Soon after Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, the Lord gave them the law of sacrifices, which included offering the firstlings of their flocks in a similitude of the sacrifice that would be made of the Only Begotten Son of God (
Moses 5: 4-8). Thereafter, whenever there were true believers on the earth, with priesthood authority, sacrifices were offered in that manner and for that purpose. This continued until the death of Jesus Christ, which ended the shedding of blood as a gospel ordinance. It is now replaced in the Church by the sacrament of the bread and the water, in remembrance of the offering of Jesus Christ.
Sacrifices were thus instructive as well as worshipful. They were accompanied by prayer, devotion, and dedication, and represented an acknowledgment on the part of the individual of his duty toward God, and also a thankfulness to the Lord for his life and blessings upon the earth (see
Gen. 4: 3-7;
Gen. 8: 20;
Gen. 22: 1-17;
Ex. 5: 3;
Ex. 20: 24).
Under the law of Moses, sacrifices were varied and complex, and a multitude of rules were given to govern the procedure, in keeping with the general character and purpose of the Mosaic law. Under the law offerings made to God must be the offerers own property, properly acquired (
Deut. 23: 18). Altar sacrifices were of three kinds: sin offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings.
In all the animal sacrifices of the Mosaic law there were six important acts
The
presentation of the sacrifice at the sanctuary door by the sacrificer himself, as his personal act.
The
laying on of hands (cf.
Lev. 16: 21;
Num. 27: 18, 20;
Deut. 34: 9) dedicated the animal to God and made it the sacrificers representative and substitute (
Num. 8: 10;
Lev. 1: 4).
The
slaughtering of the animal. The sacrificer himself slew his sacrifice (at the north side of the altar), and thus carried out actually the dedication to God that he had ceremonially expressed by the laying on of hands. A later custom was for the Levites or priests to slaughter the victims.
The
pouring out or sprinkling of the blood. The priest collected the blood of the animal in a vessel, and applied it in various ways and places to make an atonement (
Ex. 30: 10;
Lev. 8: 15;
Lev. 16: 18;
Lev. 17: 11).
Burning the sacrifice on the altar. After the priest had properly prepared the sacrificial victim he offered it (the whole or the fat only) upon the altar of burnt offering. This act symbolized the consecration of the worshipper to Jehovah.
The
sacrificial meal (in the case of the peace offering only). The fat having been burnt and the priests pieces removed, the rest of the flesh was eaten by the sacrificer, his household, and the poorer Levites at the tabernacle.
The fundamental idea of the
sin and
trespass offerings was atonement, expiation. They implied that there was a sin, or some uncleanness akin to a sin, that needed atoning for before fellowship with Jehovah could be obtained. Sins committed with a high hand, and for which the punishment was death, did not admit of expiation under the Mosaic law (
Num. 15: 30-31). Atonement could be made for1 unconscious,
Num. 5: 15, 17);2 noncapital crimes (e.g., theft), after punishment had been endured (
Lev. 6: 2, 6;
Lev. 19: 20-22);3 crimes that a man voluntarily confessed, and for which he made (if possible) compensation (
Lev. 5: 5).
The word
Minchah, used frequently of gifts made to men (
Gen. 43: 11), and occasionally of bloody offerings (
Gen. 4: 4), specially denotes an unbloody or meal offering. (See
Meat offering.) The essential materials of the Minchah were corn and wine. The corn was either1 corn in the ear, parched and bruised, or2 fine flour, or3 unleavened cakes. Oil was never absent from the Minchah, but whether as an essential or accompanying element is not clear. It was always seasoned with salt (
Lev. 2: 13), and was offered along with incense. Leaven and honey, as fermenting substances, were excluded from its preparation. The Minchah could not be offered with a sin offering; on the other hand, no burnt or peace offering was complete without it. A portion of the Minchah, called the memorial, was placed on the altar of burnt offering; the remainder was eaten by the priests in a holy place.
