A Living Sacrifice (ה׳ באדר ה׳תש״ע (February 19, 2010))
What does it mean to present oneself as a “living sacrifice”?
Under the substitutionary sacrificial system, when an animal is brought as a sacrifice, as a substitute for the one bringing the sacrifice, can it be sacrificed whilst still alive? Of course not.
The Torah is very specific about what is to happen when an animal is brought as a sacrifice:
* it must be from your own herd i.e. it must cost you something
* it is set apart (holy, sanctified) for God
* it must be inspected by the priest
* it must be killed in a specific way, by having its throat slit and its blood drained out.
* it must be lifted up onto the altar by the one bringing the sacrifice.
In other words, if it is still alive, it cannot be a sacrifice. It must be dead before it is placed onto the altar. You cannot present a “living” sacrifice.
So how can Paul write this to the believers (remember, both Jews and Proselytes meeting in the synagogues) in Rome?