Matthew Poole and continuators on Hebrews 10:1

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 commers thereunto perfect:

This For is connecting this to the fore-going Discourse, and is a further Improvement of the Argument laid down, ch. 9. proving the Necessity and Excellency of the one Sacrifice offered by Christ for Sinners unto God, from the weakness of all the legal ones. For if all the multitude of them were not able to take away Sins, and Christ's one Offering is mighty to abolish them, and to perfect all who use it, then not these legal ones, but his is necessary to be valued by the Hebrews, and preferred to that end; the Demonstration of which takes up from v. 1, to 19. of this Chapter.

The whole Mosaical Oeconomy given from God to Israel by him in the Wilderness of Sina; Priesthood, Covenant, Sacrifices and Services, which that did contain.

Chap. 8.5. A shadow is lower than an Image, and of another kind from the reality or Substance; a dark, obscure representation of what was to fulfil them, viz. of Christ, with all his Ministry and Priviledges attending his Covenant, both for Time and Eternity; this the Mosaical Law-real comprehended, but all in Shadow-work.

They are not the very Essence and Substance themselves of those things, the Pattern, or real Samplar, but a shadowy Representation; they lead their Users to Christ and his matters, which they represented, but were not the substantial good things themselves. So Image is read, 1 Cor. 15.49. we have carried the Image of the earthly Adam, that is, his Nature,

The legal Sacrifices are not only impotent in respect of their Constitution, but of their very Nature, being only Shadows, so as they cannot render a Soul compleat, either in respect of Justification or Sanctification, it could not free any either from the Guilt or Punishment of Sin at present, much less eternally, with all the Renovation of them either on the Day of Atonement yearly, or those daily offered by them, tho they should continue to be offered for ever, yet could they not perfect either the Priests ministring, or those for whom they ministred, who were externally humbling themselves on the Expiation-day. They being designed only to point the People to this better Sacrifice of Christ, which was to perfect them, that Work being so noble, and above the power of Shadows to perform.