Leviticus 17

God, in the Law of Moses, prepared His people for the day when there would be a permanent location for sacrifices. While they traveled through the wilderness, the mobility of the tabernacle was an essential feature of His worship house. But one day Israel would live in the land that God had promised to give to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob forever. Then the Lord would designate a permanent location for sacrifice.

At least at this stage in the history of God's workings with His people, the place of sacrifice was always on the move. Yet the tent of meeting was still the only place to sacrifice. The Israelites were not permitted to kill an ox, a lamb, or a goat without considering first their relationship to the Lord and obeying the laws of sacrifice that He had revealed to them through Moses. If someone killed one of these animals, whether in the camp or outside the camp, and did not bring that animal to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it as a gift to the Lord, that person committed a capital offense. Such a person brought “bloodguilt” on his head.

This was a very serious violation of the Law of God. The person who did it would be cut off from the people of Israel. Why would God have concerned Himself with this? Why were the people of Israel bound to a central sanctuary by His statutes?

God knew that the freedom they might have desired would have tempted the Israelites to kill meat out in their fields, and to follow their own former practices or the ceremonies of other peoples. It would be tempting to slip into these prohibited ways, making sacrifices to demons associated in the minds of pagan peoples with the animals they were killing.

The earth and all the creatures dwelling upon it belonged to the Lord. If the people of God wanted to eat meat, they could bring it to the Lord. If they would stay close to Him, He would show them the way to make best use of all His good gifts and to continue to love Him. But would they love Him more than anything they might crave?

When the resurrected Jesus spoke to Peter after Christ had directed Him toward a great catch of fish, He said, “Peter, do you love me more than these?” Did Israel love the Giver of bulls, sheep, and goats more than the meat that they ate? Did they understand that God had provided a way for them to remember Him and to provide for His priests while still satisfying their holy desires for celebration?

They could eat these good gifts as peace offerings. Then the Lord would have His portion, the priest would have what belonged to him, and the worshiper would have the rest for his family and for those celebrating the goodness of the Lord with them. But covetous men might prefer to deny their connection to God, to the Lord's priests, and to the system of offerings that spoke about peace between God and Israel. Idolatrous men might seek to sacrifice their meat to idols like other people did who worshiped the gods of the nations.

The Lord's way was better. The meat should be brought to the tent of meeting. Then the priest could throw the blood of the sacrifice on the Lord's altar and burn the fat portions for “a pleasing aroma to the Lord.” To ignore this way of communal life for the people of Jacob was a rejection of God. For those who would be counted as Israel, and for those who would sojourn among them, this was the Lord's command. Burnt offering and sacrifice were to be brought before the Lord, and only before Him. The person who violated this rule would be cut off from the congregation.

To eat meat according to the Lord's rule was a good guard against following practices that would be offensive to God. In particular, God had indicated that the eating of blood would not be allowed among His people. Others might consider such a regulation inconvenient or unnecessary. But the Lord was preparing His beloved flock for the One who would say, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

When He came to die for our sins, He would institute a new ceremonial meal. That meal would help them to see that His life and death was their salvation. He would say to His disciples, “this is my body,” and “this is the cup of the New Covenant in My blood.” The drinking of that cup would be a proclamation of the life and death of Jesus for us.

Until He gave His body and blood, it was good for the people of the Lord to be careful about the blood of the sacrifice, and to abstain from eating the blood of animals. That way of life was so much a part of the customs of the Jews, that even after other eating regulations had been set aside, Christians agreed that Gentile converts should abstain from blood in order to avoid giving unnecessary offense to Jews.

Jesus said, “Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you have no life in you.” Many were offended. To eat blood was as offensive as eating a creature that died of itself or was torn by beasts. It was a violation of decency.

But now we drink the cup of the fruit of the vine, and consider the life and death of Jesus for us, and we celebrate what He has accomplished for us as the greatest of all blessings. That sacramental bread that stands for his body is food for our spiritual life. That taste of the fruit of the vine which symbolizes his blood has become for us a cup of blessing.