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| PAST ISSUE # 147 Question: Why were animals sacrificed last time? The Jews used mainly domesticated animals such sheep, oxen, doves for sacrifices. Animals were used because they were valuable at that time. The act of sacrificing an animal to God was like giving something valuable to God. People usually sacrificed animals to God out of gratitude for His blessings or to seek His favour. The Jews also sacrificed animals as sin offerings (Leviticus 4:2, 21). The Jews would normally lay their hands on the animal which is to be sacrificed. This is to pass the sins of the sinners onto the animal which has become "sin" (Leviticus 4:4, 14-15). After that, the Jewish priests would sacrifice the animal to God as a sin offering. When the animal is killed, the sins of the sinners are forgiven and no longer remembered by God (Leviticus 4:20). After Jesus has died on the cross for our sins, we no longer sacrifice animals (Hebrews 10:17-18). This is because Jesus has become our sin offering (Isaiah 53:4-10; John 1:29; Hebrews 7:27). He was sacrificed on the cross when He took the sins of the world upon Himself (Hebrews 10:5-14). Therefore, we have been redeemed by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. And we can find complete forgiveness from God when we put our trust in Jesus and ask for His forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14).
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