Why is it not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Hebrews 10:4)?

Hebrews 10:4 states, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” This verse raises an important theological question – if the Old Testament sacrificial system was ordained by God, why was it ultimately ineffective for fully dealing with sin?

To properly understand this issue, we need to explore the role and purpose of the Old Testament sacrificial system. God did institute the sacrificial system and it served several important functions:

• The sacrifices provided a way for people to show repentance and faith.
• They restored fellowship between God and man after it was broken by sin.
• They pictured the seriousness of sin and reminded people of the costliness of forgiveness.
• They pointed forward to Christ’s ultimate sacrifice which would definitively deal with sin.

So the Old Testament sacrifices were meaningful and served God’s purposes for that time. However, scripture makes clear they could not fully atone for sin. Hebrews 10:4 gives two main reasons:

1. Insufficiency of animal blood

Animals were not adequate substitutes for the sacrifice of a perfect human being. Though the animal sacrifices were commanded by God, he did not ultimately want these offerings (Hebrews 10:5-9; Psalm 40:6-8). Rather, God was pointing towards the day when Christ would come as the God-Man to offer himself. Being fully divine, Jesus was sinless and thus able to be the perfect sacrifice. Being fully human, he could serve as a substitute for the rest of mankind. So while God ordained the Old Testament system, it was intended to foreshadow Christ’s superior sacrifice, not fully deal with sin itself.

2. Ongoing sacrifices showed the imperfection of the system

The repetitious nature of the Old Testament sacrifices demonstrated they could not fully atone for sins (Hebrews 10:1-3). If they had perfectly dealt with sins, the sacrifices would not have needed to be offered over and over again. Their ongoing necessity showed the inadequacy of the sacrificial system. The writer of Hebrews argues this way to highlight the superiority of Christ’s sacrifice which was offered once-for-all time (Hebrews 9:24-10:18). It fully accomplished what the Old Testament sacrifices could not.

In summary, God ordained the sacrificial system for that time, but never intended animal blood to fully atone for sins. The sacrificial system pointed to humankind’s need for Christ’s supreme sacrifice. God used the inability of animal blood to cleanse sins to prepare his people for the arrival of Jesus Christ – the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

Below are some key supporting verses on this topic:

Hebrews 10:1-4 – Discusses how the repetitive nature of Old Testament sacrifices showed they could not perfect those who drew near.

Hebrews 9:11-15 – Contrasts the blood of goats and bulls with Christ’s own blood which cleanses the conscience and redeems from sin.

Hebrews 10:11-14 – Explains that while priests stood daily offering sacrifices that could never take away sins, Christ offered one sacrifice that perfected believers for all time.

Hebrews 7:27 – Notes that Christ offered himself once-for-all-time, something the daily Levitical priests could never do.

Hebrews 9:25-26 – Emphasizes that Christ’s single sacrifice replaced the need for repeated animal sacrifices.

In conclusion, though the Old Testament sacrifices were ordained by God, he intended them to foreshadow the coming of his Son. Animal blood could never fully atone for sins. The animal sacrifices pointed ahead to Christ’s complete sacrifice. He alone could offer himself as the perfect, final payment for sin. Through trusting in Christ, believers can have confidence their sins are fully forgiven.

In-depth Explanation

To fully grasp the meaning of Hebrews 10:4, it is important to understand the Old Testament sacrificial system that God instituted for Israel. Three main types of sacrifices were offered:

1. Burnt offerings

Burnt offerings (Leviticus 1) expressed complete dedication and consecration to the Lord. The entire animal was burnt up on the altar.

2. Grain offerings

Grain offerings (Leviticus 2) represented gratitude, dedication, and desire to strengthen the relationship between the worshipper and God. Grain offerings were presented along with burnt and peace offerings.

3. Peace offerings

Peace offerings (Leviticus 3) expressed thanksgiving and fellowship. Part of the animal was burnt on the altar, part went to the priest, and the rest was eaten by the worshipper in communion.

Two other sacrifices were also part of Israel’s religious system:

4. Sin offerings

Sin offerings (Leviticus 4:1-5:13) atoned for specific unintentional sins committed by individuals or the community. Hand laying symbolized transference of guilt, and blood was sprinkled on the horns of the altar.

5. Guilt offerings

Guilt offerings (Leviticus 5:14-6:7) made restitution for harms committed against the Lord or others. Restitution was made, plus one fifth was added.

This sacrificial system was ordained by God to deal with the reality of sin, rebellion, and guilt, providing a way for God to dwell among Israel. Sacrifices showed the high cost of forgiveness. They taught repentance, obedience, dedication to God, and reliance on his mercy. The blood sacrifices also pointed to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ which alone could fully deal with sin.

Several problems arose in Israel’s sacrificial system over time:

• People sometimes turned the sacrifices into empty ritual.
• Worshippers failed to repent and change their hearts.
• Sacrifices were offered without sincere devotion to God.
• People misunderstood the purpose of sacrifices, thinking they worked automatically.

The prophets rebuked Israel for these attitudes (1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 40:6; 51:16-17; Isaiah 1:11-17; Jeremiah 7:21-23; Hosea 6:6). This demonstrated the blood of goats and bulls could not truly cleanse human hearts and take away sins. Animal blood served as a powerful symbol, but could not provide full inner transformation.

Hebrews 10:4 succinctly states this: “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” The sacrificial system could not fully accomplish what was needed internally for the people of Israel. Several reasons explain this insufficiency:

1. Animal blood was inferior to human blood. The sacrificed animals were substitutes, but as creatures lower than humans, they could not fully represent people and be perfect replacements.
2. Animals were sacrificed against their will. They had no understanding or voluntary participation. In contrast, Jesus willingly gave himself (Hebrews 9:14).
3. The sacrifices needed to be repeated since they did not fully solve the problem of sin. Christ’s once-for-all-time sacrifice was fully sufficient (Hebrews 10:10).
4. The sacrifices only dealt with outward actions. Christ’s sacrifice cleansed the inner person (Hebrews 9:13-14).
5. Animal blood purified ceremonially and restored external fellowship with God. But Christ’s blood fully cleanses the conscience from sin (Hebrews 9:9, 14).
6. The sacrifices could not change human hearts without the internal work of the Holy Spirit.
7. Ultimately the sacrifices pointed to the need for Christ’s supreme sacrifice, which paid sin’s penalty fully.

In summary, the Old Testament sacrifices served a divinely ordained purpose at that time. Their blood prefigured Christ’s sacrifice. The inability of animal blood to take away sins or internally transform hearts pointed to humanity’s need for a greater salvation. Jesus Christ provided that through his perfect, once-for-all-time sacrifice, which fully accomplished forgiveness and cleansing from sin (Hebrews 10:1-18). By God’s grace through faith, his blood removes the stain of sin from human hearts, providing eternal redemption.

Implications

Recognizing that the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins has several vital implications:

1. It highlights the superiority and sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice. He alone was able to fully deal with sin and make people holy before God by the shedding of his blood (Hebrews 9:11-15, 24-28).
2. It makes clear that purification from sin requires the direct, supernatural working of God’s power. Mere ritual and sacrifice cannot fully cleanse people internally (Psalm 51:2, 7).
3. It reveals the temporary nature of the Old Covenant sacrificial system. God intended it to point ahead to the New Covenant in Christ and what he would accomplish (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
4. It emphasizes the vital need for heart repentance along with outward sacrifice and obedience. Without a transformed heart, the sacrifices become meaningless ritual (Psalm 51:16-17; Isaiah 1:10-17).
5. It highlights the deficiency of human solutions to deal with mankind’s broken relationship with God. Our sin problem requires God’s intervention through Christ (Romans 3:21-26).
6. It spurs gratitude for Christ’s sacrifice of himself out of love. By it we can be freed from guilt and made right with God (Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 1:7).
7. It motivates proclamation of the gospel which reveals Christ’s sacrifice for sins (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Peter 1:18-21).

In summary, Hebrews 10:4 reveals our helplessness to fix the root problem of sin through our own religious efforts. It points to our need to be cleansed by Christ’s blood through repentance and faith in what he accomplished by his death. This gracious, complete salvation is available to all who trust in him.

Objections

Some may object to Hebrews 10:4 saying animal sacrifices did effectively deal with sins based on verses like Leviticus 4:20:

Thus the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven.

Several responses can be given:

1. Yes, God decreed that following the sacrificial system provided ceremonial cleansing and outward restoration to the covenant community. But full internal cleansing required Christ’s sacrifice (Hebrews 10:2).
2. Forgiveness through these sacrifices was partial, offered in anticipation of Christ’s full atonement. Christ’s sacrifice made the animal sacrifices obsolete (Hebrews 8:13).
3. The repetitive nature of animal sacrifices showed they could not permanently deal with sins (Hebrews 10:1-4, 11).
4. Outward ritual without repentance meant the sacrifices became ineffective and displeasing to God (Psalm 40:6; Isaiah 1:10-17; Amos 5:21-24).
5. The New Testament makes clear the sacrificial system could not take away sins or make someone perfect (Hebrews 7:11, 19).

In conclusion, the Old Testament sacrifices had value for that time, but were intended to point to Christ’s complete sacrifice. He alone could fully pay the penalty for sins before God.

Others object that no blood is needed at all to deal with sins. However, the Bible teaches that full atonement and forgiveness requires the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22). The Old Testament sacrifices showed the costliness of forgiveness. Christ’s blood, willingly offered in love, provided the perfectly sufficient payment for the just demands of God’s law against sinners (Romans 3:25-26; 5:9).

Some also propose that sincerity or works or penance are enough to remove guilt. But Hebrews 10:4 reveals our actions cannot fully deal with sin and make us righteous before God. Our problem requires God’s merciful solution in Christ’s sacrificial death on our behalf (Romans 3:21-28; Hebrews 9:11-15).

Conclusion

Hebrews 10:4 highlights the inability of merely human religious efforts and even divinely ordained animal sacrifices to fully deal with the weighty problem of human sin. The sacrifices could ceremonies provide cleansing and partial restoration, but they could not fully resolve the internal spiritual dilemma. Hebrews 10:4 points to the need for the long-awaited sacrifice of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He alone could offer himself as the perfect, ultimate sacrifice to cleanse sinners and restore them to right fellowship with God. Trusting fully in what Christ accomplished through his death is the only way receive complete forgiveness and cleansing from sin which we all desperately need.