Leviticus 7 This chapter talks about fellowship/peace offerings. It says that all meats or baked grains that are brought must be eaten that day (apart from the ones that are given to the priests). It struck me that perhaps this was a way to encourage community and fellowship among the Israelites. Considering that some people were bringing entire cows, that’s a lot of meat. It probably took more than one family to finish it off in one day, so it could have been shared by the community. Party! Just a thought. And another thing that the chapter talks about is how the Israelites aren’t supposed to eat the fat or the blood. The fat’s just plain bad for you, but the blood has more meaning that simple health regulations. Pagan cultures included the drinking of blood in their religious rituals because they believed that the blood contained the essence of life. So by drinking the blood (lifeblood) they could gain extra power or strength by absorbing the life essence of the dead creature (or person?). God specifically prohibits this practice by telling the Israelites that they aren’t allowed to drink blood. The blood is part of what is sacrificed on the altar. Symbolically, this also makes sense. By offering the blood to God, we are giving Him our life. God doesn’t need our sacrifices to be strong, but the blood was a reminder that He owns our life, its strength, and its very breath.
Leviticus 17:21 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. I’ll bet that if you read that without the address you’d think it was something Jesus said or that Paul quoted while making an argument for salvation. And maybe they did, but that’s not where the verse originated. Anyway, it’s here that the significance of blood is explained. Only blood can atone for a soul. Well, technically it says that blood atones for the whole self. The word used for soul is “nephesh” and it doesn’t mean just the soul. It is the living self (with life in the blood) and includes the body, the mind, the will, the character, the appetites and the emotions. It’s pretty all-inclusive of what makes a human a human. The Hebrews didn’t split a person into parts like we do (based on the Greek model). There wasn’t a body that was separate from the mind which was also separate from the soul. Nephesh was holistic. So this atonement was also holistic. It covers and atones (to make amends for, to compensate) for our sins. And it’s all about the blood. Nephesh is a being with life in the blood. Without blood we die. Maybe that’s why we call it the “life blood” of a thing. That life is the oxygen, the breath, it carries to our body. That breath originally came from YHWH himself! How precious is that! Symbolically, the blood circulates the breath of God through our veins to bring life to our body. No wonder God didn’t want people drinking the blood of animals. Eventually, Jesus would shed His blood as the final and perfect sacrifice, putting an end to animal sacrifices. But even here, long before Jesus, blood is important enough to be reserved only for sacrifices, only for atonement. To break this law meant that you were cast out of Israel… a pretty steep punishment. And, it comes after the sacrifices which means it’s pretty darn important. The sacrifices were of primary importance because they restored the relationship between men and God by removing the guilt of sin. And the prohibitions on blood come closely on their heels. So, this would pretty much rule out vampirism as a Christian fetish or practice. Does it rule out steak cooked medium rare?
Leviticus 17:11 “I have given you the blood so you can make atonement for your sins. It is the blood, representing life, that brings you atonement.” It’s the day before Easter. In this chapter God talks about the sacred nature of blood. It represents life. But it also reminds me of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. God gave us Jesus who gave us His blood. In the Tabernacle blood was poured out before the altar and sprinkled on its sides as the sacrifice was presented to be burned as an offering to God. Jesus’ blood was poured out when His side was pierced be the spear (not to mention when He was flogged and when He was forced to wear the crown of thorns). His blood makes atonement for our sins. Only blood was enough to atone for sin. Only Jesus’ blood was enough to atone for all our sins. One life, poured out in blood, to forever atone for the lives of everyone in eternity.