Dear Esther,
I am a big fan of your column. I look forward to reading it every month. I have been a Christian for most of my adult life. I am embarrassed to ask my church family this question. I am a huge animal lover, and I struggle with the Old Testament. Why did we need to kill innocent baby lambs? I have always had a problem with that. Why would a LOVING GOD ask us to murder innocent animals? Thank you.
Signed: Huge Animal Lover
Dear Huge Animal Lover,
Thank you for reading my column. Glory and honor be to God!
I applaud and praise your solemn love for animals. "Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another." Romans 12:10. The secret of true happiness is found in the love for others, including innocent animals. You please God when you treat His creations with love and respect. God's creation was perfect until our first fathers broke the law of God. Beautiful and innocent animals were killed for their fur to cover Adam and Eve's nakedness. Today, animals are slaughtered for food and many other uses. This is cruel and sad to see the cute and innocent animals being killed. Jesus was also sad to see how sin changed the world. In the Plan of Redemption, God gave His only Son, who volunteered Himself to bring the end of animals sacrifice. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16. I would like to remind you that God is love and our finite mind is very limited to understand all His love for humanity. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8,9. "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Hebrews 9:22. The animal sacrifice in the Old Testament was a temporary requirement to cover sin, and was the symbol of Jesus Christ, the perfect and ultimate sacrifice. Read Leviticus 4:35, 5:10. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23. In conclusion, the animal sacrifice was a substitution that died in the place of the sinner. This temporary ceremony was repeated over and over, until Jesus Christ came to the world to offer Himself as the ultimate sacrifice of His own life. "He sacrificed for their sins once and for all when He offered Himself." Hebrews 7:27. The animal sacrifice was an illustration of Jesus Christ. Now He (Jesus) is the only Mediator between God and humanity. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 2:5. Be at peace to know that God sees your soft and caring heart and one day in Heaven you will be able to play with all the animals and this sinful world will be forgotten.
My sincere regards and prayers for you,
Esther