for the week ended November 8, 2008
Link to the current lesson study guide: http://ssnet.org/qrtrly/eng/08d/less06nkjv.html
This week’s study investigates the sacrificial system established in the Old Testament.
The sacrificial system involved the regular killing of many animals – a lot of shedding of blood. It is a very unpleasant set of rituals. Why did a God of love set up this system?
Before we get started – my usual disclaimer when getting into difficult topics – the notes below are my best attempts at explaining these issues, however I’m no theologian and welcome others helping me get a better understanding of this truly amazing topic. So let’s get into the study….
The relationship between sin and death is clear.
For the wages of sin is death… Rom 6:23
This fact seems to be a universal law. Death is the consequence of sin – I think this is because sin cuts us off from God, who alone is the source of life.
I don’t think that death is something that God wants to inflict on ’sinners’, I think it is the reality for those who have the destructive cancer of sin.
God of course has always had a plan though to save His creation. God wasn’t surprised by the choice of the human race to sin – He foresaw it all. The amazing thing was that He decided to create us anyway – He knew that at the end of the day love would triumph over the downward spiral of sin.
God’s remedy for sin wasn’t arbitrary. The fact that the only way to save sinful humans was through God’s own self sacrifice is one of the ‘mysteries’ of the universe. I don’t think it’s something that can be fully understood – it is something we have to take on by faith.
I know some believe that the sacrifice of Jesus was only needed to show up the true nature of Satan, and the ultimate end product of sin. And in stark contrast to this, the absolute love of God that heals the parasite of sin.
I certainly believe that the need to demonstrate the clear difference between Christ and Satan (‘the Great Controversy’) was a critical part of God’s plan of salvation.
But to me (and I’m happy to be shown otherwise – I’m no theologian), there seems to be a particular requirement for the sacrifice itself even apart from it’s power to clearly communicate the true nature of God.
…but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. Hebrews 9:26-28.
From this it appears that Christ needed to be ‘offered’ or sacrificed, to ‘bear sins’. This appears to go beyond the simple need to illustrate God’s nature.
In the same chapter we have the statement that:
And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. Hebrews 9:22
This statement is in relation to the sacrificial system in the Old Testament. But because the discussion in this chapter then goes on to discuss Jesus’ sacrifice in verses 26 to 28 it appears to me to extend the principle of ’shed blood’ being required to save to a universal reality.
Does this imply God is a bloodthirsty deity that needs killing to appease Him?
No, I don’t think this is the case. The self-sacrifice of Jesus wasn’t to appease God or to change His mind. God the Father has always loved us and doesn’t need Jesus to convince Him to do so. I believe that the self sacrifice was a required mechanism under the law of God which are the absolute laws under which the universe operates. Why the law is like this is I believe a mystery (currently at least).
So to summarise, sacrifice was a necessary part of healing the rift between God and man – a rift that was created by our sin, not by God being against us. This isn’t to minimise the highly critical outcome of the plan of salvation in Jesus’ death showing to the universe once and for all the ultimate effects of sin, and to put to rest Satan’s accusations about God being self interested and unjust.
Anyway as usual I welcome your comments on the thoughts above!
See you next week…
