The Sinner and Sacrifice
“Then he (the sinner) shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. He shall kill the bull before the LORD; and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar …” (Leviticus 1:4,5).
God ordained that the sinner would be the one that would kill the innocent victim. In later times, the priests did the slaying, thought it was God’s original plan that the sinner himself should do it. In the wilderness, there was a small number of people compared with later times. But in the Promised Land, when hundreds and even thousands of participants came every day, the Levites and priests conducted the services.
The Lesson
The act of slaying the animal was an agonizing experience for the sinner because he knew that it was his sins that caused the death of the victim. God designed that this ceremony would create hate for sin in the hearts. Every time the sinner brought his sin offerings, he learned the that his sin caused the death. And, then, he would heed God’s call “go, and sin no more” (John 8:11).
This same lesson is also needed today as it was in the old days. Today, some don’t see sin as awful and deadly and they give in easily to its temptations. But the Bible declares that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and that our sins killed God’s innocent Son.
As we look at the Cross when God offered His Son, we should feel our guilt and see God’s amazing gift of love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). There is no greater love than that (John 15:13).
This realization should cause us to hate sin and move us to claim God’s promises for strength to overcome the sin in our lives. Knowing this truth, Paul proclaimed, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Christ gives us all the power necessary to fulfill duty, strength to resist every temptation, and patience to live the righteous life. He offers grace for every trial that could face the believers.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
