why does sacrifice atone for sin?

Animal sacrifice covered their sins and was temporary. Jesus sacrifice takes away sins if we give our lifes to Him.

Why did God require animal sacrifices in the Old Testament?
http://www.gotquestions.org/animal-sacrifices.html

It's because the wage for any sin is death. In other words the cost or debt owed for any sin is death. This goes back to the original sin when animals were sacrificed and skinned to cover Adam and Eve's nakedness. They tried to cover themselves with fig leaves, but this covering was not sufficient. The blood of the innocent was spilled and the skins of the animals were used to "cover" the misdeeds of the guilty.

In a similar ceremonial manner the Blood of the innocent us used to "cover" the misdeeds/sins of the guilty.

If it ever did, it was because God made it so. Animals don't belong to themselves, they belong to God, as does the earth, and everything else in it. God is within his rights to demand the sacrifice of an animal or animals. Of course, Jesus made animal sacrifice obsolete, but it wasn't a matter of moral evolution or something like that. Perfect animals were for sacrificing.

rainycity said:

Why does the death of an innocent animal cover the debt of sin for humans?

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Quite simply animal sacrifice doesn't take away sin. Animal sacrifice only pointed to the obedience of the person who made or had the sacrifice made in his name. that is why Jesus Himself was sacrificed. His sacrifice is what takes away sin.

The reason Jesus was not sacrificed any earlier than he was, was because the world was not ready to hear or except His completed work on the cross. In the time period Jesus lived, it was the first time Humanity had a reliable and somewhat safe system of roads. Cities were united under a signal country, and were not at war with themselves or other people, There was still a sense of xenophobia, but not to the point of killing travelers (Missionaries) and thanks to the Greeks their was a semi universal language that these events could be recorded in and taught from.

These are all things we take for granted now, but without things like a common language or a safe system of roads to travel on or even general acceptance into a foreign city, the gospel would have either been lost or died shortly after the events had taken place.

So from the time of the first sin, till the event that all sin found it's atonement, we had animal sacrifice as a reminder of the cost of sin, and as an outward sign of an inward desire for one to have their sins forgiven.

For All those who sinned and participated in animal sacrifice, their sin points forward to the coming of the Messiah. Just like all of us who live after the Death Burial and resurrection point back to those events for atonement.

More: this is really all talking about satisfying GOD'S Judgment! He wants us to SEE the consequences of our sin, but He made a WAY of Salvation! And while I've had the same revelation as stated in the above post, this is the first time I've ever seen anyone else say it, that God waited until we were civilized enough that Christ's "passion" couldn't be erased. He was in no rush to suffer so, and made sure He wouldn't have to go through it again.

I know of no better way to get closer to God than by meditating on Christ's blood shed for us, so I encourage you to examine this one issue closely.

Also, every detail of Old Testament law re: the sacrifices (ALL of them) has significance to us, and all were fulfilled in Christ's one sacrifice. "My Servant shall deal prudently." (Isaiah 52:13) It would be good to understand that as the Priest laid his hand on the animal's head transferring the Jew's sin to it, so also we "kill" our specific sin - repentance. This actually brings joy to heaven! Christianity doesn't get more powerful than this topic, folks.

why and how did animal sacrifice atone for sin in the old testament times?

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The Bible teaches us that God has put in place a spiritual/moral Law which is that "the wages of sin is death." (Ro. 6:23) This has been the case right from the beginning of Creation. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in Eden one of the consequences was their physical death. (Gen. 2:17)

Sin also has the effect of separating us from God. (Isa. 1:15; 59:2; Ps. 66:18) This can be an eternal condition (what we call hell) if something isn't done to atone for sin. Fortunately, God has decreed that such atonement may be made.

Leviticus 17:11
11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.' (See also Heb. 9:22)

Not just any atonement would do, however. God intended, in the nature of the sacrifices made for sin in the OT, to foreshadow or prefigure what He would do through the sacrifice of His Son, "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." (Jn. 1:29) Thus it was that in the OT atonement for sin was to be made with an unblemished, male yearling lamb (other animals/birds could serve as substitute if one didn't have a lamb).

Hope this helps to clarify this matter for you.

Selah.

rainycity said:

why and how did animal sacrifice atone for sin in the old testament times?

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The noun in the phase is sacrifice - animal functioning as an adjective.

Yet another great question. Before we delve into the animal sacrifices under the Old Covenant, lets back up to your use of the word "atone." Now in the KJV of the Bible you can find "atonement" one time, but if you look at the Greek word it translates, you find that the word is usually translated as reconciliation. So the idea is that a relationship with God has been disrupted, and now something needs to be done to remove the enmity between God and man so man can "be reconciled" if he or she chooses.

How did folks obtain approval under the old Covenant? By works, doing sacrifices of animals, or by faith? The New testament says by the works of the Law, no flesh is justified. So the animal sacrifices did not result in "justification" - the enmity between God and man remained whether you brought a sheep without blemish and cut its poor innocent throat or not.

Why then if the ritual slaughter of animals only encouraged folks to remain faithful, an illustration if you will of the coming Messiah, did God cause it the practice to continue for around 1500 years?

First we must deal with the old charge of non-believers that God did not create life and therefore has no "right of the potter" to take life. If you do not accept God has the right to take life, then nothing can be said to explain the deaths caused by the people who were, in their minds, following the word of God. If you care to accept the premise that "if God exists" - then He can take lives without doing anything morally wrong because of His "right of the Creator."

And if you accept His "right as Creator" to take life and to tell others to take life unconditionally, as opposed to the rest of us who are only allowed to take life conditionally, then using the illustration for 1500 years simply seems a long time, but then a day is as a thousand years...

This really is a great question.

I always thought of it like a balance. So if you;re sinning you're having more than your share, and it causes the scales to tip one way, if you sacrifice you are going without and it causes them to tip back the other way.

A bit of a simplistic answer to such a complex question. But that's how I've always viewed it.

Dear rainycity. I don`t know who exactly started this, but I do know that God was not happy with it, in the O.T. God did say that He was getting tired of blood-sacrifices, and He wanted our Love freely given. When Jesus paid the prize that we owed to God`s Holy Law, and could no pay, and thus became our Saviour, we were free again to approach God. Jesus became our Saviour and was the Sacrifice which had atoned for our sins. While Jesus was living amongst us, He kept telling us to REPENT, to exchange our selfish and unloving character, for Loving God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds. ALSO to love our neighbour, all other, friend or foe, as we love ourselves. Jesus had paid for our sins, but we have to Repent, to change into loving sons and daughters. Jesus kept reminding us, " be ye as perfect as God is perfect." Most of us will never become quite perfect, but God sees our hearts, and knows our every thought and wish. God will know how sincerely we have tried to become as loving as God wants us to, selflessly with no strings attached. We have years to learn this, we have Jesus, who will give us His Love, His Joy, and His Peace to share with all we know, or meet. God will forgive us every time we will stumble or fall short. Jesus taught us to pray: Father, give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our sins as we forgive those, who sin against us." Our Love will atone for sins and shortcomings, and Jesus is waiting to lead us home to God, our Heavenly Father. I say this humbly and with love, rainycity. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.