Sacrificial Giving in the Old Testament - Essay #2

Sacrificial Giving in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, there were five different kinds of sacrifices: burnt offerings, grain (or meal) offerings, peace offerings, sin offerings, and trespass offerings. In fact, Leviticus chapters 1 through 7 are dedicated completely to the ritual of sacrifice. One of the purposes of a sacrificial offering was to atone for sin, introduced by Adam and Eve in their disobedience to God. After Adam and Eve, the ritual of sacrifice performed was to account for and atone for the continued sins by the Israelites. In the examples of Cain and Abel, Abraham and Isaac, Hannah and Samuel, and Lot and his daughters, the sacrifice offered involved the most precious of possessions.

Briefly, the laws in Leviticus are that an object to sacrifice must be clean and without defect. In the case of a burnt offering, the object must burn completely on the altar. For a grain offering, “the offering must be of choice flour. They must pour oil on it and put frankincense on it…” (Leviticus 2:1). For peace offering, “the one who offers the herd animal—whether male or female—must present a flawless specimen before the Lord” (Leviticus 3:1). An offering made to atone for purification or sin should be a flawless animal, including a bull, a sheep, or a goat. Leviticus chapters 1 through 7 are very specific in regards to the ritual of the sacrifice and the importance of a clean, perfect, flawless model.

Sacrificing became standard practice among the Israelites. After Adam and Eve’s sin, God clothed them in animal skins (Genesis 3:21). This act of covering Adam and Eve with animal skins was the first ritual sacrifice. The assumption is that God provided the skins by killing the animals and then He demonstrated the steps and procedures for sacrifice. Later, God provided clear instructions (seen in Leviticus) for the ritualistic sacrifice.

The story of Cain and Abel follow the Fall of man, and it provides the first recorded example of a ritual sacrifice. Genesis 4:3-4 says, “In the course of time, Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the soil, and Abel, for his part, brought the choicest of the firstlings of his flock.” The sacrificial object itself was the best of your offering, without defect, essentially perfect. After Cain submits his offering to God, the writer of Genesis says, “And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard” (Genesis 4:4-5). This was not because God favored Abel over Cain initially, but rather because the offering that Abel provided was from his “choicest of the firstlings of his flock.”Abel brought God the “best of the best” from what he had to offer.

This is the first example of God showing favor to one son over the other. Cain’s repercussions were the result of his own action whereas Abel’s offering was a genuine sacrifice of his choicest flock. He simply sacrificed more than Cain.

A true sacrifice involved giving up something loved in order to be obedient and follow God’s commandment. In the Old Testament, Abraham represented the ultimate model of this truth. In Genesis 22, God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son, Isaac, whom he loved. God said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you” (Genesis 22:2). While Abraham was commanded by God to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac, it was his willingness to do so that symbolized Abraham’s obedience to God.

God made a covenant with Abraham stating that he would be the father of all nations. This pledge required obedience from Abraham and trust in God that He would keep His promises. God blessed Abraham for his willing sacrifice and in turn, spared Isaac by providing the ram for the burnt offering. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his most important possession – his child in order to be obedient to God’s command.

In another example of sacrificial giving, Hannah, the mother of Samuel, pleaded with God to open her womb and give her children. Before conceiving, Hannah commits her child to a lifetime of servitude to God. She makes a monumental decision to dedicate her son to the Lord and to have Eli, the priest, raise Samuel from the time he was weaned. This example demonstrates sacrificing what you love the most in a tremendous way. Not only did Hannah consciously give up her right to raise her son, but also she missed all of the precious “firsts” with her child. She had the opportunity to see him once a year and had to live with the fact that he was alive and living elsewhere, not in her care.

In this example, Hannah’s sacrifice was a genuine act of obedience – the fulfillment of her vow to God for providing her with a son. Hannah was rewarded because she followed through on her promise, instead of breaking it to keep what she loved the most. She was obedient, but also willing to give up her most precious part of her life.

Finally, in another prime example of sacrificing a cherished possession, Lot sacrifices his virgin daughters to protect the angels from harm. Hebrew daughters have a great value to their families – more than the physical bride price due to the moral value they have for their families. The sacrifice of Lot’s daughters in Genesis 19 was not an indication of how lowly daughters (women) were, but rather the opposite. This example of sacrifice shows us how important daughters. When faced with a choice, Lot gave his choicest.

This particular example has caused a spectacle over the proposed value of women, daughters in particular. In Genesis 19, Lot has a dilemma. Two messengers from God had come to Sodom seeking righteous men so God would not destroy the city. Instead, the men, young and old surrounded Lot’s house. They said, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out so we can have sex with them” (Genesis 19:5, NIV). The messengers had come under Lot’s roof and so he felt obligated to protect them under Hebrew law. He offered instead his virgin daughters: “Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof” (Gen. 19:8).

Some critics assume that women in Biblical Israel were not accepted or thought as highly of as men. While in some cases that may be true the reality is women had different roles, with different expectations. Lot did not despise his daughters, or consider them the lowest member of his household. In truth, these women were his choicest possession. Virgin daughters were worth more (200 maneh) (Adler, Greenstone and Adler) than daughters who had “committed a disgraceful act in Israel by prostituting herself in her father’s house” (Deut. 22:20). Based on the laws in Deuteronomy, Lot sacrificed his daughters to save the visitors from harm. He risked financial disgrace and his daughters’ lives. This was not because they were not important to him, but because Lot understood their value to the Hebrew culture.

Judging this event based on 21st century roles and regulations is misleading, because according to Jewish law and the Hebrew culture, Lot’s daughters belonged to him. Daughters were important. Without daughters, there would not be sons. They have a higher value than the financial asset that they bring with their marriage. This value goes deeper to the moral identity of the family itself. Lot simply chose to sacrifice his choicest and proudest possession.

In Leviticus, the Israelites have a clear understanding of the expectations concerning ritual sacrifices. These instructions, while permanently written into the book of Leviticus by Moses, were given to him by Gods command. This book of law helped to maintain the rules and regulations that the Israelites were expected to live by. The Israelites knew the importance of the ritual of sacrifice. They also understood the importance of the object sacrificed. More than anything, God asked the Israelites to be obedient to His commands and to give of what was most important to them.