There is a bloodline running through the Old to the New Testament, all the way to the final atonement by the blood of Jesus, because blood is necessary for the atonement of sin. The practice of sacrificing an innocent animal for the sin of mankind was first seen when an animal was killed for God to clothe Adam and Eve before they left the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:21), followed by Abel sacrificing the firstborn of his flock and its fat which was acceptable to God (Genesis 4:4).
Genesis 8:20-22 (NKJV) Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.
It continued in Noah’s time when God had to judge the earth through the flood because of sin. The first thing that Noah did coming out of the ark was to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, and the Lord was pleased. Hence, we see that the shedding of blood was necessary for a new beginning of mankind. Noah understood that the way for individuals to approach and to appease God for sin is through the sacrifice of an innocent animal on behalf of themselves by the shedding of blood, because an animal had to take the place of the sinner.
Then there was the sacrifice for the nation. God chose the nation of Israel to bring forth the Messiah through the unconditional covenant with Abraham, but first, God had to test His covenant partner, Abraham.
Genesis 22:13-14 (NKJV) Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
Abraham passed the test through his willingness to offer up Isaac, his only son of promise, believing that God could raise him up. God stopped him just in time and provided a ram as the burnt offering instead. The doctrine of the blood was again foreshadowed where substitution took place when the ram was provided to take the place of Isaac.
Abraham’s act of offering on Mount Moriah paved the way for the final offering on Calvary. Jesus was our substitute on the cross because an innocent party must always take the place of the sinner through the shedding of blood, so that there can be atonement for sin and redemption of mankind. It reveals the mercy and love of God, and truly understanding that will help us to be gracious and merciful to others around us too.
Sermon Series: The Power of the Blood (Part 1)
祂成了我们的替代
血的脉络贯穿旧约到新约，一直到用耶稣的宝血最终赎罪，因为血是赎罪所必需的。在亚当和夏娃离开伊甸园之前，为了给他们穿上衣服，第一次一只无辜的动物被杀来代替人类的罪(创世记3:21)，随后亚伯献祭了他羊群中头生的动物以及其脂油(创世记4:4)被神悦纳。
创世记8:20-21 挪亚为耶和华筑了一座坛，拿各类洁净的牲畜、飞鸟献在坛上为燔祭。耶和华闻那馨香之气，就心里说：“我不再因人的缘故咒诅地（人从小时心里怀着恶念），也不再按着我才行的，灭各种的活物了。
这种献祭在挪亚的时代继续，因为罪的缘故，神不得不用洪水来审判全地。挪亚出方舟所做的第一件事，就是向耶和华献燔祭，耶和华很喜悦。因此，我们看到，为了人类有一个新的开端，流血是必要的。挪亚明白，个人接近神并赎罪的方式是通过流血牺牲一只无辜的动物来代替他们自己，因为必须有一只动物来代替罪人的位置。
然后是为国家做的献祭。神通过与亚伯拉罕无条件的盟约，拣选了以色列民族带来弥赛亚，但首先，神必须考验祂的盟约伙伴亚伯拉罕。
创世记22:13-14 亚伯拉罕举目观看，不料，有一只公羊，两角扣在稠密的小树中，亚伯拉罕就取了那只公羊来，献为燔祭，代替他的儿子。亚伯拉罕给那地方起名叫耶和华以勒（意思就是“耶和华必预备”），直到今日人还说：“在耶和华的山上必有预备。”
亚伯拉罕借着愿意献上他唯一应许中的儿子以撒，相信神能叫他复活，就通过了考验。神及时阻止了他，并供应了一只公绵羊作为燔祭。当公羊代替以撒的位置时，因替代的发生血的教义再次被预表了。
亚伯拉罕在摩利亚山上的献祭为在髑髅地最后的献祭铺平了道路。耶稣在十字架上代替了我们，因为必须有无辜的一方通过流血来代替罪人，这样才能赎罪和救赎人类。这彰显了神的怜悯和慈爱，对此真正的理解将帮助我们对我们周围的人也有恩慈和怜悯。
讲章系列: 宝血的大能