August 19, 2019
READING TIME: 1-2 MINUTES
Dave, what was the purpose of the sacrifices in the book of Leviticus?
The sacrifices in Leviticus allowed God not to establish a relationship with His people, but to maintain fellowship with them for another year since the day of atonement only postponed the nation’s indebtedness for sin for one year. However, personal salvation was always attained by faith looking forward to a Messiah who would come (Genesis 3:15; 15:6; Galatians 3:16).
The sacrifices were limited in purpose to the covenant preservation and renewal of a redeemed people. The Levitical sacrifices were a part of the worship of a redeemed people in covenant relationship with their God. Corporately, and perhaps for the most part individually, the occasion of the slaying of the Passover lamb and the application of its blood to the doorposts in Egypt were outward expressions of inward faith that signaled the regeneration and justification of individual Israelites. The subsequent sacrificial system dealt ideally with worship and covenant renewal, not initial salvation. It was comparable to the New Testament believer’s experience of 1 John 1:9, not to the sinner’s experience of John 3:16. Nevertheless, it is obvious that as a new generation of Israelites came to the age of accountability, they needed to express faith for regeneration and justification before they could worship God acceptably and seek to maintain fellowship with Him. This might have occurred on any number of occasions, including the annual Passover commemoration with its attendant explanations. In some cases, it might have occurred when the young Israelites brought their first sin offerings with a true understanding of what they were doing and with faith in their forgiving God.
The blood of Christ is the only efficacious sacrifice for sins for all time. Just as it applies proactively for sinners born after the cross, so it applies retroactively for sinners who lived and died before the cross.
1) The Requirement for Salvation in any age is the same— Faith; 2) The Object of our saving faith in any age is the same— God; 3) The Means of Salvation in any age is the same— Grace; 4) The Basis for our Salvation in any age is the same— the Blood of Christ; but 5) The Content of our Faith from age to age is variable.
Sources Used
Personal correspondence with Dr. Andy Woods.
Anderson, David R. Free Grace Soteriology: 3rd Edition. Grace Theology Press, 66.