Blood

BLOOD SACRIFICE

In 1995, I developed a blood disease. after nearly a year of treatment, it came to the place where the Doctors decided I must have my spleen removed. I was to be given a transfusion of platelets before the surgery. On a foggy December 28, as I lay, ready for the operation, all came to a halt, the platelets for the transfusion had not arrived. Without the transfusion, the surgery had to wait. blood and life are tied together. When you give blood, you give life. This is why, when I could, I gave blood. And why I now encourage those who can to do so.

In scripture we find that blood and life are closely intertwined. The Israelites were forbidden to eat blood.

Lev 17:10-11 "'Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood-- I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people. 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." This gives us an insight into why of all sacrifices the one which atones for sin it blood. This sacrifice is the sacrifice of life. Sin makes a life forfeit. the sacrifice of blood offers up a life to God.

In the story of Cain and Abel we see two sacrifices. These are the first formal acts of worship recorded in the Bible. Before this, God had fellowship with Adam and Eve. Here, in the second generation ritual worship has begun. It may seem strange to us that of the two sacrifices one was accepted and one was rejected. Commentators attempt to explain why God rejected one brother's sacrifice. Each brought the fruit of his labors. Each offered that up to God. Why was one rejected. Some commentators point to a difference in character between Cain and Abel. Yet, such an explanation is only conjecture. We do not know Abel's character. We do know that Cain was the sort who let a perceived slight eat at him until it erupted in violence but we have no indication that had anything to do with the validity of his sacrifice.

The only difference we can truly point out was this. Abel's was a blood sacrifice, and Cain's was not. As early as this, God made it clear that a sacrifice required blood. Here he began a thread that continues through the Bible. Since Hebrews says it was "by faith" that Abel offered up the better sacrifice, we may surmise that God had made his wishes in the matter known. Surely, after this sacrifice both brothers knew which was acceptable. But Cain offered up what he chose rather than what God chase.

Throughout theBible, blood is used in cleansing from sin. We read directions for cleansing the worship place with blood.

Lev 1:11 And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar. (KJV)

Lev 5:9 And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering. (KJV)

Lev 16:15 Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: (KJV)

We also read of cleansing the people with blood.

Exod 29:21 And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him. (KJV)

Heb 9:13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. (NIV)

In Joshua we read the story of Rahab. Her story does not include anything about blood but there is a type found in it. Having protected the Israelite spies, Rahab asks them to keep her safe. they tell her.

Josh 2:18-21

18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee.

19 And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.

20 And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.

21 And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.

(KJV)

Rahab was saved when she hung out the scarlet cord was hung out IN OBEDIENCE. This sheds light on the issue of blood sacrifice. We may not understand it's importance. We may wonder why God called for it. But he did call for it. He did tell us that without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. Thou we might raise questions, perhaps discuss it. The final point is that the call to blood sacrifice was a call to obedience. This is what separated Abel and Cain. We may seek other routes to God, but he has provided only one way. Other way don't bring us to him, or to safety

We have seen how the blood of the covenant was used to cleanse both people and things. The author of Hebrews discusses this at length.

Heb 9:17-23

17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.

18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.

19 When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people.

20 He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep."

21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies.

22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

(NIV)

But the blood of the covenant had a weakness. we read in Heb 10.

Heb 10:1-4

1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming-- not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.

2 If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.

3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins,

4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (NIV)

Here we come on the core of the problem. Though the blood sacrifice did bring temporary cleansing, it could not truly take away sins. A better sacrifice was needed. That better sacrifice is written of in Colosians 1:18-20

Col 1:18-22

18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,

20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.

22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation--

(NIV)

The crucial sacrifice is Christ's Blood.

Heb 9:13-15

13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.

14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance-- now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

(NIV)

As he instituted the Lord's Supper, Jesus called his blood the blood of the new covenant.

Luke 22:20 "Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you."

COVENANT, NEW

The New Testament, which itself means "new covenant," interprets the work of Jesus Christ as bringing this promised new covenant into being. In , when Jesus ate the Passover meal at the Last Supper with His disciples, He spoke of the cup as "the new covenant in My blood." When the apostle Paul recited the tradition he had received concerning the Last Supper, he quoted these words of Jesus about the cup as "the new covenant in My blood" <1 Cor. 11:25>.

But the Epistle to the Hebrews gives the new covenant more attention than any other book in the New Testament. It includes a quotation of the entire passage from ;

(also <10:16-17>). Jesus is also referred to by the writer of Hebrews as "the Mediator of the new covenant" . The new covenant, a "better covenant... established on better promises" , rests directly on the sacrificial work of Christ, according to Hebrews. The new covenant accomplished what the old could not: removal of sin and cleansing of the conscience . The work of Jesus Christ on the cross thus makes the old covenant "obsolete" and fulfills the promise of the prophet Jeremiah.

(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

Luke 22:7-20 PP11

2. The shedding of Christ's blood, by which the atonement was made (for the blood made atonement for the soul, ), as represented by the wine in the cup; and that cup of wine is a sign and token of the New Testament, or new covenant, made with us. It commemorates the purchase of the covenant by the blood of Christ, and confirms the promises of the covenant, which are all Yea and Amen in him. This will be reviving and refreshing to our souls, as wine that makes glad the heart. In all our commemorations of the shedding of Christ's blood, we must have an eye to it as shed for us; we needed it, we take hold of it, we hope to have benefit by it; who loved me, and gave himself for me. And in all our regards to the New Testament we must have an eye to the blood of Christ, which gave life and being to it, and seals to us all the promises of it. Had it not been for the blood of Christ, we had never had the New Testament; and, had it not been for the New Testament, we had never know the meaning of Christ's blood shed.

(from Matthew Henry's Commentary)

In Rev. 7 we read

Rev 7:9-14

9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,

12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

(KJV)

Here is a question for each of us. Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?