Day Two: Two Turtle Doves
But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Hebrews 10: 3,4 ESV)
Forgiveness
At one point, I realized that a turtle dove was not a winged tortoise. I was sort of disappointed. Even so, turtle doves are significant because after lambs, turtle doves are the most commonly sacrificed animal in the Old Testament times.
The two turtle doves most likely refer to the Old and New Testaments. And they direct our attention to He who is smack dab in the middle of the those two parts, Christ Jesus.
The sacrificial system of the Old Testament did not offer forgiveness of sins, but rather pointed the way to Christ. The Messiah would do what those sacrifices only tried to do.
And the New Testament looks back to that Savior, and says, “Only in Christ is forgiveness and restoration to God!”
When we get to the point in our lives that we realize we have broken our relationship with God, we might try to fix it by being better tomorrow… but that does not work. We might try to fix it by trying really hard to obey… but that does not work. We might try to fix it by promising, hoping, ignoring, denying, or some other activity… but those do not work.
The only way to be forgiven is through the sacrifice not of two turtle doves, but of the one Messiah.
We can not give ourselves forgiveness, but Jesus can.