Chapter 17
Do you remember any childhood prayers? I do. When I was very young — back when my dad and stepmother were still walking with Christ — they taught us how to say grace before meals:
“God is good, God is great. Let us thank Him for our food — Amen.”
That simple prayer came to mind as I read Leviticus 17. I still say grace before meals, but this chapter and that childhood memory helped me rediscover the “why” behind it. Sometimes, it’s the little things that spark a quiet revival in your heart — and you never know when or where that might happen.
Many have misunderstood and misapplied the meaning of these verses in Leviticus. Some religious traditions have even built doctrines — like forbidding blood transfusions — based solely on them. But reducing these verses to rigid laws misses the deeper truth God was revealing.
These verses weren’t about legalism. They were about reverence. Blood is sacred because life is in the blood. That’s not just biology — it’s theology.
And it points directly to Jesus. The blood He shed on the cross wasn’t symbolic. It was real, it was brutal, and it was necessary. Life was given — His life — and through it, eternal life is offered to us. The sacrifices in Leviticus were shadows. Jesus was the substance.
This chapter also reminds us how serious it is to take life — whether human or animal. God is the Author of life. Every drop of blood spilled — whether in violence or in provision — matters to Him. Blood is never casual.
So even something as routine as saying grace takes on a deeper meaning. Every meal is a small reminder: something gave its life so we could be nourished. And greater still — Jesus gave His life so we could be redeemed.
Let that truth create gratitude. Let it remind you that the cross wasn’t clean or poetic — it was bloody. And it was personal. It was done for you.
Eating Blood Forbidden
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘This is what the LORD has commanded: 3 Any Israelite who sacrifices [literally as an act of worship or devotion, not just for a general meal.] an ox, a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it 4 instead of bringing it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to the LORD in front of the tabernacle of the LORD–that person shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; they have shed blood and must be cut off from their people. [God wanted people to come to Him in His presence, a central place, not a bunch of Lone Rangers doing their own thing. During this time, God was central. He wanted them to come to Him specifically. It was also directly contrary to how the pagans worshiped, in their own house to their own god. God wanted to build corporate worship. Consider this when you feel like just living for God on your own, and not joining a local Bible Believing Church. Ask yourself why you think and feel you don’t need anyone. Is it pride? Stubbornness? Unfriendliness? Traits that are not given to us by God, but self-serving? There is a big difference between, “I can’t fellowship with others.” verses “I don’t want to fellowship with others.”] 5 This is so the Israelites will bring to the LORD the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the LORD, at the entrance to the tent of meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings. 6 The priest is to splash the blood against the altar of the LORD at the entrance to the tent of meeting and burn the fat as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. 7 They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols [also translated as demons, or hairy ones] to whom they prostitute themselves. [Pagan worship was part of the Egyptian culture Israel left and many may still participated. God wants our devotion. He will not share it with anyone or anything.] This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come.’
8 “Say to them: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice 9 and does not bring it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to sacrifice it to the LORD must be cut off from the people of Israel.
10 ” ‘I will set my face against any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who eats [consumes, feeds on, devours, ingests] blood, and I will cut them off from the people. 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make [for the purpose] atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. 12 Therefore I say to the Israelites, “None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner residing among you eat blood.” [Pagan religions taught consuming blood was consuming the power behind the blood.]
13 ” ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, 14 because the life of every creature is its blood. [It was a type of burial and honoring of the animal. Giving the life back to God, in the ground, where all things began.] That is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.”
15 ” ‘Anyone, whether native-born or foreigner, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then they will be clean. 16 But if they do not wash their clothes and bathe themselves, they will be held responsible.’ “
