26 September Leviticus 17

The life of every creature is in its blood

Leviticus 17:14 (NLT) “The life of every creature is in its blood. That is why I have said to the people of Israel, ‘You must never eat or drink blood, for the life of any creature is in its blood.’ So whoever consumes blood will be cut off from the community.

Blood was God’s ordained means of effecting atonement. Leviticus 17:11 (ESV) “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”.

Atonement for sin was made by sacrificing an animal's life as a substitute for a person's own life. The most important part was the shedding of blood: the blood of the innocent animal offered on the altar paid for the people's sins. The whole meaning of “the life is in the blood” would only be revealed in Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10:5-10 (NLT) That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God— as is written about me in the Scriptures.’ ”First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time”.

Blood is an essential element in living, both physically and spiritually. Just as a person without blood cannot live, so can a person's sins not be forgiven without the shedding of blood. Hebrews 9:22 (ESV) Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

There is no possibility of having true life in Christ without the shedding of His blood on Calvary and His rising to life again after three days. Only those who partake in His death through repentance and salvation, will have eternal life. John 3:16-18 (NLT) “For this is how God loved the world: He gave[a] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son”.

Although physical blood sustains physical life, Jesus' blood is the only sacrifice that provides eternal life through His crucifixion and resurrection.

In conclusion, the phrase "the life of every creature is in its blood" underscores the deep connection between life and blood, both physically and spiritually. In the Old Testament, God established blood as the means of atonement, symbolising the life given in exchange for sin. However, the full significance of this would only be revealed in Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice was the ultimate fulfilment of this principle. His blood, shed on the cross, is the only source of eternal life. Just as physical life cannot exist without blood, spiritual life and forgiveness of sins are impossible without the shedding of Christ's blood. We are granted eternal life through faith in His death and resurrection, free from judgment. Jesus' lifeblood is not just essential for physical survival, but it is the key to everlasting life with God.