“Now Abel kept flocks . . . [He] brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering.” Genesis 4:2-5
Do you remember when God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on an altar? That story had a very sad beginning. Abraham had waited many years to have a son, and when God finally gave him one, he told Abraham to sacrifice him on an altar. It seemed so unfair. Do you remember when they reached the top of the mountain and Isaac still had no idea what was going to happen? Isaac asked his father, “The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” That was a sad question. Yet we know the story ended well as God told Abraham that he should grab a nearby ram and use it for the sacrifice instead.
Animal sacrifices were common among the Israelites. Leviticus is filled with directions for sacrificing animals. One of the largest sacrifices took place on the day Solomon’s temple was dedicated. First Kings 8:62,63 says: “Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the LORD. Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the LORD: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats.”
The temple had a huge altar that was built for the sacrifices. Every morning and evening they sacrificed a lamb and every Saturday 96 lambs were sacrificed. The Feast of the New Moon called for 84 lambs, Passover Week demanded 49 lambs, and the Feast of the Tabernacles another 105 lambs. In a year they would sacrifice more than 1,000 lambs on the altar. It is likely that the sheep grazing on the Bethlehem hillsides were being raised to go to the temple in Jerusalem where they would be sacrificed.
Why don’t we still sacrifice lambs today? We don’t need to. The Good Shepherd came and put an end to more sacrifices. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice. Every animal sacrificed on the temple altar pointed to Jesus. They reminded the people that one day the perfect sacrifice would come who would give his life for everyone. After Jesus died on a cross there was no more need for blood to be shed. The final sacrifice was done. The Good Shepherd paid the price. That’s why the writer to Hebrews said: “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10)! How thankful we are that Jesus came to be the big sacrifice, the total sacrifice, and the end of all sacrifices. And he did it for us!
Heavenly Father, what joy you bring to our hearts when we realize that you have removed all our sins from us and cleansed us with your blood. We thank you for being the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb who died to pay for our sins. Amen.
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