This may sound like a stupid question, but I've been mulling this over in my head for awhile.
If people in Old Testament times were saved the same way we are (by placing their faith in the Messiah - they, looking ahead, we looking back) why were the animal sacrifices needed at all? Why didn't God simply instruct them to place their faith in the promised Messiah to come?
The shedding of the blood of bulls and goats wouldn't get sins forgiven. Abraham simply believed and he was declared righteous.
So why the sacrifices?
Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.
They still needed their sins covered with blood,but the blood of animals could not completely take away their sins,and every year their sins of the past had to be covered again by the blood of animals.
It is like John's baptism of repentance which those in the book of Acts that were baptized unto John's baptism had to be rebaptized in the name of the Lord.
Like they had to do physical ordinances in the Old Testament to be right with God,where in the New Testament we do not go by the physical ordinances but go by the 2 greatest laws love God,and love people,the spiritual laws.
They still had to have their sins covered by the blood of animals although they were not saved spiritually by that,and they had to do physical ordinances although they were not saved spiritually by that.
Although the blood of animals could not provide spiritual salvation it still kept Israel right with God by covering their sins until Jesus came.
If the blood of animals did not cover their sins would Israel of been right with God and His people,for their sins would of caused them to be like the heathen nations in the eyes of God,so their sins had to be covered by the blood of animals to be right with God during the physical covenant.
Before the Old Testament they were considered right with God if they offered animals sacrifices before Israel became a nation,like Noah,and Abraham.
Looking to the Messiah to come was not enough to keep them right with God during the Old Testament but they had to have their sins covered by the blood of animals to be considered right with God during that time.
And if they believed in the Messiah to come but refused to have animals sacrificed for their sins would they have been saved,for their sins would of not been covered and would of been on their record when they died,so how can the blood of Jesus take away their sins in the after life if they died with sins on their record.
But if they died with their sins covered by the blood of animals then in the after life the blood of Jesus can take away their sins.
We repent and confess Christ and we are saved,so the blood of animals was like their way of repenting and confessing Christ in the after life.
Whatever state we are in when we die we stay in that state for eternity,so if they died and did not have their sins covered by animals then there is sin on their record,and nothing can be done about it in the after life,but if the sins are covered by the blood of animals then the blood of Jesus can wash them away.
They say that the righteousness of Christ is given us when we are saved,but the Bible says that those who do not do righteousness,an action,are not of God.
They say we are saved by faith alone,but love is greater than faith,and Paul said he could have all faith so that he could remove mountains,but if he did not have charity,love in action,he is nothing,and those that heap money to themselves for their wants have erred from the faith,and James said if they do not have charity,love in action,by helping the poor if they can,then their faith is dead,and John said the love of God does not dwell in them,so do not love in word only,but in deed and in truth,so faith is an action.
The Bible says the Lord knows them that are His having this seal,that everybody that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity,and do not depart from the living God by the deceitfulness of sin,so we have to have the action to abstain from sin by the Spirit.
Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
Faith works by love,for love is greater than faith,and everything stems from love not faith.
1Th 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.
2Th 1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power.
It is the work of faith,for everything is a work.
Love has to be in actions,and faith has to be in actions.
It is not enough to say I have faith but you have to have actions or there is no faith.
They could look to the Messiah to come but that is not enough,for without doing the physical ordinances,and having their sins covered by the blood of Christ they are not right with God while on earth,and they die with sins on their record that cannot be washed away in the after life by the blood of Jesus.
