What did the sacrificial system teach Israel?
The sacrifices taught Israel a hard lesson with every offering: sin costs a life, and the worshiper must own it, laying a hand on the victim's head before it dies in his place. Yet the same sacrifices repeated year after year proved they could never actually cleanse the conscience. The whole system was a shadow waiting for the once-for-all offering it pointed toward.
This question arose from studying What was the tabernacle for?.
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What the Scripture says
Sin costs a life
Before anything else, the altar taught the price tag: 'the life of the flesh is in the blood', and God gave that life 'to make atonement for your souls', 'for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life.' Every morning sacrifice said the same thing over breakfast fires across the camp. Forgiveness was never cheap; someone innocent always bled so the guilty could keep living.
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 that makes atonement by reason of the life.
Substitution: an innocent life for the guilty
The worshiper did not send an animal; he brought one, his own, from his own herd, and 'he shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.' The gesture transferred the burden: this death stands for mine. Isaiah says it happened at the cross too, that Yahweh 'has laid on him the iniquity of us all.'
“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When anyone of you offers an offering to Yahweh, you shall offer your offering of the livestock, from the herd and from the flock.
He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Two goats, one lesson: carried away
On the Day of Atonement Aaron confessed 'all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins' over the live goat, putting them on its head. Then 'the goat shall carry all their iniquities on himself to a solitary land'. One goat died under judgment; the other removed guilt out of sight. Together they pictured both payment and removal, so that Israel could hear: 'from all your sins you shall be clean before Yahweh.'
Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send him away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness.
The goat shall carry all their iniquities on himself to a solitary land, and he shall let the goat go in the wilderness.
for on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before Yahweh.
The repetition proved the system insufficient
If the offerings worked, they would have stopped being offered, Hebrews argues, because worshipers 'once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins.' Instead there was 'a yearly reminder of sins', for 'it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.' David already knew this: God's delight was never the animal but 'a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.'
For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. Or else wouldn’t they have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a yearly reminder of sins. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.
For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. You have no pleasure in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Christ is what the altar was pointing at
The shadow gave way to the substance: 'by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.' He 'offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God', and 'by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.' Where sins are remitted, 'there is no more offering for sin.' John names Him 'the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'
by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God;
For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
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Why did Jesus have to die?→Jesus Christ trail“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”What price can buy forgiveness?→The Gospel trail“none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give God a ransom for him. For the redemption of their life is costly, no payment is ever enough,”Hold onto these
Verses to meditate on
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 that makes atonement by reason of the life.
The goat shall carry all their iniquities on himself to a solitary land, and he shall let the goat go in the wilderness.
For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.
For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
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