The Bloody Sacrifice

I wrote this short essay for a man who wanted to know more about the atonement. Something that has always amazed me is the ultimate plan God had for redemption and atonement. The beauty that is in the OT sacrifices is unsurpassed, and the pictures of Christ Jesus are rich with meaning. I will post this article in two postings

Sacrifice Part I

Leviticus 17:11 says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” Scholars of ancient history would love to try to convince us that the bloody sacrifices of almost all ancient cultures was developed by their own imagination and traditions. Most assuredly, they are wrong. It is too much of a coincidence that almost every culture has required a blood sacrifice to “appease” their god(s). In reality, a quick overview of the Scripture would make it clear that the one true God who created the universe, Elohim, Jehovah, also created the idea of a blood soaked sacrifice. In the New Testament, God plainly states that “without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). The word remission could be understood in our culture. When I pay a bill, I insert my remittance fee into the envelope and send it to the power company. They remit the payment and it is applied to my bill. The spiritual idea of remission is that of the penalty for a sinful nature and life being paid. Another way to read this verse would then be, without the shedding of blood, their can be no payment for the penalty of sin. Throughout Biblical history, there has always been the presence of bloody sacrifices. What then is the purpose of these “horrible” practices? I think we can understand it better if we trace the idea of an innocent, bloody sacrifice back to its origins.

The Bible clearly teaches that God created this world and all that is in it. The account in Genesis details the loving care that God demonstrated when he “formed” man from the clay and “breathed” into his nostrils his very own breath. At that point, man became a living soul. The care that the loving creator took to willfully form man and instill in him life is like none other of his creations. In fact, it was not until after he created man and woman that He declared his creation “very good.” God placed Adam into the Garden of Eden and gave him authority over all of God’s creation. Eve was to be his suitable-help in this regard. More than likely, the relationship that Adam, Eve, and God had was unlike any other. Chapter 3 verse 8 of Genesis indicates that God “walked in the cool of the day” to commune with Adam. This is probably referring to an evening time of fellowship that Adam, Eve, and God shared. Just imagine being the only humans on the earth; and God having a direct, audible relationship with you. What an experience! God had created Adam for fellowship, but he had put a test in the Garden. He gave one command to the pair. Out of God’s abundant mercy and love, He opened up the entire plant kingdom for food except for one tree. God had commanded that they were not to eat of this one tree. Directed by the temptation of the “Serpent,” Adam and Eve willfully disobeyed God’s one command. Immediately the veil fell. Genesis 2:25 makes an interesting statement about Adam’s and Eve’s clothing before the fateful day when they disobeyed God. It says they were naked and not ashamed. In chapter 3:7, the Bible says that the first thing that Adam and Eve noticed when they ate the fruit was their nakedness. It is natural today for us to feel shame over nakedness. If you were to read the journals of those who endured the holocaust during World War II, you would notice that many references were made to men, women, boys, and girls standing naked in line for the death camps. Even though there were horrible things happening at that time, one of the things universally mentioned is the embarrassment of standing naked for all to see. Most of us have had that dream where you stand in class naked and everyone is laughing and pointing. Canaan, the grandson of Noah was cursed because he looked on his father’s nakedness. To be naked is to be ashamed, to feel guilt. As soon as Adam and Eve realized their nakedness, they industriously sewed fig leaves together and made coverings to hide their nakedness and shame. Ever since that time, mankind has tried to cover up the shame that accompanies sin and disobedience. In addition, the question has always been, “How do we deal with the guilt and shame?” Adam and Eve’s attempt to deal with their guilt and shame was to cover themselves up. Oh, how their attitude changed when they heard God in the cool of evening calling out for them. They did the next normal thing; they hid. When God approached them about their hiding, their answer was that they were afraid because they were naked. Nothing had changed physically; they simply were now ashamed of their nakedness or openness. God could not, and would not, overlook their sin; He accurately judged each individual sin and drove them from the Garden. Nevertheless, he made a covenant with Adam and Eve. He promised that a descendent from Eve would be bruised on the heel by the “Serpent,” but that descendent would bruise the head of the “Serpent” (Genesis 3:15). Of course, the serpent was Satan, the deceiver. God then sealed His promise to these first humans with the very first sacrifice. An innocent animal was killed by God to cover the nakedness (shame, guilt) of Adam and Eve. Why did God make coats of skins for the two? Why would the hand-made plant coats not do? I believe there are a several reasons God chose to clothe them with coats of skin.
1. God instituted the first killing of an innocent to atone for the guilty.
2. Since disobedience to God caused the shame and guilt of sin (nakedness), only a
work of God could cover that up.
3. God was prophesying of the descendent who would be innocent, but who would
bruise Satan’s head.
4. “Without shedding of blood is no remission.” Sin was so grievous in the eyes of
God, that only the death of innocent life and shed blood could cover the guilt and
shame of sin to reconcile Adam and Eve back to God.

This very first sacrifice instituted by God, covered the shame and guilt of sin. God had to institute it and God had to handle the issue of sin.

If we move a little further on in Biblical history, we come to another important sacrifice. God chose the man Abraham to be the father of the Jewish people. He specifically told Abraham and his wife, Sarah, that through the both of them, He would create a great nation who would have a descendent that would bless the world (Genesis 15:17-22). Abraham and Sarah were getting on in years and were still childless together. When Abraham was one hundred years old and Sarah was ninety, God gave them a child and his name was Isaac. Abraham loved Isaac; after all, he was the child of promise. In Genesis 22, we see the God desired to test Abraham’s complete faith in God’s Word. He told Abraham to take his only son Isaac and sacrifice him on the mountain Moriah. It is important to understand this is the only case in all of recorded Biblical history that such a command was given, and it is clear that this was a test. Abraham immediately obeyed God and rose up early in the morning to fulfill his Lord’s command. Abraham took some servants, wood, fire, and his only beloved son Isaac and began his dismal journey. I can only imagine what was going through Abraham’s mind on this trek. In Genesis 22:6, Abraham and Isaac leave the servants, and young Isaac takes the wood while his father brings his knife and fire. I wonder if Abraham did not finger that knife while his heart rent over what he was about to do. I imagine the journey was a quiet one until Isaac spoke up, “My father, Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” How is Abraham supposed to respond to that question? He responded as only a man of faith would, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” Of course Isaac had no idea he was that “lamb.” I believe that Abraham had every intention of killing his son that day, for the Bible says that Abraham built a stone altar, put the wood under the altar, tied Isaac up, and placed him on the altar. In my mind’s eye, I can hear the iron knife as it slides from its leather sheath. As he leans over to slit his son’s throat, maybe a tear falls from his eye. Just as he is ready to complete the job and spill the blood, the angel of the Lord calls out, “Abraham, Abraham!” I imagine the knife clattered on the rocks as Abraham breathes out “Here am I!” God told Abraham not to kill his son; he had passed the test. Obedience to God was more important to Abraham than his most prized love, his son. Abraham’s attention was then directed to a bramble. In the thicket was a ram caught by his horns. Abraham approached the animal and offered it “in the stead of his son.” Abraham praised God and called that place Jehovah-Jireh, “The Lord will see to it (a sacrifice)” (Genesis 22:1-14). It is necessary that we do not focus on Abraham for he is not the main player in this account. Isaac is not the pivotal character in the plot. The most important character is the ram that was substituted for Isaac. Notice a few things about the ram.
1. It was innocent; there was nothing that animal did to deserve to die.
2. It was perfect. The ram was caught in the thicket by the horns. The thorns did
not tear it up.
3. It was offered in the place of the son of Abraham. God accepted a substitute.
WhatAbraham had told his son was true, “God would provide himself a lamb.
In order for Abraham to have fellowship with God, a sacrifice must have been made.
Abraham’s first intention was his own son, but God substituted an innocent lamb in
Isaac’s place. Abraham and God could have fellowship because of the substitutionary
death of the sacrifice.