DEFINITION OF TERMS

(For Serious Students Only)

LAMB

LAMB OF GOD

SACRIFICE

SACRIFICE AND OFFERING
I. In the Old Testament
II. In the New Testament

In our carnal, human understanding, God would seem more likely to be compared with a lion than a lamb. For a lion symbolises strength, power victory and conquest, as king of his domain. Very few of us would be prepared to confront a lion.

Yet in the Bible, it is only in the book of Hosea that the imagery of a lion is applied to God. And then, only briefly. Elsewhere a lion is simply a lion, or an image of powerful earthly, or dark spiritual, leaders.

The Jews looked forward to the coming of a 'Savior' who would rescue them from the conquering Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks and Romans. A warrior king, one like a lion. Instead, Jesus came as a lamb! No wonder they didn't recognise Him!

This enigma is beautifully dealt with in the book of Revelation. Victory over evil has been won! The lion of the tribe of Judah is about to open the scroll!

Everyone is looking for the all-conquering lion. But what do they find? Not a lion, but a lamb!

Isn't that amazing! Not just a lamb, but one who had been killed by the lions of the age, the Romans. Wow! Yet this sacrificial lamb won the victory over the forces of evil and will reign on the earth, with His overcomers, during the final kingdom age.

In seven (the number of completion) places throughout the Bible, we see through the imagery of the 'lamb', the character and role of Jesus revealed.

It is these seven illustrations we are going to consider in this study.

The first mention of the lamb in the Bible is not by name, but by implication. Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, having been created by God to look after it. All went well for a period. Then they were tempted by, and finally succumbed to, the allure of the luscious looking, forbidden fruit.

We all now experience the consequences of their unfortunate actions. Let's not be self-righteous though. We would likely have done the same! So now our inherited problems include:

Adam and Eve had realised they were naked attempting to hide from God during the above conversation. An impossible task! For us too!

However, even after God's huge disappointment with their choice to go their own way, He forgave them. Incredible!

To get the skins to make the garments, God had to kill an animal. Here, near the beginning of time, we saw the basic biblical principle of a 'life for a life' in order to receive God's forgiveness, established. This principle is established in the Law:

The Law was confirmed in the New Testament:

The sacrifice of animals in the Garden of Eden was the first picture of what was to come, a type of Jesus being sacrificed on the cross. He was the final blood sacrifice.

The killing of animals to make garments of forgiveness, for Adam and Eve, reflected the death of Jesus on the cross, thousands of years later.

So what does the blood, symbolising life, do?

It brings forgiveness, God's forgiveness. The forgiveness Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden. Even though they had chosen to separate themselves from God, He forgave them, by sacrificing animal lives for them.

But they still experienced the consequences of their sin. Even though forgiven, they were still banished from the Garden.

Jesus is likened to Adam, in that His actions affected the future of mankind. Adam condemned us all by one act of sin, while Jesus died to rescue all through a single act of sacrifice.

The fact that Jesus sacrificed His life for our forgiveness is a foundational understanding of all Christians. It is wonderful! Thank you Jesus! Hallelujah!

But wait!

What is not so well understood or accepted is the required response to God's gracious gift of forgiveness! It comes as a simple, two-sentence adjunct to the Lord's Prayer. (Disciples Prayer really!) Reciprocal forgiveness!

Like us, the Disciples too, had a problem grasping hold of this concept of reciprocal forgiveness. Peter, who never minded expressing his opinion, asked the question:

He got an answer he didn't really want!

To the Jews, the number 'seven' represents completion. So Peter understandably, thought seven times would be the necessary requirement. But Jesus corrected him. Forgiveness is to be ongoing, 'completely-completely'.

To emphasise this point, Jesus told the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.

We are like the first servant, while God is the servant's master. Through the ultimate sacrifice of His Son Jesus, He has forgiven us, He has cancelled our debt of sin. How can anything anyone else has done, compare with what He did for us?

Paul gave a practical example of this in his dealings with the church at Corinth. A member had been living with his stepmother.

As this behaviour was morally unacceptable to God, the situation needed to be dealt with promptly.

The man concerned corrected the situation and was genuinely repentant. Several months later, Paul wrote a second letter to the church and recommended that the individual be forgiven and restored into fellowship.

The capacity to forgive is necessary in order to build a godly character.

We are to forgive others as we have been forgiven.

God forgave Adam and Eve for their sin by providing them with 'a covering' in the form of garments of skin to wear. In so doing, He established the principle of sacrifice, of a 'life for a life'. As we continue, we shall see it is likely that the animals involved were lambs. For the lamb was found both at the heart of the physical sacrificial system and as the symbol used to represent, the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus.

As God has forgiven us, so too, we are to forgive those who offend us.

Forgiveness is a foundation of the character of Jesus. Illustrated in the biggest way possible when He forgave those responsible for His crucifixion. May this be our response too.

The Bible is the ongoing story of both obedience and disobedience to God, and the resulting consequences for the participants, both good and bad.

Abraham is a classic example of both! Fortunately, he is primarily remembered for his obedience, through his willingness to sacrifice his most precious son Isaac, if that was his God's will.

Let's see what Abraham's actions are saying to us today.

I am continually amazed by the way God's plan was prepared before the beginning of time and revealed in type and pattern in advance. For nothing is by chance in God!

Israel - Flat Roofed Homes

This illustration shows ancient homes with flat roofs. In Israel it was common for a family to spend much time upon their housetops. The climate was usually mild and ideal for gatherings. The roof usually had three layers: the wooden beams, straw mats, and a clay top. The clay would be pressed down tight with a stone roller.

"And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?" (Luke 5:18-21)

"Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back." (Luke 17:30-31)

Source: http://www.bible-history.com/