The Voice of God Gets Through

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I was listening quietly, while my wife read a children’s bible story book to my little 3-year old grandson. She was reading about God calling out to Samuel for the first time. Most people will remember that this account shows Samuel as a little boy sleeping in the Temple near Eli, the high priest, that is, in the Temple court in the place provided for the priests who attended the duties of the Temple. Samuel awoke from sleep by the sound of God’s voice calling out to him. Naturally, he assumed it was Eli calling him, because he had no past experience of God speaking directly to him. So, he went in to Eli and woke him from his sleep, asking what he wanted. Eli told him he hadn’t called him and to return to his bed and go to sleep.

 

Blood Sacrifice – The Exception

I began this series over a week ago, and today I will conclude it today with this post. I mentioned at the beginning that there was a single exception to the general rule that ‘without blood there was no atonement.’ This exception applies only to the one who is too poor to afford two turtledoves as his sin offering, but as we shall see, even it is no real exception at all! Some have supposed that because Leviticus 5:11-13 allows a sin offering without blood, it then makes Jesus unnecessary as the Blood Offering, of which all offerings under the Mosaic Covenant were a type. Let’s look at the Scripture.

 

Reconsidering Two Matters

In earlier blogs in this series I wrote about seeking to buy eternal life and the question of God wanting mercy in the place of blood sacrifice. Before concluding this series, I think I should discuss two Scriptures having to do with these two subjects. They have been used on the discussion boards in efforts to show God doesn’t desire a blood sacrifice as Hebrews 9:22 claims is the usual case. It seems that people with a low view of Jesus (i.e.people who believe he was merely a man) are compelled to prove that his sacrifice upon the cross couldn’t have obtained atonement for all of mankind. If it did, perhaps they would have to reconsider who he really is. The idea that Jesus is God, and that God became man to dwell with us in order to show us how to live, and then to die in order to save us from death, this idea frightens people. Why? Because, really believing it would mean one would have to change the manner in which he lives. So, they go about seeking to prove Jesus’ life from a Christian point of view was unnecessary.

 

David’s Example of Blood Atonement

Centuries ago, David lusted after Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of David’s most trusted military men. David took Bathsheba and committed adultery with her. When she became pregnant and efforts to hide his sin failed, David had Uriah killed. Later Nathan the prophet came by appointment from the LORD to expose the sin of the king. It is assumed by some that the LORD simply forgave David for the sins of killing Uriah, the Hittite, and committing adultery with Bathsheba. However, the context shows otherwise.

 

Can Atonement Come Without Blood Sacrifice?

I have met people in discussion groups on the internet who will argue that they forgive others without ever asking for a blood sacrifice. Why can’t God do the same? Is man able to do what God cannot do? Isn’t this a higher form of forgiveness? Doesn’t the system of animal sacrifice represent something ancient cultures used, because they didn’t know any better? In reality, doesn’t the Scripture even allude to this when God didn’t destroy Israel after they rebelled against him and made a golden calf? Doesn’t that it show a blood sacrifice is not necessary? This understanding of God’s mercy just does not make sense. So too, the implication that man’s forgiveness represents a higher form of mercy than that used for God in the Scriptures is out of line.

 

Can Money Buy Eternal Life?

The Scriptures speak of money having atonement value, and Israel had to pay this atonement whenever a census was taken. I have run into people on discussion boards that point to Exodus 30:16, saying that blood is not needed for atonement, because Scripture shows money has atonement value with God. What does this mean? Can one really buy one’s way into eternal life? Can God be bribed? The fact is that this Scripture does not represent a sacrifice or take the place of one. One could not substitute atonement money for a sin offering or any other offering. Atonement money had to do with whether or not one numbered himself as the LORD’s and who submitted himself to the Mosaic Covenant.

 

Does God Prefer Mercy… Over Blood Sacrifice?

In the context of presenting arguments that are used on the internet by folks who deny the need of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, I intend to present one today that argues the cross is not needed because God never wanted blood sacrifices. I remember one gentleman, but he wasn’t alone in his understanding, who kept insisting that God wouldn’t be happy with any number of burnt offerings and quoted Micah to make his point. I tried to tell him that the context of this Scripture would not permit him to make such a deduction and base it upon God’s word. As is usually the case, he wasn’t willing to admit he was in error. Notice what the Scripture says:

Micah 6:6-7 JPS  ‘Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old?  (7)  Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’

 

No Atonement Without Blood

The Book of Hebrews tells us that without blood there is no atonement for sin (Hebrews 9:22). I have mentioned this to some who do not hold a high view of Jesus. More often than not one would quote a passage from the Hebrew Scriptures in an effort to show that if Hebrews 9:22 did not directly contradict the Torah, at least there were many exceptions to the rule. This, of course is not true. The Jews admit this in the Talmud Babylonia. As a sinner, I have forfeited my life through my transgressions. The Law of God (Torah) requires my life. Under the Old Covenant, the blood, which is the life of the animal, was shed as a substitute for the life of the sinner. I have found only one exception and that is Leviticus 5:11-13. We’ll take a look at this Scripture later, but first let’s look at the other exceptions to the rule, which are no exceptions at all, but those Scriptures are taken out of context by those who reject the teaching of the depravity of man and our need of a blood sacrifice (Savior).

 

There Is No Escape

There is no way that one is able to escape the taint of the sin of Adam. The only exception is Jesus, but he existed before Adam and therefore was not affected by the sin nature that was passed on to all mankind. He did not derive his life from our first parents and therefore was not subject to their sin.

 

There is None Righteous

I often meet with people on the internet who reject Paul’s theology, saying that he departed from God and what he says is to be rejected, or they simply assert that he was the real founder of Christianity, not Jesus. Jesus was Jewish, but Paul was a renegade who could not establish a following among the Jews who knew better, so he went out to establish a name for himself among the Gentiles. Is this true? No! I don’t believe for a moment there is any truth to such an argument. For example, one of Paul’s teaching is that no one is righteous—not even one person. What does he mean by this and can his doctrine be established from the Hebrew Scriptures, or is this, in fact, a new doctrine he began to teach in the New Testament? If one would investigate his sources one would find Romans 3:10-12, was taken directly from the only Scriptures he knew. Notice:

 

Blood Ransom

The teaching of man’s depravity is one that is perfectly Biblical. The doctrine of Original Sin was developed by Augustine, and those who hold to a low opinion of Jesus, that is, those who believe Jesus was only a man, often repudiate Augustine for his understanding. Many even imply that his insight comes not from the word of God but from the pagan philosopher, Plato. I do not wish to defend Augustine per se or bring us into a study of Plato’s dualism. Nevertheless I do believe the Bible supports the doctrine of man’s depravity due to Adam’s rebellion and his need of a Savior.

 

Are There Few Who Are Saved?

While in Jerusalem Jesus was asked: “Are there few that be saved?” This is a question concerning which I have wondered for many years. I believe that at some point in our lives all of us come to Christ asking this question (Luke 13:23; compare Luke 13:34-35)! We see so many who don’t know Jesus nor even care to know him. What about the sincere person who never heard of Christ? Is he condemned for the lack of a laborer in his field? What about the sinner who is not so sincere, but never heard of the Lord? Is he condemned without ever having a reason to repent? So many people die in their sins! Is there any hope? Will they live again, or are they lost forever (Ezekiel 37:3, 11)? God says there is hope!

 

Who Am I In Christ?

All mankind are descendants of Adam, who, though created to live forever, are swallowed up in death. I cannot live forever, because Adam’s life had become corrupt and began to decay. As my most ancient ancestor, he defined me. He was my truth. My power to know was written in the map of life that I inherited ultimately from him. Adam was my way. I could experience only what he could. He was a rebel, so how could I be more than him? What Adam gave up, I cannot inherit from him.

 

Did Jesus Have To Die?

Was the Crucifixion necessary or was it sort of bad luck? Who decided Jesus had to die and when? Did God decide to have his Son killed, and, if so, wasn’t this malicious?

As a Christian I see that God is not malicious. What could possibly be malicious in God becoming man and being crucified in order that we might have eternal life? The problem is some unbelievers see the idea of the crucifixion in precisely that scenario. Why should God killing off his Son be necessary? This whole scheme is god’s work: sin, death, sacrifice, redemption the whole spectrum of the Biblical account. Why set it up like this?