By Don R. Richards, published in The Banner of Love, May 2003
In
the 17th Chapter of Leviticus the Lord directs Moses to instruct
the priests regarding any practice of religious-type sacrifice outside the
tabernacle and outside the intended purpose instructed by God.
It
appears from reading the verses that the Lord was forbidding what we numerous
times refer today as cult worship. There
are prohibitions regarding the killing of animals, eating of the meat or
consumption of the blood.
In
providing the instructions to Moses for his brother Aaron and the others of
Aaron’s son in the priesthood, the Lord forbid the killing of animals
outside the tabernacle without bringing the animal into the tabernacle as a
part of the religious sacrifice for an offering to the Lord.
It is especially noteworthy as to the specific significance regarding
the Lord’s denial of any use of the animals blood other than used to
sprinkle on the altar as a part of the sacrificial service.
The
Lord begins His instruction immediately at the start of Chapter 17, and the
entire relatively short chapter, 16 verses, describes the prohibition and the
consequences of its violation.
“What
man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or
goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, And bringeth it not
unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto
the Lord; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood;; and that
man shall be cut off from among his people.”
Lev. 17:3-4.
The
Lord reinforces His instructions regarding such animal sacrifices in the
tabernacle, the sprinkling of blood on the altar and the burning of the fat
for a sweet savor unto the Lord; but then in very clear terms the Lord
prohibits cult worship:
“And
they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have
gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their
generations.” Lev. 17:7. The
penalty for such prohibited activity was to be cut off from the Lord’s
people.
It
is clear the Lord intended to stop apparently an observed practice of devil or
cult worship. Historians
tell us that many people in Egypt at that time
had practiced religious cult-type of activities regarding goat-killing
and worship. The
Israelites, having just exited Egypt, may have carried some of this practice
with them.
Beginning
with the 10th verse, the Lord prohibits the consumption of animal
blood. He also provides the
important significance of blood in connection with the atonement of souls, and the connection between the blood and life.
“And
whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that
sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face
against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his
people.” Lev. 17:10.
“For
the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the
altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an
atonement for the soul.” “Therefore
I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither
shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood."
Lev. 17:11-12.
The
Lord further instructs regarding the killing and eating of animals or fowls in
the field, that the blood of the animal be drained and the blood buried in the
earth before the meat is eaten. The
Lord instructs as to the special importance of the blood of any living animal,
that the blood is the “life of all flesh” and therefore the eating of the
blood is strictly forbidden. Lev.
17:13-16.
These prohibitions, plus others regarding idolatry, would eliminate most of the cult-type practices we know of in today’s under-world of satanic sacrifices, blood-related cultism, and Satan-based religious worship services.
Next: Nepotism-related immorality