Hebrews 10:4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
The sacrificial system in the old covenant could not resolve the problem of sin. The author reads his Scripture and concludes that the problem remained. If the problem could have been resolved in the old system, then there was no need for Jesus to come. The blood of animals were only secondary for resolving the problem of sin. 1) The was an annual sacrifice that had to be repeated, making each year a finite and temporary time period. 2) The life of an animal was only symbolic for the life of a person; it was not equal. The only way forgiveness every came was simply through God’s grace. 3) The sacrificial system never changed the heart of people. Only God can do that. 4) The sacrificial system easily denigrated into becoming a matter of works and ritual, missing out on the importance of faith. 5) The deep human problem of brokenness in sin and under sin’s power requires a power greater than anything in this world. For these and other reasons, sin required something much greater than an animal sacrifice. That is why Jesus came and died on the cross. He resolves all of these problems.
For older posts, click here.