Blood, blood everywhere!

I spent some time today trying to convince someone that God is not an ANGRY GOD who needs blood sacrifices to appease Him. I didn't succeed with him or the listeners.

God can forgive anyone for anything anytime He wants. Jesus forgave the paralytic who was lowered through the roof. I don't think either he or his friends were seeking forgiveness when they ruined that house. God even forgave the Ninevites when they repented, much to Jonah's disgust.

When God decided to shape Israel into the "womb that will earth Him" [Torrance], He did not start with a blank slate. He had a rabble who was brought out of Egypt. Some of the objects and patterns of worship He instituted at Mount Sinai have a distinctly Egyptian flavour. It was something familiar for an uprooted people.

Many religious cultures offer animal and human sacrifices to their gods. They believe all aspects of life is influenced by some kind of deity and it was necessary to appease or feed this god in order to have peace and prosperity.

But YHWH is different. He is the God of everything, everyone and everywhere. We don't feed Him; He feeds us. The sacrifices He required from His people were thanksgiving for what He has blessed them with, and...their sins. People laid hands on their sin offering, opened its veins and splashed the blood around, and then burnt their sins and the animal on the altar. As the smoke rose, forgiveness and blessing flowed back from God. The priest would say to the people, "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."

This is because God is Love and Love is about relationship.

Later Love stepped in when everything was ready and took the place of the sin bearing animal. Our sins were laid on Him and it was His blood that got splashed around.

Much later still we learn that blood fights diseases and heals wounds. It brings nutrients to every part of our body and removes waste by-products. Any part that is cut from its blood supply dies.

Comments

[Greg]

There is much made of the "blood of Jesus". Mel Gibson did a huge number on "the blood of Jesus". Jesus spoke of His blood at the last supper.

But ... the gospel writers did not offer much description of His bleeding on the cross. There is little reference to it.

[Caroline]

Guilty of poetic license :-)

The gospel writers said he was whipped, a crown of thorns was pressed on his head and he was nailed to the cross. The beating he received was intense enough that a once healthy man in the prime of his life could not carry his cross all the way. After he died the Roman soldiers pierced his side with a spear. So although there was no graphic description of bleeding, he must have bled.

Also to come completely clean, Leviticus instructs the priests to sprinkle the blood, not splash it around.