and they can play trying to get away from it or making shadow puppets. But shadows are temporary and this verse reminds us that our life on earth is short, like a shadow.Steve's research pointed out that shadows can also represent things to come. Colossians 2:17 "These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." Sacrifices were a shadow of Jesus's ultimate sacrifice (Hebrews 9:23-26). Mana was a shadow of Jesus, the bread of life. The law, an eye for an eye, was replaced with vengeance is in God's hands (Romans 12:19). The tabernacle was a shadow of heavenly things. (Hebrews 8:5). The tree of life is in Geniuses and in Revelations. God's shadows are deliberate. "God's plan is like a tapestry--we see the back side. It doesn't make much sense to us. When we see if from the other side of death, we will be in awe." This life is the shadow.
Other shadows in the Bible are the familiar, valley of the shadow of death in the 23rd Psalms and there is also longing for evening shadows in Job 7:2.
My favorite mention of shadows in the Bible is the as God our protector under the shadow of his wings, (Psalm 91:4 and Psalm 17:8), made popular by the beautiful song. The important thing to remember here, in order to be under the shadow of his wings, you need to be close to God to begin with. My take away from this: to be in the protection of the shadow of God's wings, you need to be close and follow the Son.
I found that the dictionary says a shadow is the interception of rays from a source of light. For a Christian, the source of light makes all the difference in the shadow that is cast. What kind of a shadow are you casting? Are you showing God's love by taking others under the shadow of your wings?
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