Something occurred to me today in a new way. I know, I know. Shocking, right? Anyway, here goes my attempted explanation...
The Bible explains the comparison between the Old Testament system of animal sacrifice and Jesus' death on the cross. The shedding of blood is necessary for the forgiveness of sin. I don't know exactly why - it's God's system, not mine. I'm sure mine would be much more messy and complicated. So, in the past, there was a detailed system of animal sacrifice for purification. This system was finished when Jesus took our place. He shed His blood as the sacrifice for our sins. Here's the revelation: we tend to say that Jesus became our sacrifice and mirrored animal sacrifice, but it's really the other way around. The Old Testament system was BECAUSE, later, Jesus would show us the true picture of the sacrificial shedding of blood. Why does it matter which is the cause and which is the result? Mostly, because it's just cooler this way! We tend to look at life through our worldly perspective and forget that God sees the whole picture. We have simple-mindedly decided that B happens as a result of A, but in God's eyes A is just getting us to B. When God designed the methods of animal sacrifice, He had His Son's death on the cross in mind. I understand that God is sovereign and while thinking about the ramifications of that can completely hurt one's brain, I've never really thought about this aspect of it. I think it's good to remind ourselves, often, that the things that happen in our world and in our individual lives did not catch God by surprise. He knew this day was coming from the foundation of the world. He didn't just know it, He designed it to be this way for a reason. But it's His reason. He alone has the master plan. Every so often, we get to see glimpses of it, but much of it remains a mystery. I'm glad I serve a God I can't understand.
