covenant with Israel
In this lesson, learn about the covenant God makes with Moses, and the people of Israel. We’ll try and answer these three questions…
- Why were animal sacrifices used in these ceremonies?
- What did they mean?
- And finally, how does the Old Testament tie in with the New Covenant?
Why Animal Sacrifices? The Covenant with Israel
Why did the people of Israel have to sacrifice animals? And, why did they have to keep repeating the process?
The answer lies in the Exodus Bible study lesson below. Learn about sin, atonement, and the new covenant.
The Confirmed Covenant – Exodus 24:1-18
“Now the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction.” – Exodus 24:12 NASB
covenant with Israel
God Confirms His Covenant with Moses and Israel
First, let’s examine the habit of sacrifices and why they were important to Israel; to God – and to us.
These rituals might seem a little strange to those of us living in modern times. But, they were very serious and had lots of meaning to the people of the Old Testament.
“So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” – Exodus 24:8
Sprinkling the Blood
God is a perfect being. He sees sin as punishable by death so the sprinkling of the blood was for atonement.
The animal sacrifice was accepted as a substitute by God to take the place of people who sinned. Therefore, it relieved them of their wrongdoings.
The blood was a symbol of death for the animal. But, it became a symbol of a life spared by shedding that blood.
covenant with Israel
As Christians – Why Don’t We Have to Make Sacrifices?
Just as the blood of the lamb or other animal killed was shed in order for God to forgive the sins of Israel, Jesus Christ came to die on the cross. He died in order to take the place of us in judgment.
Christ Was the Perfect Sacrifice – and the Final One for Us.
The Old Testament sacrifice was only good until the next ceremony. But, the shedding of blood by Christ is permanent for us – if we choose to accept and believe. Then, we receive the gift of eternal life. To me, it’s a clear choice.
Love in Christ
– Bob
To learn more about the love and life-changing experience of Christ, please take a moment to read John 3:16.