Forgiveness of Sin by Sacrifice

In the Old Testament, God established a system where sins could be forgiven through animal sacrifices.

The principle that blood atones (or covers) for sins, is stated in relation to eating blood:

Leviticus 17 v 10 and 11

10  “‘Any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who eats any kind of blood, I will set my face against that soul who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 
11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life. 

The sacrifices in the Law of Moses show God's method of forgiveness using sacrifice.

Leviticus 4 tells us how unintentional sins of the common people can be forgiven:

Leviticus 4 v 27 to 31

27 “ ‘If anyone of the common people sins unwittingly, in doing any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and is guilty, 28  if his sin which he has sinned is made known to him, then he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without defect, for his sin which he has sinned. 29 He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering. 30 The priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar.31 All its fat he shall take away, like the fat is taken away from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasant aroma to the LORD; and the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.
Key points:
  • A female goat is brought
  • A person lays their hands on head of the goat
  • The goat is killed and its blood poured out
On the Day of Atonement one goat was sacrificed and another, the scapegoat, symbolically carried the sins away 

Leviticus 16 v 7 to 10, 21 and 22

7 He shall take the two goats, and set them before the LORD at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 8  Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9 Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD, and offer him for a sin offering. 10But the goat on which the lot fell for the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement for him, to send him away as the scapegoat into the wilderness.

21 Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send him away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. 22 The goat shall carry all their iniquities on himself to a solitary land, and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.
Key points:
  • Two goats brought
  • One goat killed as a sin offering
  • Aaron lays his hands on the head of the second goat and confesses the sins of the people
  • The second goat then symbolically takes the sins of the people away into the wilderness
These offerings prepare us to understand the principles of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ:
  • Blood needs to be shed
  • Sins are symbolically laid on the animal being sacrificed
  • Sins are covered when the animal is killed
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