“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.” (Leviticus 17:11)
Blood is almost always an indicator that something is wrong. People everywhere, of almost every age, understand that blood on the outside of a person’s body means something bad has happened.
I had been checked into the Athens Regional Medical Center in Georgia because of a blockage in one of my arteries. The doctor determined that a stent would take care of the problem. The next day following the surgery, the nurse came to remove the shunt from my femoral artery used to insert the catheter for placement of the stent.
What we didn’t know was that there was too high a dose of Plavix (a blood thinner) in my system. As he removed the shunt I began to bleed heavily. I was losing blood rapidly and they rushed me to ICU. As they rolled me down the hall a nurse bent over and wispered in my ear, "Is there anything you want me to tell your wife?" I knew what that meant. They were attempting to soak up the blood with towels as my blood pressure began to plummet. We thought this might be my last day on earth.
Alice was standing there at that time, and as the blood poured out of my body she began to get nauseous and unsteady and they had to remove her from the room. I don’t think I have ever seen anyone turn so many different shades of grey.
Alice was standing there at that time, and as the blood poured out of my body she began to get nauseous and unsteady and they had to remove her from the room. I don’t think I have ever seen anyone turn so many different shades of grey.
Leviticus 17:11 is the Old Testament’s fundamental statement about the significance of blood in the sacrificial system. A “sacrifice” is defined as the offering up of something precious for a cause or a reason.
Making atonement is satisfying someone or something for an offense committed. In other words, those who are covered by the blood sacrifice are set free from the consequences of sin. So here we learn that blood is also a sign of payment.
Sin, in any form, is such a terrible offense that the only way in which it can be dealt with, or “payed for” (atoned), is by the sacrifice of life; for someone to live, something must die. As disgusting as we find blood, so God views sin as a serious wrong. But Hebrews 9:11-18 clearly shows us that the Old Testament blood sacrifices were temporary and only atoned for sin partially and for a short time.
However, God, according to His “…purpose and foreknowledge…” (Acts 2:23) dealt with sin “…once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10) Jesus lived a blameless life, and took upon Himself our guilt and sin. In doing so He took upon Himself God’s full wrath against sin and made future sacrifices unnecessary. This is what Jesus meant by His dying words on the cross, “It is finished.” (John 19:30)
God wanted us to understand the severity of our sin and the cost of what it would take to redeem us (buy us back) from our sinful state.
He wanted us to know that sin’s nature is so depraved that the only way to bring us back to a place of life was for Christ to suffer the most bloody, the most excruciating, the most graphic death we could think of so that we never lose sight of the wonder of the cross. Blood was in the mind of God as the perfect way to display the supreme cost and infinite value of our salvation!
God is not a harsh God who just tells us that this is the punishment and leaves us to it, although as Sovereign Lord, He would be within His rights to do so. But the Bible tells us that, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." (Exodus 34:6-7)
He is merciful and gracious, and this is why He came down to earth in the person of Jesus Christ to pay the penalty that our sin deserves. He didn’t have to do that, but He desired to bring sinners back to him. He offers eternal life to everyone who comes to Jesus to be united to Him and have their sins forgiven.
There is no one who is excluded – the offer is open to all.
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