“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11 NKJV). In the history of God’s people, from the sacrifice of Abel through the commanded sacrifices of the Law of Moses and up to the death of Christ, have you ever wondered about the amount of blood that was shed from animal sacrifices for sin? Just how many gallons were poured out for atonement? It is incalculable. The writer of Hebrews stated, “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). Yet, he continued, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). Though all of that blood was shed, still, it could not offer forgiveness.
All that shed blood prefigured the ultimate sacrifice that would be made by Christ when He died on the cross. If Jesus Christ had not lived a sinless life, and if He had not shed His blood as He did on the cross, we would still be in our sins. In addition, all who preceded us and all who may follow us would remain in their sins. This was the plan of God before anything was made, before we were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27; Ephesians 1:4). All that animal blood foreshadowed what Christ would be and do for us. “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Animal sacrifices were to be the best, with no imperfections, since they foreshadowed the Son of God, Who was the ultimate sacrifice necessary for sins to be forgiven. This is why God was upset with what those Israelites who returned from captivity were doing, offering the blind, lame and the sick (Malachi 1:8). Not even a governor would be happy with such being given to him, and certainly, the Lord God reflected on their attitude toward Him. The sacrificial system pointed to God’s only Son, Jesus Christ, who become flesh and blood, which blood was poured out for all people of all time. Christ came in the fulness of time (Galatians 4:4-5), providing redemption through His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).
For people to say or to imply that sin is no big deal is to impugn God, who conceived and carried out this plan, the only plan, for our cleansing. It impugns all those who came before us who offered those animal sacrifices in faith of what Christ would do. It impugns the Son of God, Who became human in submission to the will of God, which meant dying as a sacrifice for us so we could be free from the consequences of sin (Philippians 2:8-11).
Were all those animals that were slaughtered and whose blood was poured out at the altar in the patriarchal and Mosaic dispensations really necessary? Absolutely! Why? Because they all dealt with sin, and for sin to be forgiven they had to be sacrificed; they were necessary because of the problem of sin that has plagued humanity since the Garden of Eden. They were a constant part of one’s relationship with God because sin was a constant part of human existence. The animals were sinless, since they were incapable of sinning – having no consciousness of sin. They pointed to the greater sacrifice, the perfect sacrifice, Who enables souls to receive God’s forgiveness. Only Christ was tempted to sin but chose not to sin. What a great sacrifice His was, and how great should He be to us. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
