“Why All The Blood?”
Leviticus 17:11
Intro: Can I be very honest with you? I’m rot really a generous, giving person. In our marriage that’s Ronda. For me, giving is intentional, I have to think about it. For her, it’s spontaneous, it’s part of her nature, who she is. Often, when we go to visit someone, especially if it’s for a meal, Ronda’s first response is “what can we bring?” If they say, “Nothing, just come” often she still chooses to bring some form of housewarming gift along. Why? Because she wants of offer a gift that shows respect and consideration of the other person.
Recently we had someone over and they brought us a jar of apple butter, and the lid had a beautiful cross-stitch about friends. I won’t say who it was, but if you ask the Reynolds over, you might get one too!
As we’ve read in the book of Leviticus this week, we have seen the idea of offering a gift just to maintain good friendship: but not with your neighbor, but with God. It’s often easy to get “bogged down” in reading Leviticus because we don’t understand all those offerings and what that whole system was all about. But the idea is really a simple one when we step back from looking at all the specific details. Think with me about a cherry cheesecake.
By the way, Jane Reeves made me a wonderful cherry cheesecake the other week for my birthday. It was this huge, beautiful thing. I enjoyed every bite of it. But think if I would get bogged down trying to differentiate between the ingredients: when I use cinnamon in an apple cheesecake or if I use orange rind or extract of lemon. Yes, those details matter to the chef who makes it: but if we focus on the ingredients, often we miss the beauty of the cheesecake. Once we enjoy the cheesecake, we can ask about the ingredients.
Back to Leviticus. It’s easy to lose sight of the focus of the book in thinking about all the tedious details. But as we look at all these offerings, we see they are ways of giving God worship. They were the way that the Jews offered reverence and respect, and they were ways the Jews could show God their love for him, giving him gifts out of the gratitude of their hearts.
Yet, we see most of these offerings had to do with killing animals, shedding the blood and scattering the blood. We live in a society that doesn’t see much blood in relation to our food. We see lot’s of blood on TV in association with “FUN???” But we open up the wrapper of our hamburgers and there is an overcooked patty with no resemblance of blood in it. Sometimes we wonder whether it’s meat or cardboard. So, why all this focus on blood in the book of Leviticus???
The answer if found in Leviticus 17:11. One of the key verses in Leviticus.
For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.
I. The Blood is a reminder that we are sinful.
Animal sacrifices were used as a way to cover the sin of the people. The sacrificial system was necessary because the nation of Israel was filled with millions of sinful people. Think about it: they pass through the Red Sea, parted by the power of God, and the people say, it would be better for us to be back in Egypt. The elders go up to the mountain and see God, and they come right back down and tell Aaron to make them an idol to worship.
And let me be quick to say, that we are no better than our forefathers. We are a sinful people as well who need the cleansing and forgiveness of God.
*God demands holy followers. Our memory verse for last week, Lev. 19:2 - Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” This reminds us that God wants followers who will be like him.
**By the way, I hope you will look in your bulletins each week for the memory verse and try to commit it to memory. This week’s is a blessing. If you want to bless people, here is the way to do it.
Numbers 6 - The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face towards you and give you peace."
The blood sacrifices were a reminder to the people that they were sinful and God wanted them to be holy as he is. That was the reason in the middle of Leviticus we find all the laws of cleanness and purification, all the dietary restrictions -- to remind us that God is holy. Yes, there were also health and hygiene issues involved whereby God was protecting the Israelites, but it also showed the need to be pure. The Israelites purified themselves through the sacrificial system. The blood was a reminder to the people of their sinfulness.
II. The Blood is a reminder that sin is costly
From the beginning in the Garden of Eden with the first sin of Adam & Eve, we see God clothing their nakedness with the skins of animals. Animals gave their live to provide the clothing for Adam and Eve. **As we look in Leviticus to these sacrifices, we see that it cost the Israelites something whenever they sinned. If you had a problem, let’s say with a quick temper, each time you blew up at someone you would end up paying for it with a sheep. Think if here in the church we collected fines. Everyone showed up on Sunday morning and paid set fines: $50 for each time you cussed, $75 times for each time you lusted, $100 for each time you acted proudly: it would probably do a great deal to help us overcome our struggles.
I have a friend in Pennsylvania who came to me for help with drinking. Twice she gave me a check for $500. I said if she could go the month without drinking I would give it back to her. She knew I would cash it if she failed. It cost her something!
Sin is very costly in our lives. It brings great damage to us personally. It separates us from the love and fellowship of our God. And it cost the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.
III. The Blood is a reminder that Salvation comes through Jesus Christ.
Heb. 9 tells us, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. The blood of Christ was necessary for our salvation. As we read on in chapter 9, we see it tells us:
Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Concl: Why all the blood? To teach us to love our God, who reconciles us to himself. He shows us his love reminding us of our sinfulness, his holiness, and his salvation.
