Expensive

“Grace was free but it doesn't mean it was cheap. You were bought with a cost; that cost was the cross.” (Anonymous)

Why would God require innocent animals (in the Old Testament) to be sacrificed for something they never did? Animal sacrifice was a common practice within the context of the Ancient Near East, but its meaning within this biblical story is different from the volatile, angry gods of Israel’s neighbors. For the Israelites, cutting an animal’s throat and watching its blood (that is, its life) drain from its body was a primitive symbol of the devastating results of their sin and selfishness.

 Since it was humans who were responsible, why should those animals die for sinful people? “But think about this: while we were wasting our lives in sin, God revealed His powerful love to us in a tangible display. [Jesus] died for us.” (Romans 5:8, VOICE) Part of the reason that animals were sacrificed was to point out that sin hurts, and someone must pay. It takes blood. This is why the sacrifices had to be flawless. Exodus 12:5 (ERV) states: “The lamb must be a one-year-old male, and it must be completely healthy. This animal can be either a young sheep or a young goat.”

 The sacrifice of the perfect animal pointed forward in time to the faultless sacrifice that God would accept, once and for all time, of His Son, Jesus Christ. You cannot offer any sacrifice that God will accept. You can only trust in His Son alone. God loves us, and does not want to kill us so the animal’s life is symbolically offered as a ransom payment that would cover them. Ransom was later translated into old English as “atonement.”

 When Adam and Eve had to leave God’s presence in the Garden of Eden, it led to Babylon and Egypt with Pharaoh. When humans take control of God’s world and redefine good and evil on their own, His justice is the only appropriate response to this kind of uncontrollable destruction. Sin results in fractured relationships that lead to power struggles that lead to universal wickedness. All of this has a defiling result, not only on the wrongdoer, but the entire community.

The animal sacrifices covered sin, but had to be repeated because the people kept on sinning (as do we). This is radically different. Jesus takes sins away, and doesn’t just cover them. Jesus completely removes our sin so we can stand before God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ERV) says: “Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could be right with God.” We always knew a lot about sin. Jesus took our sins upon Himself at the cross so we wouldn’t have to pay for them ourselves. Just as God’s wrath passed over those in Egypt who had the lamb’s blood upon their door posts, so God’s wrath bypasses if we have trusted in Christ and His blood provided as our only way to Heaven.

“Commonplace in Greek and Roman cultures, animal sacrifice was done to appease the gods.” (Buzzle.com)[i]

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[i] Sources used:

·        “Animal Sacrifice? Really?” by Tim Mackie & Aeron Sullivan  

·        “Why did God require animal sacrifices in the Old Testament?” by Matt Slick

·        “Why Did God Require Animal Sacrifices?” by Jack Wellman

 

This topic was suggested by Laura Leitnick in our small group.