“Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.”

The evidence of the importance of blood is everywhere in the establishment of the covenant with Moses. Blood was used as the cleansing agent for all things related to the tabernacle and thus the forgiveness of the people. This means that death was necessary for the ratification of the old and therefore the new covenants.

The Day of Atonement certainly brought the use of death and blood to the forefront. A quick look at the first few chapters of Leviticus would quickly bring that into focus. The writer is using what they know about the first covenant to explain how the second covenant came into being. It could not have done so without the shedding of blood and the death of the sacrifice. Jesus would be both priest and sacrifice.

Task for Today: We do not see the death of animals as they did in Biblical times and do not associate blood in the same way that they did. Animals were used instead of humans for the giving of life under the old. You don’t have to die because another human died for you. Thank God for giving His Son in your place. Reread the story of Abraham and Isaac. It’s your story as well.