Leviticus 17:1-16
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them; This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, saying,
3 What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp,
4 And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people:
5 To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto the LORD.
6 And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savour unto the LORD.
7 And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.
8 And thou shalt say unto them, Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers which sojourn among you, that offereth a burnt offering or sacrifice,
9 And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the LORD; even that man shall be cut off from among his people.
10 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.
11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
12 Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood.
13 And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust.
14 For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.
15 And every soul that eateth that which dieda of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.
16 But if he wash them not, nor bathe his flesh; then he shall bear his iniquity.
Leviticus 17:3. Killeth an ox; not for the purpose of eating, but for sacrifice. The object of this precept was first to prevent idolatry, and next to support the religion appointed of God to shadow forth the glory of Christ. But the precept was not absolute. Samuel offered sacrifice in Mizpeh, David at Araunah's, and Elijah on mount Carmel.
Leviticus 17:7. Devils. לשׂעירם literally, beings full of hair, as the goats worshipped in Egypt; figuratively, fawns and satyrs of every kind which the imagination can paint. It was under a thousand vain figures in which the idols were made, that Satan availed himself, to draw the worship of men wholly to himself. Our version reads “devils,” as the Vulgate; and St. Paul calls the cup of idols “the cup of devils,” to which they offered blood. Israel being now married to the Lord, such worship would be spiritual fornication or adultery.
Leviticus 17:11. The life of the flesh is in the blood. Death, and deadness of a limb, follow obstructions of circulation in the blood. The ancients knew this fact, lately adopted in modern science, that animal life flows in the blood. Blood is ceremonially forbidden, for the gentiles drank the blood of their enemies, and offered libations of it to their idols. Genesis 9; Psalms 16:3.
REFLECTIONS.
The Lord as sovereign of the universe and giver of life, has a right to command, without being accountable to his creatures; but he is so gracious and condescending, that he not only governs his rational creatures by the wisest of laws, but deigns to assign a reason, in one place or other, for almost every precept. The uniform character of revelation is to preserve us from sin, and to make us holy and happy. In appointing his holy sanctuary as the only place of sacrifice, oblation and atonement, there was a cause of the most weighty kind; there being but one Mediator between God and men, but one altar, the cross; but one laver, regeneration; but one mercy-seat, the throne of grace; and but one Holy Spirit, by whom we have access to the Father through the Son of his love. Let us therefore revere the smallest of his precepts, that our persons and our services may be accepted of the Lord.