Life is Found in The Blood
August 17, 2022
Commentary
Chapters 17-20 reveal a legal code of conduct for the people of Israel, touching on many areas of their public life. These four chapters deal with four special areas of life that must be respected and kept holy: (1) The sanctity of life (Chap. 17), (2) the sanctity of sex (Chap. 18); (3) the sanctity of the law (Chap. 19); and the sanctity of judgment (Chap. 20). The emphasis isn’t as much on justice or civic righteousness as it is on holiness. The motivation of Israel’s obedience had to be more than fear and punishment. The people also had a need in their hearts to please God and a determination to be a holy people who would bring glory to His name (Ex 19:3-6). While obedience to the law isn’t God’s way of salvation (Rom 3:19-20), a love for holiness and a desire to obey God are certainly evidences that we are the children of God (I Jn 3:1).
Chapter 17 deals with the sanctity of life which is found in the blood. Long before medical science discovered the significance of the circulation of the blood in the human body and its importance for life, Scripture told us that life was in the blood. Throughout Scripture it is the blood that makes the atonement for our sin. Warren Wiersbe states that “Any theology that ignores or minimizes the blood isn’t founded on the Word of God.” Of the prohibitions in the Bible against eating blood this one in Leviticus is the clearest. Verse 11 gives two reasons: (1) to refrain from eating blood is to show respect for the sanctity of life and (2) God choose it as a fitting symbol of the reality of atonement and forgiveness.
Application
As believers we need to appreciate the importance of the “precious” blood of Christ (I Pet. 1:19). Through His blood we are justified (Rom. 5:9), redeemed (Eph. 1:7), washed (Rev. 1:5, sanctified (Heb. 13:12), brought near (Eph. 2:13), and cleansed (I Jn. 1:7). I need to be thankful for all of this and express my thanks.
Leviticus 17:1– 16 (NET)
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites, and tell them, ‘This is the word that the Lord has commanded, 3 “Blood guilt will be accounted to any man from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox or a lamb or a goat inside the camp or outside the camp, 4 but has not brought it to the entrance of the Meeting Tent to present it as an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord. He has shed blood, so that man will be cut off from the midst of his people. 5 This is so that the Israelites will bring their sacrifices that they are sacrificing in the open field to the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent—to the priest—and sacrifice them there as peace-offering sacrifices to the Lord. 6 The priest is to splash the blood on the altar of the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, and offer the fat up in smoke for a soothing aroma to the Lord. 7 So the people must no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat demons, acting like prostitutes by going after them. This is to be a perpetual statute for them throughout their generations.”’
8 “You are to say to them: ‘Any man from the house of Israel or from the resident foreigners who live in their midst, who offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice 9 but does not bring it to the entrance of the Meeting Tent to offer it to the Lord—that person will be cut off from his people.
10 “‘Any man from the house of Israel or from the resident foreigners who live in their midst who eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats the blood, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, 11 for the life of every living thing is in the blood. So I myself have assigned it to you on the altar to make atonement for your lives, for the blood makes atonement by means of the life. 12 Therefore, I have said to the Israelites: No person among you is to eat blood, and no resident foreigner who lives among you is to eat blood.
13 “‘Any man from the Israelites or from the resident foreigners who live in their midst who hunts a wild animal or a bird that may be eaten must pour out its blood and cover it with soil, 14 for the life of all flesh is its blood. So I have said to the Israelites: You must not eat the blood of any living thing because the life of every living thing is its blood—all who eat it will be cut off.
15 “‘Any person who eats an animal that has died of natural causes or an animal torn by beasts, whether a native citizen or a resident foreigner, must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening; then he will be clean. 16 But if he does not wash his clothes and does not bathe his body, he will bear his punishment for his iniquity.’”
Illustration: Going Very Fast in The Wrong Direction
Charles Swindoll tells a story about the 19th Century agnostic Thomas Huxley (some of you might know that it was Huxley who promoted Darwinism and Humanism in his attacks on Christianity). Huxley was in Dublin and was rushing to catch a train. He climbed aboard one of Dublin’s famous horse drawn taxis and said to the driver, “Hurry, I’m almost late … drive fast”. Off they went at a furious pace and Huxley sat back in his seat and closed his eyes. After a while Huxley opened his eyes and glanced out the window to notice that they were going in the wrong direction. Realizing that he hadn’t told the driver where to take him he called out ‘do you know where you’re going?’ The driver replied “No, your honor, but I am driving very fast.” (Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life” by Charles Swindoll).