Leviticus 17
God centralises all sacrifices at the tabernacle to prevent idolatrous worship at other locations. The chapter strictly prohibits eating blood, explaining that the life of the creature is in the blood and it is given for atonement on the altar. Any animal killed for food must be properly drained of blood.
LeviticusChapter 17 of 2716 versesBerean Standard Bible
In this passage: Israel
Read Leviticus 17 and keep notes on it in Doxa's Daily Faith Steps.
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:
‘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.
For this reason the Israelites will bring to the LORD the sacrifices they have been offering in the open fields. They are to bring them to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and offer them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the LORD.
The priest will then splatter the blood on the altar of the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and burn the fat as a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
They must no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat demons to which they have prostituted themselves. This will be a permanent statute for them for the generations to come.’
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.
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.
Quoted in the Deeper Dive, day 11: What does it mean that the life is in the blood?
Therefore I say to the Israelites, ‘None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner living among you eat blood.’
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.
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.’
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.
But if he does not wash his clothes and bathe himself, then he shall bear his iniquity.”
Read next
How to Hear God’s Voice: A Practical Guide for BelieversScripture is the record of a God who speaks. This guide covers how to hear Him today and keep what He says.Cross-references for Leviticus 17
“This is a permanent statute for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.””
Leviticus 17:10Deuteronomy 12:16
“but you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.”
“According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
“But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it.”
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, licensed CC BY.
Leviticus 17 on Doxa
- Made in God's Image: Why Shedding Blood Strikes at God (Genesis 9:1-7) · Quoted in the Deeper Dive, day 11
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