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The Life Is in the Blood

5 Mins read

The Blood Is to Be Deemed Sacred, the Blood Is Life, the Blood Is for Atonement, and the Blood Is to Be Poured Out

The life is in the blood. What a thought provoking statement. Have you thought much about the fact that the life is in the blood – and the implications that flow from it? The Bible has much to say about the blood, and the Christian would be wise to see what the Bible has to say.

In Genesis chapter 6, a man by the name of Noah is introduced to the reader. As the story goes, Noah and his family enter into an ark that Noah made prior to a flood from God wiping out the rest of the human race. More could be said about the story, but we must move ahead quickly. When the rain ceases and the flood waters subside, Noah is allowed to exit the ark and set foot on dry land. Shortly after he does so, Noah makes an offering unto the Lord, and the Lord blesses Noah.

As God is blessing Noah, God shares with Noah a truth that is of infinite value to the Christian today. Scripture says, “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat” (Gen. 9:3-4) . Here, we see that God declares that the blood is the life; thus, the blood equals life.

Let’s take a look at this matter in greater detail.

The blood is sacred

God does not stop declaring the news about the life-giving blood after He conveys His message to Noah. The next time that we read a similar statement is in the book of Leviticus. Scripture says, “It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood” (Lev. 3:17) . When God declared that man must not eat blood, He also declared that this would be a perpetual statute. This means that the command was meant to be ongoing. It was meant to never cease. God had determined that the blood was to be deemed as sacred and that man must recognize this reality.

Moreover, a little later in the book of Leviticus, we read this: “Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people” (Lev. 7:27) . The blood is sacred. Not only was man commanded not to eat blood (thus sanctifying the blood), we also see that if he did eat the blood, he would incur judgment.

But the question still must be, “Why must there be such a concern about the blood?”

The blood is life

As we continue to seek out an understanding of our topic, we arrive at Leviticus 17:10-14. In verse 10, we read a similar message. We read of the way in which the man who eats of the blood will incur judgment upon himself. We also read of the way in which God will set His face against the man who eats the blood, and the man who engages in such an act will be cut off from his people. After verse 10, we read, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood…” (Lev. 17:11). We will get into the rest of the Scripture shortly. For now, take note of the fact that the life is in the blood. We saw this statement given to Noah, and here we read about it again.

The blood is what gives life to the flesh. The flesh cannot live without the blood. It is right and proper to equate life with blood, for if someone loses too much blood, he will also lose his life. Blood and life are inseparable; they cannot be disconnected, for they are too closely associated. In reality, they may be two terms that, given the proper context, could be used interchangeably. For instance, Scripture tells us, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission” (Heb. 9:22) . Here, we see a verse that is about more than simply blood that is shed. The shed blood equates with the life of the sacrifice.

The blood is for atonement

But there is more to be said about the matter. Scripture says, “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 maketh an atonement for the soul” (Lev. 17:11) . Not only was the blood to be deemed sacred, not only were the people not to eat of the blood because the life was in the blood, but the blood was not to be eaten because the blood was to be used for atonement.

God has given a specific purpose for the blood. The blood was not to be looked upon haphazardly. The blood was not to be approached in a state of irreverence. The blood was to be looked upon through the eyes of atonement. When people saw the blood, they were not to think of food. Instead, when the people saw the blood, they were to think of life and sacrifice. They were to think of their sin and the wonderful provision that God had given them in the blood to be forgiven for their sin.

The blood was not meant to point them to their stomach, which is often an element that is attached to the flesh and sin. The blood was meant to point them to Christ, the One Who would come and shed His blood for the remission of sin. Christ was to come and be the One Who would make atonement for the people through the shedding of His blood. Jesus has said, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:28) . The blood was to be sanctified, sacred, seen as life-giving, and used to make atonement.

The blood is to be poured out

Not only that, but the blood was to be poured out. Leviticus 17:13 tells us God’s command for the blood to be poured out. When someone went hunting and killed an animal, God told the people, “… he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust” .

The Greek word that is used for shed in Matthew 26:28 is ekchuno, which literally means to pour or to pour forth. Other meanings of the Greek word consist of shedding and running greedily out. The point is clear: the blood was meant to be poured forth through the saving work of Christ. Thus, the blood was to be deemed sacred and recognized as such.

Conclusion

When God said what He did to Noah in Genesis 9:4, God was primarily concerned with the work of Christ and what His blood was to convey to humanity. In the event that the people were to make a mockery of the blood or to view the blood like anything else, this would have created an irreverent people who would have made associations with the blood of Christ in unbiblical ways.

God knew that the life was in the blood, and what deep implications this statement holds. The life of the Christian is truly bound up in the life and the blood of Christ. Christ gave His life so that the Christian could have and experience life. Christ shed His blood and poured it out for many so that the many could be atoned for.

If you have never received Christ and embraced Him as Lord and Savior, please do so today. The blood is only affective for those who turn to Him in faith and repentance.

Final prayer

Father, I thank You for the blood of Jesus. I thank You for the sacred blood of Christ. I thank You for the life-giving blood of Christ. I thank You for the atoning blood of Christ, and I thank You for the blood of Christ that was poured out for me. Teach me to appreciate all that You have done. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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