Sacrifices: Nourishment for Evil, Not Divine Necessity
Based on the presented sources, it becomes clear that the true need for sacrifices does not come from God. For example, one excerpt states:
"Another form of nourishment for demons is sacrifices. This is what St. Basil the Great says: ... demons feed on vapors—not in the sense of eating them or filling their stomachs with them..." (source: link txt).
This quote emphasizes that sacrifices, particularly their smoke and vapors, serve as a nutritional substance for demonic forces. That is, in essence, sacrifices function as nourishment for evil, sustaining its presence in this world.
Another author notes that:
"If so, if God did not require burnt offerings, then the Lord God did not command the sacrifice of animals for Himself. These sacrifices were needed for the people themselves..." (source: link txt).
Here, the focus is on the idea that God, being absolutely self-sufficient and the creator of everything, does not need any offerings from man. On the contrary, sacrifices become a symbol of the inner connection between man and God, a sign of faith, repentance, and spiritual renewal, as well as an important reminder of sinfulness and the need for atonement. Thus, on one hand, the systems of sacrifice serve the needs of human consciousness; on the other, they serve as nourishment for those forces that stand in opposition to God's purity.
In conclusion, the answer to the question is as follows: sacrifices are by no means required by God; on the contrary, in a certain sense, they nourish demons—forces whose nature demands such "nutritional" substances in order to sustain their influence. This also underscores that God's nature is entirely different from the needs and mechanisms of demonic forces: He is absolutely self-sufficient and does not depend on what people can offer Him. Instead, sacrifices are an expression of the human striving for redemption and a reminder of the need for spiritual renewal, not a means to satisfy the Creator’s needs.
Supporting citation(s):
"Another form of nourishment for demons is sacrifices. ... demons feed on vapors..." (source: link txt)
"If so, if God did not require burnt offerings, then the Lord God did not command the sacrifice of animals for Himself. These sacrifices were needed for the people themselves..." (source: link txt)