In what ways does Leviticus 17:12 reflect God's covenant with His people? “Therefore I say to the Israelites, ‘None of you may eat blood, and no foreigner who sojourns among you may eat blood.’ ” Setting the Scene: Life-Blood and Covenant • Verse 11 has just declared, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood… it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” • God immediately forbids Israel—and any resident alien—from consuming blood. • This command flows out of covenant relationship: God provides atonement through sacrificial blood; His people reverence that life-blood by refusing to ingest it. Ways the Verse Reflects God’s Covenant with His People 1. Devotion to God’s Ownership of Life – Blood represents life, which belongs to Him alone (Genesis 9:4). – By abstaining, Israel confesses, “Our lives are Yours; we will not take what is holy for common use.” 2. Protection of the Atonement System – Only sacrificial blood at the altar secures atonement (Leviticus 17:11). – Eating blood would cheapen that atoning act; the covenant keeps sacred things sacred. 3. Distinction from the Nations – Pagan cultures used blood in magical rites and meals. – The prohibition marks Israel as a holy people (Exodus 19:5-6), living under God’s covenant standards. 4. Inclusiveness under One Law – “No foreigner who sojourns among you may eat blood.” – Even outsiders dwelling with Israel must honor the same covenant expectations, hinting at God’s wider redemption plan (Isaiah 56:6-7). 5. Continuity with Earlier Covenant Promises – Echoes God’s post-Flood command to Noah (Genesis 9:4-5), showing the unity of His moral order from Noah to Moses. – Reinforces the unbroken storyline of life-blood reverence across covenants. 6. Foreshadowing the Ultimate Covenant in Christ – Animal blood prefigured the “blood of the covenant” poured out by Jesus (Matthew 26:28). – Hebrews 9:12 links the Mosaic pattern to Christ’s once-for-all atonement: “He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood.” – The command to abstain from blood kept Israel looking ahead to the perfect sacrifice whose blood would truly cleanse. Supporting Texts That Echo the Theme • Exodus 24:8 — Moses sprinkles blood and says, “This is the blood of the covenant.” • Deuteronomy 12:23 — “Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life.” • Acts 15:20 — The Jerusalem council upholds the same prohibition among Gentile believers, underscoring its covenant significance even in the church’s early days. Practical Takeaways • God’s covenant binds heart and practice; obedience in seemingly small matters (like diet) proclaims deep truths about His holiness and our redemption. • The reverence Israel showed for animal blood calls believers today to honor the far greater blood of Christ, living lives set apart in gratitude (1 Peter 1:18-19). |
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