How the Sacrificial System Paints a Portrait of Jesus!

The opening verses of Exodus 27 describe the construction of the altar. While I have a hard time getting interested in how the altar was constructed, I am deeply grateful that God gave us the sacrificial system.

We praise God for that, and the theme of my article will be the study of God’s sacrificial system.

This is how God began to describe the construction of the altar to Moses.

“You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square, and it shall be three cubits high” (Exodus 27.1).

Purpose of the Sacrificial System

The purpose of the sacrificial system was to atone for sins, cleanse humans, and reconcile them with God, as well as to demonstrate obedience and faith in God.

(1) Atonement – Rudy Ross frequently breaks the word “atonement” into syllables and describes it as “at-one-ment” with God.

This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the Israelites once in the year for all their sins” (Leviticus 16:34).

(2) Cleansing – The Day of Atonement was dedicated to cleansing the entire community from their sins.

It was the one day of the year when the High Priest would enter the innermost chamber of the Tabernacle or later the Temple, the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. This act cleansed the people from their sins, both unintentional and intentional.

(3) Demonstrating obedience and faith – The account of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22 demonstrates the elements of trust and obedience in the sacrifice.

The sacrifice was dramatic, where Abraham was to offer up his son. God provided for him another sacrifice that prefigured the one of His only Son.

Paul understood the nature of sacrifice quite well and described it in his letter to the Romans.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship (Romans 12.1).

A Picture of God’s Son

The sacrificial system is a tremendous picture that enables us to understand what God has done through Jesus Christ. Without the sacrificial system, we would have a hard time figuring out God’s activity in His only Son.

John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God and pictured his redemptive activity.

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

Hebrews Chapter 10 describes in great detail the work of Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice. Verse 14 is a sample of what is said there.

I’d encourage you to read the whole chapter to get a complete view of the sacrificial system completed by our Savior.

For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified (Hebrews 10.14).

Our Response to Jesus’ Sacrifice

As we have briefly looked at the sacrificial system, let’s apply it to our lives and see how we might respond in imitation of the Lord’s work.

(1) Self-surrender – When we think about the Lord’s sacrifice, Paul’s words to the Romans are worth repeating.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship.

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2).

Verse 2 helps us understand what it means to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord.

We choose not to be conformed to this age because our mind is renewed through a relationship with the Lord. When we do that, we understand God’s will and we align ourselves with it.

(2) Love, service, and forgiveness – When we recognize what the Lord has done for us and that He was the greatest person to walk the face of the Earth, we will seek to imitate His behavior.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:1-2).

YouTube Video

Rudy Ross, Whispering Danny, and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.