Tracing the sacrifices from Eden through the Old Testament which ended with Christ at Gethsemane, God’s sacrificial love pours over the Scriptures and zooms through history all the way to our lives today, bringing us to our knees in worship. (Adapted from Finding Life, pages 121-122)
Adam and Eve’s story is about selfishness, grasping for control, glory, and godlike power. But sacrifice is also part of the scene. They sacrificed—gave up, relinquished, exchanged—the life in Eden for something that looked better.
Suddenly, they were tarnished, jaded, and self-serving, and their idea of covering their sin was more a cover-up: ripping leaves off fig trees in a dying tear in order to hide.
“The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21, NASB).
Not until later do we learn that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22, NASB). But God, in grace, foreshadowed the coming sacrificial system and the ultimate sacrifice of the Son when He killed the animals and covered Adam and Eve, not with leaves, but with fur from the first creation.
Throughout the Old Testament, God instituted the sacrificial system, a complex system of various offerings designed to help us move back into a relationship with God. Just look at the sacrifices in the Old Testament found in Leviticus. Christ fulfilled every single one of them.
The burnt offering: This offering was a voluntary act of worship, an atonement for unintentional sin in general, an expression of devotion, commitment, and complete surrender to God. In Gethsemane, Jesus said,
“Not my will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42, NASB).
Questions to ponder:
Do you pursue your will, or God’s will?
Can you identify your unintentional sin? Do you have intentional sin in your life?
Enjoy the song below to accompany this devotional:
