GEN680 The act of atonement appears to have sought to restore the interrupted relationship with God, to counteract the evil consequence of the offense committed, to prevent the offense from being seen by God, and to have God close His eyes to the offense of the people. As the ultimate subject of atonement was God, the notion of to “atone” came to be equivalent of to “forgive.” Forgiveness represented the result of the covering, wiping out or atoning the sin.
A.B. Davidson, Theology of the Old Testament, p 329. In line with universal ancient practice, the rites of atonement assumed sacrificial form. Indeed, the entire institution of sacrifice maybe considered as aiming at the atonement of men with God. It is based upon primitive notions regarding the sacrosanct nature of blood as the vehicle of life (cf,
Lev. 17:11; [this verse];
Deuteronomy 12:16). Sacrificial blood is covenantal in character. It restores the bond to fellowship with God, and is, therefore, effective in ritual purgation.
H. Schultz, American Journal of Theology, IV, pp. 265-266; S.R. Driver, Book of Leviticus, p. 78. The deepened prophetic idea of sin is the obverse of holiness and of righteousness challenged the popular notion that ritual exactness was sufficient to cover up moral obloquy and wrong. Some iniquities, like those of the house of Eli, were not to be “expiated with sacrifice nor offering forever”(
I Samuel 3:14). In the view of Amos, the wickedness of Israel requires more than holocausts to be expiated. The sole way of securing God’s salvation from the overhanging doom that threatened the nation was by seeking God, by practicing justice and righteousness. Hosea similarly announces that God desires mercy rather than sacrifice. Isaiah stresses that the sin of Jacob can be wiped away only through the extermination of all idolatry and the whole-hearted return to God, by ceasing to do evil and learning to do good. In the same spirit, Micah argues that God requires neither human or animal sacrifices, but only doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly with Him. Jeremiah is equally firm in repudiating the efficacy of oblations and in insisting that righteousness alone can save the nation. Though the words of the prophets sound as if they were unconditionally opposed to every form of ritual, Jewish tradition has understood them as merely protesting against all ritual that is intended to wipe away outraged righteousness. “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,” the sage admonishes (
Psalms 15:8). This seems to be also the view of
Psalms 50:8-13 and 51:18-21. While denying that communion with God is effectively mediated by sacrifice, these—possibly emended verses—point to the sacrificial worship that will be acceptable to God. COHON 188-9
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