Leviticus

Leviticus 17: The life is in the blood

Begin in prayer

Before you read Leviticus 17, where God commands Israel to bring every sacrifice to the Tent door and declares that the blood makes atonement for the soul, bow your heads. Ask the Lord to show us the precious blood of Jesus.

He was taken away by oppression and judgment; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living and stricken for the disobedience of my people?

Isaiah 53:8

Father in heaven, please open our eyes as we read Your Word. Show us why You gave the blood on the altar to make atonement for souls, and lead us to trust in the lifeblood Jesus shed on the cross. Make us more like Jesus. And please bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.

See where we're going

In Leviticus 17 the LORD commands Moses to speak to Aaron, his sons, and all Israel. Any Israelite who kills a bull, lamb or goat must bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting as an offering. Otherwise blood is imputed to that man, and he is cut off from his people. This stops Israel from sacrificing in the open field to goat idols, and binds foreigners among them too. Next, the LORD forbids eating any blood, because the life is in the blood, given on the altar to make atonement for their souls. Even a hunter must pour out the blood of an animal or bird and cover it with dust. Finally, anyone who eats what dies of itself or is torn by animals must wash and bathe.

As you read Leviticus 17, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

God appoints one place of sacrifice and gives the lifeblood on the altar to make atonement.

In Leviticus 17, the LORD guards two great truths about worship and salvation. First, no Israelite or foreigner could offer sacrifices in the open field or to “the goat idols” (verses 5, 7 and 8). Every sacrifice had to come “to the door of the Tent of Meeting,” or that man would be “cut off” (verses 4 and 9). God alone decides where and how sinners may draw near to Him. Second, God forbade eating blood, and even a hunter had to pour out the blood and cover it with dust (verses 10 to 13). In verse 11 God says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood.” And He adds, “I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls” (verse 11). Because the sinner's life was forfeit, a life had to be given for a life. Animal blood was a ceremonial shadow, and God gave His Son's blood as the ransom for sinners (1 Timothy 2 verse 6).

How does Leviticus 17 show us that God appoints one place of sacrifice and gives the lifeblood on the altar to make atonement?

Every sacrifice must come to the Tent door, and never to goat idols.

Anyone who killed an animal away from the Tent door had blood imputed to him and was “cut off” (verse 4). Instead of sacrificing in the open field or to “the goat idols,” Israel came to the LORD's altar (verses 5 to 9). People may never invent their own altar or their own way to God. There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2 verse 5).

God gives the blood on the altar to make atonement for the soul.

God warned that He would set His face against anyone who ate blood, whether native-born or foreigner (verses 10 and 12). In verse 11 God says, “I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls.” Atonement means a life given in the place of a guilty life, and God Himself gave the blood on the altar. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness, and Jesus gave His own lifeblood on the cross (Hebrews 9 verse 22).

Hunters must cover blood with dust, and eating a dead carcass requires washing.

When someone hunted an animal or bird, he had to “pour out its blood, and cover it with dust” (verse 13). Even in the woods, Israel had to treat blood as sacred because “the life of all flesh is its blood” (verse 14). Anyone who ate what died of itself or was torn had to wash, bathe, or “bear his iniquity” (verses 15 and 16). God taught Israel never to treat life, death, or the blood of atonement as common.

Memorise

For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls

Leviticus 17:11

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, am I trusting the lifeblood of Jesus that God gave for sinners?

In Leviticus 17, every sacrifice had to be brought to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and no one was allowed to eat blood. In verse 11 God says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood.” And He adds, “I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls.”

Look closely at who provides the atonement. The worshipper did not invent the ransom, for God Himself says, “I have given it to you on the altar.” Because our sins against a holy God deserve death, our own works can never save our souls. Only a sinless life given in our place could pay our debt, and the blood of bulls and goats could only picture that gift. In the fulness of time, God gave His own beloved Son. On the cross, Jesus poured out His lifeblood and was cut off in His people's place. He rose from the dead on the third day, and His one sacrifice is enough forever.

Do not build your own altar of good deeds or look to any other idol. Turn from your sin today and put your trust in Jesus Christ alone. Everyone who trusts in His blood is forgiven and given eternal life.

Parent's note

Tell your children that our souls need a life given for our life, and God gave Jesus' blood on the cross. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God for giving the lifeblood of His Son on the cross as the one ransom for sinners, and bring the heart question to Him. Every child can pray, so let each one say a short prayer if they want to.

who gave himself as a ransom for all; the testimony in its own times;

1 Timothy 2:6

Heavenly Father, thank You for teaching us that the life of the flesh is in the blood, and that You Yourself gave the blood on the altar for atonement. Thank You most of all for giving Your Son Jesus to pour out His lifeblood as a ransom for sinners. Please forgive our sins through faith in His blood, and keep us faithful to You this week. Amen.