UNROLL
Dusk at the edge of the camp: a few sheep grazing in the foreground, the long white linen wall of the tabernacle court low across the land with its colored gate, a thin column of smoke rising straight up behind it.

The Book of

Leviticus 17

One altar, one way to God, and the reason every sacrifice was made: life for life.

16 verses≈ 4 minBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

Tap any post to go deeper

Where we are

  1. 1–7The offeringsHow sinners draw near
  2. 8–10The priestsOrdained, and a warning
  3. 11–15Clean and uncleanLife before a holy God
  4. 16The Day of AtonementSins carried away
  5. 17–27A holy peopleBe holy, for I am holyChapter 17

The Place of Sacrifice

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites and tell them this is what the LORD has commanded:

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

‘Anyone from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox, a lamb, or a goat in the camp or outside of it instead of bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to present it as an offering to the LORD before His tabernacle—that man shall incur bloodguilt. He has shed blood and must be cut off from among his people.

God

Tell them that if anyone from the house of Israel or any foreigner living among them offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice but does not bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to sacrifice it to the LORD, that man must be cut off from his people.

Reflect

Brought to the entrance

Israel had been offering sacrifices “in the open fields,” some of them to the goat idols of the desert. God called every offering back to one place: “the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.” Worship was not to be scattered. Is there something you give your time, hope or devotion to somewhere other than to God? Write it down, and bring it to Him. Then pray: Lord, let all my worship come to You, by the one way You have given.

Laws against Eating Blood

Close on one bronze horn at the corner of the altar at dusk, a thin smoke rising straight past it into a deep, clear sky, the court's linen wall dim and low behind.

If anyone from the house of Israel or a foreigner living among them eats any blood, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.

0:19

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Therefore I say to the Israelites, ‘None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner living among you eat blood.’

At dusk on a stony desert slope, a hunter in a plain wool tunic, seen from behind and to the side, kneels and pushes dry earth with both hands over a patch of ground, his bow and quiver laid beside him.

The law

Blood and what dies

  1. Hunting

    Game: drain the blood, cover it

    And if any Israelite or foreigner living among them hunts down a wild animal or bird that may be eaten, he must drain its blood and cover it with dirt.

  2. Never eat blood: its life is in it

    For the life of all flesh is its blood. Therefore I have told the Israelites, ‘You must not eat the blood of any living thing, because the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it must be cut off.’

  3. Cleanness

    Found dead or mauled: wash

    And any person, whether native or foreigner, who eats anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening; then he will be clean.

  4. Unwashed: he bears his iniquity

    But if he does not wash his clothes and bathe himself, then he shall bear his iniquity.”

for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul

Leviticus 17:11

Evening beside a goat-hair tent: a wool tunic soaking in a wide clay basin of water, a water skin and a clay jar beside it, the low sun gold on the water.

Why the blood?

Life is in thebloodLeviticus 17:11Given on thealtarGod’s gift, to makeatonementA life for alifea hand on its head(1:4)Christ’s ownbloodonce for all (Hebrews9:12)Cleanses fromall sin1 John 1:7

Whiteboard

Why was blood so holy? Because “the life of the flesh is in the blood,” and God said, “I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar.” An animal’s life was given in place of the sinner’s. Hebrews says those sacrifices pointed ahead: Christ entered the Most Holy Place by His own blood, once for all, and His blood cleanses us from all sin.

Question

Quick question

Hunter or worshiper, native or foreigner, the rule was the same for everyone.

Why were the Israelites never to eat blood?

You’ve experienced

Leviticus 17

0 of 27 chapters read

A verse to carry with you

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.

Leviticus 17:11

or swipe left