For God to continue His relationship with Adam and the rest of the human race during the Old Testament period, He provided animal sacrifices to deal with sin. God taught them how to offer animal sacrifices to Him so that their sins could be forgiven. They had to choose clean animals without defects, and it must be animals such as bulls, sheep (lamb), goats, or doves. To offer animal sacrifices for the entire community, they need to offer a bull. For individuals, they need to offer goats or sheep (lambs), but if the individuals could not afford goats or lambs, they could offer doves. As the people offered animal sacrifices for their sins, the priests would tie the animals on the altar, slit their throats, and let the blood flowed on the altar because the blood of the animals would cover the sins of the people who were offering the animals. After the blood was drained, they then burned the animals as a burnt offering to complete the sacrifice. These animal sacrifices were endless because every time the people sin, they had to offer animal sacrifices to deal with their sin.
The animal sacrifices in the Old Testament reminded the people of the severe consequences of sin (Hebrews 10:3). Instead of the people dying for their sins, God allowed the animals to die in their place. He also required the blood of the animals to cover their sins so that they could have access to Him. The blood of the animals was impossible to take away sins (Hebrews 10:4). As a result, our Lord Jesus Christ came as the "Lamb of God" to replace the animal sacrifices once and for all so that He could take away our sin completely (John 1:29). The cross was the altar in which Jesus shed His blood to take away our sin and finish His sacrifice to save us from our sin. He offered up His body as our sacrifice to God for our sin (Hebrews 10:10).
Our Lord Jesus loved us so much that He was willing to die on behalf of us. He sacrificed His life on the cross for our sake. The reason we are forever with God is because of what Jesus had done for us. We have eternal hope in our Lord Jesus Christ because He did not stay on the cross or in the grave, but He rose from the dead after three days so that we can have a new life in Him.
Ask yourself these questions: How did the people in the Old Testament deal with their sin? What did Jesus replace when He died on the cross? How do I feel knowing my Lord Jesus died for my sin?
Write down all the worries that you are facing today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for taking my place on the cross. I deserve to die on the cross because of all the sins I have done, but you took my place to save me. Thank you for loving me so much. Please help me to continue to know you and grow in my relationship with you. In your name, I pray. Amen.