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Updated: December 31, 2024

“An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you.” (Exodus 20:24)

Why did God institute these animal sacrifices? An article on the Christian website Gotquestions.org explains:

“Animal sacrifice is an important theme found throughout Scripture because ‘without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness’ (Hebrews 9:22) … Animal sacrifices foreshadowed Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf.”

But does Scripture really teach that God required these sacrifices in order to forgive us? The Psalmist wrote:

“Sacrifice and offering You [God] did not desire … Burnt offering and sin offering You [God] did not require.” (Psalm 40:6)

How do we reconcile the fact that God instructed His people about animal sacrifices yet at the same time He did not require them? And, if they were not required, why does Peter teach that we were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19)? Was not Christ’s death required in order to redeem us?

In this booklet we’ll contrast the traditional view with the biblical. When we discover who really led Christ “as a lamb to the slaughter” (Isaiah 53:7) and why, it just may change your understanding of the everlasting Gospel.