Animal sacrifice was a central part of worship in ancient Israel. The Old Testament describes numerous sacrifices mandated by God for different purposes. Understanding the meaning and significance of these sacrifices is important for properly understanding the Old Testament and God’s interactions with His people.
There are several reasons why God instituted animal sacrifice in the Old Testament:
1. Sacrifice was a form of worship and obedience
Bringing sacrifices was a tangible way for Israelites to honor God and obey His commands. God provided detailed instructions for various sacrifices, and sacrificing according to these guidelines was an act of submission and worship to God (Exodus 29:38-42). Making sacrifices was a way to draw near to God and show devotion to Him (Leviticus 1:2-3).
The sacrifice itself was not mechanistic or magical. The inner attitude and motivation mattered more than the outer ritual. Sacrifice provided a physical way to express devotion, gratitude, atonement and other worshipful attitudes toward God.
2. Sacrifices symbolized substitution and atonement
Sacrifices provided atonement for sins (Leviticus 4:35). The person laying hands on the animal (Leviticus 1:4) represented symbolic transference of guilt, and the animal bore the punishment in place of the guilty party. This symbolized substitutionary atonement – the animal took the place of the sinful person to make atonement for their sin.
The principle of substitutionary atonement is further developed in the New Testament, where Christ’s sacrificial death as the perfect Lamb of God accomplished complete atonement on behalf of sinners (Romans 3:25, Hebrews 9:11-14). The animal sacrifices symbolically prefigured this.
3. Sacrifices maintained holiness and cleanliness
The sacrificial system reminded Israelites of God’s absolute holiness and enabled them to be cleansed from impurities that prevented approaching God. Sacrifices for unintentional sins (Leviticus 4:2) and skin diseases (Leviticus 14:2) provided ritual purification and restored access to the sanctuary, God’s dwelling place. This taught the importance of moral and ceremonial purity in relating to a holy God.
4. Sacrifices accompanied covenants
Sacrificial animals were slaughtered at key covenantal events. During the inauguration of the Mosaic covenant God’s commitment was confirmed by sprinkling sacrificial blood on the altar and on the people (Exodus 24:4-8). Likewise, sacrifices accompanied the ratification of the renewed covenant under Joshua (Joshua 8:30-31). The blood pointed to the severe consequences of breaking the covenant oath.
5. Sacrifices were an external ritual expressing internal repentance and renewed commitment to God
The heart motivation behind sacrifices gave them meaning. Outward sacrifice was worthless without inward repentance and renewed devotion to walk in God’s ways (Psalm 40:6-8, 1 Samuel 15:22). Rather than meaningless ritual, proper sacrificing turned the worshiper’s heart back to God.
6. Sacrifices taught the costliness and consequences of sin
Seeing the animal slaughtered vividly displayed the wages of sin (Romans 6:23). The bloody scene reinforced the solemnity of God’s law and the purity He requires. Substitutionary atonement also graphically demonstrated the terrible cost of forgiving sins. Valuable animal lives were required to ransom the guilty. This served as a stark lesson about the devastating effects of sin.
7. Sacrifices symbolized complete submission and dedication to God
Burnt offerings, totally consumed on the altar, represented complete surrender to God. Using valuable domestic animals highlighted the costly nature of full devotion. Just as the animal was fully given to God and irrevocably relinquished, Israelites were to completely offer themselves in God’s service.
8. Sacrifices looked forward to Christ’s ultimate sacrifice
The entire sacrificial system was an external foreshadowing of Christ’s final, complete atoning sacrifice on the cross. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Just as the blood of animals could not actually remove sins (Hebrews 10:4), animal sacrifices pointed ahead to the saving work of the Messiah-Redeemer who was to come.
In summary, God incorporated blood sacrifice into Old Testament religion for these major reasons:
- As an external act of worship, obedience and submission to God
- To provide symbolic atonement and cleansing from impurities
- To ratify covenants
- To express repentance and renewed commitment to God
- To teach the gravity of sin and the cost of forgiveness
- To represent total dedication to God
- To foreshadow Christ’s perfect sacrifice
Rather than outdated rituals, the sacrificial system served significant theological purposes. Though no longer practiced, the principles behind these sacrifices remain relevant for understanding the human dilemma of sin, need for atonement, and God’s holiness and gracious provision. They culminate in the New Testament when Jesus Christ offered Himself as the once-for-all perfect sacrifice to deal with sin.
While the tangible practices are obsolete in the post-resurrection era, they served as “a shadow of the good things to come” (Hebrews 10:1) by looking ahead to the redemptive mission of the promised Messiah. Through the Messiah, a new covenant was established and the sacrificial system fulfilled (Luke 22:20). Jesus is the believers’ Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) and High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16) who offered Himself to make purification for sins (Hebrews 1:3).
The sacrificial system was an integral part of Israel’s life and worship, ordained by God to impress vital spiritual lessons. The sacrifices provided a means of dealing with sin until the coming of Christ, the Lamb of God, whose ultimate sacrifice accomplished redemption once for all. The animal sacrifices vividly displayed God’s holiness and abhorrence of sin while pointing forward to the Savior who would bear sin’s punishment in the place of sinners. In this way, the sacrifices served as a tutor (Galatians 3:24-26), vividly teaching Israel God’s righteousness until the coming of Jesus Christ who fulfilled God’s sacrificial provision in a final, supreme way.
