What command did God give his people when selecting an animal?
Leviticus 1:3 (ESV)
3“If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD.
The law demanded that the animal was to be without blemish. That is to say, the animal was to be perfect. It could have no defects at all. This requirement foreshadows the person of Christ, the One who is without sin.
3 “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD.