We have already touched base on the Mormon and Islamic faiths, and have found their arguments wanting. So now lets turn our attention to the Jehovah's Witnesses.
The Jehovah's Witnesses are officially known as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and they are a product of Charles Taze Russell, who was born on February 16, 1852. in 1870, without any formal theological education, Russell organized a class who designated him as a Pastor. By 1879, he founded the Zion's Watchtower. This was where he reinterpreted the Bible and by 1886, the Millenial Dawn was published, a 7 volume series.
Its interesting that the Jehovah's Witnesses wish to claim that the Bible is the only authority that they wish to go by given how many principles of Messianic Judaism/Christian thought they violate. Among them are the divinity of Yeshua, and his resurrection, and salvation by grace.
Lets further look at some of Russell's claims that he makes about the Bible. "If the six volumes of Scripture Studies are practically the Bible, topically arranged with Bible proof texts given, we might not improperly name the volumes "the Bible in an arranged form," that is to say, they are not mere comments on the Bible, but they are practically the Bible itself.
Furthermore, not only do we find that people cannot see the divine plan in studying the Bible by itself, but we see, also, that if anyone lays the Scripture Studies aside, even after he has used them, after he has become familiar with them, after he has read them for ten years-if he then lays them aside and ignores them and goes to the Bible alone, though he has understood his Bible for ten years, our experience shows that within two years he goes into darkness. On the other hand, if he had merely read the Scripture Studies with their references and had not read a page of the Bible as such, he would be in the light at the end of two years, because he would have the light of the Scriptures." (Watchtower, Sept 15, 1910)
Obviously with this statement there are problems within adding to Torah as mentioned in Deuteronomy 4:2, and 12:32, also in Revelation 22, there are problems with adding to the Bible. Russell runs into a problem here. Its also very interesting how Russell contends that one should not go to the Bible alone, and that if someone follows the Bible alone, they will go into darkness (we at Congregation Zion Sake wonder how this darkness would be found in such a manner! To see why, look at http://www.zionsake.org/ ).
One other thing that the Watchtower makes mention of that many Christians would take issue with is that the Trintiy doctrine is not stated by Yeshua. Yes, this is true. But the personification of God is mentioned in Deuteronomy 6:4 which infers a unified nature about God. The issue with the Watchtower understanding is that neither Yeshua or the Ruach Hakodesh is God.
Many people would recognize this movement as Aryanism, the very movement that the Nicene Creed put an end to. Some of the comments of the Jehovah's Witness understanding can be seen as reflective within an Aryanistic understanding. See for instance some of the following claims. "Jesus, the Christ, a created individual, is the second greatest personage of the Universe. Jehovah God and Jesus together constitute the superior authorities." (Make Sure of All Things, p. 207)
"He was a god, but not the Almighty God, who is Jehovah." (Let God Be True, p. 33).
"If Jesus were God, then during Jesus' death God was dead in the grave." (Let God Be True, 1946, p. 91).
"The truth of the matter is that the word is Christ Jesus, who did have a beginning." (Let God Be True, p. 88).
We have already addressed the Torah in a previous article. See here - http://hamashiachagape.blogspot.com/2010/08/is-torah-forever.html
The Torah is in fact forever, and this is detrimental to their position about Yeshua having a beginning. One Biblical passage utilized by the Jehovah's Witnesses for backing up the other presuppositions we need to examine.
In John 14:28, it is stated "My Father is greater than I." Tim Hegg addresses this claim here - www.torahresource.com/EnglishArticles/Lesser&GreaterYHVH.pdf As we see, the matter is over role vs. the essential nature of God. As Josh McDowell puts it "This verse refers to the voluntary subordination of Jesus during his earthly life when He willingly placed Himself in submission to the Father. It says nothing about His nature, only His temporary rank on earth. Thus, the "greater than" refers to His position rather than His person." (McDowell, A Ready Defense, pg 334-335). Likewise, this is the case when Jehovah's Witnesses utilize John 17 to ask why Yeshua was praying. Another commonly cited verse to attempt to deny the divinity of Yeshua is Luke 18:19 ""Why call me good, only God is good?"
Of course Yeshua was also making sure that the man in question was actually declaring whether he was God or not. The question was more directed in this effect.
What most of this incorporates is a Western and Americanized understanding of Theology being applied to scripture.
Colossians 1:15 is also utilized by Jehovah's Witnesses to attempt to deflect the position that Yeshua is God. They claim that the term "firstborn" atually is referencing him being created. In fact, this would be understood from a Jewish perspective as Yeshua being pre-existing. This is totally missed by the Jehovah's Witnesses.
The final major problem of Jehovah's Witnesses, and I have actually discussed this position with other Biblical scholars as well, is John 1:1. Those who are fluent in Greek declare that John 1:1 meant "the Word was God." Of course, Jehovah's Witnesses declare that in John 1:1, it should read "the word was a god." Again, this is making Yeshua less than a God. In effect, its also teaching polytheism, which through the writings of Dr. Phil Fernandez, we have ventured to refute.
The Watchtower however, pursues this understanding. "how are we to understand John 1:1,2 of which there are differing translations? Many translations read: "And the Word was With God, and the Word was God." Others read: "And the Word (The Logos) was divine." Another: "And the Word was God." Others, "And the Word was a god." Since we have examined so much of what John wrote about Jesus who was the Word made flesh, we are now in a position to determine which of those several translations is correct. It means our salvation." (The Word Who Is He? According to John, p. 52).
However, a quick visit to http://www.biblegateway.com/ will show this statement to be incorrect.
The primary premise behind this which is faulty in the case of God, is that theos appears with the definite article, and without the definite article. They contend that the places without the definite article should read "a god." However there is no basis for this claim. "Ha Theos" means The God, and "Theos" would merely be translated as God. IOW, there is no difference in Greek between Ha Theos and Theos. Secondly, it would contradict the way they would read the book of John. Their own Theology would be undercut, since the rest of John would read, for example in verse 6 "There arose a man that was sent forth as a representative of a god." But they do not read the verse like this. So in essence, they are being inconsistent with their expression of theos.
They also take issue with the Ruach Hakodesh, failing to even begin to understand what this term actually is. In its very understanding, it is the breath of God as it is translated accurately from Hebrew to English. Obviously its not hard to see that this is a part of God, thus making the Ruach Hakodesh, one with God.
The last problem with Jehovah's Witnesses theology is in the area of their prophecy. Jehovah's Witnesses prophecied that Yeshua would return to the earth in 1914, of course prior to 1914. Charles Taze Russell has been quoted as saying "the full establishment of the Kingdom of God in the earth at A.D. 1914, the terminus of the times of the Gentiles." (C. T. Russell, Thy Kingdom Come, 1891, p. 126).
To back this up, we look also at a few other statements made by the Watchtower prior to 1914. ""But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble. (Zion's Watch Tower 1894 July 15 p.226)
"The year A.D. 1878, being the parallel of his assuming power and authority in the type, clearly marks the time for the actual assuming of power as King of kings, by our present, spiritual, invisible Lord...." Studies in the Scriptures - Thy Kingdom Come p.239)
Both 1878, and 1914, we see the same failed prophecy by the Jehovah's Witnesses regarding the return of Yeshua.
Do Jehovah's Witnesses accurately portray their history? Excellent question to ask. What is stated next will demonstrate this to us. "When Jesus said He would come again, He did not mean He would return in the flesh visible to men on earth. He has given up that earthly life as a ransom and therefore, cannot take such life back again...The good news today is that Christ Jesus has come again, that God's Kingdom by Him has been set up and is no ruling in heaven...all the evidence shows that Jesus took up His Kingdom power and began His reign from Heaven in the year 1914." (Pamphlet, "This Good News of the Kingdom", pp. 19, 21).
As with Preterists, the best way to combat this understanding is to demonstrate what was stated in the Bible. See my article here http://hamashiachagape.blogspot.com/2010/08/letter-to-brian-simmons-on-few.html, also, tho written a bit differently, on Brian Simmon's website here http://antipreterist.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/testimony-of-a-former-preterist/
For a fuller list of detailed prophetic failures of the Jehovah's Witnesses, see here - http://ecclesia.org/truth/jw-3.html - although I do see some of this material as ad hominem attacks against Jehovah's Witnesses, the resources are valid. Just FYI for the readers.
A major obstacle will be encountered when discoursing with Jehovah's Witnesses about the above material. We must keep in mind how the Jehovah's Witnesses operate. So in like manner, they may not be open to hearing much of what people have to say. As a matter of fact, one need look at what the Jehovah's Witnesses believe about this as well ""Have No Dealings With Apostates, ... For example, what will you do if you receive a letter or some literature, open it, and see right away that it is from an apostate? Will curiosity cause you to read it, just to see what he has to say? You may even reason: `It won't affect me; I'm too strong in the truth. And besides, if we have the truth, we have nothing to fear. The truth will stand the test.' In thinking this way, some have fed their minds upon apostate reasoning and have fallen prey to serious questioning and doubt." (Watchtower, March 15, 1986 p12) "
The best remedy for this strategy is to do two things. Once again, this is a contradiction within their theology. See "We need to examine, not only what we personally believe, but also what is taught by any religious organization with which we may be associated. Are its teachings in full harmony with God's Word, or are they based on the traditions of men? If we are lovers of the Truth, there is nothing to fear from such an examination" (The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life, 1968, p. 13). Secondly, we need to encourage them to read the Bible, and to remind them of the passage in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 which states "21Test everything. Hold on to the good."
With JW's utilizing this strategy, we obviously see why it is hard for them to be open to what the Lord truly has to say. Nonetheless, our job is to witness to them, and from there let the Ruach Hakodesh do the rest.
In the end, we can see that the Jehovah's Witnesses understanding is based around a faulty understanding of some essential Biblical doctrine. While we most certainly should not throw the baby out with the bathwater, for the most of its part, the Jehovah's Witness doctrine is Theologically bankrupt, especially as it concerns the understanding of what God is, and what the word of God says. Its also a good reminder of what happens when we add or take away from the scripture of God. Its important to take the Word of God in context within its cultural identity, centered around a Jewish understanding. When we do this, we finally see what God wants out of his creation, and we can start properly living for him the way he intended, and not based upon the interpretation of what man desires.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Was animal sacrifice a cruel invention by God?
Recently I was approached with an issue about a practice that appeared up until around the beginning of the 1st millenia, and something that will be reinstated within the 3rd temple. The issue was on animal sacrifice, and whether it was a morally right thing to do. To understand this issue we have to understand what God's purpose was in creating the world to begin with. Initially it is stated in Genesis 1:26 - "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' The word dominion is defined as - dominance or power through legal authority. God has thus given mankind dominance or power through legal authority over animals. The idea of sin must also be understood. The word sin literally means "missing the mark." The Torah was established to exemplify a teaching of what man must not do in missing the mark. All of the Torah must be followed. If someone has missed the mark on any of these issues, they have sinned.
Sin began in the Garden of Eden, where God told Adam and Eve that they could eat of any tree within the garden except for the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If they did not follow this plan "they would surely die" according to God. In Romans 6:23, it describes what the penalty for sin is: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Yeshua ha Mashiach our Lord." As far as the Yeshua issue we will get to that point. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a tree if eaten from, would give Adam and Eve worldly wisdom, rather than Godly wisdom. With this worldly wisdom, they would separate their focus from God onto God's creation. When man decided to fall against God for the first time, it was then that the sinful ways of the world were established, where man would become prideful, lustful, greedy, envious, slothful, wrathful, and gluttonous. These characteristics are at the root of all sins. These are linked to the 6 things that God hates and the 7 that are abominations to him. " There are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers .(Prov 6.16ff)" God had a choice to make, and his choice was to allow mankind to either die for their sin, or have a proper sacrificial ceremony. The first institution of animal sacrifice was when God gave Adam and Eve clothes to wear, thus separating them from their sin. Many people think of this as a very brutal punishment for sin. However, the sacrificial animals went to feed the Levites and the people. Animals do not contain human souls, they were never intended for that. On this level, as providing for food, this is no different than having slaughterhouses that kill animals to provide healthy food for people in today's world. Rather than us having to die right away from having commited a sin, God provided this as an alternative. Leviticus 17 states how this alternative was to be applied - 1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: 'This is what the LORD has commanded: 3 Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox, [a] a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it 4 instead of bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to present it as an offering to the LORD in front of the tabernacle of the LORD -that man shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; he has shed blood and must be cut off from his people. 5 This is so the Israelites will bring to the LORD the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the LORD, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings. [b] 6 The priest is to sprinkle the blood against the altar of the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and burn the fat as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. 7 They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols [c] to whom they prostitute themselves. This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come.' 8 "Say to them: 'Any Israelite or any alien living among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice 9 and does not bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to sacrifice it to the LORD -that man must be cut off from his people. 10 " 'Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood—I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people. 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. 12 Therefore I say to the Israelites, "None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood." 13 " 'Any Israelite or any alien living among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, 14 because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, "You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off." 15 " 'Anyone, whether native-born or alien, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then he will be clean. 16 But if he does not wash his clothes and bathe himself, he will be held responsible.' "Since the life is in the blood of something, its either our blood, or something else's blood that must be taken. Matthew 6:25-34 talks about how the life of a single human being is worth more than animals or any of God's other creations. Do Not Worry 25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]? 28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.What are we then allowed to sacrifice? It is not children. Ezekiel 20:26 states "26 I let them become defiled through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn [a] —that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the LORD.'"
Often people illustrate the example of Abraham and Isaac as a challenge to this. Genesis 18:17-19 states - "17 Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him." We see here that the Lord has every intention of making Isaac something great. He will not harm Isaac. So when God says in Genesis 22:2 " 2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." what is he attempting to do? It is obvious that Abraham knows that his son will be taken care of when this scenario occurs " Genesis 22:6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, 'Father?' 'Yes, my son?' Abraham replied. 'The fire and wood are here,' Isaac said, 'but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?' 8 Abraham answered, 'God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.' And the two of them went on together." Abraham knew that Isaac would be provided for. When the Angel of the Lord states in Genesis 22:12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son," then we know this was for something else. This was supposed to mark the symbolism of when God would come down in the form of human and sacrifice himself. The only son reference is utilized in John 3:16. The answer to the question then is only that which is clean according to Leviticus 17:11 including God's penal substitution, himself in the form of Yeshua, may be sacrificed. Beyond that, if this isn't a good enough explanation for some people, animal sacrifice may not seem good, but it is giving of our possessions, a teaching of selflessness. Having to sacrifice a first born of livestock would have been very shameful to the Jews at the time period because other Jews would know what it was for, so they would be very careful not to sin.
When man gained worldly wisdom, he turned against Eve after she had given him the fruit. This caused evil to come into the world by the beings who had dominion over all other animals. This in turn sent the world into sin, which resulted in animals killing other animals. Through Adam's disobedience God brought about sacrifice to show consequences of wrongs and a selfless nature towards God, instead of our selfish sinful nature. Giving something of our personal possessions up for God. When God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, he was beginning to help eliminate the need for sacrifice at the temple. The story of Abraham and Isaac had nothing to do with killing Isaac, because through Isaac, the child of promise, God was going to establish many nations. Abraham, knowing this and even to the point that God was going to send a lamb in Isaac's place as sacrifice, went through the procedure that God had in store for his covenant with us. This was in demonstration for mankind to be able to find the Messiah so that God's people would turn to him and follow him. The ultimate sacrifice has already been fulfilled through Yeshua Ha Mashiach, God in the form of man. And because of God's glorious self-sacrifice, all we must now do to eliminate shame from our lives is to take up our cross and follow Yeshua's commands on a daily basis. Penal substitution is a moral idea as long as it is a voluntary action approved by the lawgiver. In this case, Yeshua approves his own action.Nor is he out to destroy animals. Another question to address was whether God was cruel to animals or not. In Psalm 147:9, it says he provides food for animals. Also in Luke 12:6 - "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God." Animals were also to be treated properly as well. They weren to be overworked per Exodus 23:12, not to be underfed per Dt 25:4 and not to be hunted to extinction per Dt 22:6-7. There are actions we see in today's society where people mistreat and abuse animals prior to killing them, even in certain cases not allowing animals to walk on their own two feet. While this may be true of today's society in certain circumstances, it was and is not at all to be condoned by our mighty God. This sin is not to be put upon those eating of the food, however. It is to be put only onto those who are acting in the manner they do. The purpose for sacrificing animals was to harvest animals, not to destroy and kill them off. They were used by the Israelites as clothing and food. This is perfectly justified and does not contradict a nature of a loving God. God is a god who demands justice. And as we see here, he is not a blood thirsty God either. "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. 7 Like Adam, they have broken the covenant- they were unfaithful to me there. 8 Gilead is a city of wicked men, stained with footprints of blood. 9 As marauders lie in ambush for a man, so do bands of priests; they murder on the road to Shechem, committing shameful crimes. (Hosea 6.6ff)" This demonstrates not a God who is ready and willing at every angle to destroy mankind, but a passionate God who loves his creation, and wants them to follow structure and order. The giving of animal blood by mankind was to give the blood of his possession in a statement that says that you would give your life up for God.As a whole, we find the argument that sacrifice is a cruel invention by God to be without merit and simply an argument from outrage. This is a logical fallacy that argues against something without offering arguments besides saying that the thing would be unacceptible, or outrageous, or "wrong", or "silly", and so on. Humans are simply different from animals. Ignoring this is being hypersensitive to something that is not of God's will. From a logical perspective, sacrifice is not contrary to God's nature. Death is the exact opposite of life, and when people sin against God, the cost is their death. Having animals as a sacrifice by which we have dominion over does not violate his law. As a matter of fact, if God did not establish this law of penal substition, he would have contradicted his nature of being a loving God, because love requires justice. The shedding of blood leading to loss of life satisfied Yahweh's just demand that violation of his holy will results in death. For the time period before Yeshua coming to Earth as a man and taking our punishment upon himself, the only repentence was to shed the blood of ourselves, or the blood of a substitution. God gave us a substitution, and we should be grateful for that. God can use whatever method he deems necessary to save mankind. He has done so very carefully with a fine-toothed comb for enough time that we can record prophecy to a finite world so that everyone can be without trouble in understanding that Yeshua is ha Mashiach.SHALOM and Hallelujah to our great God!
Sin began in the Garden of Eden, where God told Adam and Eve that they could eat of any tree within the garden except for the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If they did not follow this plan "they would surely die" according to God. In Romans 6:23, it describes what the penalty for sin is: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Yeshua ha Mashiach our Lord." As far as the Yeshua issue we will get to that point. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a tree if eaten from, would give Adam and Eve worldly wisdom, rather than Godly wisdom. With this worldly wisdom, they would separate their focus from God onto God's creation. When man decided to fall against God for the first time, it was then that the sinful ways of the world were established, where man would become prideful, lustful, greedy, envious, slothful, wrathful, and gluttonous. These characteristics are at the root of all sins. These are linked to the 6 things that God hates and the 7 that are abominations to him. " There are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers .(Prov 6.16ff)" God had a choice to make, and his choice was to allow mankind to either die for their sin, or have a proper sacrificial ceremony. The first institution of animal sacrifice was when God gave Adam and Eve clothes to wear, thus separating them from their sin. Many people think of this as a very brutal punishment for sin. However, the sacrificial animals went to feed the Levites and the people. Animals do not contain human souls, they were never intended for that. On this level, as providing for food, this is no different than having slaughterhouses that kill animals to provide healthy food for people in today's world. Rather than us having to die right away from having commited a sin, God provided this as an alternative. Leviticus 17 states how this alternative was to be applied - 1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: 'This is what the LORD has commanded: 3 Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox, [a] a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it 4 instead of bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to present it as an offering to the LORD in front of the tabernacle of the LORD -that man shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; he has shed blood and must be cut off from his people. 5 This is so the Israelites will bring to the LORD the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the LORD, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings. [b] 6 The priest is to sprinkle the blood against the altar of the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and burn the fat as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. 7 They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols [c] to whom they prostitute themselves. This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come.' 8 "Say to them: 'Any Israelite or any alien living among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice 9 and does not bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to sacrifice it to the LORD -that man must be cut off from his people. 10 " 'Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood—I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people. 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. 12 Therefore I say to the Israelites, "None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood." 13 " 'Any Israelite or any alien living among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, 14 because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, "You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off." 15 " 'Anyone, whether native-born or alien, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then he will be clean. 16 But if he does not wash his clothes and bathe himself, he will be held responsible.' "Since the life is in the blood of something, its either our blood, or something else's blood that must be taken. Matthew 6:25-34 talks about how the life of a single human being is worth more than animals or any of God's other creations. Do Not Worry 25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]? 28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.What are we then allowed to sacrifice? It is not children. Ezekiel 20:26 states "26 I let them become defiled through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn [a] —that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the LORD.'"
Often people illustrate the example of Abraham and Isaac as a challenge to this. Genesis 18:17-19 states - "17 Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him." We see here that the Lord has every intention of making Isaac something great. He will not harm Isaac. So when God says in Genesis 22:2 " 2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." what is he attempting to do? It is obvious that Abraham knows that his son will be taken care of when this scenario occurs " Genesis 22:6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, 'Father?' 'Yes, my son?' Abraham replied. 'The fire and wood are here,' Isaac said, 'but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?' 8 Abraham answered, 'God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.' And the two of them went on together." Abraham knew that Isaac would be provided for. When the Angel of the Lord states in Genesis 22:12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son," then we know this was for something else. This was supposed to mark the symbolism of when God would come down in the form of human and sacrifice himself. The only son reference is utilized in John 3:16. The answer to the question then is only that which is clean according to Leviticus 17:11 including God's penal substitution, himself in the form of Yeshua, may be sacrificed. Beyond that, if this isn't a good enough explanation for some people, animal sacrifice may not seem good, but it is giving of our possessions, a teaching of selflessness. Having to sacrifice a first born of livestock would have been very shameful to the Jews at the time period because other Jews would know what it was for, so they would be very careful not to sin.
When man gained worldly wisdom, he turned against Eve after she had given him the fruit. This caused evil to come into the world by the beings who had dominion over all other animals. This in turn sent the world into sin, which resulted in animals killing other animals. Through Adam's disobedience God brought about sacrifice to show consequences of wrongs and a selfless nature towards God, instead of our selfish sinful nature. Giving something of our personal possessions up for God. When God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, he was beginning to help eliminate the need for sacrifice at the temple. The story of Abraham and Isaac had nothing to do with killing Isaac, because through Isaac, the child of promise, God was going to establish many nations. Abraham, knowing this and even to the point that God was going to send a lamb in Isaac's place as sacrifice, went through the procedure that God had in store for his covenant with us. This was in demonstration for mankind to be able to find the Messiah so that God's people would turn to him and follow him. The ultimate sacrifice has already been fulfilled through Yeshua Ha Mashiach, God in the form of man. And because of God's glorious self-sacrifice, all we must now do to eliminate shame from our lives is to take up our cross and follow Yeshua's commands on a daily basis. Penal substitution is a moral idea as long as it is a voluntary action approved by the lawgiver. In this case, Yeshua approves his own action.Nor is he out to destroy animals. Another question to address was whether God was cruel to animals or not. In Psalm 147:9, it says he provides food for animals. Also in Luke 12:6 - "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God." Animals were also to be treated properly as well. They weren to be overworked per Exodus 23:12, not to be underfed per Dt 25:4 and not to be hunted to extinction per Dt 22:6-7. There are actions we see in today's society where people mistreat and abuse animals prior to killing them, even in certain cases not allowing animals to walk on their own two feet. While this may be true of today's society in certain circumstances, it was and is not at all to be condoned by our mighty God. This sin is not to be put upon those eating of the food, however. It is to be put only onto those who are acting in the manner they do. The purpose for sacrificing animals was to harvest animals, not to destroy and kill them off. They were used by the Israelites as clothing and food. This is perfectly justified and does not contradict a nature of a loving God. God is a god who demands justice. And as we see here, he is not a blood thirsty God either. "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. 7 Like Adam, they have broken the covenant- they were unfaithful to me there. 8 Gilead is a city of wicked men, stained with footprints of blood. 9 As marauders lie in ambush for a man, so do bands of priests; they murder on the road to Shechem, committing shameful crimes. (Hosea 6.6ff)" This demonstrates not a God who is ready and willing at every angle to destroy mankind, but a passionate God who loves his creation, and wants them to follow structure and order. The giving of animal blood by mankind was to give the blood of his possession in a statement that says that you would give your life up for God.As a whole, we find the argument that sacrifice is a cruel invention by God to be without merit and simply an argument from outrage. This is a logical fallacy that argues against something without offering arguments besides saying that the thing would be unacceptible, or outrageous, or "wrong", or "silly", and so on. Humans are simply different from animals. Ignoring this is being hypersensitive to something that is not of God's will. From a logical perspective, sacrifice is not contrary to God's nature. Death is the exact opposite of life, and when people sin against God, the cost is their death. Having animals as a sacrifice by which we have dominion over does not violate his law. As a matter of fact, if God did not establish this law of penal substition, he would have contradicted his nature of being a loving God, because love requires justice. The shedding of blood leading to loss of life satisfied Yahweh's just demand that violation of his holy will results in death. For the time period before Yeshua coming to Earth as a man and taking our punishment upon himself, the only repentence was to shed the blood of ourselves, or the blood of a substitution. God gave us a substitution, and we should be grateful for that. God can use whatever method he deems necessary to save mankind. He has done so very carefully with a fine-toothed comb for enough time that we can record prophecy to a finite world so that everyone can be without trouble in understanding that Yeshua is ha Mashiach.SHALOM and Hallelujah to our great God!
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