Under the Old Covenant, sacrifices were a central act of worship before the God of heaven and earth. These included the slaughter of bulls, sheep, goats, and turtle doves, resulting in significant bloodshed, as well as non-bloody offerings of cereal grains and fruits. Some sacrifices were completely burnt on the altar, while others were partially burned and shared, and certain offerings were required to be presented alongside others. The principles behind these sacrifices remain relevant, as they were designed for our learning and good, reflecting the wisdom God planned from the beginning. Scriptures such as Romans 12:1 urge us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, as a form of spiritual service. In Philippians 4:18, a gift sent to Paul is described as a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice pleasing to God. Hebrews 13:15 encourages us to continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God through the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name, and to do good and share, for such sacrifices are well-pleasing to Him. The sacrificial offerings likely began with Adam and Eve, with the first recorded instance involving Cain and Abel. Abel's sacrifice was accepted due to his adherence to God's instructions, unlike Cain's, demonstrating the importance of obedience in the act of offering. The burnt offering, as detailed in Leviticus 1:3-5, required an unblemished male animal to be offered of one's own free will. The offerer would lay hands on the animal's head, symbolically transferring identity to it, before killing it by slitting its throat, an act charged with emotion as the animal represented the self being offered to God. For the average Israelite, sacrificing an animal, especially an unblemished one like the Passover lamb, was deeply personal. These animals were often part of the family, bearing names and shared experiences, making the act of sacrifice akin to giving up a loved one. This emotional connection contrasts with modern offerings like money, which lack the same intimacy. The sacrifice symbolized not just death, but the giving of a life, mirroring Paul's words in Galatians 2:20, where he speaks of being crucified with Christ, living by faith in the Son of God who gave Himself for us. God calls us to a challenging standard of sacrifice, as seen in Luke 14:26-27, where loyalty and submission to Christ must surpass even family ties and self-interest. This is further emphasized in Luke 10:25-28, where loving God with all one's heart, soul, strength, and mind, and loving one's neighbor as oneself, is the path to eternal life. Thus, Old Testament sacrifices focused not on death, but on the giving of a living life, a principle that continues as we are called to be living sacrifices, dedicating our entire existence to God.