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THE LAMB OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT SANCTUARIES; CH- IV, PART- 3
by Dr Surya Kumar Daimari Continued from CHAPTER-IV, PART-2 PART-3, CHRIST. THE SLAIN LAMB OF GOD 1. CHRIST, THE LAMB OF GOD WITHOUT BLEMISH: It is very precise and significant to note that the best thing Abel offered to God was a slain Lamb out of the firstlings of his flock and "the lord had respect unto Abel and his offering (Gen 4:4). Noah also took of every clean beast and every clean foul and offered burnt offering on the altar. And the lord smelled a sweet savour and said in his heart, "I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake" (Gen 8:21) Abraham went to yield up his own son which could have been an excellent sacrifice for the Lord. The Lamb that was offered on the day of Lord's Passover was a lamb without blemish. For God commanded the Israelite to offer a Lamb without blemish. For burnt offering, God had commanded the Israel to offer a male animal without blemish. Lev. 1:3,10 For peace offering a male or female sacrifice without blemish. Lev 3:1,6 For guilt and sin offering a young bullock without blemish. Lev 4:3, 14 A kid of the goats, a male Without blemish (for a ruler), Lev 4:23,27. Thus, we have seen that every sacrifice brought into the OT sanctuary for priestly ceremony was without blemish or without any defect. This was the prime and most essential thing to keep in mind for every comer to the Sanctuary of God. All those sacrifices without blemish brought into the holy sanctuary in the OT referred to the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. In NT, Christ has been portrayed as the slain Lamb of God without blemish or without any spot who only takes away the sin of the world. --- a lamb without blemish" I Pet 1:19 --- The lamb that was slain Rev 5:12; 13:8 --- the lamb God that taketh Away the sin of the world, Jn 1:29,36 The world 'blemish' means something stained or 'spot' or 'blot' (Heb. Meun mum) It also denotes 'a white spot' in the eye probably a cataract (Heb taeballul). So "without blemish" would mean without stained or spot or blot or defect and without any disease. The Lord Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God was without any defect or spot who only was satisfactory to God in the heavenly sanctuary. The Bible well describes His "Non Posse Peccare", His sinlessness. 1. He knew no sin, II Cor 5:21 2. He did no sin, I Pet 2:22 3. He was without sin, Heb 4:15; 9:28 4. He is "made perfect forever". Heb 7:28 5. Jesus Himself said, "Which of you convinceth me of sin ?" Jn 8:46 2. THE SUFFERING OF THE LAMB PROPHESIED: It is Isaiah the prophet who looked down the centuries and saw the coming Messiah. He has given us the most perfect description of his coming as the redeemer and his sufferings as a servant and Lamb as well who gave his life for the sins of the world. He shows his deity in chapter 9 in one hand and his terrible suffering for the transgressor in chapter 53 on the other. Let us see the contrast # Is 9:6 His name shall be called, 1. Wonderful 2. Counselor 3. The Mighty God 4. The Everlasting Father 5. The Prince of Peace # Is 53 But 1. He is despised and rejected of man, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, V3 2. Surely, he hath borne our grief and carried our sorrows ---- stricken, smitten of God and afflicted, V4 3. was wounded for our transgressions, -- bruised for our iniquities, V5 was oppressed and was afflicted. V7 4. was taken from prison and from judgment, -- was cut out off the land of living for the transgression of people , V8 5. He made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his dead. V9 6. He hath poured out his soul unto death , V12 7. He was numbered with the transgressors , V12 8. He bare the sins of many, V12 9. He made intercession for the transgressors., V12 3. THE SUFFERING OF THE LAMB FULFILLED: As we look into the NT passages, we see how the prophecies made by Isaiah the Prophet are literally fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. (1) He is despised. "And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it is three days, save thyself and down from the cross." MK 15:21,30 See LK 16:14; Jn 10:20 (2) He is rejected. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." Jn 1:11 See Jn 5:25 LK 23:18; 17:25 MK 6:3 (3) A man of sorrows. "And when he was come near, he beheld the city and wept over it LK 19:41 "Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me." 11:33,35 See Jn 12:27;11:33,35 MK 7:34 (4) He is our sin bearer. He bare our sins. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many." Heb 9:28 cf Is 53:4,12 "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree --- I Pet 2:24 "and ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins," I Jn 3:5 "That it might be fulfilled which was, spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." Mt 8:17 "And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull " Jn 19:17 (5) He was cut off out of the land of the the living. "And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull." JN 19:17 "The place where Jesus was crucified was called Golgotha in Hebrew and Calvary in Latin. Both of the words mean a skull' Mt 27:33 Mk 15:22 The place itself was definitely a place cut off the land of the living, because, It was (i) a place of execution (ii) a skull shaped rock, hill (for execution) (iii) Skulls were found. Cf Heb 13:12" Jesus also suffered outside the city gate" (6) Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God" I Pet 3:18 See Heb 13:12 cf Is 53: 5 (7) He is made curse for us "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For it is written, curse is every one that hangeth on a tree." Gal 3:13 See I P 2:23 (8) He was oppressed and afflicted. "--- he was accused of the chief priests and elders Mt 27:12 (9) He poured out soul unto death. Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep" Jn 10:11 " --- I lay down my life" Jn 10:17 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Rom 5:6 See Rom 14:9 "--- Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures" I Cor 15:3 "And that he died for all ----- II Cor 5:15 See Col 1:22; Heb 2:9; Rev 5:9 (10) He was numbered with the transgressors. "And with him they crucify two thieves --- And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors." Mk 15:27,28 (11) He makes intercession for the transgressors. "--- It is Christ that died Who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us" Rom 8:34 "I pray for them; I pray not for the world ----" Jn 17:9 "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not"---" Lk 22:32 "--- he ever liveth to make intercession for them." Heb 7:25 3. THE SUFFERING OF THE LAMB PROPITIATED: There are three important Gr words for propitiation. They are (i) "Hilasmos' found I Jn 2:2; 4:10 (ii) "hilasterion" found in Rom 3:25; Heb 9:5 Which has been translated as mercy seat. And (iii) "hilaskomai' in Lk 18:13; Heb 2:17 All these words emphasize the meaning of satisfaction. In NT usage, the word propitiation thus indicates clearly that the death of Christ fully satisfied the demand of God. IN the OT, mercy seat was the place where God met the sinful man where the blood of the animals was sprinkled. The sprinkling of the blood satisfied the offended holiness of God. In the NT, it was the cross where God met the sinful man and through the blood of Christ. Thus John says in I Jn 2:2 "Christ is the propitiation, the satisfaction, for the sins of believers and also for the sins of the unbelievers." Christ's death on the cross was essential for the propitiation work which is also the basis of God's reconciliation with sinful man. The other word preferred for" hilasterion" is "expiation", the idea of which has to do with reparation for a wrong act. As the High Priest entered the holy of holies with the blood to make the atonement work on the day of atonement, so also Christ entered on the day of His crucifixion the most holy place in heaven once for all, not with the blood of bulls and goats, but with his own blood (Heb 9:11-14,24-25); 10:10-14). Jesus through his incarnation came to this world so that he might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in the service of God to make expiation for the sins of the people (Heb 2:17). The death of Christ on the cross was expiatory and propitiatory because, (1) We are made holy (Sanctified) "Through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all", Heb 10:10 "--- he might sanctuary the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate" Heb 13:12 (2) We are reconciled to God through his blood " And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross " Eph h 2:16 " And having made peace through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself." Col 1:20 See Heb 2:17 (3) We are redeemed eternally through His blood "by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Heb 9:12 (4) We are made perfect through His offering. "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." Heb 10:14 The intense suffering of the crucified Saviour was of three kinds. (1) Physical His physical agony was of five types according to surgical classification. (i) Laceration Pilate scourged him. Jn 19:1 (ii) Penetration the soldiers platted a crown of thorns and put it on his head. And the thorns penetrated his head. Jn 19:2 (iii) Contusion they smote him with their hands. V3 (iv) Perforation the nails printed through his hands and feet Jn 20:25 (v) Incision one of the soldiers, with a spear pierced his side. Jn 19:34 2. Mental- it was the mental anguish that he suffered much. He gave his soul as a sacrifice for sin. The Heb word for soul is 'nephesh' --- means the mind. It is true to say that he gave his mind a sacrifice for sin. He suffered much while he was rejected and despised by his own people. 3. Spiritual- It was a spiritual agony that he suffered in the garden of Gethsemane when the pangs of hell got gold upon him. It was the pangs of separation which he experienced. The word "Gethsemane" in Heb. Means "to crush out the oil". It is to say that the Holy Spirit is crushed out of his life. On the cross, he cried out "Eli! Eli! Iama Sabacthani" meaning" My God my God, why have you forsaken me ?" Because he could not suffer the pangs of separation from the Father. So when we look back at the cross, the old rugged cross, (Yet it is the sign of everlasting victory) we see how much Christ suffered, how much he sacrificed for the sake of our sins and how much he loved us and still loves us. Because, He could utter the words, "Forgive them" (Lk 23:34) even while hung on the cross. It is clearly evident that "the death of Christ pervades all scriptures; the historical books prove its necessity; the Levitical foreshadows its meaning the Psalms portray its experience; the prophets foretell its suffering; the Gospels describe its fulfillment; the Acts proclaim its blessings; the Epistles explain its doctrine and the Revelation exhibits its fruits" Summing up The death of Christ was 1. Necessary The death of Christ was necessary. It was "the sine qua non of divine forgiveness and atonement." 2. Voluntary It was voluntary because Christ offered himself as a living sacrifice for our sins. 3. Substitutionary He died on behalf of the sinful man. 4. Propitiatory It was for the propitiation of our sins. 5. Expiatory The death of Christ was expiatory. It was for the satisfying of divine justice. 6. Satisfactory (Propitiatory) It was satisfactory to God. "By the which will, we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Heb 10:10 Not all the blood of beasts, On Jewish altars slain, Could give the guilty conscience peace, Or wash away one stain, But Christ, the heavenly Lamb, Took all our sins away, A sacrifice of nobler name And richer blood than they." Isaac Watts. To be Continued 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 |