But why Sacrifice?

In an effort to better understand the need for the Final Sacrifice of the Perfect Lamb, we need to understand the call for sacrifices prior. And while God no longer calls for a physical offering, there is something to be considered about the worship centered on offering to the Lord. 

Have you ever attempted to read Leviticus for your own personal spiritual journey? It can be one of the most dry, tedious reads-a bunch of rules, to-dos, not-to-dos, handed down to the Israelite people that we don't even follow anymore, so why is it important to have in our Bible? Leviticus teaches us plenty about our God. Firstly, it is a reminder that this God that we worship is not just our God or our Bible. This it truly the God of Jacob, Isaac, and of today's Jewish descendants. Leviticus taught the young nation of Israel how their God wanted to be worshiped and solidified God's desire for sacrifices as atonement and promises to do better.

Sacrifice is not new to Leviticus. Even Cain and Abel prepared offerings to the Lord as the children of Adam and Eve. Jacob was prepared to offer Isaac. Leviticus provided specific instruction as to what could or should be sacrificed to God.

 “Now this is what you shall offer upon the altar: two lambs a year old day by day continually. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer in the evening..." Exodus 29:38-42. 

Lambs, goats, birds, and even grain was all acceptable to God as a sacrifice in atonement of sin or celebration of the Lord.  But why sacrifice? What did it mean or provide to God and God's people?

God did not "need" the blood of His own creations nor did God need the grain of His people. But sacrifice is more than just what is being offered, the sacrifice offered a strong symbolism of dying for his or her own sins through the animal, recognizing that their sins deserved death. Sacrifice also acknowledged the sovereignty of God over all creation and made a gift of the people's very selves. By giving up the perfect lamb of their flock or the first fruits of their cultivated earth, it was an ultimate labor of love that was being given to the Lord.

The sacrifices that were given to God then help us to better understand what to offer to God now. The
Final Sacrifice, the last blood that God has asked for from us was given by God's own Son, a perfect and living sacrifice. And while that does eliminate a need for sacrifice to atone for our sins and humanity, that does not completely eliminate the need for sacrifice in our worship. We recall the ultimate sacrifice with praise and thanksgiving each Sunday in the Eucharist (translated to Greek to Hebrew, meaning thanksgiving), thus sacrifice remains an integral part of our worship of God.

While God doesn't still ask for a lamb from us or the first part of our harvest, God still wishes for us to make sacrifices, to recognize that our sin is detestable, to see God as sovereign, and to give God our very selves. This is where the idea of Lenten abstention shows up most often, but Lent is not the only season we can make sacrifices for our faith. Try to reflect on your life and ask God what you can give to help better feel God's love and sovereign nature over us.

Tota tua.