… and only in the Temple (if I recall correctly).
Yes, after the temple was built and the Levite priests began operation in the temple, sacrifice was to take place only there, and no place else.
Before the covenant at Mt. Sinia, every male head of his houshold was a priest and ruler for his own house. As the priest of his house, he could offer sacrifice to God on behalf of the members of his houshold. That privilege was taken away at Mt. Sinia when the people worshipped the golden calf. Only the members of the tribe of Levi did not worship the calf and so God took away the priesthood from the common man and gave it to the males of the tribe of Levi.
After this time, only the Levites were priests. A male head of houshold could not offer sacrifice on behalf of his family any longer, and had to go to the Levitical priests who offered sacrifice on their behalf. It was a great loss for the common man - he could not longer atone for the sins of his family but had to go to the Levite priests. To help ensure that only appointed Levite priests offered sacrifice, God commanded at this point that sacrifice be offered only in the courtyard of the portable tabernacle. Anyone caught offering sacrifice by himself was guilty of ignoring the legitimate priesthood established by God, guilt of ignoring Gods legitimate authority on earth.
When the priesthood moved into the permanent temple built by King Solomon, sacrifice moved to the temple with them. After the temple was built, sacrifice was supposed to take place only in Jerusalem, only in the temple, and nowhere else. To a Jew, worship was sacrifice, and it took place in one spot on earth, in the temple in Jerusalem.
King Jeroboam however, set up an altar in Bethel…
Jeroboam established a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month like the pilgrimage feast in Judah, and he went up to the altar. He did this in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. He stationed in Bethel the priests of the high places he had built. (1 Kingsa 12:32)
…and it didn’t turn out good.
***When the king heard the word of the man of God which he was crying out against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam stretched forth his hand from the altar and said, “Seize him!” But the hand he stretched forth against him withered, so that he could not draw it back. *
(1 Kings 13:4)
After the Levitical priesthood was established by God, every time someone set up an altar on their own accord, it didn’t turn out good. To set up your own altar was to seperate yourself from God’s legitimate authority. That never turns out good.
That was part of the reason why God became man, because even the Levitical priesthood had become corrupt. God came to take away authority from the “Chair of Moses” and give it to the “Chair of Peter”, and to establish a new priesthood, and restore the common priesthood to the common man.
-Tim-
