shadylady Posted March 14, 2003 Report Share Posted March 14, 2003 Let's get something clear - God did not like animal sacrifice - but he allowed us to use this as an offering because he didn't want us to shed our own blood. It was for our own benefit, to remove our guilt, not for His. Hosea 6:6 - Matthew 9:13 And no it wasn't sufficient to remove our sin, otherwise Jesus need not have died. Paul in his letter to the Romans 6:23 showed just what Jesus achieved for us - the wages of sin ..... but the gift of God is eternal life.... Only death, and a perfect human sacrifice at that, could reconcile us to God. Thanks be to God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggie Barks Posted March 14, 2003 Report Share Posted March 14, 2003 I believe God told Adam and Eve to perform animal sacrifice so they could experience the disgust He feels about sin. Expereincing the death of the animals by their own hands must have brought the importance of their actions to them in a personal manner. Since death was a new faction in their world I assume this was a very sensitive feeling. Over the years man has become desencitized about death. But when our spirit is renewed by the acceptence of Jesus I beleive we again feel the pain Adam and Eve felt over sin. I thank Jesus for His work on the cross for me and I thank God for not giving up on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector Villarreal W. Posted March 15, 2003 Report Share Posted March 15, 2003 Q. 5.- Answer: A).- His holy wrath is poured, in type, on the animal, not over the sinner. An innocent animal took sinners place, as Jesus has taken our place in the cross. .- No. That would suppose that the substituted death of our Lord was not enough. As Hebrews writer said: Chapter 10 verses 9 to 14 and Chapter 9:24-28 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mindy Posted March 15, 2003 Report Share Posted March 15, 2003 Micah 7:18 - Where is another God like you, who pardons the sins of the survivors among his people? You cannot stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing mercy. 1Timothy 1:16 - But that is why God had mercy on me, so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. God delights in showing us mercy because we are His people and so that we can show others that they too can be saved. Animal sacrifices provided a tangible, concrete example and ritual that showed God to others. Pure and simple evangelism, seems to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia A. Conti Posted March 15, 2003 Report Share Posted March 15, 2003 Man needed a way to atone for his sin. Just as in the ten commandments man was given a way to consciously follow God and thus know he was doing what pleases God, so man needed a way to ask for and receive forgiveness when he didn't follow God. God allowed man offer an animal sacrifice as atonement for sin. It was a sacrifice for man to give up his best animal. It cost money, and it shed innocent blood. However, when offered the way prescribed, atonement was made. Real atonement for sin, that would bring us into the family of God, could not be gained by animal sacrifice. Man sinned. Therefore, to receive forgiveness of sin, someone greater than man must sacrifice. Jesus became the perfect Lamb of God and he atoned for all man's sin. All we have to do is confess and ask and we are forgiven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vickie Posted March 15, 2003 Report Share Posted March 15, 2003 I must be on Pastor Ralph's sheet of music...I already submitted my answer to this question in Q4! To reiterate: no animal sacrifice, no matter how perfect the animal, no matter how many were offered, no matter how sincere the offering was given, would ever be enough to cover our sins. God was trying to show the Israelites (and us, through the Scripture) this. Only the one, truly PERFECT sacrificial Lamb could atone for all our sins! Thank you, Jesus! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Hill Posted March 15, 2003 Report Share Posted March 15, 2003 5a. There is a real sense where God used the sacrificial system to teach the Jews lessons of sin, holiness, confession, forgiveness, sin's costiness and horror. God's mercy allowed these sacrifices to purge their sins but the only fully adequate sacrifice for sin was still to come. 5b. Animal sacrifice cannot really substitute for the greater human being. Man needed someone greater than himself to actually atone for and do away with sin. Thank goodness Jesus Christ was willing to give His life for our sins and cover our sins by His blood. There is no greater love than this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emy Oliveros Posted March 16, 2003 Report Share Posted March 16, 2003 God's provision of animal sacrifice expressed His being merciful in a way that the Jews were forgiven of their sins and they were able to once again approach Him. God's mercy is there when, say, a person although he doesn't deserve it, God gives it anyway. No, animal sacrifices were not adequate to atone for human sin. Hebrews 10:4 says, "for it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins." As you have said, a "lesser" animal cannot really substitute for the "greater" human being. And that man needs someone greater than himself to actually atone for and do away with sin. In their case during the Old Testament times, it is still about to come but for us He already had come...Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Hallelujah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack Posted March 17, 2003 Report Share Posted March 17, 2003 We are people created in the image of God and, despite the entry of sin into the world and our lives, we retain that fundamental need to fellowship with God. In fact, if that need isn't somehow met, we may find ourselves on the path to self destruction. It is our sin that stands directly in the way of that bond of fellowship. God's mercy to the Hebrew people was to provide them with a way of dealing with their sin so that a measure of that fellowship could be restored. This was necessary in God's eyes so that sin did not utterly destroy them. As we know from the teachings of Paul, the wages of sin is death, and nothing less. While the animal sacrifices did not atone in any final sense, going through the ritual with sincere belief in its efficacy did tell God that the individual desired to have his sin forgiven and to sin no more. The same is true for us. To go through a ritual of confessing our sin and claiming forgiveness through Jesus Christ with anything less than a sincere desire to restore our fellowship with God and to sin no more is worse that pointless; it is self deceiving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Stanley Posted March 17, 2003 Report Share Posted March 17, 2003 God,in his mercy allowed these sacrifices to purge their sins.This was their only way," in sacrificing,to feel they had received forgiveness of their sin.Through grace and mercy from God they were forgiven.Truly the only fully adequate sacrifice for sin was yet to come,<Jesus Christ>but this was their only way they were taught. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda bass Posted March 18, 2003 Report Share Posted March 18, 2003 God used the sacrificial system to teach the Jews lessons of sin, holiness, confession, forgiveness, sin's costliness, and sin's horror. Sacrifaces alone were inadequate to really cleanse sin. In Hebrews it states that it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. All animal blood could do was cover up the sin for a time. Man needed someone greater than himself to actually atone for and do away with sin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annette Phillips-Gay Posted March 19, 2003 Report Share Posted March 19, 2003 God could have just left us there miserable in our sin and guilt but in his mercy he gave us some means by which we could ask for forgiveness and draw closer to him. Though animal sacrifices helped fill the gap they could not truly atone for human sin because animals are not perfect, Jesus Christ is perfect and it is only through the cleansing of the blood on the cross and the resurrection that man has a chance for redemption. It is through Jesus Christ that man could now come break the divide caused caused by sin. If animal sacrifice was the perfect atonement then that'd be like us having to worship the animals. God created us and we owe reverence to Him for sending his Son, so therefore we worship God through Jesus Christ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Williams Posted March 21, 2003 Report Share Posted March 21, 2003 Grace, Grace, Gods Grace. I think it very expressive of Gods deep love for us in that while we were not ready at that time in our history for God to send the Christ, He graciously provided the substitute for our sins in a manner that caused us to realize the high cost of sin. It is obvious that animal blood was not sufficient, else they would not have to have been repeated over and over again. Praise God for His mercy and love. P.S. Did anybody else just realize that not only was the blood of animals not sufficient, they were not created in the image of God. However, Christ the Lamb was not only sufficient, He was the image of God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debs4jc Posted March 21, 2003 Report Share Posted March 21, 2003 In what sense is God's provision of animal sacrifice for forgiveness of sins an expression of his mercy? Were animal sacrifices actually adequate to atone for human sin? It is an expression of mercy because it transferred the death penalty from the sinner to the animal and temporarily covered over their sin so they could enjoy fellowship with God. Without God allowing animal sacrifices His people could not have gotten to know Him. Also the death of an animal, as repulsive as it is, is not as bad as a human having to die. Animal sacrifices are not adequate to atone for sin, or else Jesus' sacrifice would have been unneeded. Animals did not provide the perfect sacrifice of the God-Man that Jesus did on the cross. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy Reid Posted March 24, 2003 Report Share Posted March 24, 2003 Q5. In what sense is God's provision of animal sacrifice for forgiveness of sins an expression of his mercy? Were animal sacrifices actually adequate to atone for human sin? God expressed His mercy by animal sacrifice because the Jews could not attain to Gods law, the scarifice covers over their sin. They are not punished, the animal carries there sin for them. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin (Hebrews 10.4) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda biloni Posted March 28, 2003 Report Share Posted March 28, 2003 It was an expression of His mercy because it was a way to purge one's sins and be able to come back into His presence. Though we He was offended by the sin, He loved us enough to still give us a chance for atonement. Animal sacrifices were no where enough to atone for our sins. The life of an animal could not make up for the sins of a human. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Tobin Posted April 11, 2003 Report Share Posted April 11, 2003 Though animal sacrifice was not sufficient I believe that they show the mercy of God in the fact that the sin of the person offering the sacrifice was transfered to the animal before it was sacrificed. The atonement was made for the sin commited. This same mercy of God was shown to us when Jesus became our substitutionary sacrifice on the cross. Praise God!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beverly Posted April 11, 2003 Report Share Posted April 11, 2003 It's an expression of his mercy as it shows he is willing to give us a way to repent and try again. It is his way of giving us chance after chance. No, animal scarfices were not really adaquate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DebChats Posted April 17, 2003 Report Share Posted April 17, 2003 In what sense is God's provision of animal sacrifice for forgiveness of sins an expression of his mercy? Were animal sacrifices actually adequate to atone for human sin? God's provision of animal sacrifice was to ready and to maintain the habit and ritual of atoning for our sins. Just as the "lost" have no sense of their sins, everyone could have lost their sense of their sinful natures. Knowing God cannot abide with sinful natures, He made a way of keeping us close until He could rid us of sin. Isn't He awesome?? Animal sacrifices did not wash away sin. It did keep man in touch with God, but until the "holy veil" was rent, we could not as individuals come to the throne of our Father. Jesus is the only one that could make this possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liza Posted April 19, 2003 Report Share Posted April 19, 2003 I guess this was God's way of showing man how futile his efforts were at living a sinless life - he just had to keep on sacrificing animals. This would have brought him to a point where he would have thrown up his hands in despair because, truly we cannot be good on our own. We need Jesus, we need the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome sin. God showed man that he needed more than an animal sacrifice - it was a foretaste of Jesus' coming. So, animal sacrifices were never adequate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barabbas Posted May 9, 2003 Report Share Posted May 9, 2003 It is mercy in that "the wages of sin is death". It should have been our blood, but a merciful God allowed a substitute because of His love for us. I use the screen name Barabbas for that reason. It should have been Barabbas on that cross, not Jesus. He took his place, therefore, "I am Barabbas." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine Miller Posted May 20, 2003 Report Share Posted May 20, 2003 Animal Sacrifice an Expression of God's Mercy. I can only say that if I were to sacrifice an animal each time I sinned... I would hate sin as much as God does. I see the death of each animal in sacrifice as a way to put to death the sin committed. Each time we sin we actually inflict upon ourselves a Death Penalty. This Death Penalty is what leads the way to Damnation. For this very reason He calls us to repentence. Therefore, each sacrifice of an amimal was to atone the Death Penalty for sin. Because this way of repentence did not bring about what God desired, He became the Ultimate Sacrifice; due to the foreseeing of the multitude of sins. God's Mercy is greater than my mind can comprehend... I know that for me I would have said "oh my, I just gave my word to Abraham that his seed would be like the sands of the beaches and the stars of the heavens... oh my... the sins, the sacrifices... there would not be any animals left"... but He knew the better Way. Thank You Jesus!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia Posted October 1, 2003 Report Share Posted October 1, 2003 Q5. In what sense is God's provision of animal sacrifice for forgiveness of sins an expression of his mercy? Were animal sacrifices actually adequate to atone for human sin? Because He knew our flesh would get in the way and provided an atonement for our sin, He has never wanted distance from Him. They were not adequate as it distanced us from God in that we saw the law and this seemed to be broken easy and distance from God was greater because we had to talk to a man of God instead of a clear direct path. The man of God was still that -a man. Alicia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HisSchechinahGlory Posted October 9, 2003 Report Share Posted October 9, 2003 In what sense is God Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitty Posted December 20, 2003 Report Share Posted December 20, 2003 In what sense is God's provision of animal sacrifice for forgiveness of sins an expression of his mercy? God, in his mercy, allows these sacrifices to purge their sins, but the only fully adequate sacrifice for sin is still to come. Were animal sacrifices actually adequeate to atone for human sin? No, "it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" (Hebrews 10:4), for the "lesser" animal cannot really substitute for the "greater" human being. Man needs someone greater than himself to actually atone for and do away with sin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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