ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 33 -Leviticus 1-4 (The Significance of the Blood Sacrifice to Every Human)
“...'When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock--of the herd and of the flock. 'If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord. Then he 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 that is by the door of the tabernacle of meeting.” (Leviticus 1:1-5)
Every human being needs to understand the significance of the animal sacrifice of the Old Testament instituted by God through Moses with the construction of the Tabernacle for intrinsic to it is the very way of salvation.
Note in our text that the sacrifice shall be offered out of the free will of the person offering it. God does not and will not force Himself on any person; each one has to come to Him of his own free will. This attribute of God’s respect for man’s free will was clearly demonstrated by Jesus when He walked this earth. Jesus never forced anyone to follow Him but in fact made it very difficult for everyone who wanted to. Jesus said, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34)
The offerer “shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering” indicating that the sinner is acknowledging his sins as well as his need of atonement which means to be forgiven and reconciled to fellowship with God. We read that God will accept the person’s sincere offering from a contrite heart and will accept the death of the animal as substitute in behalf or in place of the sinner.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect Lamb that was sacrificed in order to atone for man’s sins. The sinner who comes to Jesus in repentance confessing his sins will receive forgiveness and the Blood of Jesus becomes is accepted by God in behalf of or as substitute for the sinner’s own death which is eternal separation from God.
Do you see the significance of the animal blood sacrifice and the corresponding sacrifice of God’s own Son Jesus as the only way for you and me to be forgiven of our sins and be reconciled to God? Can you see that in God’s divine wisdom, it was the only way that He could have satisfied both His attributes of being just and merciful at the same time? God is just and must punish sin but He is also merciful to forgive sin. The substitutionary atonement through the blood sacrifce is the perfect way that God has provided for us to be saved. Have you freely come to God yet for your salvation? If not, I pray you do it right now while you still can.
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