10 ‘But if his offering is from the flock, of the sheep or of the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer it a male without defect. 11 He shall slay it on the side of the altar northward before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 12 He shall then cut it into its pieces with its head and its suet, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. 13 The entrails, however, and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it, and offer it up in smoke on the altar; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord.
14 ‘But if his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering from the turtledoves or from young pigeons. 15 The priest shall bring it to the altar, and wring off its head and offer it up in smoke on the altar; and its blood is to be drained out on the side of the altar. 16 He shall also take away its crop with its feathers and cast it beside the altar eastward, to the place of the [d]ashes. 17 Then he shall tear it by its wings, but shall not sever it. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar on the wood which is on the fire; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord.
We often think of animal sacrifices as somewhat barbaric in nature. As some sort of arcane, gruesome, uncivilized ritual. But these were no more barbaric than the butchering of animals for food. They were purposeful, and there was no torture of the animals. It was clean, and precise, and the intent was not to incite a frenzy, but to restore peace with God. In Peter, God tells us that He has not given us a spirit of fear, but… of a sound mind. Again, speaking of peace. God does not rule by fear, or intimidation. God’s kingdom is built on peace and love. It isn’t always roses, and there IS punishment for sins, but pain is a consequence of our actions, not the purpose of our loving God.