Sacrifice In Israelite Worship

Sacrifices were a part of the tribute the Israelite worshiper offered to the God of the covenant. The Pentateuch goes into great detail concerning the altar and the sanctuary as the setting for sacrifice and the various types of sacrifices that were enacted in the worship of Israel. Purposes of Sacrifice In biblical times, sacrifice often accompanied the making of covenants, as in the cases of Noah (Gen. 8:2-09:17), Abram (Gen. 15:1-21), Isaac (Gen. 26:24-25), Jacob (Gen. 31:43-55; 35:6-12), and Moses on behalf of Israel (Exod. 24:18). Sacrifice was also a means of receiving direction from God; military leaders sometimes sacrificed to the Lord before inquiring whether they should go into battle, and Balaam offered a series of sacrifices to the Lord in order to determine whether he might pronounce a curse on Israel (Num. 23:1-30). Upon ascending the throne, Solomon offered extensive sacrifices at the tabernacle in Gibeon that he might receive the Lord's guidance and wisdom to rule o…