There is some fascination with blood across different cultures, and even in ancient pagan worship. But for the people of God, we must have the right view of blood, seeing that a life has been shed for atonement. The Lord has instituted that we are not to eat blood. This was instituted in the time of Noah (Gen 9:4) and the time of Moses, and was reinforced in the New Testament.

1. The seriousness of the prohibition (Lev 17:10-11)

The prohibition in Leviticus 17:10 applies to “whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you” and “any manner of blood.” When God says, “I will even set my face against that soul,” it describes His serious displeasure, such that He will “cut him off from among his people.” Leviticus 17:11 explains why: “the life of the flesh is in the blood,” and “it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” This teaches us the truth of substitutionary atonement. The Old Testament sacrifices prefigured the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins. To disregard the significance of blood is to despise what the Lord has ordained for our salvation.

2. The sacredness of life (Lev 17:12-13)

Life is sacred and belongs to God alone. For animals that were hunted for food, their blood must be poured out and “covered … with dust” (Lev 17:13). We are not to eat blood because “it is for the life thereof” (Lev 17:14). Even in their daily consumption of meat, the children of Israel must remember that blood is for atonement. Their spiritual and physical lives are intertwined. If we are reconciled through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, every aspect of our lives must be lived in the reality of that atonement.

3. The high view of obedience (Lev 17:14-16)

The seriousness of disobedience is clear: “Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh … whosoever eateth it shall be cut off” (Lev 17:14). And one who ate an animal that “died of itself” (Lev 17:15) would “be unclean until the even.” By his disobedience, such a person shows his disdain for the atonement, and thus fail to live a holy life. A believer who does not live a holy life will not be a good testimony for God. We must therefore view seriously the blood that makes atonement, and live in obedience to God’s prohibition concerning the eating of blood.

Blood is sacred because life is in it. Let us not treat it lightly, but live in the reality of the atonement purchased for us by the precious blood of Christ.