Now there were lots of reasons to spill the innocent blood of an animal.
Plenty of opportunities for a farmer to offer freshly harvested grains and such.
However there was only One place to offer any of these.
The temple.
The temple had a wild host of inner workings. Special items used only to glorify the Lord with. Special ingredients and never ending light in the holy places of the complex. In order to really picture what's happening in the temple, lets climb the temple mount in Jerusalem and take a brief look inside.
Court of Priests:
Altar of Sacrifice: made of bronze, this is where all offerings came to rest, especially blood offerings.
Bronze Laver (Sea): giant bowl containing 12,000 gallons of water resting on a foundation of 12 oxen.
Bronze Pillars: standing at the entrance to the Holy Place, named Jachin and Boaz these pillars represented Stability and Strength.
Holy Place:
Table of Showbread: 12 loaves of unleavened bread representing the 12 tribes of Israel were placed new on this table each week.
Altar of Incense: made of gold, this altar burned a pleasing aroma to God 24/7 - ingredients only allowed to be used in the temple.
Golden Candelabra: the 7 armed lamp stand made of 100lbs of solid gold - burning with olive oil 24/7.
Most Holy Place:
Ark of the Covenant: chest of acacia wood overlaid with pure gold - resting on top were 2 golden cherubim facing one another with heads bowed towards the Ark - each with an enormous wingspan that filled the room. Inside rest the stone tablets in which the 10 commandments were written, Aaron's staff (Moses' brother), and a jar of manna from their journey in the desert.
Right now this information may seem a bit pointless, not all that exciting or useful. However, each piece described above tells the future story of the Son of God, The Messiah, The Savior of mankind.
Each piece describes in some way, shape or form the LIFE, DEATH and ROLE of Jesus in the history of mankind, PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE.
Yes, it's just a bunch of metal ware in a stone building run by a group of Priests who don't have a choice to do what they do...but that's only what it looks like from the outside.
On the inside, I'm not talking about inside the building, I mean on the inside of your heart, your soul, deep within your spirit God is alive and well.
What may look broken, seem pointless, feel trapped and hurt and living in sin may also be very much alive deep down inside.
The temple, the metal and stone, the Priests acting on tradition...well God is using all of them to do something much, much, much greater than they could imagine.
That is where Jesus eventually comes in.