Ep 715 – Leviticus 17-18

In chapters 17-18 of Leviticus there is a great deal of emphasis placed on the significance of blood in the sacrificial system. Blood was integral to the whole program, because it was the shed blood of innocent and unblemished animals that made possible atonement. For the Jews, blood was to represent life, not just physical life, but spiritual life. The shedding of blood is what made it possible for sinful men to restore their relationship with a holy God. And God did not want them to take this matter lightly. So, He placed some strong conditions on their attitude toward blood. For one thing, they were not to consume the blood of animals. They were to completely drain the blood from any slaughtered animal before they ate it. This would help ensure that their attitude toward the blood remained pure and holy. As always, God was setting the people of Israel apart from the rest of the nations. He was placing on them restrictions that did not apply to anyone else. All so that they might enjoy their status as His chosen people.