The Power of the Blood - Part Two

 

The Power of the Blood – Part Two

 

In Part One of this discussion on “The Power of the Blood”, I simply quoted the two chapters of our Bible that I felt provided special insight into the topic. From the Old Testament I chose Leviticus Chapter 17.  From the New Testament I chose Hebrews Chapter Nine. In this follow-up piece, I’d like to expand on the concepts found in those chapters.

Of the verses in Leviticus Chapter 17, I feel that the most significant ones for us today are Verses 11 and 14, which read respectively:

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”

“For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof:…”

 

The fact that “the life of the flesh is in the blood” is cited twice in the Scripture for emphasis as inspired by the Holy Spirit.  I’ve underlined it for additional emphasis, and I’d like to offer two reasons why blood is so critical.

Regarding humans, remember the creation of man. The essence of man is our eternal soul / spirit. That essence was infused first into this temporary, inert body when the LORD God breathed into the nostrils of man the breath of life and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2: 7)  Just as oxygen is inhaled through the nostrils into the lungs and then absorbed into the blood, I contend that is the same mechanism through which the soul / spirit enters the blood. Without oxygen and other vital nutrients the body will die.  Without the soul / spirit, man’s body was already without life. When the human body “dies”, the soul / spirit departs and returns to the God who gave it life.

Because man’s soul / spirit has been tainted from having inherited the sin-nature from Adam, so has the blood been made impure / contaminated from God’s perspective.  This Scripture is telling us that God requires that sinful flesh be cleansed by the elimination of the offending blood.  When we were saved, we became “new creations / creatures”. (2 Corinthians 5: 17) Our soul / spirit became “housed” in Christ Jesus.  As He is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4: 14-17) He has already shed His blood to atone for our sins. Further, His new, glorious body is made of flesh and bone…with no blood!  After we leave these earthen bodies, in our resurrected form we also will have a new body fashioned after His glorious body made of flesh and bone…with no blood!  (Philippians 3: 20-21)

Now when you return to the Scriptures above in Leviticus Chapter 17, note that the reference is to the blood being the “life of all flesh”, not just that of mankind. Science tells us that several other species of animals have blood, among which are vertebrates (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish), among others. The life of these creatures is also in the blood…but none has a soul / spirit as man does. So why did God command the people of Israel: “Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh…”?  I have a theory based on other Scripture references.

Remember that when Adam sinned against God he lost dominion over the earth and its creatures.  That dominion was “over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” (Genesis 1: 26) …and includes all creatures of flesh whose life is in the blood. Remember also that it was Lucifer / Satan who gained that dominion when Adam lost it. That Enemy of God and man became the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4: 4) and “prince of the power of the air”. (Ephesians 2: 2) As such he has contaminated the blood of all these creatures and their environments, making their blood ineligible to serve as “an atonement for the soul.” (Leviticus 17: 11)

Stop to consider why the people of Israel had to continually sacrifice animals by shedding the animal’s blood to “atone” for the sins of the people.  God gave the Nation of Israel this means to “cover” their sins on a regular basis, including the annual observance of their Highest Holy Days (Yom Kippur). It wasn’t just the shedding of any blood that would accomplish atonement in the eyes of God.  We have since learned that “True Atonement” could only be achieved through the shedding of the sinless, uncontaminated blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. [See the Book of Hebrews Chapter Nine.] When we as Christians share our Communion with Him, and we drink the wine as He did with His Disciples, by faith we understand that the wine represents the blood He shed for the remission of our sins. (Matthew 26: 27-28; 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26)

The power of the blood of our Lord Jesus was so great, that it not only made atonement for the sins of those who believe in Him, but amazingly for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2: 1-2)  When God considers the tremendous pain and suffering endured by His Beloved Son on the way to, and on the Cross on our behalf, to save us from the penalty of death…and having offered mankind the option to simply believe in Christ and what He has done to enable us to receive eternal life…how can anyone seriously blame Him for their poor choices or outcome?  (John 3:16)(1 Corinthians 15: 1-4; Romans 10: 9-13)  Whether or not we receive the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and eternal life is up to each of us. (Romans 3: 22-26)

Dr. W. A. (Bill) Robinson