In the first part of this series we saw from scriptures, that Prophets and kings of Old – Samuel, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Hosea, Amos, Micah were all saying that God never took delight in the burnt offering, even though the people kept bringing sacrifices and offerings to sooth their consciences. Yet, those could not take away their sins, instead the sacrifices served as a reminder of their sins.
The sacrificial system never worked! It was supposed to be a parable; God accommodating their practices to point them to what he would do.
Then Jeremiah on coming to the scene, “spoilt the whole matter” by saying God never asked anyone to bring sacrifices in the first place:
Jeremiah 7:21-23 ESV
Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.
All God asked through the ages was for humanity to put their faith in his promise, the obedience of faith – obeying the command to believe the gospel, faith in the gospel, receiving the God’s offer of life apart from works. They were to live by faith and not by dead works. Moses institutionalized the sacrificial system as a figure because of the hardness of their heart – their unbelief. Even in the mist of unbelief, some mixed the word the heard with faith, howbeit in a promissory note (Hebrews 11).
God promised to provide himself as the ultimate sacrifice (Genesis 22:8). He has kept His promise in Christ.
Romans 16:26 NASB
but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;
Hebrews 5:9 NASB
And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,
Hebrews 10:8-11 ESV
When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
Jesus did not die to appease God but to pay the demand of sin on behalf of humanity. He came to save us from our sins, and reconcile us to God – God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself (2 Corinthians 5:19). Jesus was the Temple, the High Priest, and the Sacrifice.
It is the same today as it was in the Old. We are not saved by our performance or works but by faith in the fulfilled promised – the once and for all sacrifice of the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world through his death, burial, resurrection, and exaltation to purchase our eternal salvation (John 1:29; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 3:5). After which, he sat down!
What Christ did is enough. It is final and eternal!
Would you receive what God has done in Christ by putting faith in the faithfulness of Christ?
To the believer, would you rest and relax in what Christ has done? He is faithful and lives forever to secure that which He obtained for you – the so great salvation.
Hebrews 7:25
Therefore He is able also to save forever (to the uttermost, completely, perfectly, finally, once and for all time, for eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He always lives (forever) to make intercession for them.
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