atonement
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.
Symbolic Objects in Biblical Worship
Together with symbolic actions and structures, biblical worship incorporates symbolic objects. Sometimes these are real objects, physically present in the place of worship. Sometimes they are verbal symbols of things not physically present. And sometimes they are both, either at the same time or at different times. Such objects include the ark of the covenant, books and scrolls, anointing oil, the lamp, incense, blood, the bread and cup, and the cross.
A Prayer of Atonement
Sometimes a terrible sin, like the adultery and murder David committed so he could be with Bathsheba, seems unpardonable. The only offense that will continue to stain our lives, however, is the one we fail to confess with a repentant heart so that it can be covered by the cleansing blood of the Savior.