The Amish Voice 6
All over the world the value of blood transfu-
sions is well known and accepted. After an
accident, the victim is often rushed to a hos-
pital where one of the most common treat-
ments 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 trans-
fusion at the right time can make the differ-
ence 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 Gen-
esis, 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 sac-
rifice. 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 door-
posts 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 ap-
plying 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 suffi-
cient to stop the destroyer from harming any-
one 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 mer-
cy 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, sancti-
fieth 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 glo-
ry in Jerusalem, common people did not get
very close to the holiest place. Priests were
assigned to make offerings and seek atone-
ment 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. Be-
cause 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 con-
science. 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 sac-
rifices 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.
Eli Stutzman — Ontario Canada
Phone: (519) 866-3737
The Power of the Blood
—by Eli Stutzman
When the woman re-
turned, after going to the
well.
People gathered, wonder-
ing what story she would
tell.
That Man told me of the
many wrongs I have done.
I know He told the truth,
He is the promised One.
This Man is the Christ just come and you will see.
Look! He‟s over there, wanting to set us free.
Knowing pain from sin, He has taken us to His heart.
Mending shattered lives, that sin had torn apart.
Villagers came to receive forgiveness throughout that day.
Confusion left behind as hope in Him, showed them the way.
How they listened as He told them of their sins both big and small,
Lifting the burdens from their hearts, He forgave them one and all.
Faith renewed their hope as love entered the hearts of everyone.
Knowing God sent them a Redeemer, in Jesus Christ, His only Son.
He didn‟t come to judge, but offered forgiveness to the lost.
His love paid for their salvation, the day He died upon the cross.
In His blood lives the hope of sinners that He alone could save.
He claimed the keys, defeating death and rose up from the grave.
That‟s exactly how it happened, and that's just how it is told.
It‟s a free gift for believers as they‟re welcomed to the fold.
This was inspired by the women at the well.
Matthew 4:1-42
Now I Believe!
—by Angela Duncan