07/09/2008
Exodus 29:11 - 12 (HCSB) 11Slaughter the bull before the LORD at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 12Take some of the bull’s blood and apply ëitû to the horns£ of the altar with your finger; then pour out all the ërestû of the blood at the base of the altar.
Exodus 29:21 (HCSB) 21Take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil,£ and sprinkle ëthemû on Aaron and his garments, as well as on his sons and their garments. In this way, he and his garments will become holy, as well as his sons and their garments.
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When I was 4, my granddad slaughtered a calf. They drained the blood in the garage. The hung the slaughtered animal over a wash-bucket that was probably 5 gallons in capacity. There was a lot of blood from this young calf. And I was careful not to step in the blood that has spilled out on the garage floor. At the time I didn’t give it much thought, however, now, the idea is repulsive.
In the many verses that precede these, detailed instructions are given as to the preparation and construction of the Priestly garments. They are to be very ornate and compared to the general, daily attire, very beautiful. Yet, in this passage, there is to be blood and oil sprinkled on them.
Our human logic understands that the Priests should be beautifully dressed and in the finest materials. Yet it is difficult to fathom taking these beautiful vestments and “soiling” them with blood and oil. In fact, there is so much blood mentioned here that most of us would find it repulsive.
In the passages in Exodus, a full grown bull was slaughtered and its blood poured out at the altar. Two grown rams also were slaughtered there. Then during the times of sacrifice, there would be a steady stream of families with animals for slaughter at the altar.
If a movie were made of the event, it would no doubt be rated “R” or even more restrictive because of the excess of blood.
My immediate question is, why so much blood?
The answer goes again to the debt that is required for our sins. Our own life is required for our sins, however, God allowed sacrifices for us. But the sacrifices were so insufficient that many of them were required.
But again, why must the beautiful Priestly garments be splattered with blood?
This was a constant reminder to humans of our sinful condition. Also, when the Priest entered the Holy of Holies, the blood on his clothing served to demonstrate the sacrifice that was given.
No matter how good we think we are, no matter how beautiful we try to be. We can never be presentable to God on our own. It is only through the shed blood of a sacrifice that we become acceptable to Him.
In the Old Testament, the ritual was gruesome and bloody. Jesus, however, came as our complete and perfect sacrifice so that we no longer need to perform the bloody ritual. Nonetheless, when we appear before God, there will be blood on us. It will either be our own, or that of Jesus.
Which will you choose?
Jeff Justus
Cleff Publishing
www.cleffpublishing.com
©2008 Cleff Publishing, all rights reserved.
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