Scripture: “If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood.
“Any one also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off. And every person who eats what dies of itself or what is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or a sojourner, shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening; then he shall be clean. But if he does not wash them or bathe his flesh, he shall bear his iniquity.”
Leviticus 17:10-16 ESV
[Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping Friday’s Daily Focus, the Lord instructs Moses to warn Israel and any sojourners that they must present all animal offerings (ox, lamb, or goat) to Yahweh at the entrance to the tent of meeting, lest they incur bloodguilt and face excommunication from Israel. Once presented to the priest, he shall throw the blood on the Lord’s altar and burn its fat as a pleasing aroma to the Lord (burnt offering). Israel must observe this statute into perpetuity.
Today’s reading addresses the laws against consuming blood. Like the above mandate, this law applies to Israel and any sojourners. Yahweh declares the principle behind this prohibition: blood is sacred. In particular:
- It is the lifeline to all animals.
- It atones for their souls when presented on the altar to Yahweh.
Specific stipulations include:
- Hunting: The game’s blood must be poured on the ground and covered. The violator will face excommunication.
- Gathering: Any who eats the meat from an animal that dies from natural causes or from another animal tearing its flesh must wash their clothes, bathe in water, and remain unclean until evening. The violator will bear their iniquity.
Of note: The implication of bearing one’s iniquity means they will bear the consequences of their guilt: excommunication. We addressed the significance of being cut off (as it applies to the entire family line) in Friday’s Daily Focus (click the above link to read more).
Takeaway: What the Lord underscores to Moses here is not about hygiene but the sanctity of blood—its essential element in sustaining life. Hence, God, the author of life, gave blood through an animal sacrifice to “make atonement [for Israel] by its life” (v.11). In other words, the transactional sprinkling of blood transferred sin in one direction and life in the other. Thus, Israel must not treat this sacred ceremony lightly by consuming blood, as did the pagan nations as part of their idol-worship practice.
Our takeaway? We may only receive forgiveness and obtain reconciliation through the sacrifice of blood. Indeed, God shed the blood of an animal to cover the guilt and shame of the first man and woman (Genesis 3:21). God later prohibited Noah and his heirs from consuming blood and sternly warned him that anyone who takes another person’s life would bear the consequences of their life because God made humans in his own image (Genesis 9:4-6). We see the pinnacle of the sacredness of human blood in Christ, the God-man, shedding his blood as a complete and final sacrifice to:
- Wash away our sins and declare us clean (1 John 1:7)
- Cover God’s wrath against us (Romans 5:9).
Consequently, by grace through faith in Christ’s atoning work (Ephesians 2:8), the Holy Spirit grafts us into Christ’s bloodline and begins the good work of transforming us into image-bearers of Christ (Romans 8:29).
Out part? Follow Christ (John 8:12) and do his good works (Matthew 5:14-16). Thankfully, the Holy Spirit completes this life-long process of our dying to our self-centered ways and rising to Christ’s way of loving others sacrificially (Philippians 3:10) by pruning our dead wood (John 15:2) to bear his fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22). Consequently, we increasingly glow with the healing light of Christ and waft of his life-giving presence (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, who shed his bloodqq to ensure our grafting into his bloodline. And we thank you for the Holy Spirit, who does the lifelong work of transforming us into image-bearers of your Son. Still, we struggle to submit to the Holy Spirit’s life-changing work, mainly when it involves dying to our self-centered ways. So, please help us cooperate with our Helper’s sanctifying process to emanate the light and waft the aroma of your Son’s presence to the least, the last, and the lost. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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