In the Old Testament, God instituted the sacrificial system as a means for His people to atone for their sins and be forgiven. This system required the shedding of blood from an animal sacrifice to cover over the guilt incurred from sin (Leviticus 17:11). However, there are instances recorded in the Old Testament where God forgave people’s sins even though a sacrifice was not explicitly mentioned as being offered.
One example is found in 2 Chronicles 30. King Hezekiah called the people to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem after years of neglect. Many responded, but some were ceremonially unclean and could not participate fully. However, Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God, the Lord, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness” (2 Chronicles 30:18-19). God heard Hezekiah’s prayer and healed the people (2 Chronicles 30:20).
Another example is when King Manasseh of Judah committed terrible idolatrous sins. Eventually, Manasseh humbled himself and prayed to God, and the Lord forgave him, even though no sacrifice is mentioned (2 Chronicles 33:12-13). In addition, after the Israelites committed the grievous sin of worshiping the golden calf at Sinai, Moses interceded for them and secured God’s forgiveness, again without a sacrifice being offered (Exodus 32:7-14, 30-34).
Why would God grant forgiveness in these cases without the standard sacrificial requirements being met? There are a few factors that help explain it:
- God is merciful – Even under the Old Covenant, God’s mercy was abundant, and He was inclined to forgive those who sincerely repented and sought His pardon.
- Sacrifices were symbolic – The sacrifices pointed to inner repentance and faith. If those were genuinely present without a sacrifice, God could still forgive.
- Intercessory prayer – The earnest intercession of people like Moses and Hezekiah on behalf of sinful people moved God to be merciful.
- Transitional periods – Some of these cases occurred during times of spiritual renewal and reform, when old patterns had been disrupted.
- God’s sovereignty – As sovereign Lord, God always reserves the right to forgive conditionally whenever He chooses.
While the standard way to receive atonement under the Old Covenant involved animal sacrifices, God is not bound absolutely by His own rules. In certain cases where there was genuine repentance and intercessory prayer, God could sovereignly choose to grant forgiveness apart from the standard sacrificial system. Of course, once Jesus made the final perfect sacrifice on the cross, no more sacrifices are needed at all for those who put faith in Him.
There are about nine other examples in the Old Testament when God forgave people’s sins even though a sacrifice was not explicitly mentioned:
- When Abraham lied about Sarah being his wife, God forgave him without a sacrifice (Genesis 20:1-7).
- When Abimelech inadvertently took Sarah into his harem, God forgave him after Abraham prayed for him (Genesis 20:17-18).
- When Isaac lied like his father Abraham had, God forgave him without mention of a sacrifice (Genesis 26:6-11).
- When the Israelites were delivered from Egypt, it was by God’s grace, before the official sacrificial system was instituted (Exodus 12:1-42).
- When God gave Israel victory over the Amalekites, it was by His grace and mercy, not because of sacrifices (Exodus 17:8-16).
- When the people complained and grumbled, God forgave them in response to Moses’ prayer (Numbers 14:19-20).
- When Achan sinned by taking plunder from Jericho, he confessed his sin and God forgave him before he was stoned to death (Joshua 7:20-26).
- When David committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered Uriah, God forgave him when he confessed, before David offered sacrifices (2 Samuel 12:13).
- When Solomon dedicated the temple, God accepted his prayer and forgave the people, apart from sacrifices (1 Kings 8:22-53).
In these cases, factors like genuine repentance, intercessory prayer, God’s mercy and grace, and transitional periods seem to account for God sovereignly offering forgiveness apart from standard sacrificial requirements. While the sacrificial system was normative, it did not restrict God from forgiving conditionally when He saw fit.
There are a number of additional examples where God forgave sins in the Old Testament even though a sacrifice is not explicitly mentioned:
- When Jacob deceived his father Isaac into giving him Esau’s blessing, Isaac still blessed him without requiring a sacrifice first (Genesis 27).
- When Rachel stole her father Laban’s household gods, he did not demand a sacrifice when he confronted her (Genesis 31:19, 26-28).
- When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery and deceived their father, there is no record of them offering sacrifices, yet God worked things for good (Genesis 37, 45:1-15).
- When Moses killed the Egyptian slave driver, God still chose him to lead Israel, without Moses offering a sacrifice first (Exodus 2:11-15).
- When the Israelites worshiped the bronze snake idol, God disciplined them but was willing to forgive them when they repented (2 Kings 18:1-4).
- When Job went through tremendous suffering, God restored him without Job offering any sacrifices (Job 42:10-17).
- When King Asa failed to rely fully on the Lord, God rebuked him but still forgave him in his heart (2 Chronicles 16:7-9).
- When Hosea’s wife Gomer was unfaithful, God commanded Hosea to take her back and forgive her (Hosea 3:1-3).
- When Jonah disobeyed God’s call and fled as a prophet, God showed him mercy anyway (Jonah chapters 1-4).
Again, God seems willing to forgive conditionally based on repentant hearts, intercessory prayer, and His abundant mercy and grace. He is not absolutely restricted by the sacrificial system He Himself instituted under the Old Covenant. As sovereign Lord, God can forgive sins whenever He chooses.
There are still more examples where sacrifices are not mentioned when God forgives sin in the Old Testament:
- When Abraham passed off Sarah as his sister, God protected them and did not demand a sacrifice (Genesis 12:10-20).
- When Isaac did the same with Rebekah, God protected them without requiring a sacrifice (Genesis 26:6-11).
- When Joseph resisted sexual sin with Potiphar’s wife, God blessed him in prison though he could not offer sacrifices there (Genesis 39).
- When Moses became angry and struck the rock, God still allowed him to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 20:2-13).
- When Gideon made an ephod that became a sinful object of worship, God did not punish him but showed mercy (Judges 8:27).
- When Samson indulged in sin with Delilah, God still empowered him in his death (Judges 16:4-30).
- When Hannah was barren, she prayed and God blessed her with a son, not because of sacrifices (1 Samuel 1).
- When David showed mercy to Saul and Jonathan’s family, God blessed him without a sacrifice (2 Samuel 9).
- When Solomon married foreign wives, God warned him but still blessed his reign (1 Kings 11:1-13).
What all these examples demonstrate is that while the sacrificial system was the normative way to atone for sins under the Mosaic Law, it did not restrict or limit God’s sovereign freedom to forgive people whenever He chose to. If God saw genuine repentance and contrite hearts, He was always willing to show mercy, even without explicit mention of sacrifices. This emphasizes that God looks at the inward heart condition more than the outward religious rituals.
Here are some final examples where God forgave sins in the Old Testament without an explicit mention of sacrifices:
- When Rebekah and Jacob deceived Isaac for the blessing, there is no record of them offering sacrifices afterward (Genesis 27).
- When Laban deceived Jacob into marrying Leah, God still blessed Jacob in spite of Laban’s deception (Genesis 29:15-30).
- When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, the text does not describe them offering sacrifices for their sin (Genesis 37).
- When the midwives in Egypt disobeyed Pharaoh, God blessed them for protecting baby boys (Exodus 1:15-21).
- When David’s men ate the consecrated bread, Jesus later said they were not guilty (1 Samuel 21:1-6; Matthew 12:1-4).
- When Eli failed to discipline his sons, he still blessed Hannah and her son Samuel (1 Samuel 1:12-17).
- When Saul disobeyed God’s commands, God still used him as king over Israel (1 Samuel 15).
- When Solomon married foreign women, God became angry but still heard Solomon’s prayer (1 Kings 11:1-13).
The key insight is that God has always cared more about true heart repentance than merely outward ritual compliance. He is sovereign and can choose to forgive conditionally whenever He wishes. The sacrificial system did not restrict God – it was intended to point people toward repentance and forgiveness by grace.
In conclusion, while sacrifices for sin were a standard part of the religious system God instituted in the Old Testament, there were many instances where God sovereignly chose to forgive people’s sins even without mention of a sacrifice. This emphasizes God’s abundant grace, mercy, and compassion. It shows that He cares more about inward repentance and faith than mere external ritual. And it highlights that God retains His sovereignty to forgive conditionally whenever He determines it is appropriate, based on people’s hearts and responses to Him.