TO DRAW NEAR

“And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” — Hebrews 9:22 (NKJV)

WHAT IS SACRIFICE?

Sacrifice is a foundational theme that runs through all of Scripture—from Genesis to Revelation. Its meaning unfolds gradually, becoming clearer with each generation, until it reaches its full and perfect fulfillment in the New Testament.

Even in heaven, sacrifice remains central. John records his vision:“And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne… stood a Lamb as though it had been slain…” — Revelation 5:6 (NKJV)

The Lamb is alive—yet still bears the marks of death.This Lamb is Jesus Christ.

The Hebrew word korban means to come near or to draw close. So while it is often translatedas an “offering” or “sacrifice,” its deeper meaning is not about the ritual itself, but aboutrestoring closeness to God.

A korban is therefore not just something given up — it is something that brings a person nearto God again.

Sacrifice is the :

• language through which God reveals the seriousness of sin,

• the cost of forgiveness,

• and the depth of His love

For sin creates separation:“But your iniquities have separated you from your God…” — Isaiah 59:2 (NKJV)

Sacrifice acknowledges that separation—but it also proclaims that God Himself has provided the way back.

AN INVITATION—NOT JUST A SYSTEM

When we read:

“When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord…” — Leviticus 1:2 (NKJV)

• we begin to understand that a sacrifice is not merely obligation—it is invitation.

God does not force relationship.

• He provides the way…but a person (we) must be willing to come.

THE RELEVANCE OF SACRIFICE

Some people today think the system of sacrifice is outdated or irrelevant.

But without it, we cannot understand the cross.

Trying to understand the death of Jesus without understanding sacrifice…is like trying to build a house without a foundation.

• Sacrifice reveals that sin has a cost,

• And that forgiveness is not cheap.That restoration requires something real.

THE ORIGIN: SIN AND GRACE

In Genesis 3, the perfection of paradise is shattered.

Sin enters—and with it, separation and death:

“For the wages of sin is death…” — Romans 6:23 (NKJV)

But immediately, we see grace:

“Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.” — Genesis 3:21 (NKJV)

• An animal dies.

• The innocent for the guilty.

Here, without explanation, the message begins: God’s love provides— but His justice cannot ignore sin.

FAITH AND OBEDIENCE

This principle is seen in Genesis 4, where Abel’s offering is accepted and Cain’s is rejected:

“By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice…” — Hebrews 11:4 (NKJV)

The difference was not only in what they brought, but in how and why.

• Abel came in faith, following God’s instruction, and brought a lamb — recognising theneed for atonement.

• Cain brought the fruit of his own work. It may have seemed sincere, but it was based onhuman preference, not God’s required way.

Abel responded to God’s plan of redemption; Cain followed his own way.

True worship is not based on sincerity alone, but on obedience to what God has revealed.

God accepts what aligns with His way, not simply what feels right to us.

SACRIFICE IS HOLY — NOT CASUAL

This is where Scripture becomes very serious.

Sacrifice is holy.

It cannot be approached casually, creatively, or carelessly.

Nadab and Abihu offered what God had not commanded.

• They approached God—but not on His terms. They offered strange fire (Lev 10)

• And they died.

We see the same principle again:

• The sons of Eli corrupt the sacrifices:“Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord…” — 1 Samuel 2:17 (NKJV)

• Ananias and Sapphira’s offer treat God lightly and deceitfully—and fell dead (Acts 5)

These are not random events.

They reveal something critical:

God is not only loving, He is holy. Sacrifice is sacred ground.

BLOOD: LIFE GIVEN

At the center of sacrifice is blood.

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood…” — Leviticus 17:11 (NKJV)

• Blood represents life.

• One life… given in place of another.

• Substitution.

This is why the sacrifices had to be without blemish—perfect.

Because they pointed forward to a perfect sacrifice.

THE BLOOD OF SPRINKLING

The priest would not only offer the sacrifice—he would sprinkle the blood.

“And the priests… shall sprinkle the blood all around on the altar…” — Leviticus 1:5 (NKJV)

In some cases, it was sprinkled seven times before the Lord.

This points forward in a remarkable way.

Consider the suffering of Jesus:

• In Gethsemane:“His sweat became like great drops of blood…” — Luke 22:44 (NKJV)

• He was struck and disfigured (Isaiah 52:14)

• His back was scourged (Matthew 27:26)

• A crown of thorns pierced His head (John 19:2)

• His beard was plucked (Isaiah 50:6)

• His hands and feet were pierced (Psalm 22:16)

• His side was pierced—blood and water flowed (John 19:34)

The blood was not incidental.

It was central.

The final sacrifice was being made.

Not on an altar of stone—but on a cross.

THE HEART MATTERS MORE THAN THE RITUAL

Over time, people began to rely on the act of sacrifice—without the heart.

But God sees beyond ritual.

When Saul disobeyed, yet tried to justify it with sacrifice, the prophet declared:

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice…” — 1 Samuel 15:22 (NKJV)

Sacrifice without obedience is empty.

“What does the Lord require of you… to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” — Micah 6:8 (NKJV)

THE FINAL AND PERFECT SACRIFICE

All of this leads to one moment.

One Person.

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” — John 1:29 (NKJV)

Jesus is both:

• The High Priest…

• and the Sacrifice.

“He entered the Most Holy Place once for all… with His own blood.” — Hebrews 9:12 (NKJV)

• Final.

• Complete.

• Nothing more needed.

THE POWER OF HIS BLOOD

And what does His sacrifice do?

“How much more shall the blood of Christ… cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” — Hebrews 9:14 (NKJV)

• It removes guilt.

• It restores relationship.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…” — Romans 8:1 (NKJV)

And yet—this requires response.

Jesus Himself taught:

If you have wronged someone—make it right (Matthew 5:23–24).

True worship is not merely about what we bring, but about a heart that has been restored to the Lord.

When our relationship with Him is right, it will be reflected in how we treat others.

Because ultimately, that is the purpose of it all—TO DRAW NEAR.

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…” (Hebrews 10:22)

• Not distant.

• Not burdened by condemnation.

• But brought near—fully restored.

The story of sacrifice, from Eden to Revelation, is one unified testimony: every altar, every offering, every lamb points to Jesus Christ.

In Him, the perfect harmony of the Lord’s love and justice is revealed.

IN THIS SYSTEM, THERE ARE CERTAIN LESSER KNOWN, DEEPLY SYMBOLIC, AND PROFOUNDLY PROPHETIC SACRIFICES.

These offerings move beyond the altar and speak to the heart — to cleansing, purification, and the restoration of the heart. This cry for inner cleansing is expressed in the words of David:

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” – Psalm 51:9 (NKJV)

David wrote this psalm after the prophet Nathan confronted him about his sin with Bathsheba. He does not merely ask for forgiveness—he longs for cleansing.

He desires not only that his sin be forgiven but that his heart be washed and purified fromwithin. The image of hyssop—a simple herb—carries profound meaning, connecting David’slonging for cleansing to the purification rituals ordained in the Law of Moses.

From the blood of the firstborn applied to the doorposts with hyssop (Exodus 12:22 NKJV) tothe moment on the cross when Jesus, in His thirst, was offered vinegar on a sponge soakedwith hyssop (John 19:29 NKJV), we see hyssop as a symbol of God’s purifying work.

Another remarkable ritual involving hyssop is the sacrifice of the RED HEIFER:

“Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without blemish, in whichthere is no defect, and on which a yoke has never come.” – Numbers 19:2 (NKJV)

In 2022, Israeli Jews began breeding red Angus heifers in Texas, USA, to meet the strictrequirements of Numbers 19.

• Five of these heifers were brought to Israel and are kept securely near Shiloh, a site thatconnects the Tabernacle era with expectations for a future temple.

• These heifers are necessary for ceremonial purification under Jewish law.

• Without them, temple service cannot occur.

The Red Heifer Ritual – Numbers 19 (Nkjv):

• A female red heifer, without defect, no white hairs, never yoked.

• Slaughtered outside the camp.

• Blood sprinkled seven times toward the Tabernacle.

• The entire animal burned with cedarwood, hyssop, and scarlet wool:

“Then the priest shall take cedarwood, hyssop, and scarlet, and cast them into the midst of theburning heifer.” – Numbers 19:6 (NKJV)

• The ashes were gathered in a clean place outside the camp and later mixed with water to create the “water of purification,” used to cleanse anyone who had touched a deadbody.

But at Sinai, a very different use of water appears. Israel had just entered into a covenantrelationship with God — like a betrothal — yet they were unfaithful through the golden calf.

In response, Moses burned the idol, ground it to powder, mixed it with water, and made thepeople drink it (Exodus 32:20).

This was not for cleansing, but a sign of judgment — they had to face the consequences of theirunfaithfulness.

A similar principle is seen in Numbers 5, where a woman suspected of unfaithfulness had to drink water mixed with dust from the sanctuary; if guilty, it would bring a curse upon her. In the case of the golden calf, about 3,000 people died as a result of that rebellion (Exodus 32:28).

• This water was stored in stone jars, just as we see at Cana, where Jesus’ first miracletransformed this very type of ceremonial water into wine (John 2:7-9 NKJV).

• In that moment, the cleansing water of ritual became a symbol of joy, abundance, andtransformation in the hands of the Messiah—God taking what is intended forpurification and turning it into life-giving blessing.

The red heifer’s ashes mixed with water made the unclean clean. The ritual foreshadows theultimate purification Christ provides. This offering was extraordinary:

• The only prescribed female sacrificial animal in the Law,

• Entirely burned, including dung,

• Used specifically to cleanse those defiled by contact with death, not for sin itself, but forthe consequences of death.

Centuries later, the meaning of this ritual is fully revealed:

“For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifiesfor the purifying of the flesh,

Heb 9:14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offeredHimself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the livingGod? ” – Hebrews 9:13-14 (NKJV)

• Jesus came not merely to wash the exterior but to purify the conscience itself.

• He is without blemish, free from every yoke, crucified outside the city walls, and offers notjust blood, but living water that cleanses, renews, and washes from sin (John 4:14 NKJV).

• Many of us feel, like David, the weight of sin and guilt—not only our wrong choices but thescars and memories that linger.

• Just as the water of the red heifer purified those who had touched death,

• God desires to cleanse our hearts, our conscience, our memories, and our wounds throughthe blood of Jesus.

• The same water that once symbolised ritual purification is now fulfilled in Christ—madealive, transforming, and eternal.

Throughout Scripture, we also read of blood that cries out, testifies, and calls for justice, revealingthe sacredness of every life poured out and the weight of atonement.

This understanding of blood and purification naturally leads us to the second extraordinaryoffering: the ritual for unsolved murder, where innocent blood also calls out for justice andreconciliation.

UNSOLVED MURDER – THE SECOND EXTRAORDINARY OFFERING

When a body was found in an open field and the murderer was unknown, the elders and judges of the nearest town were instructed to perform a ritual to purify the land from the innocent blood thathad been shed. Blood cries out to the Lord, and this ritual was designed to bring atonement.

The elders and judges would bring a heifer that had never worn a yoke down to a valley of spring water, to a piece of ground that had never been cultivated. There, they would break the heifer’sneck, wash their hands in the water, and declare their innocence. This symbolic act representedreconciliation, and the Lord would forgive the bloodguilt of the land.

“We have not shed this blood, nor have we seen it done. O Lord, You who have redeemed Yourpeople Israel, let not the guilt of innocent blood remain on Your people Israel.” —Deuteronomy21:7-8 (NKJV)

This ritual foreshadows Christ’s crucifixion. Just as the elders washed their hands over innocentblood, Pilate also washed his hands before the people, claiming innocence — yet Jesus was stillcrucified.

Bloodshed leaves a mark and cries out to heaven if no atonement is made. The crowd responded:

“His blood be on us and on our children!” — Matthew 27:25 (NKJV)

This reveals a sobering truth:

Before God, blood cannot be ignored — it must be answered.

Even hidden guilt requires cleansing.

Ultimately, this points to Christ, whose blood covers not only what is known, but also whatis unseen

CONCLUSION:

From every sacrifice to every drop of blood, Scripture leads us to one final reality — Jesus Christ.

His blood does not cry out for judgment, but for mercy.

Where guilt once remained, He brings forgiveness.

Where sin separated, He restores.

The invitation now stands for each of us: not to carry guilt, but to draw near — cleansed, restored, and fully reconciled through Him.

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts…” — James 4:8 (NKJV)

Dr Saartjie Eksteen

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Updated on 26th Apr 2026

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