SACRIFICE — the ritual through which the Hebrew people offered the blood or the flesh of an animal to God as a substitute payment for their sin. Sacrifice and sacrificing originated in the Garden of Eden soon after the Fall of mankind. Various principles of sacrifice are confirmed in the account of Cain and Abel (Gen. 4:3–5). Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain for two reasons. First, he gave the best that he had, whereas Cain simply offered whatever happened to be available. Second, Abel’s offering demonstrated that he was motivated by faith in God and that his attitude was pleasing to God (Gen. 4:4–5; Heb. 11:4). Cain, by contrast, would soon demonstrate that his attitude was displeasing to God. He would become selfish, angry, and deceitful. He would then murder his brother, lie to God, and refuse to confess his sin or show remorse.
It is a serious mistake to affirm that Abel’s sacrifice was acceptable to God because it was an animal sacrifice and that Cain’s sacrifice was unacceptable because he did not bring an animal. Genesis 4 makes no mention of offerings for the atonement of sin, and therefore to insist that the blood of an animal is mandated here is to read more into the account than is warranted. Attitude on the part of the offerer, not the nature of the offering, is in the forefront of the author’s concern in Genesis 4.
Nor is it helpful to claim that God’s provision of animal skins in Genesis 3, in contrast to the fig leaves used by Adam and Eve, presupposes the slaughter of a sacrificial animal. Warmth and comfort are in view, not atonement.
When Noah came out of the ark, his first act was to build an altar upon which he sacrificed animals to God. This pleased God not because God was hungry but because Noah’s act was a recognition that God understood his sinfulness, its penalty, and the necessity of blood sacrifice as a divine provision (Heb. 11:39–40). Noah represented all mankind who now recognized God’s gracious provision and promise. God pledged never again to curse the ground (Gen. 8:20–22), and He blessed Noah because of his faith.
Eventually, God called Abraham, who rejoiced in anticipation of the appearance of a promised redeemer (John 8:56). Abraham regularly worshiped God by offering sacrifices to Him. God taught Abraham that the ultimate sacrifice would be the sacrifice of a human being, one of Adam’s descendants—an only son provided miraculously by God.
The fullest explanation of the concept of sacrifice is found in the Mosaic Law. In this code sacrifice has three central ideas: consecration, expiation (covering of sin), and propitiation (satisfaction of divine anger). Only consecration had a kind of sacrifice which spoke of it alone. This was the vegetable or grain offerings. These could not be brought to God, however, unless they were preceded by an expiatory offering, or an animal or bloody sacrifice. There was no consecration (commitment) to God apart from expiation (dealing with the penalty and guilt of sin). People could not approach God and be right with Him without the shedding of blood.
The general word for sacrifices in the Mosaic Law was qorban—literally “that which is brought near.” The fuller designation of these sacrifices was a gift of holiness (Ezek. 20:40). The word qorban was used of anything given or devoted to God (Mark 7:11), so it included more than sacrifices presented at the altar. Sacrifice, however, referred to items placed on the altar to be consumed by God. Hence, there was no sacrifice apart from the altar.
The Old Testament also referred to sacrifices as food for the Lord (Lev. 3:11, 16; 22:7) and an offering made by the fire for the satisfaction of the Lord (Lev. 2:2, 9). As a spiritual being, God did not need physical food. Nevertheless, He did insist that these sacrifices be given to Him. Sacrifice as worship is people giving back to God what God has previously given them as a means of grace. Ultimately, these sacrifices speak of the one final and perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:11–18).
The gift aspect of sacrifice was emphasized by the many divine regulations determining what was acceptable to God. For people to determine what pleased God would put them in the place of God. Therefore, God determined what was pleasing to Him. Whatever was offered had to be “clean” (acceptable, or symbolically without sin). Not everything designated “clean,” however, was to be offered as a sacrifice. Of the clean animals, only oxen, sheep, goats, and pigeons were acceptable offerings. Likewise, of the clean vegetables, only grain, wine, and oil were proper.
These materials were selected perhaps to teach that people should give to God from that which sustains their lives. In short, people were required to give God the gift of their lives. Therefore, God repeatedly emphasized that He did not need or desire food and sacrifices themselves. He wants our love, commitment, and service (Deut. 6:5; 1 Sam. 15:22).
Both the Old Testament and the New Testament confirm that sacrifices were presented as a symbolic gesture. People were obligated, because of their sins, to present offerings by which they gave another life in place of their own. These substitutes pointed forward to the ultimate substitute, Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:1–18).
According to God’s command, the animal sacrificed had to be physically perfect in age and condition. Through the perfection of this animal, perfection was presented to God. Ultimately, this symbolized the necessity for people to present themselves perfect before God by presenting the perfect one in their place (1 Pet. 1:18–19). The true Lamb of God, innocent of all sin, took away sin (John 1:29).
After the animal was selected and presented at the altar, the first act was the laying on of hands by the person presenting the offering. By this act the worshipers symbolically transferred their sin and guilt to the sacrificial animal that stood in their place. The sacrifice symbolically pointed to the Savior who would do for the believers what they could not do for themselves. He would take upon Himself sin and guilt and accomplish redemption for His people (Is. 53:4–12; Matt. 1:21).

In the festival of the Day of Atonement, two goats depicted this redemptive act. One goat died, its death symbolizing how the ultimate sacrifice in the future would pay the penalty for the believer’s sin. Its blood was applied to the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies, symbolizing how the great sacrifice would cover people’s sin, bring them into God’s presence, and make full restitution to God. To the head of the second goat the priest symbolically transferred the sin of God’s people. Then this goat, known as the Scapegoat, was sent into the wilderness to symbolize the removal of the people’s sin (Leviticus 16).

Photo by Gustav Jeeninga
Sacrificial altar for wine and fruit at the Nabatean city of Petra in southern Canaan.
Youngblood, Ronald F. ; Bruce, F. F. ; Harrison, R. K. ; Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville : T. Nelson, 1995