The Power of The Blood

By Eli Stutzman

November 1, 2011

All over the world the value of blood transfusions is well known and accepted. After an accident, the victim is often rushed to a hospital where one of the most common treatments is a blood transfusion. Blood donor clinics proclaim that the gift of blood is the gift of life. Many of us have in fact donated blood to help those in need. Having a transfusion at the right time can make the difference between life and death. It is indeed a precious gift to a person in need of it.

Throughout the Bible, many times blood is mentioned when a covenant is made. In Genesis, Abel's sacrifice involved a sheep, "a firstling of the flock." In making the sacrifice, the sheep had to be killed, and there was the first mentioned killing of an animal as a sacrifice. And thus the blood was most likely a part of the offering.

When the children of Israel were delivered on that night, known as the Passover, they had applied the blood of a lamb to the doorposts of their houses. This was done at God's command to save the lives of all Israeli firstborn. The awesome power of certain death was stopped by that simple act of applying blood at the doorpost and lintels.

Exodus 12:22, And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

The power of the blood of a lamb was sufficient to stop the destroyer from harming anyone protected by it.

Leviticus 16:13-14: And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not: And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.

The high priest could never approach the presence of God without bringing two things: blood to sprinkle upon the mercy seat, and incense from the golden altar to burn before the Lord.

If he tried to get into the presence of God without either one, he would be struck dead!

The power of the blood of a bullock and the ashes of a heifer made it safe to enter the holiest place in the temple or tabernacle.

Hebrews 9:13-14 says; For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

At the time when the temple stood in its glory in Jerusalem, common people did not get very close to the holiest place. Priests were assigned to make offerings and seek atonement in their place.

The Day of Atonement came only once a year and the preparation to go into the holiest place was quite intense. Yet if the priest was sanctified by the blood and ashes, he was purified in the flesh and able to make requests for his people.

What Paul says in Hebrews 9 is that if animal blood purified people in the flesh, the blood of Christ is much more powerful, even to purge ourselves in our conscience which relies on works. Because the letter is addressed to Hebrews, the average reader at the time of writing would probably understand that he was referring to works of the Law of Moses.

Notice the difference between flesh and conscience. It is like washing something on the outside and then finding something better that washes right through inside as well. The observance of the Law of Moses and its sacrifices cleaned the outside, but the inside was still the same. When we receive Jesus Christ into our heart and life, the cleansing by that precious blood does a work that includes writing his desires on our hearts.

Are you washed in the blood that washes away every stain of sin? He changed my life and He can change yours too.

 

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