Animals Involved
1. Ox – Christ is the strong servant (Isa. 52:13, 53:11) who was obedient unto death (Phil. 2:5-8).
2. Lamb – (Jn. 1:29, 1 Pt. 1:9) Christ was meek, pure, and silent in the face of death (Isa. 53:7).
3. Goat – Christ was numbered with transgressors (Isa. 53:12), and goats are almost always associated with sin (Mt. 25:32-33).
4. Ram – Christ was the substitute (Gen. 22:13) on the cross for us.
5. Dove / Pigeon – Christ was the mourning (Lk. 13:34-35), innocent (Mt. 27:22-25), poor (Lk. 2:22-24) sacrifice.
Burnt Offering – total consecration
Christ, the “strong servant” of Isaiah, symbolized by the bull ox, voluntarily died for us. Like the burnt offering, it was a complete sacrifice, so much so that He struggled with it, according to Mt. 26:39. Three times He implored His Father, “if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.” But He submitted to the will of His Father and held nothing back.
Grain Offering – daily provision
As the flour was spun repeatedly to remove all but the finest particles, Christ is the pure mediator between God and man. He had no corrupting influences, like the yeast and honey, and His promises to meet our needs for daily provision (Mt. 6:25-34) are as permanent as He is, as symbolized by the salt.
Peace Offering – spiritual fellowship
Christ “Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace.” Eph. 2:14-15 In the same way that God, the priest, and the family of the one bringing the sacrifice all ate of the sacrifice, Christ allows us to have full fellowship with the Godhead.
Sin Offering – substitutionary atonement
A sinless sacrifice was mandatory if man ever wanted to be at peace with God, and this first of the mandatory offerings accomplished atonement with forgiveness. It is impossible for sinful man to ever satisfy God’s wrath against sin – which is why satisfaction and reparation are not involved in the sin offering – so Christ died for us, “the just for the unjust,” as a substitute (2 Cor. 5:21). Also, we read in Heb. 13 that “the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.”
Trespass Offering – reparation and satisfaction
In Isa. 53:10 we read that “the LORD was pleased to crush Him [Christ], putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering.” The word for “guilt offering” in this verse is the very same word used for “trespass offering” in Lev. 5! Jesus, and Jesus alone, can pay the debt of sinners to God. God has been tremendously violated by our sin, and because of the magnitude of the violation, fair compensation would not have sufficed! My death for my sins would not fix the problem. Only the death of Jesus would satisfy the demands of a holy God who established the concept of 20% more in the trespass offering.
Heb. 10:1-6
“For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never by the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, "Sacrifice and offering Thou hast not desired, but a body Thou hast prepared for Me; 6 in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast taken no pleasure.”
No comments:
Post a Comment