Week 19, Day 5: Insufficient Sacrifices…

Today’s Reading:  Hebrews 11:1-12:29

Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned that the Old Covenant was intentionally flawed.  We can see, in Hebrews 9 and 10 why this was true.  God intended for the Old Covenant to be insufficient, only preparing the way for the perfect New Covenant.  In Hebrews 10:1-4, the Hebrew writer shows one of the ways that the Old Covenant was flawed–it could not forgive sins.  The sacrifice of animals could not take away sins, but was only a shadow of the things to come (the sacrifice of Christ).

The sacrifices of the Old Testament covenant were only a reminder of sins year by year.  All of the animal sacrifices ever offered would have been useless if Christ had not been offered to take away the sins of the world.  Understanding that God designed the Old Testament covenant to be incomplete indicates that He made that covenant intentionally flawed.  He never intended it to be the perfect covenant that would come later.

It is rather interesting to notice that God required imperfect animal sacrifices for so long.  Think of how many thousands, and perhaps millions of animals were sacrificed.  In all of that sacrifice, the Hebrew writer tells us that there was no forgiveness of sins.  The “blood of bulls and goats” proved to be lacking all that was necessary.  But, the perfect sacrifice came, and ensured the salvation of those that faithfully executed the Law that had been given to them.

We live under the perfect, unflawed covenant.  We should recognize the blessings that we have that far surpass what was available in the times of old!

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