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69. Does the blood of animal sacrifices take away sin? Leviticus 4:20, 26, 31, 35, 5:10, 16, 18, 6:7, 17:11, Numbers 15:27-28, 29:5 vs. Hebrews 10:4, 10:11

That first batch of scriptures is eleven examples that all say the same thing, so I’ll quote two just for the sake of you won’t read them all if I post them all anyway. If you suspect I’m being underhanded in any way, I encourage you to look up the ones I omit and let me know if I’ve been deceitful.

Leviticus 17:11
‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’

Numbers 15:27-28
‘And if a person sins unintentionally, then he shall bring a female goat in its first year as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for the person who sins unintentionally, when he sins unintentionally before the Lord, to make atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.’

Hebrews 10:4, 11
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. … And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

I’m so glad you asked.

Leviticus 17:11 provides some insight into the Old Testament (pre-Jesus, where the first batch of scripture references comes from) sacrificial system. Our rebellion against God separates us from His presence, but God set up a system whereby a person or people could pass their sins to an animal who would die in his/her/their place(s).

Because God is perfectly just and perfectly merciful at the same time. 

But the word that is used in every one of those eleven examples is “atonement.” The Hebrew word is kaphar (kaw-far’) which means “appease.” The blood of animals in the Old Testament appeased God in regard to our wickedness. It covered our sin the way a nice rug covers a dirty floor.

In the New Testament, Jesus is on the scene. The Project Reason poster references verses four and 11 of Hebrews, but the answer to the “contradiction” is found in the verses it skips over.

Hebrews 10:1-3 –
For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.

The Old Testament is all about Jesus. It’s a type. A foreshadow. God was preparing His people, and the world, for the coming Messiah.

The writer of Hebrews explains that the sacrificial system under the Old Testament law was a, “shadow of the good things to come.” God always meant to, and always did, justify people – forgive us of our sin and restore us to Himself – through faith, but that faith would be revealed in Christ when the time was right for Him to come.

In the meantime, God allowed the sacrifice of animals to cover up people’s sins. It was a temporary measure, and the writer of Hebrews points out that it was just a bandaid for sin. The blood of animals wasn’t actually enough to restore us to perfection and holiness, “for then would they not have ceased to be offered?”

Later, the writer continues,

But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God … For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:12, 14)

Jesus’ sacrifice fulfilled the righteous requirement of God against our sin once and for all. That’s why we don’t see the word “atonement” anymore, because the blood of Christ does more than just hide our sin.

When we choose to put our trust in Christ, His sacrifice is credited to our debt of rebellion and sin. The rug is lifted and the dirty floor is clean and restored. We are made new, born again, and set free from sin.

So short answer: No. The blood of animals does not “take away” sin. It never did, and scripture never makes that claim. It appeased God’s wrath against wickedness for a time, because He is good and He loves mercy, but it was always only a hint of what was to come in Christ.

We don’t need sacrifices anymore. We don’t need religious rituals, or a long list of good deeds. We don’t need to suffer through countless rounds of reincarnation or master some sort of spiritual art form. Jesus paid it all.

Hebrews 10:17-18
… then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.