It seems that as I am reading this book, my conclusions seem to change. I am just learning about these sacrifices, though I have read of them many times, this is the first time I am really wanting clearer understanding of what they mean, shadow, and point to for me.
The text in both chapter 4 and 5 do say that the Israelites sins are indeed forgiven when they confess their sins and offer the sacrifice. But it isn't the animals that bring the remission of sin. It is always Jesus' sacrifice reaching back to this time in the history of Israel that brings the forgiveness and the cleansing.
God was very specific about how the sacrifices are to done and what they are for. He did not give the Israelites any other alternatives than what He laid out to Moses. In the same way, He does not give us any other alternative for the removal of our sins than in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Just as the Israelites were to follow YHWH's requirements exactly, so are we to follow in the way of salvation proscribed by Jesus. There just is not any other way to be saved but in Him. This was true of the Israelites, because they could not keep God's laws perfectly, and true for us, because we cannot do His will perfectly, either. WE are just as guilty as the Israelites, and the remedy is in actuality, the same. Only Jesus.
As I finish reading on these 5 different offerings, I think that the priests must have been spending most of their time offering these sacrifices day after day after day; year after year after year; until Jesus fulfilled all that was needed to replace these offerings, and then these offerings were to cease. And they did in 70 A.D. It makes me think too, that, perhaps, part of the reason for the Jews not accepting Jesus was because they were so entangled with these offerings for their sin that they could not part from the shadow to embrace the true reality in Jesus. They were idolizing these rituals, not seeking YHWH as Savior.
..continued.
It seems that as I am reading this book, my conclusions seem to change. I am just learning about these sacrifices, though I have read of them many times, this is the first time I am really wanting clearer understanding of what they mean, shadow, and point to for me.
The text in both chapter 4 and 5 do say that the Israelites sins are indeed forgiven when they confess their sins and offer the sacrifice. But it isn't the animals that bring the remission of sin. It is always Jesus' sacrifice reaching back to this time in the history of Israel that brings the forgiveness and the cleansing.
God was very specific about how the sacrifices are to done and what they are for. He did not give the Israelites any other alternatives than what He laid out to Moses. In the same way, He does not give us any other alternative for the removal of our sins than in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Just as the Israelites were to follow YHWH's requirements exactly, so are we to follow in the way of salvation proscribed by Jesus. There just is not any other way to be saved but in Him. This was true of the Israelites, because they could not keep God's laws perfectly, and true for us, because we cannot do His will perfectly, either. WE are just as guilty as the Israelites, and the remedy is in actuality, the same. Only Jesus.
As I finish reading on these 5 different offerings, I think that the priests must have been spending most of their time offering these sacrifices day after day after day; year after year after year; until Jesus fulfilled all that was needed to replace these offerings, and then these offerings were to cease. And they did in 70 A.D. It makes me think too, that, perhaps, part of the reason for the Jews not accepting Jesus was because they were so entangled with these offerings for their sin that they could not part from the shadow to embrace the true reality in Jesus. They were idolizing these rituals, not seeking YHWH as Savior.
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