Saving faith includes a steadfast confidence in Jesus Christ’s
power to save us from our sin. In order to make this faith more tangible for
someone struggling to believe in Jesus Christ’s power to save; I would like to
explain the wisdom that God shares with us from the Old Covenant sacrificial
system and how Jesus Christ’s sacrifice in the New Testament is the perfect
fulfillment of this prophetic portion of scripture.
In the book of Leviticus; chapter 1: 3-5, God explains that a
perfect animal sacrifice would cover the sins or make an “atonement” for the sins
of His covenant people Israel. The detailed animal sacrificial system found in
the book of Leviticus provided a remedy for God’s covenant people to have their
sins dealt with; at least temporarily. The way it worked is as follows: The
people who became aware of sins they committed would bring a lamb without
defect to the priest who would place his hand on the head of the animal (thus
signifying a transfer of guilt) and slaughter the animal in place of the culpable
sinner. This animal sacrificial system and others like it needed to continue perpetually
and generationally because the nation of Israel kept sinning, priests kept
dying and the efficacy or potency of the atonement was only valid temporarily
and not permanently; thus the fallible, mortal priests were forced to repeatedly
cover offences from generation to generation in this manner.
Fast forward to the New Testament and something remarkable
happens. After Jesus is lifted up on the cross and breathes his last breath; The
veil of the Jewish Temple is torn from top to bottom; (Mathew 7:51) symbolizing
the end to the previous way of receiving pardon from God through the Old
Covenant which of course included the sacrificial system. Since that moment,
people have access to God’s “redemption” or forgiveness of sins through the person
of Jesus Christ who is the ultimate sacrifice that was shadowed in the animal
sacrificial system given to nation of Israel. Hebrews 9: 26, 28 explain that
Jesus Christ’s atonement permanently atoned for sin and not only covered sin
temporarily, but removed it entirely! The prophetic wisdom of how God atones
for sin is found in the book of Leviticus and was finally accomplished through
the atonement of Jesus Christ.
