L7-5: Blood was, and remains, the only means of atonement God will accept

Adonai said to Moshe, “Say to the people of Isra’el, ‘You are not to eat the fat of bulls, sheep or goats. The fat of animals that die of themselves or are killed by wild animals may be used for any other purpose, but under no circumstances are you to eat it. For whoever eats the fat of animals of the kind used in presenting an offering made by fire to Adonai will be cut off from his people. You are not to eat any kind of blood, whether from birds or animals, in any of your homes. Whoever eats any blood will be cut off from his people.”-Leviticus 7:22-26

We are given the instruction that no Israelite is to eat the fat of cattle, sheep or goats.

Recall that there are two different Hebrew words to describe animal fat.

They are HELEV and SHUMAN.

HELEV, which is the type of fat being referred to in verse 23, was specifically the fat that covered some of the internal organs. 

This was the kind of fat that was used for the sacrificial offerings to be burned up on the Brazen Altar and it was this kind of fat that was prohibited from being eaten.

Both the common worshipper and the priest were forbidden from eating this type of fat and even after Israel was settled in the land and animals were killed purely for food the prohibition against HELEV remained.

On the other hand, SHUMAN which was the ordinary fat located right under the skin or hide of an animal, was okay to eat.

This is the mouth-watering visible fat you can see when looking at a cut of meat.

So enjoy your juicy T-bone steaks.

Next, verse 26 lays down probably one of the most important commandments of them all: the prohibition against eating blood.

The blood drained from the meat could not be used for food, as a food ingredient, or drunk.

Interestingly, many cultures outside of the Western world today do drink animal blood as a common dietary practice.

After the meat was drained of its blood, it was covered in salt which served as an absorbent that removed any remaining blood left on the meat.

The bloody salt was then thrown out on the streets where its toxic effects prevented vegetation from growing.

This served to keep the pathways and roads clear for travel.

Recall Yeshua’s admonition that “if salt loses its saltiness, it is good for nothing but to be trampled on by the feet of men”.

Now there is one main reason why the human consumption of blood was absolutely off limits.

It is because the Lord has set aside blood as the one and only acceptable means for atonement.

Blood can be used for no other purpose but for sin atonement.

I know this butts heads with some of what modern Judaism teaches, nevertheless the Torah is explicitly clear on this point.

YHVH, the Creator of the Universe, has ordained that blood is the ONE AND ONLY ACCEPTABLE MEANS OF ATONEMENT.

And of course, this did not change with the advent of Yeshua.

Yeshua transformed the Levitical sacrificial system.

Upon Yeshua’s death and resurrection, God ordained that Yeshua’s perfect blood would from that point on be the only acceptable means of atonement.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“Indeed, without the shedding of blood
there is no forgiveness of sins.“
-Hebrews 9:22