Reason for law in OT

[lostinthought]

Hello All!
I have a question that I hope someone can help me with.  I will be attending college this fall and would like to be prepared to witness to anyone.

Why was the OT law of animal sacrifices (and the law in general) instituted in the first place?  

I have read and been taught that Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice that forgives all of our sins and we are justified in faith in him.  Since this is true, then why was an elaborate system of sacrifices established when Jesus was going to come along and make it unnecessary?
 
Specific verses would be very helpful.

Thanks and keep the faith,
Jeremy

[BigD]

Hello All!
I have a question that I hope someone can help me with.  I will be attending college this fall and would like to be prepared to witness to anyone.

Why was the OT law of animal sacrifices (and the law in general) instituted in the first place?  

I have read and been taught that Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice that forgives all of our sins and we are justified in faith in him.  Since this is true, then why was an elaborate system of sacrifices established when Jesus was going to come along and make it unnecessary?
 
Specific verses would be very helpful.

Thanks and keep the faith,
Jeremy

BigD responds:
Good question.

Romans 3:20 "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the deeds of the law is the knowledge of sin.

Hebrews 10:1 "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
2 For then would thay not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
3 But in thise sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

After the Law was fulfilled by Christ and annuled, we NOW live by the following.

Colossians 2:16 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respenct of an holyday, or of the new moon or the sabbath days.

17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Hope this is what you were looking for and is helpful.

Enjoy your college years.

God Bless.
Live Well, Laugh Often and Love The Lord!

[ollie]

May I suggest a study of the book in the New Testament section of the Bible called Hebrews. Especially chapters eight and nine.

Ollie

[ravenloche]

the law was established to teach us (show us) those things
that were displeasing to YHVH.

The blood sacrifices were established as a forshadowing of
the pure sacrifice of Yehsua ha Machiach.(Jesus the messiah).

respectfully yours in Yeshua

   ravenloche  

[Brother Love]

Hello All!
I have a question that I hope someone can help me with.  I will be attending college this fall and would like to be prepared to witness to anyone.

Why was the OT law of animal sacrifices (and the law in general) instituted in the first place?  

I have read and been taught that Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice that forgives all of our sins and we are justified in faith in him.  Since this is true, then why was an elaborate system of sacrifices established when Jesus was going to come along and make it unnecessary?
 
Specific verses would be very helpful.

Thanks and keep the faith,
Jeremy

BigD responds:
Good question.

Romans 3:20 "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the deeds of the law is the knowledge of sin.

Hebrews 10:1 "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
2 For then would thay not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
3 But in thise sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

After the Law was fulfilled by Christ and annuled, we NOW live by the following.

Colossians 2:16 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respenct of an holyday, or of the new moon or the sabbath days.

17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Hope this is what you were looking for and is helpful.

Enjoy your college years.

God Bless.
Live Well, Laugh Often and Love The Lord!

Right On Brother BigD, AAAAAAAMEN!!!!!

Brother Love

<))><

[Allinall]

The Law's sacrificial system was necessary.  As the Bible says, "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins."  It was also a picture of how one day, Jesus would complete the Law by being the Sacrifice.  It's interesting how, if you study the practices, Jesus actually was the epidemy of each sacrifice.

The Law's sacrifices covered our sin.  They did the job God expected, and pointed to the ultimate Sacrifice, Jesus Christ.  Jesus' sacrifice, His precious blood removes our sin.

It was all a prelude to the Blessed Hope we one day would know.  Salvation in the O.T. was based upon believing God concerning a Savior to come.  Salvation in the N.T. is based upon believing God concerning the Savior Who did come, died for our sins, was buried and risen again on the third day.  

[2nd Timothy]

Good replies.

Hope I can add a little more understanding to what has been said (I hope).

The Law, basically represents God's standard of Righteousness, Holiness, and Justice.   And they pose an insermountable<sp> wall for mere man.   There has not been any man who has kept Gods standards in his life before God (going by the laws) with the exception of one.   Jesus Christ.  This is why Jesus was fully man/fully God.   I will come back to the Law in moment, but I read a good example in a book that helps illustrate the importance of Jesus being both man and God.

There was man who was facinated by a small mound of ants.   He would go everyday and watch them husstle about their little mound going about their everyday lives.  One day, he saw a bulldozer clearing the area, and it was headed straight for his little friends mound.  He tried scooping up the ants, but they just got angry and began to bite him.  They did not understand his intentions.  If there was only some way HE could become an ant himself, so that he could tell them of the approaching danger, maybe they would listen.   Of course, if he could become an ant, he would still have to maintain his human nature at the same time, in order to keep on assessing the impending danger in order to teach them what to do.

Not to get sidetracked here, but Jesus had to be both God and Man in order to satisfy Gods standard of the Law.  So keep this in mind as we start to look at the law.   Gods standard of Righteousness and Holiness.  As has already been stated here, there is no remission of sin without the shedding of Blood.   So in the OT, Moses was instructed to build a tabernacle and an ark.  


The Ark and temple that Moses was instructed to build (as well as the temple in Jerusalem later), is an earthy replica of the temple in heaven.  The ark of the covenant consisted of the base, a mercy seat which was over the base, and two Cherubs gazing down at the mercy seat.   Cherubs in the bible are usually associated with the holiness of God, and guardians and servants.  These Cherubims that God instructed Moses to build, and placed hovering over the ark, appear to represent Gods gaze of Righteousness and Justice.  They each gaze towards the mercy seat and into the ark, as if viewing 3 evidences of mans sin.  Inside the ark was a golden pot which contained tablets of the covenant, the staff of Aaron, and Manna (Heb 9:4), seemingly to represent mans willingness to break Gods law, rejection of Gods leadership, and rejection of Gods gifts and blessings.  Once a year the high priest would enter into the holy of holies in the temple, kill an innocent animal which was commanded by God, and sprinkle his blood (shedding of blood for remission of sins) over the mercy seat, so that its blood would hide or cover mans sins within, thus satisfying Gods unwavering Holiness or "Righteousness and Justice".  This was a shadow of things to come on the Cross.

Heb 9:11  But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Heb 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Gods standard of Holiness, Righteousness, and Justice was once and for all satisfied!  

Gods justice for sin demands the shedding of blood.  

Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

And of course, for there to be true righteous blood shed in the eyes of God (on the mercy seat for man), someone holy, and without sin, had to shed his blood.  No man could ever do this except Jesus who lived a sinless life.  Gods chosen sacrifice.

Joh 1:36  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

1Jo 2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous

Heb 4:13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens (Gods holy of holies), Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.


And so we can see, that the Law was fulfilled by one man, Jesus Christ,  and our hope of salvation lies only in him through faith that Gods standard of Justice and Righteousness is satisfied, when he gazes into our hearts and sees the sprinkled Blood of Christ which doesn't just cover, but completely washes away our sins.

Or put another way, its the greatest love story ever told.

Grace and Peace!

[Allinall]

The Ark and temple that Moses was instructed to build (as well as the temple in Jerusalem later), is an earthy replica of the temple in heaven.  The ark of the covenant consisted of the base, a mercy seat which was over the base, and two Cherubs gazing down at the mercy seat.  Cherubs in the bible are usually associated with the holiness of God, and guardians and servants.  These Cherubims that God instructed Moses to build, and placed hovering over the ark, appear to represent Gods gaze of Righteousness and Justice.  They each gaze towards the mercy seat and into the ark, as if viewing 3 evidences of mans sin.  Inside the ark was a golden pot which contained tablets of the covenant, the staff of Aaron, and Manna (Heb 9:4), seemingly to represent mans willingness to break Gods law, rejection of Gods leadership, and rejection of Gods gifts and blessings.  Once a year the high priest would enter into the holy of holies in the temple, kill an innocent animal which was commanded by God, and sprinkle his blood (shedding of blood for remission of sins) over the mercy seat, so that its blood would hide or cover mans sins within, thus satisfying Gods unwavering Holiness or "Righteousness and Justice".  This was a shadow of things to come on the Cross.

AMEN!!  Good post Tim!  What's more, as I had mentioned prior about how Jesus fulfilled each O.T. sacrifice, when that yearly sacrifice took place (Day of Atonement Sacrifice), it required certain things.  For one, it was a yearly sacrifice, once every year.  Why?  "Because the blood of goats and of bulls is not sufficient..."  Jesus, gave that sacrifice once, for all.    How do we know?  Weeeelll...

...it also required two goats.  One would be killed, it's blood shed and sprinkled on the Mercy Seat.  What's more, the <sp?>shikinah Glory, the great cloud that led Israel, hovered above the Mercy Seat atop the Ark of the Covenant.  It was God Who looked down to see man's failure to keep His commandments, and the blood interposed on our behalf.  That blood covered.  Jesus blood removed sin.    How do we know?  Weeeelllllllll...

...the other goat symbolically took the sins of Israel (God's Chosen People) on itself, and was then led out of the camp, far away, and left there to die.  The sins, covered by one, where symbolically removed by another.  But in truth, they were still there, otherwise, the Law would be sufficient and the sacrifices adequate.  But we know they weren't.  How?  Weeeeeeeeelllllllllllll...

...because Jesus took our sins upon Himself, became sin for us, suffered, bled and died for us, taking our sin away.  Simply put, He was the Day of Atonement sacrifice.  He was the Lamb offered for the Passover sacrifice.  And each and every other sacrifice as well.  He completed the Law.  Those sacrifices, while satisfactory, were not sufficient.  Only He could offer those sacrifices, and as the High Priest after the order of Melchizedec, He did.

Neat huh?!  And a blessed hope we now have.  

[Evangelist]

Good answers, all.

Something I notice, though, is that no one (it seems) ever says anyting about when the sacrifice was instituted, and the reality of why.

Recall in Gen. 3....Eve ate, Adam chose, God went looking for them, they hid, God read the riot act, and then:

Gen 3:21   Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Because Adam and Eve, with their eyes opened, realized that they were naked, hid. God, after reading the riot act, had mercy on them and provided "skins" so that they could HIDE their shame. These skins, obviously, had to come from animals....animals that had been created to be companions to and subject to Adam and Eve.  They were innocent....they had not sinned, or eaten improperly, or disobeyed...but they died anyway, sacrificed to cover the sin of man.

Adam....hence all men, are the sole REASON for sacrifice. What was delivered via Moses in the ceremonial law was just a further explanation of what had already existed, and was codified (as noted by others) to try to explain to us (a schoolteacher) the whys and wherefores of Gods mercy and justice.....and to foreshadow the "once for all" sacrifice of Jesus.

[Allinall]

Good answers, all.

Something I notice, though, is that no one (it seems) ever says anyting about when the sacrifice was instituted, and the reality of why.

Recall in Gen. 3....Eve ate, Adam chose, God went looking for them, they hid, God read the riot act, and then:

Gen 3:21   Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Because Adam and Eve, with their eyes opened, realized that they were naked, hid. God, after reading the riot act, had mercy on them and provided "skins" so that they could HIDE their shame. These skins, obviously, had to come from animals....animals that had been created to be companions to and subject to Adam and Eve.  They were innocent....they had not sinned, or eaten improperly, or disobeyed...but they died anyway, sacrificed to cover the sin of man.

Adam....hence all men, are the sole REASON for sacrifice. What was delivered via Moses in the ceremonial law was just a further explanation of what had already existed, and was codified (as noted by others) to try to explain to us (a schoolteacher) the whys and wherefores of Gods mercy and justice.....and to foreshadow the "once for all" sacrifice of Jesus.

AAAAAMMMMEEEEENNNNN!!!![/b]

[2nd Timothy]

Yes ATA to both you guys post.   What a team!  lol   If could add something more to Evangelists post about the animal skins.....

Before God made a provision for them, they tried to cover their own sins...

Gen 3:7  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

The first act of religion!  Mans attempt was not nor ever will be sufficient.  As Evangelist points out, it was the LORDS covering alone that was sufficient, and clearly the theme of Gods redemption of man was set into motion, completed with when Christ said on the cross, "IT IS FINISHED!"  Gods justice is once and for all satisfied, Gods devine plan for mans salvation is complete, and every living believer now has access to the holy of holies through the shed blood of GODS provision.   PRAISE GOD!!!!

Grace and Peace!

[Allinall]

Yes ATA to both you guys post.   What a team!  lol   If could add something more to Evangelists post about the animal skins.....

Before God made a provision for them, they tried to cover their own sins...

Gen 3:7  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

The first act of religion!  Mans attempt was not nor ever will be sufficient.  As Evangelist points out, it was the LORDS covering alone that was sufficient, and clearly the theme of Gods redemption of man was set into motion, completed with when Christ said on the cross, "IT IS FINISHED!"  Gods justice is once and for all satisfied, Gods devine plan for mans salvation is complete, and every living believer now has access to the holy of holies through the shed blood of GODS provision.   PRAISE GOD!!!!

Grace and Peace!

AMENAMENAMENAMENAMENAMENAMENAMENAMEN!!!!![/b][/u]

[oneBook]

When dealing with sacrifice, the issue at the heart of the question is "how are we saved", since there seems to be much confusion on this point.

In the previous answers there are some points at odds with scripture.  I have added some of the conclusions I have come to in an attempt to understand God's word as a unified whole.

One point was made that implies that the law is not possible to keep.  Deuteronomy contradicts this assertion flatly:
30:11
"For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.
30:12
"It is not in heaven, that you should say, ' Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?'

In God's law, there was a way for people to repent, so He had built into it the assumption that it would be broken by the people.  This is why God said we are able to keep it.

We can keep the law only by faith in God, and it is that faith that saves us, not the law. Here are 2 verses that seem contradictory at first glance:

Ro 2:13 -
for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.

Ephesians 2:8-9 -
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

For many years I only had verses 8 & 9 of the above memorized which only caused me not to see what the scripture was saying about the role of the law. The next verse is the key:

Eph. 2:10 -
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

 Verses 9 and 10 make sense of the Romans 2:13 passage.  The Romans passage doesn't say they are saved by the law, but as the Eph. verse points out, those who are saved obey God's law (do the works in Messiah we were created to do).

The problem Paul was dealing with was people (Jews or possibly converts) who were convincing people that they had to do something the law said in order to be saved (circumcision).  Paul points back to Abraham and illustrates that God made the promise to Abraham before the law was given, and before Abraham was even circumcised!

Also, Israel was saved from Egypt and brought out before God gave them the law.  It was because of God's choosing that Israel was saved (by grace) not because Israel was a superior or more righteous people (many were idolaters like everyone else).

While no-one said it, some posts seemed to imply that the sacrifice used to have power to forgive sins.  This also is directly contradicted by Hebrews-
10:4
For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Some implied that there was a covering and later an actual taking away of the sin, but this is assuming that Messiah's sacrifice only took effect when he died (assuming man's view of time).  This is contradicted by Scripture:
13:8
All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

If you search on the phrase "before the foundation" on a Bible web search (http://biblestudytools.net) you will see that there is a pattern of God's choosing and that to Him, the sacrifice of our Master occured before creation, along with His choice of us as His own!

All the patriarchs were saved the same way we are (by faith and election), they just didn't have the same view of the plan (since some of the things hadn't happened yet).
Hebrews 11 (the faith chapter) really drives that point home.

So what does that leave the sacrifice?  We know it had no power to forgive/take away sin (that is God's job).  One post pointed to the educational nature of the sacrifice.  This I believe is the most important aspect.  Some in Israel were using the sacrifice as a lever to obtain forgiveness (much like indulgences in the Catholic church).  God's response showed clearly that the sacrifice had no power to forgive-

Isa. 1:11-21 -
11 "What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?" Says the LORD. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. 12 "When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts?

But it doesn't stop there, God goes on to say that He didn't approve of their festivals (as opposed to God's):

13 "Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies-- I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. 14 "I hate your new moon {festivals} and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing {them.}

God even would not listen to their prayers:

15 "So when you spread out your hands {in prayer,} I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

Offerings had to be unblemished, as do our prayers.  In other words, if we harbor sin in our life, our prayers are like defiled sacrifices. See also Psalm 51 in full.

I think that the real questions are brought up by the passages in Ezekiel starting at chapter 40 and on.  Therein is described a temple (in Jerusalem) that has not yet existed.  It also describes the Messiah (the Prince) as presenting sin offerings.  This presents problems with the idea that Jesus came to do away with sacrifices.  If they are done away with, then they would be gone for good.  Since they come back in the Messianic era, then this is not the case.

The word used for "sin" in the sin sacrifice is the Hebrew word het (the h makes a guttural sound).  This word is often translated sin, but could be actually purification.  This would make more sense in passages where a person is required to offer it for things they have no control over (a woman’s purification from a hemorrhage Lev. 15:19-30)

It is also noteworthy to point out that in Leviticus 17:11 -
'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.'

God is the one who provides the atonement, not the person.  God gives them a means to atone for their sin.  This was to point out the worshipper that it was God who provides the atonement (same in Gen. 22:1-10).

So does Jesus replace the means by which our sins are paid? Not at all, He is the only way our sins are paid.  The sacrifices were for us to learn that sin causes death, and that we are still influenced by sin-

Heb. 10:3 -
3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year.

When the temple is rebuilt, I believe that participation in sacrifices is something that would help us to more seriously consider the effects of sin if we are sensitive to God's spirit, but those who don't have the Spirit will use it as an indulgence, and they will receive their due.  This happens in the church today, even without sacrifices.