We have a very loving God. He is holy and cannot tolerate our sinfulness. He created us so that we can enjoy having a relationship with Him. But ever since Adam and Eve chose to sin, our relationship with Him has been destroyed. Therefore, in order for us to enjoy this relationship again, God established the Old Covenant.
The Old Covenant revealed to us God’s way of holiness. The ten commandments were given and later expanded to 613 commands. Every time someone breaks one of these commandments, they had to offer animal sacrifices to have their sins forgiven. These sacrifices and commandments were given to teach us that man cannot save themselves and it pointed to the ultimate sacrifice of the Lamb of God. The Old Covenant points us to our need of the New Covenant.
For the law (Old Covenant) possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship. For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so have no further consciousness of sin? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year. For the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins.( Hebrews 10:1-4 NET)
…He does away with the first to establish the second. By his will we have been made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands day after day serving and offering the same sacrifices again and again—sacrifices that can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand of God, where he is now waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy. (Hebrews 10:9-14)
Application: Now that we are under the New Covenant which was established through the blood of Jesus, let us give God all our heart and attention. We no longer have to second guess ourselves, if God will accept our animal sacrifices, because through Jesus we know that He has fully accepted and forgiven us. We can now come boldly to the throne of God and enjoy this intimate relationship with God again.
～Min. David Or 柯啟洋傳道～