This ministry is so amazing because God is so amazing. I am learning so much from the questions being assigned to me! I thought I would post my last one.

Question 376842: It seems to me almost impossible to carry that out: sacrifices for a few hundred thousand / million people at one spot – the ark of covenant / temple, so many pieces of animals, time of burnig vice 24hours a day… (?) Also so much blood poured out onto on place (have heard the soil was extremely “soak-able” there). How was all that carried out? Thank you very much for the answer (having looked into your qs in Ex+Lev to avoid repeating. Thankful for your ministry – God bless… Greetings from Prague from ___________

Note:

Profile: Female, 46-60, Europe, Christian

Due Date: 1/14/2015
Hello and thank you for your question!
There are some objections raised as to the logistics of several aspects of the Israelite exodus from Egypt. There are also objections raised about the logistics of animal sacrifice as regards the Tabernacle and Temple.

The sheer number of people, as you say, was quite large and the population would increase exponentially over time. I believe these objections can be answered and resolved from both a “practical” and spiritual perspective.

If we use a rigid method to derive the numbers involved in sacrificing that many animals for that many people with only a few priests, it makes it very difficult to understand how they could have carried all of that out. Critics will sometimes point to verses such as Leviticus 8:3-4, which says that *all* of the congregation was assembled at the door of the tabernacle. On the surface, this seems completely impossible due to the huge number of people.

What this viewpoint fails to take into account is that in the Hebrew culture, using the word “all” did not mean that every single Israelite had to be present. An entire family and even entire clan could be represented by one person or a few people. One representative could make an animal sacrifice that would cover a larger number of people. In addition, only the High Priest was required to sacrifice a large animal such as a bull. The rest of the animals sacrificed were smaller and the poor would sacrifice birds. The very poor would make grain offerings. Therefore, the total number of animal sacrifices and the volume of blood would seem to be logistically manageable. If circumstances required it, the head priests could appoint and sanctify temple helpers and more than one altar could be used, so the objection that it would be impossible for only a few priests to do that many animal sacrifices is also not valid.

From a spiritual perspective, we know from the Bible that God is omnipotent and that nothing for Him is impossible (Matthew 19:26). God supernaturally provided for the needs of the Israelites in several ways. He provided them with clothing that did not wear out, He kept their feet from swelling, He rained manna down from the sky for them to eat, and He guided them by day through a pillar of cloud and by night through a pillar of fire. If God wants something to happen, He will do it, and due to our limited human minds, we cannot always reconcile how He does it. In the New Testament, Jesus fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish. When we are not able to understand something in the Bible, it is because we are limited in our ability to understand, not because the Bible is wrong. We simply need to trust in God and His Word. One day everything will be crystal clear, but for now we do not see things clearly.

(Proverbs 3:5-6)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Thank you again for your question and may God bless you as you seek Him!