“If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood.” (Leviticus 17:10-12)

“The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head.” (Numbers 1:1-2)

Following up from yesterday’s post, we see that there was something keeping Moses out of the direct presence of God – sin. Moses was not able to come into the tent of meeting because His sins were not atoned for. However, by the time we get to the beginning of Numbers (see above), that problem has been dealt with and God speaks to Moses inside the tent of meeting. This is a key development, and the fact that these verses surround the book of Leviticus tells us the book contains a key understanding to the ability to be in the presence of God.

Leviticus foreshadows Jesus on Calvary. During this book, God sets up the rules for the day of atonement (among other things) and how His people are to handle sins. Blood, which is the life of the animal, is required for the atonement sacrifice. Someone (or something) must die to pay for sins – it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. However, we know now (thanks again to hindsight) that animals’ blood does not work for humans. It has to be the blood of a human.

“For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ[a] came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.” (Hebrews 10:4-6)

Jesus, as the perfect God-man, is able to make the sacrifice because of His righteous life, but also because He is human – and as a human can be a representative for the human race. As the Old Testament shows us, atonement is necessary for direct access to God (Moses being a great example). But we know that the only acceptable sacrifice for our atonement was Jesus. He is truly our only way, our only truth, and our only life.