God Hates Animal Sacrifice
God hated animal sacrifices, burnt offerings was never commanded by God and would not accept them. It is impossible that the execution of Jesus could be compared to the sacrifice of animals or take the place of this bloody ritual that God hated nor could it even take away sins — only obedience to the will of God and doing his commands could ever give man peace with God.
I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. (Amos 5:21-22)
God Never Commanded Animal Sacrifice
Even as far back as the time they came out of Egypt, he never commanded Israel to do burnt offerings or sacrifices.
For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. (Jer 7:22-23)
Nothing can ever “take away” sins, except for repentance and making amends is the only way to receive remission and forgiveness of sin.
Animal Sacrifice Does NOT make Atonement for the Soul
In Leviticus it “says” he gave animal sacrifices for the atonement of souls:
For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. (Lev 17:11)
Not even another human can make atonement for the sins of another — not even Jesus. “Substitutionary atonement” is a doctrine invented by the some Jews and the Christian church and has always been against sound Bible teaching.
It contradicts what not only some of the prophets spoke, but also Jesus’ teachings. Atonement, also known as substitutionary atonement, when it came to people was something that was against Ezekiel’s teaching in the Old Testament:
The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. (Eze 18:20)
False Religious Leaders Created the Doctrine of Atonement
We know from the Old Testament that there were false prophets and false priests. It is very likely that the “atonement” teaching was a concept that they introduced that was not of God and it became a Jewish tradition. As Jesus said:
Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. (Mark 7:13)
In fact, Jesus even spoke out about their traditions that were not of God and specifically exposed them with such sayings as:
“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time…”, “But I say unto you…” (Matthew 5)
There are many things that the Jews incorporated into the law that Jesus didn’t agree with. The Jews did practice animal sacrifice for hundreds of years, but Jesus and John the Baptist and Jesus’ disciples never used this practice as atonement, remission of sins, or for anything at all.
Jesus Came to Destroy the practice of Animal Sacrifice
The major and minor prophets of the Old Testament frequently spoke against this practice. There is not one place in the New Testament where you’ll find any of them ever using this practice. In fact, Jesus even said that he came to destroy the ritual:
“I have come to destroy sacrifices; and if you do not stop making sacrifices, the wrath of God will not leave you.” (Gospel of the Hebrews)
Jesus taught against the mistreatment of animals:
They, whose hands are stained with blood, or whose mouths are defiled with flesh, or they who partake of benefits which are gotten by wronging one of God’s creatures, cannot be righteous; nor can they touch holy things, or teach the mysteries of the kingdom.” (Gospel of the Nazirenes 38:2)
Even the author of the Book of Hebrews quoted from the Old Testament prophets speaking against animal sacrifice and atonement:
“is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins… which can never take away sins”
“In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure…
“Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law” (Heb 10:4-12)
It’s pretty clear by the Bible itself that God didn’t like animal sacrifices nor could they ever take away sins. It has been said that animal sacrifice was a “foreshadowing” of the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross and was a “substitutionary atonement” that took the place of this practice — this is FALSE.
If the blood of animals could never take away sins, how is it that Jesus’ execution take away all the sins of the world — past, present and future? Especially seeing that the prophets said that no man could die for the sins of another? (Eze 18:20)
Consider the verse in Matthew 12. Jesus is speaking about them condemning people who break the OT law. But he was speaking of
But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
Jesus was talking about innocent people who broke the law but were not guilty. He believed in keeping the law, but the spirit of the law and about mercy and giving people a “second chance” to get it right and to make amends. But Jesus also was against sacrificing innocent, guiltless animals who religious leaders believed that condemning and the sacrifice of which could “take away” sins.
Jeremiah who makes abundantly clear that the shedding of blood of animals can never take away sins. The writer of Hebrews says: “is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins… which can never take away sins”.
The Way to be Right with God
If the blood of innocent animals can never take away sins, then how can the blood of one innocent man (Jesus) take away the sins of the world of all time?
But this is what REALLY makes one right with God:
“Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you”. (Jer 7:23)
…obedience to the will of God and walking in his commands.
Next: More Articles2 | Fear