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 gives a foreshadow of Romans 6:23
Imagine if there were two dispensations of grace. One before Christ, and one after. What would be different? Well, for one, I don't think we in the current age would appreciate the freedom from legalistic requirements as much if they never existed. But let's consider what the Law taught the world about Christ's death.
By having centuries of temple butchery, it was pounded into the children of Israel that the atonement of their sins came from the death of something. The substitutionary aspect of sacrifices was evident. Now I don't know exactly how much they understood what the real sacrifice was to be (Christ), but I'm sure that they understood that God was absolving them of their guilt through their faith and was commemorated in the death of an animal.
After all these years of marching bulls and lambs to death day after day, year after year, imagine what (should have been) the reaction would be to see Jesus, completely pure and blameless, marched up to die! The sacrifice to end all sacrifices! This is it! This is why God has been having us slaughter our cattle! To understand just how magnificent this sacrifice would be!
Unfortunately, they didn't notice right away. Let's read Hebrews 10:11,12:
"Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God."
How about that! I hope I don't take the sacrifice lightly.
Lord, thank You for Your love at the cross. Thank You for the sacrifice that took my place. Thank You for the blood that took away the penalty of my sin, takes away the power of my sin, and will some day take away the presence of my sin. You are a great and wise God.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment