For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. (
Hebrews 10:4)
The Solution
This is fairly simple to resolve. Nowhere in the Old Testament is it ever claimed that sins were “taken away” (i.e., completely removed) by animal sacrifices. The root of the Hebrew word translated “atonement” in the Old Testament is
kaphar, which has the idea of “covering,” not total removal. This word is also used to refer to how Noah’s ark was to be
covered with pitch.
Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and
cover it inside and outside with pitch. (
Genesis 6:14, emphasis added)
Tens of thousands of animals were ceremonially slaughtered by Jewish priests for centuries, the spilling of their blood vividly illustrated the deadly seriousness of sin. However, these sacrifices were essentially like a bandage, only acting as a covering for sin. They did not, and could not, remove sin, as
Hebrews 10:4 clearly states.
They also pointed forward in time to the only One that could remove
sin—
Jesus Christ who shed His precious blood to accomplish that purpose.
By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. (
Hebrews 10:10–12)