Conclusion of Why is Sacrifice Needed?

No doubt Adam and Eve gave much thought to the identity of the promise Seed. When Eve gave birth to her firstborn son, Cain, she proclaimed:  "I have produced a man with the aid of Jehovah." (Genesis  4:1) Was she thinking that perhaps her son would turn out to be the Seed? Whether she did or not, Cain, as well  as his offering, proved to be a disappointment. On the other hand, his brother Abel showed faith in God's promise and was moved to offer some firstlings of his flock as a sacrifice to Jehovah. We read: "By faith Abel offered God a sacrifice of greater worth than Cain, through which faith he had witness borne to him that he was righteous." -Hebrews 11:4.

Abel's faith was not just faith in God in general, which Cain must also have had. Abel had faith in God's promise of  a Seed to bring about the salvation of faithful humans. It was not revealed to him how that would be worked out, but God's promise made Abel aware that someone would have to be bruised in the heel. Yes, he apparently concluded that blood would have to be shed-the very idea of a sacrifice.  Abel offered a gift involving life and blood to the Source of life, likely as a token of his intense longing for and in anticipation of faith was what made Abel's sacrifice pleasing to Jehovah, and in a limited way, it expressed the essence of sacrifice-a means by which sinful humans can approach God to gain his favor.  -Genesis 4:4; Hebrews 11:1, 6. 

The profound significance of sacrifice was made dramatically clear when Jehovah commanded Abraham to offer up his son Isaac as a burnt offering. Although that sacrifice was not literally carried out, it served as a picture of what Jehovah himself would eventually  do-offer up his only-begotten Son as the greatest  sacrifice ever in order to accomplish His will toward mankind.  (John 3:16) With  the sacrifices and offerings of the Mosaic Law, Jehovah set down prophetic patterns to teach his chosen people what they  must do to receive forgiveness for their sins and to solidify their hope for salvation. What can we learn from these? 

Next time: Sacrifices Acceptable to Jehovah

From the Watchtower magazine, 2000