Continued from Chapter 11g
Not by blood alone
There is historical precedent from Jewish history to guide us as to the biblically prescribed manner by which to obtain atonement today. Jewish history, prior to the Common Era, shows that the absence of a blood sacrifice does not prevent one from gaining atonement for his/her sins.
If this were not so, Manasseh would not have been able to repent while in Assyrian imprisonment and receive the forgiveness necessary for his subsequent restoration to the throne (2 Chronicles 33:11-13). Jews were first exiled to Babylonia in the seventh century B.C.E., that is, even prior to 586 B.C.E., and had no means of offering a blood sacrifice to obtain atonement through the sacrificial system (especially after 586). Did God write them off as generations lost in sin with no means of atonement and forgiveness? Where was their blood atonement? Yet, in accordance with Jeremiah 29:12-13, forgiveness was forthcoming; the Jews were permitted to return to their homeland. Also, traditional Jews, loyal to the God of Israel, could not offer sacrifices in the Temple during the three-year period of its desecration by the Hellenized Jewish collaborators of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Following his command, they caused an altar to Zeus Olympios to be erected within the Temple precincts.
According to 1 Maccabees (cf. 1:54, 4:52) the sacrifices in the Temple were discontinued for three years (168-165 B.C.E.). During this period unclean animals were offered in the Temple. No Jew adhering to the Lord God of Israel could offer sacrifices at this time. It must be assumed that during that period of Temple desecration God did not leave those loyal to Him without any means of atonement. In this period, there could have been no other means for obtaining atonement other than through repentance devoid of a blood sacrifice. Furthermore, by the first century C.E., the Jewish population spread into other regions making it impossible for most of them to travel to the Temple. This meant they could not offer personal atonement sacrifices in the Temple that required their presence.
Did God leave them with no means of atonement for sins committed?
The period prior to Jesus’ crucifixion saw the Jewish people endure exile and persecution in which they had no means of bringing blood atonement. Yet, it appears they were under the Mosaic Law’s requirement to do so. Since no Temple sacrifice was possible, and Jesus had not yet died to provide the supposed everlasting means of atonement, that is, his atoning blood, a grave problem would seem to have arisen: Did God leave these Jews in their sins, with no means whatsoever for atonement? In adhering to the position that only blood can obtain forgiveness of sin, Christians are claiming that God condemned these Jews to die in their sins, without any means of atonement available. Why? For not doing the impossible!
Did God mock His people throughout the ages by placing them in situations where no blood sacrifice system was available to them, yet no other means of atonement was possible? Did He demand either those blood sacrifices or eternal damnation? The claim that Jesus’ blood was shed as an atoning sacrifice, once and for all times, for those who accept him, does not provide an answer for those Jews preceding Jesus’ generation, especially under conditions where no blood sacrifices could be made. God Himself gave the Jewish exiles in Babylonia the answer to this dilemma, and its message echoes across the centuries: And you shall call upon Me, and go, and pray to Me, and I will hearken to you. And you shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)
Jeremiah unequivocally told the exiles that God did not discard them, as even in the lands of their exile they did not lack the means for achieving the atonement of their sins. Not by the blood of bullocks slain, but by the offering of their lips, that is, prayer, were they able to effect atonement. And so it is with Jews throughout the ages ̶ ̶ by prayers and repentance they make atonement for their sins and God in His mercy forgives.
Prayer without a blood sacrifice was biblically recognized as a means of atonement: “And the people came to Moses and they said: ‘We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord, and against you; pray to the Lord, that He take away from us the serpent.’ And Moses prayed for the people” (Numbers 21:7). There were even times when non-blood material offerings provided a physical atonement: Incense (Number 17:12-13), jewelry (Numbers 31:50), a red hot coal (Isaiah 6:6-7), fine-flour (Leviticus 5:1-13). The holy incense, without the use of a blood sacrifice, could effect atonement: “And Aaron took as Moses spoke, and he ran into the midst of the assembly; and behold, the plague had already begun among the people; and he put on the incense, and he made atonement [va-yechapper] for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stopped” (Numbers 17:12-13). Stopping the spread of this plague — not atoning for sins — is the main subject of this passage.
Nevertheless, in this singular case, we are informed that incense made atonement for the people, providing a protective barrier between the “dead and the living.” On returning from battle, the Israelites brought jewelry as an atonement offer for their sins: “And we have brought the Lord’s offering, what every man has found, articles of gold, armlets, and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and girdles, to make atonement [le-chapper] for our souls before the Lord” (Numbers 31:50). This demonstrates that atonement could be attained without animal sacrifices. In each instance, no shedding of blood was required for forgiveness of sin to take place.
Isaiah provides a graphic example showing that it is incorrect to say that there must be shedding of blood in order to obtain forgiveness of sin. He states, “Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having a live coal in his mouth, which he had taken with the tongs off the altar; and he touched my mouth with it, and said: Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin forgiven” (Isaiah 6:6-7). Christians emphasize that the burning coal was taken from the altar and therefore had some connection with the blood atonement of the sacrificial system. But, the biblical point made is simply that atonement could be achieved through an object other than blood.
Despite the Christian contention that there is no substitute for the shedding of blood, we find that Isaiah is forgiven his past misdeeds by means of a live coal that touched his lips. This unique method of atonement may never be used again, but it shows that means other than blood sacrifices can effect atonement for our sins. However, while the Bible records these unique one-time atonement episodes the theme of contrite repentance alone as a means of attaining atonement is in contrast commonplace. In the atonement process brought about by repentant prayer no shedding of blood is required, only the contrite heart and the will of God. David sinned by transgressing three of the Ten Commandments (the tenth, seventh, and the sixth), in his affair with Bathsheba. He admitted to Nathan that he had sinned against the Lord, and Nathan answered him: “The Lord has put away your sin, you shall not die” (2 Samuel 12:13). David did not offer a blood sacrifice to attain forgiveness? This is attested in Psalm 51, in which David confesses his sin before God. This psalm shows that the contrite heart may achieve forgiveness from sin:
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, God of my salvation;
So shall my tongue sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips;
And my mouth shall declare Your praise. For You have no delight in sacrifice, else I would give it;
You have no pleasure in burnt-offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and contrite heart,
O God, You will not despise.
(Psalms 51:16-19)
The next two verses result from the return to David of the prophetic ability (apparently removed on account of his sin) for which he prayed in verses 13-14: “Cast me not away from Your presence; Your holy spirit take not from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation; and let a willing spirit uphold me.” David poured out his heart in contrite repentance before God. In return, God shows that David is forgiven by restoring to him his prophetic ability. In a pouring out of the prophetic spirit David exclaims: “Do good in Your favor unto Zion, build the walls of Jerusalem. Then You will desire the sacrifices of righteousness, burnt-offering and whole offering; then will they offer bullocks upon Your altar” (verses 20-21). With his renewed prophetic abilities, David foresaw a time when the nation of Israel would come before God as he did without sacrificial offering but with a contrite repentant spirit. He then prayed for thee building of Jerusalem and its Temple for a repentant nation, who will then offer their sacrifices before God.
Continued