Sacrificial Blood

Exodus 24:5-8 -  And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD.  And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. Then he took the book of the covenant, and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient." And Moses took the blood and threw it upon the people, and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words." 

Moses followed the instructions of the Lord…and brought the people together…and they offered sacrifices to the Lord. Half the blood from the sacrificial animal was thrown against the altar that would offer it up to the Lord. Then Moses read the book of the covenant…given to him by God himself…in the hearing of all the people. They immediately said that they would keep every word God had spoken…so Moses sealed their promise to God with the rest of the blood….the blood of the Lord’s sacrifice…to seal the promise.

I can’t imagine what it would have been like to be there that day. …to be one of the first people to hear God’s covenant….to realize he was real…to be a part of the crowd that offered up that sacrifice…had the blood of that animal thrown upon me as Moses declared me sealed in the blood …that in that moment belonged to the Lord. Oh how awed they must have been…a select few actually getting to see God manifest on that mountain….and eat before him.

But it isn’t hard to translate what that means for me…for I know the rest of the story…the part where that blood just did not do a permanent job of changing these people…so God put in motion his backup plan…and sent his son to Earth.  He walked it 33 years and ministered to the people…taught us what God wanted us to hear. He became not just our spokesman…to read us the covenant of God…he became our lamb as well…and gave his life freely for all who would believe in him.

Oh how thankful I am that he made a permanent way for me to connect to his covenant.  I don’t have to wander around the wilderness…and read tablets of stone.  I have been given his complete words in the Bible…and can call on him to wash me clean in his precious blood anytime I need his cleansing.

Father…I thank you that you loved me so much that you gave your life for me.  I thank you for being my blood sacrifice….that permanently connects me with the father above. Oh how I need you to wash me clean each morning…and seal me for your service each day. Give me strength to overcome all that Satan will throw in my way today…to try and separate me from you temporarily…and keep me from knowing your complete love. Amen.