Blood That Really Saves Lives - THE ONLY BLOOD THAT IS LIFESAVING

As noted earlier, God told all mankind they must not eat blood. Why? Because blood represents life. (Genesis 9:3-6) He explained this further in the Law code given to Israel. At the time the Law code was ratified, the blood of sanctified animals  was used on an altar.  (Exodus 24:3-8) Laws in that code addressed the fact that all humans are imperfect; they are sinful, as the Bible puts it. God told the Israelites that by means of animal sacrifices offered to him, they could acknowledge the need to have their sins covered. (Leviticus 44:7, 13-18, 22:30)  Granted, that was what God asked of them back then, not what he asks of true worshipers today. Yet it has vital import for us now.

God himself explained the principle underlying those sacrifices:  "The soul [or, life]  of the flesh is in the blood, and I myself put it upon the altar for you to make atonement for your souls, because it is the blood that makes atonement by the soul in it.  That is why I have said to the sons of Israel:  'No soul of you must eat blood.'" - Leviticus 17:11, 12.

On the ancient festival called Atonement Day, Israel's high priest took blood of sacrificed animals into the most sacred part of the temple, the center of God's worship. Doing that was a symbolic way  of asking to cover the people's sins.  (Leviticus 6:3-6, 11-16)  Those sacrifices did not actually do away with all sin, so they had to be repeated each year. Still, this use of blood set a meaningful pattern. 

A major teaching in the Bible would eventually provide one perfect sacrifice that could fully atone for the sins of all believers.  This is called the ransom, and it focuses on the sacrifice of the foretold Messiah, or Christ. 

Next time: Blood That Really Saves Lives - Conclusion of THE ONLY BLOOD THAT IS LIFESAVING

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