The No, No’s of sacrifice

Leviticus 17

Before I got my license I always would think how stupid some traffic laws were. I would wonder why you could not go in and out of a carpool line when there is a solid line. I did not know why it was important to not speed. I did not know why I had to wear a seatbelt, I thought they were uncomfortable. It turns out why all these laws were important, and they were made to protect me as a driver as well as to protect others who would be driving around me. There are many laws regarding Israel and even regarding specific details that need to be followed for the offering up of sacrifices.  There are many mentions of sacrifice and blood throughout Leviticus. In this specific chapter we see the consequence and importance of where to offer your sacrifice as well as the consequence and importance of not eating blood. As these laws were made, it was for Israel to understand the seriousness of sin, but also God is holy and sacrifices for the forgiveness of sin could not be done half-hearted. 

Sacrifice wherever I want 

No domestic animal could be killed outside of the tabernacle. In verses 3-7 we see that it was a law that no Israelite or person among the Israelites can kill a sheep, ox, or goat anywhere except the tabernacle. The reason why was that these animals were for sacrifice purposes. They could kill a wild animal but could not just kill a domestic animal because they felt like it. You may be thinking about what if you got hungry? You may be thinking that you were hungry how would you eat some meat. You would have to go to the tabernacle and offer your sheep or goat or ox up as a burnt offering where the priest would kill it in the approved way and then sprinkle the blood. You would receive back flesh to eat from your animal. Remember that the burnt offering was mentioned in chapter 1. If someone disregarded the rule, the result would be being cut off from Israel. A person would be separated and could no longer live among the people. It says in verse 4 that the bloodguilt would be upon that man. He has shed blood so he was guilty of that.   What about if I killed an animal because I was hungry but did not go to the temple for the proper sacrifice, I just offered the sacrifice myself in the field? In verses 8-9 we see that it was banned. There are other places in scripture were we see people offering sacrifices to God outside of the tabernacle (1st Kings 18 on Mt. Carmel). The reason was that it was not to copy or seem to be offered to a false god or demon. Another reason was because God gave specifics, if I did not want to obey the specifics then I was disobeying God.  

What about blood?

If someone ate blood they would face the consequence of being separated from Israel. Blood has a very important theme in Israel’s life. Blood was the life force of someone. When blood was shed, then their life was ending.  In verse 14 that is explained how important blood was not just to sacrifice but what the view of blood for a living creature. In a detailed look, if someone was eating the blood they were despising life, but if they did not eat the blood they would be honoring life. To be more detailed, they were not allowed to drink the blood of an animal or eat of the meat without the blood being properly drained. The main reason for this rule was because the altar was made for the use of blood. It was built for blood to be sprinkled upon and placed upon and to drain upon so that sins could be covered. To make atonement means to pay a ransom. Sin is death which was the price, the blood was to pay for death not to happen upon the person asking for atonement. Since animal blood atones for human sin, it is sacred and man should not consume what is sacred.The issue really was about obedience. Here God stated a law which needed to be obeyed. If you did not take this law seriously then you would bring the consequence upon yourself. Today God desires for us still to obey him, but we are not weighed down with the following of these rules. This is because Jesus died as our ultimate sacrifice and God is pleased with that. We do not have to worry about killing an animal not in the temple or having to even offer up a sacrifice. Amen