The Lord God gave Noah and his family the above commandment, after He released them from the ark after the flood. But even before that time, He had made it very clear that the blood of a person or animal is a sacred thing and not to be shed in vain. After Cain killed his brother Abel, the Lord God said to him, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand." (Genesis 4:10-11)
Now the Lord God would give the law explaining in detail how blood should be treated. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron, to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, saying: “Whatever man of the house of Israel who kills an ox or lamb or goat in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp, and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting to offer an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, the guilt of bloodshed shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people,... (Leviticus 17:1-4)
"...to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they offer in the open field, that they may bring them to the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, to the priest, and offer them as peace offerings to the Lord. And the priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and burn the fat for a sweet aroma to the Lord. They shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons, after whom they have played the harlot. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.”’ (Leviticus 17:3-7)
We must understand that the Lord God is not saying the children of Israel could not kill animals for purposes other than sacrifices. They had to kill animals in order to have meat to eat and use the animals hides to make garments and coverings for their tents, etc. He clarified it by saying no more offer their sacrifices to demons, after whom they have played the harlot. We know from what happened with the golden calf that the children of Israel were exposed to idol worship and false gods in Egypt, and as the Lord God said, they easily "...turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them." (Exodus 32:8)
The Lord God was making it clear that any animal killed as a peace offering sacrifice to Him must be brought to Him, to His house, the tabernacle if it is to be accepted. We can not come to God any and every kind of way we want or feel. We must come to Him in the way He has commanded, or we will not be accepted. “Also you shall say to them: ‘Whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, to offer it to the Lord, that man shall be cut off from among his people. (Leviticus 17:8-9)
‘And whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who 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 to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’ Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘No one among you shall eat blood, nor shall any stranger who dwells among you eat blood.’ (Leviticus 17:10-12)
DO NOT EAT OR DRINK BLOOD! It's as simple as that. And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. (Hebrews 9:22) When the Lord God was preparing to send the tenth plague in Egypt before delivering the children of Israel, He instituted the Passover and commanded, ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. ... Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. ... It is the Lord’s Passover. (Exodus 12:3-11)
‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:12-13) The Lord God didn't spare them just because they were the children of Israel; but He spared them if they were obedient and if He found the blood "covering" their doorpost as He had commanded.
Christ Jesus fulfilled this requirement of the old covenant, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:23-26)
Christ Jesus once declared to the Jews, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” (John 6:53-58)
At His final Passover dinner on earth, where He instituted the Lord's Supper, Christ Jesus explained how we are to do this; And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24)
Just as the Lord God commanded the children of Israel to make their sacrifices which they offer in the open field, and then bring them to the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, to the priest, and offer them as peace offerings to the Lord; Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. (Hebrews 13:12) For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. (Colossians 1:19-20)
All of this is to explain how through faith in Christ Jesus, He fulfilled the requirement of the law for salvation; For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. (Romans 5:8-11)
“Whatever man of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who hunts and catches any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust; for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.’ (Leviticus 17:13-14)
“And every person who eats what died naturally or what was torn by beasts, whether he is a native of your own country or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. Then he shall be clean. But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, then he shall bear his guilt.” (Leviticus 17:15-16)
Ever wonder why hunters don't pick up dead animals from the side of the road? Because they know that the animals blood was not poured out when it was killed, therefore the meat is contaminated and should not be eaten. We should not eat any animal unless we know by some degree of surety that the blood had been removed from it as soon as possible after it was killed.
The only "blood" we are to eat or drink is the "blood" of Christ Jesus, as He instructed and the Apostle Paul reiterated; For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. (I Corinthians 11:23-26) AMEN!
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