Lambs are meek and gentle. Harmless to humans these sweet animals with wooly white coverings are the picture of innocence. Never a threat, these gregarious mammals can be led away without resistance. Lambs are used literally and figeratively throughout the Bible.
God passed over Egypt to kill every firstborn and only one thing saved the enslaved Israelites; an innocent sacrificial lamb. As God commanded, each household killed an unblemished male lamb, brushed its blood to the sides and top of the doorposts, and ate the roasted meat.
The LORD saw the blood and passed over His people but smote the firstborn Egyptians, both man and beast. God instructed the Jews to keep a feast throughout coming generations as a testimony of His mighty liberation. Deliverance was personal for every individual who was spared death and came out of Egyptian bondage. This blood sacrifice continued to impact lives for years to come.
In the book of Leviticus, God instructed Moses to offer a male lamb, without spot or blemish, as a sin offering. The priests were to lay hold on the animal symbolically transferring humans sin to the lamb. Once killed, its’ blood was sprinkled upon the altar offering temporary atonement. This pointed toward a permanent cleansing from sin provided by one sacrificial lamb.
John refers to Jesus as the Lamb of God to connect the sacrificial lambs of the Old Testament to the lamb of the New Testament. Like an innocent lamb, without resistence, Jesus was led to be slaughtered. He died a brutal death shedding His blood to cover our sins-forever.
No more sacrifices are required because permanent atonement for all mankind has been made. Once we believe in Jesus we take hold of a lamb who eternally takes our sins away. God’s Lamb is the satisfactory sacrifice as the only means of redemption.
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, …..
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
I Peter 1:18a and 19
… John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
John 1:29 b
Thank you for sharing this! I look forward to reading your devotions!
Thank you dear friend. I’m thankful for your friendship and support.
Lambs are precious animals, but not very smart–a lot like us humans, I think. Thank you for this reminder of the most precious lamb of all, the Lamb of God who took our sins upon Himself because of His great love for us. Wishing you a blessed Easter, Lisa and family.
I researched lambs and they are not very smart, frearful, and easily misguided like us! Happy belated Easter Ms. Katherine.