A Bloody Religion

“One Year Bible” Old Testament History Passage
Leviticus 16:29-18:30

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.”  Leviticus 17:11 (NKJV)

Leviticus is a very bloody book.  Today we have read about the Day of Atonement.  This important holy day took place once a year (Lev. 16:34).  But other sacrifices took place more often — the burnt offerings and sin offerings were made as often as need should demand.  With a population of a few million people, it is not hard to imagine how often bulls, goats, and sheep were begin offering on the altars of the children of Israel.  Judaism was a very bloody religion. 

There is an inate violence about the worship of God.  We should ask, “Why is this?”  The answer is very fundamental.  Our God is holy and He cannot countenance sin.  He is of such purity and magnificence that all impurity is a serious violation of His presence.  Because of sin, a huge divide, a chasm, has opened between God and His creation.  There can be no breaching of this chasm.  It requires the DEATH of the impure. 

Sacrifice always involves REPRESENTATION.  In Old Testament ritual, the priest would lay hands on the sacrificial animal.  In so doing there was IMPUTATION — imputation of sin to the innocent animal.  The wrath of punishment was then released against the animal thus atoning for sin.  The spilling of the blood of the animal showed clearly its DEATH.  The presentation of large quantities of the blood of the sacrifice could mean nothing more than that the animal was DEAD.  Judaism was a violent, bloody religion.

Correspondingly, Christianity is also a violent, blood-filled religion.  We do not today offer animal sacrifices.  We do not today witness the on-going slaughter of representatives of our sin.  But we MUST REMEMBER.  An incredibly violent, grossly bloody sacrifice has taken place ONCE FOR ALL!!!  I speak, of course, of the CROSS — the wonderful, wonderful Cross!  A totally innocent sacrificial Lamb bore our sins.  They were IMPUTED to Him.  He felt the brunt of divine wrath — thus atoning for our sin.  And because of Him, we are set free — the are the bird “set free in an open field.”  We are alive because He bore our penalty of death.  Therefore, we lay our whole life down for Him.  It is the least we can do.  Today, let the violence of Christianity ignite a passion, a violence in your heart of love and gratitude for the One who spilled His blood for you.