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Old Testament Salvation

Old Testament Sacrifices Could Not Save
They were only a shadow of Christ's sacrificial death to come.



One main reason why Old Testament salvation must have been by faith is the fact that the OT sacrifices could never save.   They couldn't cleanse you of your sins.   It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sin.   Now if the works of the Law could not save them, then they must have been saved by faith.   (What other option is there?)   If the sacrifices couldn't save, then those who were saved must have been saved by some other means.   If these couldn't save, then God must have instituted them for some other reason.   These sacrifices just were shadows, symbols, representations of Christ's sacrifice to come, and had no saving power.   Just like our communion, which is a symbol, a reminder of Christ's past sacrifice but having no saving power; the OT sacrifices were shadows of Christ's sacrifice to come and also had no saving power.
1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins.
Hebrews 10:1-4, 11

Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;   Heb 9:9

Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.   Gal 3:21

2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath [whereof] to glory; but not before God.
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Rom 4:2,3
Not only did the Old Testament sacrifices not save, the Lord had no desire for them.   He required them for the time being; however, He had no desire for them.   King David realized this.   He knew that the true sacrifices that God desires are a broken, repentant heart, and not burnt offerings.   (Many Christians today are awaiting and even supporting the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple and the return of the sacrifices.   But God doesn't want nor will accept those sacrifices!   His only begotten Son died and rose again to pay the penalty for our sin; those sacrifices would be just a slap in the face of Jesus Christ, and nothing more.)   David revealed this in the Psalms that God desires humility and true repentance, not token offerings with no intention of repenting.  

To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.   Isa 1:11

For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.   Ps 51:16

Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.   Ps 40:6
Psalm 40:6 is clarified in Hebrews Chapter 10 below:
Hebrews 10
5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

The real sacrifices, acceptable to the Lord are a humble, broken heart, and a contrite spirit, and is this not the case today?   God even desires worship and thanksgiving over burnt offering!
30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
31 This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
Ps 69:30, 31

The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.   Ps 34:18
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.  
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Ps 51:16, 17

For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.   Isa 66:2
Now if their sacrifices and burnt offerings could not save them then what was their purpose?   Why did God require them if He did not desire them?   The answer is simple: they were likenesses of Christ's sacrifice to come, intended to lead the people to Christ!   The law, including the sacrifices, was just a schoolmaster, to bring them to Christ:

23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:22-26

For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.   Heb 10:1
God required the sacrifices and offerings because they would lead people to the Messiah.   The people would see the sacrifice of the Messiah, see their sacrifices fulfilled in Him, and believe in Him.   God required them because He knew that they would lead them to accept Christ's sacrifice as THE OFFERING for their sins.   God did not like these offerings by the Law because He knew that they were NOT the TRUE offering.   He knew that His precious, beloved Son would be THE sacrifice for sin!!   This is why God allowed the Romans to destroy the Temple and stop the sacrifices in 70 AD; He no longer tolerated those sacrifices, for they now were an abomination to Him.   He had paid the ultimate price through His Son, once for all!   God had never intended those sacrifices to save, but to lead people to Christ, Whose once-for-all sacrifice is the ONLY sacrifice that can cleanse sin.   The Old Testament saints continued in their burnt offerings, looking forward to the Messiah Whose death would take away their sins.

The Old Testament sacrifices could not save because they could not take away sin and because God did not desire them anyway.   The sacrifices that He accepts are a humble, repentant heart!   Now if their sacrifices could not save them, and God did not even desire them, then they must have been saved by some other means, and indeed they were.   They were saved by faith by looking forward to Christ's coming sacrifice.  

For more on this, please see my article Old Testament Saints were Saved by Faith - They Looked Forward to the Messiah to Come (COMING SOON).






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