Blood In The Old Testament. 3. If, however, the guilty party illegally forgoes his exile,
3. If, however, the guilty party illegally forgoes his exile, the "redeemer of blood", as an accessory of the court, may kill the guilty party. 9:23-25; Luke 7:11-15; John 11:30-44). Troublesome Topic JESUS FULFILLED THE OLD TESTAMENT EMPHASIS ON WATER AND BLOOD Let’s look at a couple passages from the New Testament that are linked to the Old Testament themes of water and blood. The blood of Jesus was poured out as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity, fulfilling the Old Testament law and establishing a new covenant for those who believe in His name. This isn’t opinion. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. The shedding of blood was necessary for the forgiveness of sins. This reverence for blood is further emphasized in Leviticus 17:11, where it is stated, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. " Blood is central to the sacrificial system established in the Old Testament. e. As far back as Abraham we see that the shedding of blood can seal a covenant and sanctify the parties to the treaty. We may well apply to this blood rite of the Old Testament what Augustine said concerning the divinely instituted ceremonies of the New : "Accedit verbum ad eleinentum, et fit sacramentum. Pharaoh's magicians used their secret arts to also strike the Nile, creating a second layer of blood. There were several kinds of animal sacrifice for this purpose. Communion The communicants come forward in reverent procession, and make a preparatory act of reverence by bowing their head in honour of Christ’s presence in the Sacrament. The 11th century Christology of Saint Anselm of Canterbury specifically disassociates the Lamb of God from the Old Testament concept of a scapegoat, which is subjected to punishment for the sins of others without knowing it or willing it. While the word was thus associated closely with death, there were times when the Old Testament specifically related it to life (Gen 9:4; Deut 12:23). Aaron’s sons will then splatter the goat’s blood against all sides of the altar. Find more Christian classics for theology and Bible study at Bible Study Tools. Protokos does not mean firstborn in time sequence, but rather first in preeminence. Dec 13, 2025 · Long before crosses and angelic choirs, blood was already currency, ancient tribes offered animals, human lives to appease unseen powers as the gods were imagined as temperamental monarchs who needed gifts to stay friendly so the old testament did not invent sacrifice, it institutionalized it as what changed with christianity was not that logic Deeming it as blood money, and therefore illegal to put into their treasury, they used it instead to buy a field as a burial ground for foreigners: thus the place gained the name "the Field of Blood" (Matthew 27:7, and possibly with allusions to Zechariah 11:12–13 and Jeremiah 18:2–3 and Jeremiah 32:6–15). Read The Blood--The Old Testament of The Gospel Awakening from author Dwight Lyman Moody. ” A “sacrifice” is defined as the offering up of something precious for a cause or a reason. Apr 15, 2025 · God, speaking to Moses, declares: “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. Explore how the blood covenant symbolizes a sacred promise in the Bible, bridging the Old and New Testaments to deepen God's relationship with humanity. Today when we practice communion, we know that Jesus is the last priest, because he lives forever and is with us always: We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament (LXX) used by Christ and the apostles, this word is rendered by hilasterion, which word is shown in the New Testament to point to ‘Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitation (hilasterion, i. From the Old Testament sacrificial system to the New Testament fulfillment in Christ, blood serves as a powerful symbol of God's redemptive work and the establishment of His eternal covenant with His people. Understanding the biblical meaning of blood helps us grasp its spiritual and theological importance. Some describe it as operating like a spiritual detergent. – Leviticus 3:12-13, NLT I have a 4 year old son. Understanding why and how blood was in ancient rituals will deepen our appreciation of Jesus' Precious Blood as a fountain of mercy. Blood Old Testament In the Old Testament the word דָּם, H1947, occurs 362 times of which 203 point to death by violence and 103 to sacrificial blood. In the Old Testament, the concept of blood as a means of atonement is established in the sacrificial system given to Israel.