Da – The Life is in the Blood 17: 1-16

The Life is in the Blood
17: 1-16

The life is in the blood DIG: What consequences would fall upon those who failed to follow ADONAI’s command regarding the sinful use of blood for a sacrifice? A major theme in Leviticus is that blood covers the people’s sins and reconciles them to God. Why do you think YHVH chose blood to do that? What does that say about the seriousness of sin?

REFLECT: How does this chapter point to Messiah’s blood shed for you? How do you feel about that? Do you take His sacrifice for granted? How so? Do you ever thank Him for His shed blood on your behalf? What is the most important thing you have learned from this chapter about maintaining fellowship with ADONAI? Who can you tell about His shed blood?

Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

All sacrifices brought to the Tabernacle (17:1-4): The mitzvah here concerns the prohibition bringing sacrifices (Hebrew zebach) anywhere other than the Tabernacle. God said to Moshe, speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the people of Isra’el. Tell them that this is what ADONAI has ordered, “When someone from the community of Isra’el slaughters an ox, lamb or goat inside or outside the camp without bringing it to the entrance of the Tabernacle to present it as an offering to ADONAI is to be considered guilty of shedding blood.” There was to be only one place and one God. The idea was that the killing of the animal was imputed, or transferred to the man. The seriousness of this offense is underlined by the fact that the crime is called shedding blood, a phrase used to describe the murder. Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed: for in the image of God has God made mankind (Genesis 9:6). As a result, that person is to be cut off from His people.²⁹⁵

In rabbinic literature the penalty is called karet, or “cutting off.” In priestly literature, the penalty of karet was understood to include a series of related punishments at the hand of God, ranging from the immediate death of an offender, as in 20:17, to his premature death at a later time, and even to the death of his descendants. In Mishnah Sanhedrin 9:6 and Mishnah Keritot 1:2, this penalty was characterized as mitah biydei shamayim, or “death at the hands of heaven.” Since in 7:20-21 karet is mentioned in the context as childlessness, there is the implication that it took that course as well.²⁹⁶

Peace offerings brought before ADONAI (17:5-7): The reason for bringing their offerings to the entrance of the Tabernacle, to the priest, and sacrifice them as peace offerings to ADONAI (to see link click Ak – The Peace Offerings: At Peace with God), was to prevent sacrifices from being made to goat idols instead of the LORD. Thus, the text describes the butchering of meat in the open field as a sacrifice. No longer will they offer sacrifices to the goat-demons, before whom they prostitute themselves (Second Chronicles 11:15; Second Kings 23:8)! They either believed in God or believed in demons! The same is true for us today (First Timothy 4:1). Such an offense would be a violation of the First Commandment (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Bl – Have No Other Gods), which explains why the offender would be cut off. The offense was equivalent to spiritual adultery. The proper procedure for the sacrifice of a peace offering is then given. The priest will splash the blood against the bronze altar in the courtyard of the Tabernacle, and make the fat go up in smoke as a pleasing aroma for ADONAI. The proper place of the blood in sacrifice was to be for atonement. This was to be a permanent regulation for them through all their generations.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for being so wise and holy! Praise You that since blood is so important for sacrifice, You willingly sacrificed Your own blood on the cross in a bloody and painful tortuous execution. What love! It is easy to look at the sacrifice to goat idols and to dismiss it as not occurring nowadays, but sacrifice to idols still does occur. It may not be as obvious of a sacrifice; but self-centered living is a sacrifice to the god of self. When a person lives their life to please their own desires and wants, it is empty and unfulfilling. You give us a full life as we give you honor. I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10c).

Sacrifices made to the idol of one’s own heart is an abomination to You. Dear Father, We plead for forgiveness for often putting ourselves above You. We need to set aside time for special worship of You. Our time, money and talents are all gifts from You that we should give graciously back to You. Too often our life gets so busy that meditating on Your Word and praise of Your many gracious attributes is crowded out.

May the wonder and glory of You, be the first thought of our day. Bless Adonai, O my soul. Adonai my God, You are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty – wrapping Yourself in light as a robe (Psalms 104:1-2). May praising You be the last thought of our day. Praise the Lord of lords, for His lovingkindness endures forever, who alone did great wonders, for His lovingkindness endures forever, who made the heavens by wisdom, for His lovingkindness endures forever (Psalms 135:3-5). You are worthy! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Burnt offerings brought before ADONAI (17:8-9): Also tell them, “When someone from the community of Isra’el or one of the foreigners living with you offers a burnt offering or sacrifice without bringing it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to sacrifice it to ADONAI, that person is to be cut off from His people.” These two verses restate the principle regarding the location for the presentation of the offerings. All sacrificial offerings had to be brought to the Tabernacle, that is, before ADONAI. This mitzvah not only applied to the Israelite, but also to any foreigner living among the Israelites.²⁹⁷

Blood ritual and slaughter (17:10-16): In addition to regulations regarding sacrifice, Leviticus 17 warned the Israelites against consuming blood (also see Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 7:26-27; Deuteronomy 12:23; Acts 15:20 and 29). When someone from the community of Isra’el or one of the foreigners living with you eats any kind of blood, I will set myself against that person who eats blood and cut him off from his people. Consuming blood was strictly forbidden, for the life (Hebrew: nefesh, meaning soul) of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the bronze altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life (17:10-11). 

By saying the life of a creature is in the blood, the Torah speaks of life in the sense of life-force. The Hebrew word nefesh can be used to refer to one’s person, one’s life, one’s consciousness, or one’s eternal essence. Here, in Leviticus 17 it should probably be understood in its simplest form: the nefesh is the life-force. It is the life of the flesh, without which the flesh is dead. Obviously, that life-force is dependent upon the blood. When the blood is drained from the body, the spark of life leaves with it.

This is why I told the people of Isra’el, “None of you is to eat blood, nor is any foreigner living with you to eat blood.” When someone from the community of Isra’el or one of the foreigners living with you hunts and catches game, whether animal or bird that may be eaten, he is to pour out its blood and cover it with earth. For the life of every creature is in the blood. Therefore, I said to the people of Isra’el, “You are not to eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is in the blood. Whoever eats it will be cut off from His people and the Tabernacle/Temple sacrifices (17:12-14). The belief that the nefesh is in the blood is testified to by Abel’s blood which cried out from the ground (see the commentary on Genesis Bj – Your Brother’s Blood Cries Out to Me from the Ground). According to the Torah method of slaughter, even animals that are hunted are to be drained out onto the ground and then covered with earth. This is suggestive of a dignified burial.

In Jewish burial customs, blood is accorded great dignity. That the life is in the blood is the reason behind the Jewish burial practice of collecting and burning even blades of grass stained with Jewish blood. In Jewish burial rituals, embalmment is not practiced. People are buried with the blood still in their bodies rather than having it run down the sewer drain of a mortuary before being pumped with formaldehyde.

Meat with the blood still in it is meat that was not ritually slaughtered in a way that completely drains the blood from the flesh. The traditional procedure for sacrifice is to slit the jugular of the animal so that its pumping heart will continue to beat until it has pumped all of the blood (life) from the body. Of course, some blood inevitably remains in any cut of meat, but the blood containing the life of the animal has been drained because the life departed with the blood. This method of slaughter is called shechita, the Hebrew word for butchering. This traditional method of butchering has been inherited from the sacrificial procedure used in the Temple.

Any meat that has not been bled to death by this method is not considered kosher by observant Jews today because it still has blood in it. They are forbidden meats of animals torn or that have died on their own (Exodus 22:31; Leviticus 22:8). The early Messianic community referred to animals not slaughtered by being bled as the meat of strangled animals (Acts 15:20 and 29). We learn that anyone eating such an animal would be rendered unclean by it. Anyone eating an animal that dies naturally or is torn to death by wild animals, whether he is a citizen or a foreigner, is to wash his clothes and bathe himself in water; he will be unclean until evening; then he will be clean. But if he doesn’t wash them or bathe his body, he will bear the consequences of his wrongdoing (17:15-16).

Are hunted animals deemed kosher? Obviously, an animal wounded or killed in a hunt cannot be slaughtered by shechita. Therefore, in Orthodox Judaism, hunted animals are not regarded as kosher. But here the Torah allows for them so long as their blood is drained out upon the ground and covered with earth. The implication is that the Jewish tradition of shechita is not the biblical standard of whether or not eating hunted meat is permissible.

Understanding the sanctity of blood and the Torah relationship between life/soul and blood, we can better understand the significance of the Master’s blood. We frequently speak of His blood and that it was shed for us. Being shed means that His life/soul was poured out. It is the precious life/soul of Yeshua which ransoms, cleanses and atones for us.²⁹⁸ The B’rit Chadashah frequently mentions the blood of Messiah as it relates to our salvation. On the night in which He was betrayed He said: This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28). 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 (Colossians 1:20).

The purpose of the blood was to symbolize sacrifice for sin, which brought about cleansing from sin. Indeed, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22b). Forgiveness is very, very costly. The Father doesn’t forgive sin by looking down and saying, “Well, it’s all right. Since I love you so much, I’ll overlook your sin.” ADONAI’s righteousness and holiness will not allow Him to do that. Sin demands payment by death. And the only death great enough to pay for all of the sins of mankind was the death of His Son. YHVH’s great love for us will not lead Him to overlook our sin, but it has led Him to provide the payment for our sin, as John 3:16 so beautifully reminds us. Ha’Shem cannot ignore our sin; but He will forgive our sin if we trust in the death of His Son for that forgiveness.²⁹⁹