Christians, why did God require burnt animal sacrifices in the old testament?

Question

I am amazed at the ignorance of some Christian answers. Some seem to be in denial that God ordered these sacrifices. I have read the OT. It describes it ad nauseum. Never mentions anything about doing it to represent a savior, that idea has been invented by Christians.

My follow up question is this- If animal sacrifices were done to foreshadow the savior in Judaism, why does nearly every other religion also use animal sacrifices??? Voodoo, ancient greek, Islam, Mayan ... you name it they did it. Judaism just copied them.

Answer 1

If one believed that a blood sacrifice was necessary before God would forgive you, then even one example where God forgave without a blood sacrifice would prove that this idea is UnBiblical. There are many such examples, but the most interesting is found in the Book of Leviticus. The reason this is so interesting is that it comes right in the middle of the discussion of sin sacrifices, which is found in the first chapters. In Leviticus 5:11-13, it states, "If, however, he cannot afford two doves or two young pigeons, he is to bring as an offering for his sin a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering." One can also see that one does not need a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins in the Book of Jonah 3:10. There, the Bible simply states that God saw the works of the people of Ninevah. Specifically it says that the works God saw were that they stopped doing evil, and so God forgave them. There are plenty of other examples, and the idea that one needs a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins is UnBiblical.

Answer 2

think of approximately your Thanksgiving Turkey or the July 4th warm canines or the Christmass Goose of Dikens human beings eat. this could be a elementary animal want. human beings like meat. The sacrifice variations the animalistic act right into a sacred act - it lifts ingesting to worship. It lifts the loss of existence of the animal from a sacrifice to the backside intuition right into a coming which contain God. apparently - as with the three examples on the genuine - even whilst no longer commanded to sacrifice - human beings have an innate could desire to boost the act of ingesting meat to a minimum of something previous the backside animal act. hence, word how the 1st sacrifices - those of Cain and Abel have been further by skill of them without command from God. Conversely (or is it likewise) whilst the Jews have been interior the barren region, any meat someone had to eat grew to become into first sacrificed on the Tent of assembly. word: our sages prepare that on the time of the Messiah, whilst violence would be eradicated from the earth, the sacrifices interior the rebuilt temple will likewise be in basic terms vegetarian.

Answer 3

Animal sacrifice was required because the sacrifice was meant to be a symbol of Christ and His sacrifice for us, and how God sacrificed His Son for us. It was an animal sacrifice because back then, killing an animal was a true sacrifice for the owner of the animal. The animal represented money, and sustinance in a world and area of the world where you were basically alone, and no grocery stores to go to pick up a pound of ground beef and a gallon of milk. It was burnt, among other reasons because since the sacrifice was meant to symbolize Christ's sacred sacrifice, then the animal sacrifice was also sacred. And if the animal sacrifice was sacred then the most unholy thing you could do was to not treat it with respect but instead kill it and allow it to rot and allow the animals and bugs to have it. So they treated the animal sacrifice with respect by burning it so this wouldn't happen. And just as we are to take Christ into our lives, and we remember Him, His sacrifice, His life, etc when we partake of the sacrament, they were to take the yet unborn Christ into their lives by partaking of the animal sacrifice. Also, the Priests were given the best portions for a couple of reasons too. First because of their calling, and their status (not in a worldly way as in power hungry, but as in their calling from God) it was a way of showing respect and reverance. Secondly, the Priests were from the tribe of Levi and the Levites were the only ones NOT given a land of inheritance, but instead were to go around from one tribe to another teaching, and preaching the people and relying on the people to provide them with food, shelter, clothing, and other basic needs in exchange for the Priests performing the duties they were charged with performing. So therefore, the Priests were given the best part of the burnt animal sacrifice so they would have something to eat.

When we truely sacrifice something that means a lot to us, then we learn much more than if we just go without something that doesn't mean very much to us. The animal sacrifices of the OT meant something to those who sacrificed them, because the world was a much different place then. Today God requires the sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and for many that IS a true sacrifice because it means coming face to face with the fact that we don't know everything, and that we're prideful, and that we disappoint and fall short on a daily, hourly, even on a minute to minute basis what God knows we are capable of.

Answer 4

The penalty for sin is death. In the Old Testament when you committed a sin you would have to take your own animal or buy one and bring it to the high priest for a sacrifice to God. This is a picture of the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for our sins. God requires the shedding of blood for the remission of sins because sin is a very serious offense. In the Old Testament God was preparing us to see that sin was no joking matter.

Answer 5

Answer. (dedicated to the freddy kruger guy)

First you need to understand the importance and need of the sacrifice.

God required animal sacrifices so that mankind could receive forgiveness for their sins (Leviticus 4:35; 5:10). To begin, animal sacrifice is an important theme found throughout Scripture. When Adam and Eve sinned, animals were killed by God to provide clothing for them (Genesis 3:21). Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to the Lord. Cain's was unacceptable because he brought fruit, while Abel's was acceptable because it was the "firstlings of his flock" (Genesis 4:4-5). After the flood receded, Noah sacrificed animals to God. This sacrifice from Noah was an aroma that was soothing to the Lord (Genesis 8:20-21). God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham obeyed God, but just as Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac, God intervened and provided a ram to die in the place of Isaac (Genesis 22:10-13).

Why, then, do we no longer offer animal sacrifices today? Animal sacrifices have ended because Jesus Christ was the ultimate sacrifice. John the Baptist recognized this when he saw Jesus for the first time, "Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). You may be asking yourself, why animals? What did they do wrong? That is the point, in that since the animals did no wrong, they died in place of the one performing the sacrifice.

The blood of Christ signifies His total redemptive work, including His death (which satisfied the requirements of God's law) and His resurrection (without which the death would have no effect). "For us also, to whom it [righteousness] shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:24-25). God's grace is the source of justification, Christ's blood (death, burial, and resurrection) is the ground of justification, and faith is the condition upon which we receive justification.

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Answer 6

The blood of these animals represented cleansing, so when the people had sinned they would ask for forgiveness and then sacrifice to God. It was just a symbol of cleansing. We dont have to do it anymore because Jesus died for us and He was the Sacrifice that would cleanse all our sin so that now we can just come to God and ask for forgiveness instead of killing a cow or something

Answer 7

From the time of Adam and Eve to the time of Jesus Christ, the Lord’s people practiced the law of animal sacrifice.

("And he gave unto them commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord.
And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.
And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.
Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore.")

It was an ordinance of the gospel. They were commanded to offer as sacrifices the firstlings of their flocks. These animals had to be perfect, without blemish. The ordinance was given to remind the people that Jesus Christ, the firstborn of the Father, would come into the world. He would be perfect in every way, and he would offer himself as a sacrifice for our sins.

Jesus did come and offer himself as a sacrifice, just as the people had been taught he would. Because of his sacrifice, everyone will be saved from physical death by the Resurrection and all can be saved from their sins through faith in Jesus Christ.

Christ’s atoning sacrifice marked the end of blood sacrifices. Blood sacrifice was replaced by the ordinance of the sacrament. The ordinance of the sacrament was also given to remind us of the Savior’s great sacrifice. We should partake of the sacrament often. The emblems of bread and water remind us of the Savior’s bruised body and of his blood, which he shed for us.

Answer 8

Burnt offerings were a object lesson to show humans that an innocent animal took our place in the fire, just as Jesus took our place on the cross.

Answer 9

Because when Adam and Eve sinned, they knew then they were naked. They hid from God. God killed Innocent animals to make them wraps, or clothes. So from then own, once a year, man had to kill and sacrifice an Innocent animal to atone for their sin. that is why it took an Innocent Jesus Christ to be the ultimate sacrifice for sins and put a stop to the murder of Innocent animals.

Answer 10

The sacrifices were to be first-born and without blemish - as a representation of the Son of God. When Christ suffered and died for our sins, He was the ultimate sacrifice for the world and burnt offering were no longer required.


EDIT: Why are you asking a question if you already have the answer made up in your mind?