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THE LAMB OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT SANCTUARIES Chapter-III, Part-3
by Dr Surya Kumar Daimari Continued from CH- III, PART-2 PART-3, TOPIC: THE ANTICIPATION OF A GREATER SACRIFICE. The system of sacrifice in the OT sanctuary was instituted by God Himself. Moses had built the tabernacle as God had instructed him. For God had said to him. "Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them." Ex 25:8 "According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments there of, even so shall ye make it." Ex 25:9 See Ex 25: 40 cf Heb 8:5 In our study, we have seen that the priests entered into the holy place in the tabernacle every day to carry of their priestly ministry and made sacrifices every day. But into the most holy place, only the High Priest entered only once in a year and that was on the day of atonement and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins of the people of Israel. The priests and the High Priest had to perform all these ceremonies as according to the divine plan and instructions. Blood was of utmost necessity in this priestly ceremony. "Almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood no remission." Heb 9:22 See, Lev 17:11 NIV reads, "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." But how can the blood of mere animals take away our sins? Interestingly, it is the Bible again that gives us a clear view of it, (i) "----------- it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. "Heb 10:4 (ii) Instead, "-----------in these sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year" V3 (iii) "------------can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers there unto perfect." V1 (iv) The law is "a shadow of good things to come, and not the very mage of the things" V1 NIV reads this, "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming Not the realities themselves." Why then did God institute this system of Sacrifice, (i) Which cannot take away our sins? (ii) Which cannot sanctify us? (v) (iii) Which cannot make us perfect ? It was God Himself who instructed Moses to build an alter. It was God Himself who asked the Israelite to bring burnt offerings, peace offering, sin offerings and guilt offerings. Why did God put the law of sacrifices after all ? Our God is a God of purpose. God does nothing without a purpose. There must be a divine purpose in instituting this system of sacrifices. The greatest purpose that God intended was " To anticipate a greater sacrifice." Or " The promise of a greater sacrifice." Which only is able (i) to take away our sins, (ii) give us life (iii) Sanctify us (iv)Make us perfect. There is a remarkable messianic message in Ps 40:6-5 which (i) Declares the intentions of God. (ii) Anticipates a greater sacrifice. Let us look into it carefully by asking the most relevant question, "Is God really satisfied with the burnt Offering and sacrifices for sin ? The coming one through the Psalmist says, (i) "Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, (ii) "In bunt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou has had no pleasure" In another place the Psalmist says, "For thou desirest not sacrifices: Else would I gave it; thou delightest not in burnt offering," Ps 51:16 The coming one says, (i) "------------a body hast thou prepared me (ii) "Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will O God. In the book of Isaiah, we anticipate of a redeemer who has been described as a slain lamb, "He was led as a sheep of the slaughter : and like a lamb dump before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth," Is 53:7 cf Acts 8"32 This redeemer has also been described as a "servant of Jehovah" pictured as a suffering servant whose life ends in death. Isaiah describes how this redeemer pictured as the servant of the Lord and the lamb as well suffered and gave life for the sins of this world. See Is 53. (1) Surely he hath borne our grief and carried our sorrows ------ Is 53:4 cf Mt 8:1 (2) He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his strips we are healed. Is 53:5 cf I pet 2:4 (3) He was oppressed and he was afflicted. Is3:7 cf Mt 27:12 I Pet 2:23 (4) He was taken from prison and from judgment. He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken. V8cf Mt 26:62-63 Acts 8:32-33. (5) He made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his dead- Is 53:9 cf Mt 27:57-61 MK 15:43-47 LK 23:50-56 Jn 19:38-42 (6) He shall bear their iniquities. Is 53:. II (7) He hath poured out his soul unto death Is 53:. 12 (8) He was numbered with the transgressors Is 53:. 12 (9) He bare the sin of many, Is 53: 12 (10)He made intercession for the transgressors . Is 53:12 cf Mt 15:28; LK 22:37 This redeemer portrayed by Isaiah as the servant of the Lord and also as the Lamb in the sanctuary was the true and the only sacrifice in the heavenly sanctuary. This divine sacrifice has already been made on the cross of Calvary two thousand years ago in the real history in the person of Jesus Christ. Other passages in the Bible (OT) referring to the anticipation of a great redeemer as well as the Messiah. As the Redeemer Messiah Job 19:25 Dan 9:25 Ps 19:14; 78:35;23:11 Ps 23:11 cf Jn 1:41;4:25 Is 41:14;43:14;54:5 44:6;47:4;49:26 60:16;59:20;63:16 Jer 50:34 Name of the Author of this article: Dr. Surya Kumar Daimari, MA,M.Ed, PGDTE,D.Min.(Doctor of Ministry) The author is a freelance writer. Book published: The Names of the Believers in the Bible in Types and Symbols . https://outskirtspress.com/thenamesofthebelieversinthebible Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |