Sabbath: Understanding Sacrifice
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 3rd of May 2025
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study: Isaiah 1:2-15, Hebrews 10:3-10, Exodus 12:1-11, 1 Corinthians 5:7, Haggai 2:7-9, Isaiah 6:1-5, Revelation 4:7-11.
Memory Text:
“And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation’ ” (Revelation 5:9, NKJV).
When Jesus came toward him, John the Baptist declared: “ ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’ ” (John 1:29, NKJV). This was an unmistakable reference to the idea of animal sacrifice, all of which pointed to Christ’s substitutionary death in behalf of all humanity.
In the Bible, we cannot escape the theme of animal sacrifice; it runs like a scarlet thread throughout its pages and plays a central role in the grand scene in Revelation, where John is escorted into God’s throne room (Revelation 4:1-11 and 5). The fact that Jesus appears in this pivotal scene, looking like a slain lamb (Revelation 5:6), is an important key to understanding the entire prophetic episode.
This week we will look at some of the themes of sacrifice that inform our understanding of Jesus, the slain Lamb, the clear protagonist of the throne room scene. He is accepted as worthy, where no one else is, and His unique worthiness speaks volumes about what the Lord was doing through the sacrificial system. It reveals Him as a God of infinite love who made the ultimate sacrifice, an act that we, and the other intelligences in the universe, will marvel at for eternity.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 10.
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It is very easy for us to clothe the sacrificial system with the Christian perspective, but I think it is also important to try and understand how it was perceived in Old Testament times and perhaps learn from it.
The Jewish word for the sacrifice was "korbanot" which comes from a Hebrew root word which means "to draw near". The big idea behind the sacrifice was to draw near to both God and one another. It is significant that the idea of a sacrifice as paying for your sins was less important than the notion that it was repairing the relationship between God and the sinner.
Jewish writers both within and outside the canon of the Old Testament emphasise the idea that sacrifices were not to be considered just rituals but were to come from the heart. In this context it is worth noting that modern Jewish writers recognise that prayer is the appropriate modern replacement for animal sacrifices.
I think we Christians can resonate with the Jewish idea of "korbanot". Jesus invites us through his sacrifice to draw near to God as he repairs the broken relationship we have with God. It is also a reminder we should not dismiss the sacrifice of Jesus as just an historical event but as something where we continue the "drawing near" process in our prayer life today.
... and if you would like a bit of peaceful Sabbath viewing, here is the second New Zealand slideshow. I still have a couple more of these to come. Enjoy!
The Old Testament prophecies (Genesis 22:8, Isaiah 53, Leviticus 16) teach and affirms sacrifice as the means by which God had to rescue humanity from eternal death. Sacrifice represents the magnitude of God’s love and grace. Without the sacrifice of the lamb of God, there is no atonement for human sins. This is extremely gigantic knowledge and understanding that we have. Perhaps the most reflective questions that we need to ask is, “How should this great knowledge and understanding influence our practical Christian living”? and “How different are we from those who do not have this knowledge and understanding”?
It is a privilege and blessing to have this knowledge and understanding. However, if it does not influence our Christian living, then all is in vain. I want to suggest that by the grace of God, may this knowledge and understanding help us in the following aspects:
1. Understanding that a precious sacrifice was offered for the atonement of our sins, we should live a life of gratitude and humility (1 Peter 1:18-19).
2. Jesus loved us sacrificially unto the cross (John 13:34-35; Ephesians 5:1-2). How much do we love others? What is the purpose of our prophetic knowledge if we have no love (1 Corinthians 13:2)?
3. By the mercies of God, we ought to offer our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12: 1-2). We have been called to live a life of holiness. A holy sacrifice was offered to set us free from sin. We should not go back to sin (Romans 6:1-2, 1 Peter 1:15-16).
4. The Christian life that we have been crafted to, a life of endurance. The lamb of God endured trial and persecution to the end. This should give us comfort and hope. We too by the grace of God we shall endure to the end (Hebrews 12:2-3).
We should never take this knowledge and understanding for granted. God has given us an understanding and a revelation of His truth to save us. If we ignore it, there will be no sacrifice to atone for our sins.
"For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment... How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?" - Hebrews 10:26–29 (ESV).
Several years ago I was told that if I did not understand the Sancutury I would not be saved, I was put out, mind you not by my church but mentally distressed. Then I came to realize that he was talking about sacrifices which God put into play after man sinned to remind pre Christ believers of a redeemer someday to take the brunt of our sins. Not everything happened before the foundation of this earth. So then I see that a loveing Godhead though had planned a wayout(we were deemed worthy for redemption and are worthy through the blood of the Lamb) before the foundation of the earth was layed, as the Bible says. That would be our God is and ever was(eternal, or immortal if you prefer)
1 Peter 1:20-21.
Wow, I am worthy of redemption, why because I turn to God through Christ.
Hebrews 7:25. And then cling to the cross. Hebrews 10:23.