Opening Prayer
Jesus, as I draw near to you today, I trust you to draw near to me. Help me to sense your presence.
Read LEVITICUS 17
Eating Blood Forbidden
17 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: 3 Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox,[a] a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it 4 instead of bringing it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord—that person shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; they have shed blood and must be cut off from their people. 5 This is so the Israelites will bring to the Lord the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the Lord, at the entrance to the tent of meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings. 6 The priest is to splash the blood against the altar of the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting and burn the fat as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 7 They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols[b] to whom they prostitute themselves. This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come.’
8 “Say to them: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice 9 and does not bring it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to sacrifice it to the Lord must be cut off from the people of Israel.
10 “‘I will set my face against any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who eats blood, and I will cut them off from the people. 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.[c] 12 Therefore I say to the Israelites, “None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner residing among you eat blood.”
13 “‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, 14 because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.”
15 “‘Anyone, whether native-born or foreigner, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then they will be clean. 16 But if they do not wash their clothes and bathe themselves, they will be held responsible.’”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 17:3 The Hebrew word can refer to either male or female.
- Leviticus 17:7 Or the demons
- Leviticus 17:11 Or atonement by the life in the blood
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
‘… when I see the blood, I will pass over you.’1
Think Further
This chapter deals with two main issues: the prohibition of DIY sacrifices (vv. 8, 9) and the consumption of blood. The individualization of spirituality in our times might make us wonder about the strictness of the law governing the offering of sacrifices. Worship for the Jews was essentially a corporate affair. It was the priest’s duty to slaughter animals brought by individuals and to present them to God as ‘fellowship offerings’ (v. 5). If each and every person were free to make their own sacrifices it could facilitate idol worship, with sacrifices being made to demons (v. 7), such as the goat god of Mendes which they had known in Egypt.
Forbidding the consumption of blood has an important basis, as stated in verse 11. In fact, it was a pre-Mosaic prohibition which featured as part of God’s blessing and instruction to Noah after the flood.2 It also carried over into the New Testament. When the gospel spread beyond the confines of Judaism, there was controversy in the church as to whether or not gentile believers should be required to keep the Law. It was James the Elder, presiding over the first Church Council, who gave the agreed ruling: the converts were not required to keep the Law, but they were enjoined ‘to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.’3
The spiritual significance of all these is explained in Hebrews.4 The Old Testament established the sacredness of blood, in that ‘the life of a creature is in the blood’ (v. 11). That life had been compromised by sin at the fall. Repeated sacrifices under the Law pointed to the blood of Jesus Christ, which would bring forgiveness to all who put their trust in him.
Apply
In an age that puts great stock in individual freedom of choice, consider how you choose to worship God.
Closing prayer
Precious Savior, help me to always worship you in spirit and truth. Help me to worship you in ways that honor you and bring you glory.
Last Updated on April 17, 2024 by kingstar
