God, in His Law, required this of the Nation of Israel as a perpetual ordinance …
“Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually. The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even.” Exodus 29:38-39
Yes, a morning sacrifice then an evening sacrifice!
Little lambs, at that!
And “continually!”
Was this still happening in Jesus’ lifetime?
Yes!
Now understand this. Jewish history says that the morning sacrifice occurred at the third hour of the day. That would be 9:00 AM, so to speak.
And the evening sacrifice at the ninth hour of the day (expressing the chronology in Roman time) … which would be 3:00 PM.
(Jesus was nailed to the Cross at the third hour of the day! Mark 15:25 says: “And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.”)
(Jesus died at the ninth hour! Again, Mark tells us. “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.” Mark 15:34-37)
Amazing!
Jesus began His Calvary Ordeal at the time of the morning lamb’s dying! And He laid down His Life at the time of the evening lamb’s dying!
In fact, Jesus IS the True Lamb of God!
An Israel was to continue this two-lambs-a-day procedure for how long?
“Continually!”
The Hebrew word for “continually” is “tamiyd.”
It means perpetually, always … potentially forever!
I am told the priests literally called this morning and evening sacrifice ritual the “tamiyd!”
But now that Jesus has come and died and has been raised from the grave and has even ascended to Heaven … there is no need for two lambs a day to be slain incessantly!
Why?
Jesus’ Blood has eternal Power!
Jesus is the Tamiyd!
His Blood covers me, cleanses me, empowers me … every morning, every evening, every hour, every minute … eternally!
Think of this glorious fact day by day!
Haeellujah!
What a Saviour!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
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