TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Deuteronomy 12:5–32. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
There is not any one particular precept (as I remember) in all the law of Moses so largely pressed and inculcated as this, by which they are all tied to bring their sacrifices to that one altar which was set up in the court of the tabernacle, and there to perform all the rituals of their religion; for, as to moral services, then, no doubt, as now, men might pray every where, as they did in their synagogues. The command to do this, and the prohibition of the contrary, are here repeated again and again, as we teach children: and yet we are sure that there is in scripture no vain repetition; but all this stress is laid upon it, 1. Because of the strange proneness there was in the hearts of the people to idolatry and superstition, and the danger of their being seduced by the many temptations which they would be surrounded with. 2. Because of the great use which the observance of this appointment would be of to them, both to prevent the introducing of corrupt customs into their worship and to preserve among them unity and brotherly love, that, meeting all in one place, they might continue both of one way and of one heart. 3. Because of the significancy of this appointment. They must keep to one place, in token of their belief of those two great truths, which we find together (Ti1 2:5), That there is one God, and one Mediator between God and man. It not only served to keep up the notion of the unity of the Godhead, but was an intimation to them (though they could not stedfastly discern it) of the one only way of approach to God and communion with him, in and by the Messiah.
Let us now reduce this long charge to its proper heads.
I.It is here promised that when they were settled in Canaan, when they had rest from their enemies, and dwelt in safety, God would choose a certain place, which he would appoint to be the centre of their unity, to which they should bring all their offerings, Deu 12:10, Deu 12:11. Observe,
1.If they just be tied to one place, they should not be left in doubt concerning it, but should certainly know what place it was. Had Christ intended, under the gospel, to make any one place such a seat of power as Rome pretends to be, we should not have been left so destitute of instruction as we are concerning the appointed place.
2.God does not leave it to them to choose the place, lest the tribes should have quarrelled about it, each striving, for their secular advantage, to have it among them; but he reserves the choice to himself, as he does the designation of the Redeemer and the institution of holy ordinances.
3.He does not appoint the place now, as he had appointed mounts Gerizim and Ebal, for the pronouncing of the blessings and curses (Deu 11:29), but reserves the doing of it till hereafter, that hereby they might be made to expect further directions from heaven, and a divine conduct, after Moses should be removed. The place which God would choose is said to be the place where he would put his name, that is, which he would have to be called his, where his honour should dwell, where he would manifest himself to his people, and make himself known, as men do by their names, and where he would receive addresses, by which his name is both praised and called upon. It was to be his habitation, where, as King of Israel, he would keep court, and be found by all those that reverently sought him. The ark was the token of God's presence, and where that was put there God put his name, and that was his habitation. It contained the tables of the law; for none must expect to receive favours from God's hand but those that are willing to receive the law from his mouth. The place which God first chose for the ark to reside in was Shiloh; and, after that place had sinned away its honours, we find the ark at Kirjath-jearim and other places; but at length, in David's time, it was fixed at Jerusalem, and God said concerning Solomon's temple, more expressly than ever he had said concerning any other place, This I have chosen for a house of sacrifice, Ch2 7:12. Compare Ch2 6:5. Now, under the gospel, we have no temple that sanctifies the gold, no altar that sanctifies the gift, but Christ only; and, as to the places of worship, the prophets foretold that in every place the spiritual incense should be offered, Mal 1:11. And our Saviour has declared that those are accepted as true worshippers who worship God in sincerity and truth, without regard either to this mountain or Jerusalem, Joh 4:23.
II.They are commanded to bring all their burnt-offerings and sacrifices to this place that God would choose (Deu 12:6 and again Deu 12:11):
Thither shall you bring all that I command you; and (Deu 12:14), There thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings; and (Deu 12:27), The flesh and the blood must be offered upon the altar of the Lord thy God. And of their peace-offerings, here called their sacrifices, though they were to eat the flesh, yet the blood was to be poured out upon the altar. By this they were taught that sacrifices and offerings God did not desire, nor accept, for their own sake, nor for any intrinsic worth in them, as natural expressions of homage and adoration; but that they received their virtue purely from that altar on which they were offered, as it typified Christ; whereas prayers and praises, as much more necessary and valuable, were to be offered every day by the people of God wherever they were. A devout Israelite might honour God, and keep up communion with him, and obtain mercy from him, though he had not an opportunity, perhaps, for many months together, of bringing a sacrifice to his altar. But this signified the obligation we Christians are under to offer up all our spiritual sacrifices to God in the name of Jesus Christ, hoping for acceptance only upon the score of his mediation, Pe1 2:5.
III.They are commanded to feast upon their hallowed things before the Lord, with holy joy.
They must not only bring to the altar the sacrifices which were to be offered to God, but hey must bring to the place of the altar all those things which they were appointed by the law to eat and drink, to the honour of God, in token of their communion with him, Deu 12:6. Their, tithes, and heave-offerings of their hand, that is, their first-fruits, their vows, and free-will-offerings, and firstlings, all those things which were to be religiously made use of either by themselves or by the priests and Levites, must be brought to the place which God would choose; as all the revenues of the crown, from all parts of the kingdom, are brought into the exchequer. And (Deu 12:7): There you shall eat before the Lord, and rejoice in all that you put your hands unto; and again (Deu 12:12), You shall rejoice before the Lord, you, and your sons, and your daughters. Observe here,
1.That what we do in the service of God and to his glory redounds to our benefit, if it be not our own fault. Those that sacrifice to God are welcome to eat before him, and to feast upon their sacrifices: he sups with us, and we with him, Rev 3:20. If we glorify God, we edify ourselves, and cultivate our own minds, through the grace of God, by the increase of our knowledge and faith, the enlivening of devout affections, and the confirming of gracious habits and resolutions: thus is the soul nourished.
2.That work for God should be done with holy joy and cheerfulness. You shall eat and rejoice, Deu 12:7, and again, Deu 12:12 and Deu 12:18.
(1.)Now while they were before the Lord they must rejoice, Deu 12:12. It is the will of God that we should serve him with gladness; none displeased him more than those that covered his altar with tears. Mal 2:13. See what a good Master we serve, who has made it our duty to sing at our work. Even the children and servants must rejoice with them before God, that the services of religion might be a pleasure to them, and not a task or drudgery.
(2.)They must carry away with them the grateful relish of that delight which they found in communion with God; they must rejoice in all that they put their hands unto, Deu 12:7. Some of the comfort which they must take with them into their common employments; and, being thus strengthened in soul, whatever they did they must do it heartily and cheerfully. And this holy pious joy in God and his goodness, with which we are to rejoice evermore, would be the best preservative against the sin and snare of vain and carnal mirth and a relief against the sorrows of the world.
IV.They are commanded to be kind to the Levites.
Did they feast with joy? The Levites must feast with them, and rejoice with them, Deu 12:12, and again, Deu 12:18; and a general caution (Deu 12:19), Take heed that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest. There were Levites that attended the altar as assistants to the priests, and these must not be forsaken, that is, the service they performed must be constantly adhered to; no other altar must be set up than that which God appointed; for that would be to forsake the Levites. But this seems to be spoken of the Levites that were dispersed in the country to instruct the people in the law of God, and to assist them in their devotions; for it is the Levite within their gates that they are here commanded to make much of. It is a great mercy to have Levites near us, within our gates, that we may ask the law at their mouth, and at our feasts to be a check upon us, to restrain excesses. And it is the duty of people to be kind to their ministers that give them good instructions and set them good examples. As long as we live we shall need their assistance, till we come to that world where ordinances will be superseded; and therefore as long as we live we must not forsake the Levites. The reason given (Deu 12:12) is because the Levite has no part nor inheritance with you, so that he cannot grow rich by husbandry or trade; let him therefore share with you in the comfort of your riches. They must give the Levites their tithes and offerings, settled on them by the law, because they had no other maintenance.
V.They are allowed to eat common flesh, but not the flesh of their offerings, in their own houses, wherever they dwelt.
What was any way devoted to God they must not eat at home, Deu 12:13, Deu 12:17. But what was not so devoted they might kill and eat of at their pleasure, Deu 12:15. And this permission is again repeated, Deu 12:20-22. It should seem that while they were in the wilderness they did not eat the flesh of any of those kinds of beasts that were used in sacrifice, but what was killed at the door of the tabernacle, and part of it presented to God as a peace-offering, Lev 17:3, Lev 17:4. But when they came to Canaan, where they must live at a great distance from the tabernacle, they might kill what they pleased for their own use of their flocks and herds, without bringing part to the altar. This allowance is very express, and repeated, lest Satan should take occasion from that law which forbade the eating of their sacrifices at their own houses to suggest to them, as he did to our first parents, hard thoughts of God, as if he grudged them: Thou mayest eat whatsoever thy soul lusteth after. There is a natural regular appetite, which it is lawful to gratify with temperance and sobriety, not taking too great a pleasure in the gratification, nor being uneasy if it be crossed. The unclean, who might not eat of the holy things, yet might eat of the same sort of flesh when it was only used as common food. The distinction between clean persons and unclean was sacred, and designed for the preserving of the honour of their holy feasts, and therefore must not be brought into their ordinary meals. This permission has a double restriction: - 1. They must eat according to the blessing which God had given them, Deu 12:15. Note, It is not only our wisdom, but our duty, to live according to our estates, and not to spend above what we have. As it is unjust on the one hand to hoard what should be laid out, so it is much more unjust to lay out more than we have; for what is not our own must needs be another's, who is thereby robbed and defrauded. And this, I say, is much more unjust, because it is easier afterwards to distribute what has been unduly spared, and so to make a sort of restitution for the wrong, than it is to repay to wife, and children, and creditors, what has been unduly spent. Between these two extremes let wisdom find the mean, and then let watchfulness and resolution keep it. 2. They must not eat blood (Deu 12:16, and again, Deu 12:23): Only be sure that thou eat not the blood (Deu 12:24), Thou shalt not eat it; and (Deu 12:25), Thou shalt not eat it, that it may go well with thee. When they could not bring the blood to the altar, to pour it out there before the Lord, as belonging to him, they must pour it out upon the earth, as not belonging to them, because it was the life, and therefore, as an acknowledgment, belonged to him who gives life, and, as an atonement, belonged to him to whom life is forfeited. Bishop Patrick thinks one reason why they were forbidden thus strictly the eating of blood was to prevent the superstitions of the old idolaters about the blood of their sacrifices, which they thought their demons delighted in, and by eating of which they imagined that they had communion with them.
VI.They are forbidden to keep up either their own corrupt usages in the wilderness or the corrupt usages of their predecessors in the land of Canaan.
1.They must not keep up those improper customs which they had got into in the wilderness, and which were connived at in consideration of the present unsettledness of their condition (Deu 12:8, Deu 12:9): You shall not do after all the things that we do here this day. Never was there a better governor than Moses, and one would think never a better opportunity of keeping up good order and discipline than now among the people of Israel, when they lay so closely encamped under the eye of their governor; and yet it seems there was much amiss and many irregularities had crept in among them. We must never expect to see any society perfectly pure and right, and as it should be till we come to the heavenly Canaan. They had sacrifices and religious worship, courts of justice and civil government, and, by the stoning of the man that gathered sticks on the sabbath day, it appears there was great strictness used in guarding the most weighty matters of the law; but being frequently upon the remove, and always at uncertainty,
(1.)They could none of them observe the solemn feasts, and the rites of cleansing, with the exactness that the law required. And,
(2.)Those among them that were disposed to do amiss had opportunity given them to do it unobserved by the frequent interruptions which their removals gave to the administration of justice. But (says Moses) when you come to Canaan, you shall not do as we do here. Note, When the people of God are in an unsettled condition, that may be tolerated and dispensed with which would by no means be allowed at another time. Cases of necessity are to be considered while the necessity continues; but that must not be done in Canaan which was done in the wilderness. While a house is in the building a great deal of dirt and rubbish are suffered to lie by it, which must all be taken away when the house is built. Moses was now about to lay down his life and government, and it was a comfort to him to foresee that Israel would be better in the next reign than they had been in his.
2.They must not worship the Lord by any of those rites or ceremonies which the notions of Canaan had made use of in the service of their gods, Deu 12:29-32. They must not so much as enquire into the modes and forms of idolatrous worship. What good would it do to them to know those depths of Satan? Rev 2:24. It is best to be ignorant of that which there is danger of being infected by. They must not introduce the customs of idolaters,
(1.)Because it would be absurd to make those their patterns whom God had made their slaves and captives, cut off, and destroyed from before them. The Canaanites had not flourished and prospered so much in the service of their gods as that the Israelites should be invited to take up their customs. Those are wretchedly besotted indeed who will walk in the way of sinners, after they have seen their end.
(2.)Because some of their customs were most barbarous and inhuman, and such as trampled, not only upon the light and law of nature, but upon natural affection itself, as burning their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods (Deu 12:31), the very mention of which is sufficient to make it odious, and possess us with a horror of it.
(3.)Because their idolatrous customs were an abomination to the Lord, and the translating of them into his worship would make even that an abomination and an affront to him by which they should give him honour, and by which they hoped to obtain his favour. The case is bad indeed when the sacrifice itself has become an abomination, Pro 15:8. He therefore concludes (Deu 12:32) with the same caution concerning the worship of God which he had before given concerning the word of God (Deu 4:2): "You shall not add thereto any inventions of your own, under pretence of making the ordinance either more significant or more magnificent, nor diminish from it, under pretence of making it more easy and practicable, or of setting aside that which may be spared; but observe to do all that, and that only, which God has commanded." We may then hope in our religious worship to obtain the divine acceptance when we observe the divine appointment. God will have his own work done in his own way.
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Summary
Deuteronomy 12:23 presents a foundational and emphatic prohibition against the consumption of blood, establishing a profound theological principle that inextricably links blood with life itself. This divine command, integral to Israel's covenant identity and distinctive practices, underscores the sanctity of life as belonging exclusively to God, setting His people apart from the idolatrous rituals of surrounding nations and laying crucial theological groundwork for the concept of atonement through the shedding of life.
Context
Literary Context
This pivotal verse is situated within the broader legislative framework of Deuteronomy 12, a chapter primarily concerned with the centralization of Israelite worship at a single, divinely chosen sanctuary. Moses, addressing a new generation on the plains of Moab before their entry into the Promised Land, reiterates and expands upon the Mosaic Law, emphasizing the importance of pure worship to prevent syncretism with Canaanite practices. While the initial verses of the chapter focus on destroying pagan altars and establishing the singular place of worship, verses 20-28 specifically address the practical matter of slaughtering animals for food outside the central sanctuary. This section grants permission for Israelites to eat meat in their towns, but it comes with a strict caveat: the blood, which represents life, must be poured out on the ground, thereby returning it to God. Thus, the prohibition in Deuteronomy 12:23 is not merely a ceremonial detail but a vital ethical and theological instruction for everyday life, ensuring that even common meals reinforce the sacredness of life and God's sovereignty.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, the consumption of blood was a common practice in various pagan rituals. Neighboring cultures often incorporated blood into their religious ceremonies, believing it to be the seat of divine power, a means of communion with deities, or a source of vitality and fertility. For instance, some Canaanite rites involved drinking the blood of sacrifices to absorb the animal's life force or to seal covenants with their gods. By strictly prohibiting the consumption of blood, Yahweh unequivocally distinguished Israel from these abhorrent idolatrous practices. This command served as a powerful marker of Israel's unique covenant relationship with God, reinforcing His sole proprietorship over life and establishing Israel's identity as a holy nation set apart for His purposes. It was a crucial safeguard against assimilation into the corrupting influences and spiritual defilement of the surrounding cultures, emphasizing that life, in its essence, belongs to the Creator alone.
Key Themes
The central theme underscored by Deuteronomy 12:23 is the Sanctity of Life. The emphatic declaration, "the blood is the life" (Hebrew: dam hu ha'nephesh), elevates life from a mere biological process to a sacred entity, belonging ultimately to God, the Giver and Sustainer of all existence. Consuming blood was therefore perceived as a profound disrespect for God's sovereignty over creation and life itself. This prohibition also reinforces the theme of Reverence for God's Creation, instilling in the Israelites a deep respect for the vital principle of existence, even in the context of animal slaughter for sustenance. Furthermore, it contributes significantly to the overarching theme of Separation and Holiness, as dietary restrictions like this one served to distinguish Israel as a holy nation, set apart for God's unique covenant obligations and purposes. Finally, this verse lays crucial Foreshadowing of Atonement, as the profound connection between blood and life established here is foundational for understanding the later theological development that the shedding of blood would become the divinely appointed means by which sins are covered and life is offered in substitution, as explicitly detailed in Leviticus 17:11.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From the primitive root H2388, this word means "to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restrain, conquer." In this context, it conveys an imperative sense of being "strong" or "firm" in obedience, emphasizing the absolute necessity and gravity of adhering to the command. It's not a suggestion but a forceful directive to be meticulous and resolute in avoiding the consumption of blood.
This term refers to "blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed." In biblical thought, dâm is consistently identified as the physical vehicle and symbolic representation of life. The prohibition against consuming dâm is thus not merely a dietary restriction but a profound theological statement about the source, sacredness, and ultimate ownership of life itself, which belongs to God.
nephesh properly means "a breathing creature, i.e., animal of (abstractly) vitality." It is used very widely in a literal, accommodated, or figurative sense (bodily or mental), often translated as "soul," "self," "person," or "living being." In Deuteronomy 12:23, nephesh refers to the vital essence, the animating principle that distinguishes a living creature from a dead one. The declaration "the blood is the life" means that the blood is the very carrier and embodiment of this vital essence. Therefore, to consume the blood is to appropriate the life, which is God's exclusive property.
Verse Breakdown
"Only be sure that thou eat not the blood"
This opening phrase conveys an emphatic and absolute prohibition. The Hebrew verb châzaq (translated "be sure") implies a strong warning and a command to be scrupulously careful and resolute in obedience. It highlights the gravity of the command, indicating that this is not a minor regulation but a foundational directive that requires diligent adherence.
"for the blood [is] the life"
This is the profound theological rationale underpinning the prohibition. It is a declarative statement, equating the physical substance of blood with the intangible, animating essence of life (nephesh). This direct identification establishes blood as supremely sacred because it contains the life principle, which is God's gift and property. This statement forms the core theological basis for all blood prohibitions and the subsequent sacrificial system.
"and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh."
This concluding clause reiterates and reinforces the initial prohibition, drawing the explicit and logical conclusion from the preceding theological statement. Since blood is life, and life belongs uniquely to God, consuming the blood is tantamount to consuming God's sacred property, which is strictly forbidden. It emphasizes that the life principle (the blood) must be returned to God, typically through pouring it out on the ground, rather than being assimilated by humans.
Literary Devices
Deuteronomy 12:23 employs several potent literary devices to convey its crucial message with clarity and emphasis. The most prominent is Metonymy, where "blood" (the physical substance) stands in for "life" (the abstract concept and vital essence). This figure of speech powerfully links the tangible with the intangible, making the prohibition concrete and its theological basis profoundly clear. The verse also utilizes Didacticism, serving as a direct, authoritative instruction and moral teaching from God to His people. Its concise, declarative, and imperative nature is characteristic of legal and ethical pronouncements throughout the Mosaic Law, designed for clear understanding and unwavering obedience. Furthermore, the repetition of the core idea—first, "eat not the blood," and then, "mayest not eat the life with the flesh"—demonstrates Emphasis, underscoring the critical importance, inviolability, and non-negotiable nature of this particular command. The structure reinforces the logical flow from prohibition to theological reason to reiterated prohibition.
Theological and Thematic Connections
The prohibition against consuming blood in Deuteronomy 12:23 transcends a mere dietary regulation; it is a profound theological declaration about the nature of life and God's absolute sovereignty. By declaring "the blood is the life," the text establishes that life, in its most fundamental and animating sense, originates from and belongs exclusively to God. This foundational principle permeates the entire Old Testament, forming the bedrock for understanding the sacrificial system and the concept of atonement. The shedding of blood, representing the giving of life, becomes the divinely appointed means for the expiation of sin, signifying that a life must be given in substitution for a life taken (or for a life defiled by sin). This sacred understanding of blood, as the vehicle of life and the means of atonement, profoundly foreshadows the ultimate, once-for-all sacrifice that would satisfy God's justice and provide eternal life for humanity.
Reflection and Application
Deuteronomy 12:23 calls us to cultivate a profound reverence for life, recognizing it not as a mere biological process or a commodity to be exploited, but as a sacred and precious gift from God. This ancient command, while rooted in the specific covenant context of ancient Israel, carries timeless principles for believers today. It challenges us to reflect deeply on how we value and treat life in all its forms, from the sanctity of human life at every stage—from conception to natural death—to our stewardship of God's creation. It compels us to acknowledge God's ultimate ownership over every breath, heartbeat, and living creature, fostering a posture of humility, gratitude, and worship. Furthermore, understanding the sacredness of blood as the essence of life profoundly deepens our appreciation for the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. His blood was not merely shed as a ritual, but as the very life of God incarnate, offered for our redemption. This act transforms death into eternal life, inviting us to live lives that reflect the infinite value God places on life itself.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was the consumption of blood so strictly forbidden in ancient Israel?
The prohibition against consuming blood was deeply significant and served multiple crucial purposes, both theological and practical. Theologically, the primary reason is explicitly stated in the verse: "the blood is the life." Life belongs exclusively to God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things. To consume the blood was therefore seen as an appropriation of God's sacred property and a profound disregard for His sovereignty over all living things. This principle is foundational, dating back to the covenant with Noah in Genesis 9:4. Practically, the command served to distinguish Israel from the pagan nations around them, many of whom consumed blood in idolatrous rituals, believing it would impart power, connect them with their deities, or facilitate divination. By abstaining from blood, Israel maintained its unique identity as a holy people set apart for Yahweh. Furthermore, the sacredness of blood was intrinsically linked to the sacrificial system, where blood was the divinely appointed means of atonement, as detailed in Leviticus 17:11, emphasizing that "it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul."
Does this command apply to Christians today?
While the specific dietary prohibitions of the Mosaic Law, including the command not to eat blood, are not binding on New Testament believers in the same way they were for ancient Israel, the underlying theological principles remain highly relevant. Jesus declared all foods clean in Mark 7:19, and the Apostle Paul taught that Christians are not bound by food regulations or ceremonial laws (Colossians 2:16-17). However, the early church, in the Jerusalem Council, did advise Gentile believers to "abstain from things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood" (Acts 15:20). This was primarily a pastoral decision to foster unity between Jewish and Gentile believers and avoid causing offense, rather than a re-imposition of ceremonial law. For Christians today, the moral principle of the sanctity of life, which the blood prohibition profoundly underscored, remains paramount. While we are free to eat meat, the profound theological connection between blood and life, and its ultimate fulfillment in Christ's atoning sacrifice, elevates our understanding of redemption and the preciousness of His shed blood. The command serves as a powerful reminder of God's ownership of life and the cost of sin.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Deuteronomy 12:23, with its emphatic declaration that "the blood is the life," finds its ultimate and most profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament prohibition against consuming blood, and the subsequent use of blood in the sacrificial system for atonement, consistently pointed forward to the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!. The physical blood of animals, representing their finite life, could only temporarily cover sins; it could not truly take them away or provide eternal cleansing. It was, as Hebrews 9:22 states, "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." This profound foreshadowing culminates in the New Covenant, where Jesus Christ, through the shedding of His own precious blood on the cross, offered His perfect, sinless life as the ultimate and complete atonement for humanity's sin. His blood does not merely cover sin; it washes it away, providing complete redemption, reconciliation with God (Ephesians 1:7), and eternal life (1 Peter 1:18-19). Thus, the prohibition in Deuteronomy, by sanctifying life in the blood, prepares the way for understanding how Christ's shed life-blood not only redeems us from the curse and penalty of sin but also grants us new, abundant, and eternal life in Him, transforming death into life for all who believe (John 6:53-56; Revelation 1:5). The sacredness of blood in the Old Testament finds its glorious and life-giving reality in the blood of Christ.