Leviticus 17:10-14

PROHIBITION OF BLOOD IN THE PEOPLE'S DIET 17:10-14
TEXT 17:10-14

10

And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them, that eateth any manner of blood, I will 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 atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh atonement by reason of the life.

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 them, who taketh in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten; he shall pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust.

14

For as to the life of all flesh, the blood thereof is all one with 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.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 17:10-14

380.

Compare Ezekiel 33:25 and show how it relates to this section.

381.

Just what is involved in the atonement for our souls found in the blood? Cf. Romans 3:24-26.

382.

Does this regulation still stand for today? i.e. eating blood?

383.

What else would a hunter do but pour out the blood of a deer or antelope? Why cover it with dust?

384.

God really must have meant this regulation, i.e. judging from the times it is repeated. Is this a fair conclusion?

PARAPHRASE 17:10-14

And I will turn My face against anyone, whether an Israelite or a foreigner living among you, who eats blood in any form. I will excommunicate him from his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given you the blood to sprinkle upon the altar as an atonement for your souls; it is the blood that makes atonement, because it is the life. That is the reasoning behind My decree to the people of Israel, that neither they, nor any foreigner living among them, may eat blood. Anyone, whether an Israelite or a foreigner living among you, who goes hunting and kills an animal or bird of a kind permitted for food, must pour out the blood and cover it with dust, for the blood is the life. That is why I told the people of Israel never to eat it, for the life of every bird and animal is its blood. Therefore, anyone who eats blood must be excommunicated.

COMMENT 17:10-14

Leviticus 17:10-14 This is the third time we have read of the prohibition of the eating of blood. In the other two references it is associated with the fat which belongs to God (Cf. Leviticus 3:17; Leviticus 7:26). Since Israel was held responsible for those under their roofs (at least temporarily) even strangers, visitors or sojourners are involved in this regulation. It is a serious matter to have the face of God set against us. What is the cause? Why such a stringent punishment? It is because what is represented and contained in the bloodboth of man and of animals. The life or soul is in the bloodboth of man and of beast. God is making a substitutethe life or soul of the animal for the life or soul of the man. To disregard or treat lightly this important entity is to call common what God has called sacred. Perhaps a study of the triune nature of man will help in our understanding of the biblical fact that the blood is the carrier of the self-conscious portion of man's nature:

(1)

BODY:

Made of dust, corruptible and subject to decay. Man's body is mortal or deathable. It is to return to the dust. It is the outer man. The tabernacle in which we live for this brief sojourn called life. This is the outward house of the spirit and the soul.

(2)

SOUL:

Man's self-consciousness. It is formed in or by the unity of the spirit and the body. This is man's individuality, i.e., what makes him different from every other person. Our parents provide our body. God provides the spirit. When the two (body and spirit) unite, the result is you. A living life unique and wondrously made. You are one of a kind.

(3)

SPIRIT:

Our parents produced our bodies but God is the Father of the spirits of all flesh. As our bodies partake of the physical likeness and image of our parents, so our spirits partake of the likeness or image of God. We are His offspring (Acts 17:28). All the capacities of man are capacities of His spirit since God is alive in the same sense we are, and has given us of Himself.

The crucial decision is whom will ye serve, your spirit or your soul? i.e. will you decide to worship God or mammon? You are God related thru your spirit and this-world related thru your soul. Will you be soulish or spiritual?

The strangers are also prohibited eating blood because they have submitted to the law of the land, and because their eating it would not only infringe the law which they have voluntarily adopted, but would lessen the horror with which such indulgence was regarded by the Jews. (Cf. Acts 15:20; Acts 15:29; Acts 21:25)

FACT QUESTIONS 17:10-14

389.

Blood is usually associated with what other portion of the animal? Why?

390.

Was it reasonable to ask strangers to submit to the laws of Israel? Discuss.

391.

Define the triune nature of man and show how the soul or the blood is involved.