NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." (Leviticus 17:11)

I have a confession to make.  I don't like to see the sight of blood.  I'm a little squirmy.  Despite the fact that I have blood circulating through my body, I don't get comfortable seeing it.  Yet I learned long ago that blood is critical for my life.

I have another confession to make.  The book of Leviticus is not one of my favorite books of the Bible.  However, it is just as inspired as the Gospel of John.  Our text, from Leviticus, refers to the value of blood.  Think about it.  If you were in an accident, it doesn't matter how much money you have or how much education you have received.  If you need a blood transfusion, nothing but blood would do.  If no blood was available for the transfusion, you may die. 

The Bible has much to say about blood.  From our text, let's consider three things about blood.

1.         THE SUBSTANCE OF BLOOD

First of all, I want you to consider the substance of blood.  Our text states, "the life of the flesh is in the blood."  Isn't it interesting that God reveals a scientific fact in His Word?  Yet man has taken a long time to agree with God.  Because there is life in the blood, we know a couple of things.

First of all, we know the necessity of blood.  Blood is necessary for a person to live.  Many people have died in combat and accidents because they have bled to death.  There is life in the blood.  Blood provides oxygen to the brain.  Blood helps with pigmentation.  Blood brings nutrients to various branches of our bodies.  There is life in the blood.  Without blood, our bodies cannot continue to live.  Because of this, Israel was commanded not to eat blood.  When I eat a steak, I want my steak prepared "well done."  Why?  I don't want to see blood in my plate.  There is life in the blood.

Secondly, consider the nature of blood.  Why is it that the doctor draws blood from a patient?  The answer is simple:  blood reveals things about the patient's health condition.  By examining blood, a doctor can learn much about your heart.  In fact, he can have good reason to know whether you've had a heart attack or not, simply from a blood test.  Blood can be examined to determine some types of cancer.  Blood can be checked to verify the levels of cholesterol in your arteries.  Blood can be used to verify if a person has alcohol or drugs in his system.  There's much that can be learned by examining a person's blood.  Why?  There is life in the blood.

2.         THE SACRIFICE OF BLOOD

Next, consider the sacrifice of blood.  Our text states, "I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls."

One of the reasons that the book of Leviticus is difficult to read is because it is the worship book for Israel.  There are so many sacrifices that are graphically described and commanded to Israel in this book.  To some, the book of Leviticus is a gory book.  So much harm is done to animals.  Cruelly, animals are killed and their blood is used in worship.  For a few, God seems to be an animal-hating tyrant. 

But it brings up an interesting question:  why does God require such sacrifices?  Why did God command Israel to cruelly kill innocent animals?  The answer to those questions is found in the nature of sin.  Sin is so awful that blood must be shed.   We tend to underestimate the nature of sin.  We've belittled sin.  We called sin a choice.  At worst, we consider sin to be a weakness or glitch.  However, God hates sin.  He views sin as a hideous crime.  He sees sin as a rebellious act against His authority.  He knows sin to be a personal attack against righteousness.   That's why the Bible says, "The wages of sin is death."

Sin came into the world when Adam & Eve ate of the forbidden fruit.  They attempted to cover their sin by putting fig leaves together.  When God confronted them about their sin, He covered their nakedness with the skins of animals.  You see, blood had to be shed to cover their sin.  It was a sacrifice of blood.

Think about Abraham.  God tested the faith of Abraham by instructing him to offer his son as a sacrifice.  On the way to the place appointed, Isaac asked his father, "Here is wood and the fire, but where is the sacrifice?"  Abraham answered in a prophetic tone, "God will provide himself a lamb." Abraham took his son and drew his knife to kill his son when he was interrupted and told to stop.  Did Abraham leave without offering a sacrifice?  No.  He saw a ram in the thicket and offered that ram as a sacrifice.   It was a sacrifice of blood.

Our text states, "... the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls."  These words were spoken to the children of Israel.  They were in the wilderness on a journey to the Promised Land.  They had left Egypt and its bondage.  How did they leave Egypt?  Moses was commanded to go to Egypt to bring the Israelites out.  Despite the plagues and miracles, Pharoah refused to let the children of Israel go.  Finally, God made the pronouncement that He would slay the firstborn of Egypt.  He instructed each of the Jews to take a lamb without spot & without blemish and take the blood of that lamb and put it over the door posts of their homes and when the angel of death came through Egypt, it would pass over each house that had the blood of the lamb over the door.  That's why the Jews were later commanded to remember the Passover.   Death passed over every house that had the blood of the lamb.  Lambs sacrificed their blood for the freedom of the Jews.

The Jews were command to take the blood of a lamb, without spot and without blemish.  Now fast forward a few hundred years.  John the Baptist stood on the banks of Jordan when he saw Jesus approaching.  He proclaimed, "Behold, the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world."  Jesus is the Lamb without spot and without blemish.  He came to die for sinners.  Yet His death had to be on a cross.  The Scripture states, "Cursed is he that hangeth on a tree."  As a sacrifice for us, his blood had to be shed.  The writer of Hebrews wrote, "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission (of sin)." 

Sin is so horrible that blood must be shed.  Thank God that we no longer have to offer the sacrifices required in the book of Leviticus because Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, came and died once and for all for those who would believe.   No longer is it required for a priest to go into the holy of holies to offer a sacrifice.  When Jesus died upon the cross, the Great High Priest, after the order of Melchesedek offered the sacrifice of blood, the blood of the Lamb.  Jesus was that priest and He was that Lamb. 

Now, every time we have communion, we have elements that we partake of.  The bread symbolizes the body of our Lord and the cup symbolizes the blood of our Lord.  His sacrifice was a sacrifice of blood. 

           

3.         THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BLOOD

Finally, let's consider the significance of blood.  So far, we've thought about the doctrine of the blood, but now we come to a point of application.

You see, without the blood of Jesus, all of us stand guilty before God and worthy of death.  The only way a person can escape the wrath to come is to have his sins covered.  Sin cannot be covered by fig leaves, like Adam & Eve tried to do.  Sin cannot be done away by hiding, as Adam attempted to do when God came calling.  Furthermore religious activity or self-improvement cannot cover sin.  That's what the Jews boasted in.  The blood of the Lamb must cover our sin.  Paul wrote, " Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 

The devil can't stand to see the sight of blood --- the blood of the Lord Jesus.  It is through that blood that we are converted.  It is through that blood that we are cleansed.  It is through that blood that we are covered.  It is through that blood that we are consecrated.   The writer of Hebrews wrote, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh."

Our text states, "... it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."  The word atone means to reconcile.  In other words, the blood brings man back to God.  The Jews repented and fasted on the Day of Atonement.  But now, through Christ, those who come to Him in repentance and faith find atonement through the blood of Jesus. 

When it comes to the blood, justice demands it.  Many make the mistake of thinking that God is forgiving, thus they'll be okay on judgment day.  Here's the problem with that logic.  God's mercy cannot violate His justice.  Justice requires that sinners pay the cost for their sinful crimes.  Thank God that, through Jesus, the justice of God is satisfied.  When He died upon the cross, He endured the wrath for our sins. 

Not only does justice demand a blood sacrifice, salvation requires it.  The blood of Jesus now must cover your sins.  There is no other sacrifice available for your sins.  If the blood of Jesus is not covering your sins --- if His blood has not paid for your sins --- guess who will be required to pay for your sins?  YOU!

"There is a fountain, filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel's veins. 

And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains."

"What can wash away my sins?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus. 

What can make me whole again?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus."

It is only through the blood of Jesus that you can have eternal life.  There is life in His blood. 

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?