THE BLOOD
By Gerry Pratt
PART I
The life of all flesh is in the blood
Gen. 9:4 - 4“But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its
blood.
Lev. 17:11,14 - 11‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I
have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your
souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’
14“for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life.
Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not eat the
blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever
eats it shall be cut off.’
Lev. 19:26 - 26‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor
shall you practice divination or soothsaying.
Deut 12:23 - 23“Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the
blood is the life; you may not eat the life with the meat.
This goes for animals as well as humans. As obvious as this statement may
seem, many men have overlooked it, to their peril. Leaches were used to bleed
men and women to “health”. Not only did it not aid in making them healthy,
IT KILLED THEM!!! It is said that such notables as George Washington were
bled to death by the use of leaches.
God has ordained that, because the life is in the blood (and this life is
precious to God) we are not to eat (or drink) this blood.
Lev. 17:12 - 12“Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘No one
among you shall eat blood, nor shall any stranger who dwells
among you eat blood.’
Acts 15:20 - 20“but that we write to them to abstain from things
polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled,
and from blood.
Early on in the scriptures we see that God required the shedding of blood
because of and for sin. Even though we may not see a command of God
spelled out that required the shedding of blood as a sacrifice to God for the
sins of men... WE DO SEE THE PRACTICE.
Gen. 4:3-5 - 3And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain
brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4Abel
also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the
Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5but He did not respect
Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his
countenance fell.
Gen. 8:20-21 - 20Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of
every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt
offerings on the altar. 21And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma.
Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the
ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart
is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing
as I have done.
Gen. 31:54 - 54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and
called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed
all night on the mountain.
Gen. 46:1 - 1So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and
came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his
father Isaac.
We see one of the most righteous men of God (Abraham) (Gen. 22:1-13)
offering a blood sacrifice to God.
1Now it came to pass after these things that God tested
Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I
am.” 2Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac,
whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him
there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall
tell you.”
3So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his
donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his
son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and
went to the place of which God had told him. 4Then on the third
day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5And
Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the
lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to
you.” 6So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid
it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife,
and the two of them went together. 7But Isaac spoke to Abraham
his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my
son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is
the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8And Abraham said, “My son,
God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So
the two of them went together.
9Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And
Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and
he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.
10And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to
slay his son. 11But the Angel of the Lord called to him from
heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I
am.” 12And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do
anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you
have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” 13Then
Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a
ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took
the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
This all took place long before God made a covenant with Israel, through
Moses. We see that God was pleased with these offerings to Him and that
these offerings consisted of a BLOOD SACRIFICE.
Now we come to the time of Moses and the nation of Israel. Even before they
won their freedom, God command that blood of lambs be used to insure their
salvation.
Ex. 12:7-23 - 7‘And they shall take some of the blood and put it
on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they
eat it. 8‘Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in
fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat
it. 9‘Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in
fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. 10‘You shall let none
of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning
you shall burn with fire. 11‘And thus you shall eat it: with a belt
on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your
hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.
12‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and
will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and
beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment:
I am the Lord. 13‘Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the
houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass
over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you
when I strike the land of Egypt. 14‘So this day shall be to you a
memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout
your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting
ordinance. 15‘Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On
the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For
whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh
day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16‘On the first day
there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there
shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be
done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may
be prepared by you. 17‘So you shall observe the Feast of
Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your
armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this
day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance.
18‘In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at
evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first
day of the month at evening. 19‘For seven days no leaven shall
be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened,
that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel,
whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. 20‘You shall eat
nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened
bread.’ ”
21Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them,
“Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your
families, and kill the Passover lamb. 22“And you shall take a
bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and
strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in
the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house
until morning. 23“For the Lord will pass through to strike the
Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the
two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow
the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.
Heb. 11:28 - 28By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of
blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
Wherever the blood was not applied (and applied in the way God said to
apply it), God would not spare the life of the first born. We see that the blood
being applied properly, was a life-and-death situation. Later, as the Israelites
journeyed toward the "Promised Land", God called Moses to the top of Mt.
Sinai and gave him a law that the people were to follow. These were the
chosen people of God and God wanted them to be pure from the pollution’s of
the nations round about. To keep them separated from those nations and to
remind the people of the fact that they were God’s chosen nation, God
instituted some ceremonies. The method for dealing with their sins
(disobedience to the laws that God gave them) involved the shedding of the
blood of various animals (sheep, goats, bulls, doves, etc..). This blood was
poured out and sprinkled on EVERYTHING (from the buildings and altars to
the people, themselves
Ex. 24:6-8 - 6And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins,
and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7Then he took the
Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And
they said, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be
obedient.” 8And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the
people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the
Lord has made with you according to all these words.”
Ezek. 43:18,20 - 18And He said to me, “Son of man, thus says the
Lord God: ‘These are the ordinances for the altar on the day
when it is made, for sacrificing burnt offerings on it, and for
sprinkling blood on it. 20‘You shall take some of its blood and
put it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the
ledge, and on the rim around it; thus you shall cleanse it and
make atonement for it.
Lev. 4:5-6,17 - 5‘Then the anointed priest shall take some of the
bull’s blood and bring it to the tabernacle of meeting. 6‘The
priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the
blood seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil of the
sanctuary. 17‘Then the priest shall dip his finger in the blood
and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil.
Ex. 30:10 - 10“And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns
once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once
a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your
generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”
Lev. 4:7,18,25,30 - 7‘And the priest shall put some of the blood on
the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is
in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining
blood of the bull at the base of the altar of the burnt offering,
which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 18‘And he
shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is
before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he
shall pour the remaining blood at the base of the altar of burnt
offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
25‘The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering
with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering,
and pour its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering.
30‘Then the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger,
put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour all the
remaining blood at the base of the altar.
Lev. 5:9 - 9‘Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin
offering on the side of the altar, and the rest of the blood shall be
drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering.
Lev. 9:9 - 9Then the sons of Aaron brought the blood to him.
And he dipped his finger in the blood, put it on the horns of the
altar, and poured the blood at the base of the altar.
Ex. 29:12 - 12“You shall take some of the blood of the bull and put
it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour all the
blood beside the base of the altar.
Lev. 8:15 - 15and Moses killed it. Then he took the blood, and put
some on the horns of the altar all around with his finger, and
purified the altar. And he poured the blood at the base of the
altar, and consecrated it, to make atonement for it.
There are many more passages which say the same thing. Paul says in
Hebrews 9:22, "AND ALMOST ALL THINGS ARE BY THE LAW
PURGED WITH BLOOD..."
All covenants between God and man were sealed by BLOOD.
Gen. 8:20-22 -20Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took
of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt
offerings on the altar. 21And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma.
Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the
ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart
is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing
as I have done.
22 “While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
shall not cease.”
Gen. 12:7-8 - 7Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To
your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an
altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8And he moved
from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent
with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar
to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
Ex. 24:5-8 - 5Then he sent young men of the children of Israel,
who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of
oxen to the Lord. 6And Moses took half the blood and put it in
basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7Then he
took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the
people. And they said, “All that the Lord has said we will do,
and be obedient.” 8And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on
the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which
the Lord has made with you according to all these words.”
Zech. 9:11 - 11 “As for you also,
Because of the blood of your covenant,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
Matt. 26:28 - 28“For this is My blood of the new covenant, which
is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Heb. 9:18-19 - 18Therefore not even the first covenant was
dedicated without blood. 19For when Moses had spoken every
precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood
of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and
sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
Heb. 10:29 - 29Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose,
will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God
underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was
sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
Heb. 13:20 - 20Now may the God of peace who brought up our
Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep,
through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
No covenant between God and man has been sealed without the shedding of
blood!!!
THERE IS NO REMISSION OF SINS WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF
BLOOD!!! NONE! NEVER!!! ABSOLUTELY!!!
Mankind, before the cross, was not FORGIVEN; they only had their sins
ROLLED FORWARD to the anticipation of THE CROSS ( The Perfect
Sacrifice that WOULD TAKE AWAY SINS {Heb.9:6-28}). Now, through the
cross of Jesus Christ, both those of the past covenants with God and those of
us that are of the New Covenant with God are WASHED
CLEAN...REDEEMED...SAVED...JUSTIFIED...By the BLOOD OF "THE
LAMB" (Jesus Christ).
WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD IS NO REMISSION OF SIN.
Was blood shed for the remission of sin? Eph. 1:7 states that we have our
redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ!
7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness
of sins, according to the riches of His grace
Rev. 1:5 states that we have been WASHED FROM OUR SINS, by his blood.
Speaking of the redeemed (saved saints).
5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from
the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who
loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
In Rev. 7:14, the Word of God states that "these are they that have washed
their robes AND MADE THEM WHITE IN THE BLOOD OF THE
LAMB!!!"
When Jesus Christ hung on the cross, a Roman soldier thrust a spear in His
side and blood poured out (John 19:34).
34But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and
immediately blood and water came out
How, when, where...do we contact that REDEEMING BLOOD? For contact
it we must. Without the blood there is no salvation.
Romans 6:3-5 speaks of being buried with Jesus Christ.
3Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into
Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4Therefore we were
buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ
was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we
also should walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been united
together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be
in the likeness of His resurrection,
It is at this moment that we join Him in His death and contact His blood. We
"Obey the Gospel" (II Thess. 1:7-8) in baptism.
7and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord
Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8in
flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God,
and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
We see that an inspired man of God (Ananias) felt that Paul needed to be
baptized so as to "WASH HIS SINS AWAY" by the blood of Jesus Christ.
There are many other passages concerning the obedience of baptism.
I John 5:8 - 8And there are three that bear witness on earth: the
Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
Gal. 3:27 - 27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ
have put on Christ.
Rom. 6:3-8 - 3Or do you not know that as many of us as were
baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
4Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into
death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of
the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5For
if we have been united together in the likeness of His death,
certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the
body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer
be slaves of sin. 7For he who has died has been freed from sin.
8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live
with Him,
I Peter 3:21 - 21There is also an antitype which now saves
us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the
answer of a good conscience toward God), through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Mark 16:16 - 16“He who believes and is baptized will be saved;
but he who does not believe will be condemned.
Acts 2:38-41 - 38Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let
every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. 39“For the promise is to you and to your children, and to
all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
40And with many other words he testified and exhorted them,
saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41Then those
who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about
three thousand souls were added to them.
Matt. 28:19-20 - 19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, 20“teaching them to observe all things
that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even
to the end of the age.” Amen.
Eph. 4:4-6 - 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were
called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one
baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is above all, and
through all, and in you all.
Acts 8:12,36-38 - 12But when they believed Philip as he preached
the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus
Christ, both men and women were baptized36Now as they went
down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said,
“See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
37Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you
may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God.” 38So he commanded the chariot to stand still.
And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and
he baptized him.
Acts 9:18 - 18Immediately there fell from his eyes something like
scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was
baptized.
Acts 10:47-48 - 47“Can anyone forbid water, that these should not
be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
48And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the
Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days
Acts 16:33 - 33And he took them the same hour of the night and
washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were
baptized.
Acts 18:8 - 8Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on
the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians,
hearing, believed and were baptized.
Acts 19:3-5 - 3And he said to them, “Into what then were you
baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4Then Paul said,
“John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to
the people that they should believe on Him who would come
after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” 5When they heard this, they
were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 22:16 - 16‘And now why are you waiting? Arise and be
baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the
Lord.’
Col. 2:12 - 12buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were
raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised
Him from the dead.
John 3:1-7 - 1There was a man of the Pharisees named
Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus by
night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher
come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do
unless God is with him.” 3Jesus answered and said to him,
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4Nicodemus said to Him,
“How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second
time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5Jesus answered,
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and
the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6“That which is
born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is
spirit. 7“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born
again.’
This then is how, when, and where we come into contact with the blood of
Jesus Christ. It is by faith (Rom. 5:9).
9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we
shall be saved from wrath through Him.
We DO NOT SEE BLOOD IN THE BAPTISTERY! This becomes the
operation performed on our hearts, by the power of God (Col. 2:12-13).
12buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised
with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him
from the dead. 13And you, being dead in your trespasses and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with
Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
All of our past sins have been covered by the blood of Jesus Christ and we
now have an answer of a CLEAR CONSCIENCE (I Peter 3:21; Heb. 10:22).
The blood of Jesus Christ washes us from our sins and we can stand before
God...GUILTLESS! All of our PAST SINS HAVE BEEN
COVERED...WASHED AWAY...FORGOTTEN...BY THE BLOOD (Rom.
3:24-25).
24being justified freely by His grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God set forth as a propitiation
by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness,
because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that
were previously committed,
BUT WHAT ABOUT TODAY’S SINS...OR TOMORROW’S...OR EVEN NEXT WEEK’S
SINS? Do we need to be baptized each time we sin? Or perhaps we have been fixed in some
way so that we cannot sin any more. The latter certainly could not be true. Biblical sense
and common sense agree in I John 1:8-10.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our
sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If
we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
We enter into a new and personal covenant with God when we are baptized into Christ.
This covenant is renewed each and every Lord’s Day when we participate in what we call
the Lord’s Supper, or "communion". As all covenants are sealed with blood, so is this one.
Sealed at baptism....renewed around the Lord’s Supper table. The forgiveness of sins
continues as long as we remain under that covenant. Those sins that are committed
between the times of renewal are covered because we are in Christ, and His covenant is still
in effect.
Let us go to one of several accounts of Christ at the Lord’s Supper.
Matthew 26:26-28 - And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it
to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks,
and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. “For this is My blood of the new
covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Do we see a correlation between John 6 and Matthew 26? Jesus does not violate His own
law against drinking blood for it was not PHYSICAL BLOOD...it was SPIRITUAL
BLOOD. We take this all by faith. As you cannot see blood in the baptistery, you won’t see
blood in the cup. It is taken by faith. We contact the blood of Jesus Christ around the Lord’s
Supper table and continually renew the covenant that was put into effect at baptism.
Hear Paul, "The cup we bless, is it not the COMMUNION OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST?
(I Cor. 10:16)
THE BLOOD
Copyright 1998
By Gerry Pratt, Enid, Ok.
“THE BLOOD”, Published By:
PEPCO PUBLISHING CO.
615 N. TYLER ST.
ENID, OK. 73703
All rights reserved. Nor part of this
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Gerry Pratt
615 N. Tyler St.
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(580) 237-3306
bloodboughtchild@juno.com
THE BLOOD
By Gerry Pratt
