Abel, Noah, and Abraham all learnt that the way to approach God and to have their sins forgiven is through the shedding of blood of an innocent animal. However, hundreds of years later, the people of Israel, who found themselves as slaves in Egypt, were ignorant about sin and its penalty. To teach the nation, the law was given to them as a school master to show them that the law cannot make them righteous before God.
The Israelites didn’t know God or His holiness, or what sin was until the law was given to them, but upon hearing their cry, God remembered His covenant with them, and raised up Moses to deliver them.
Exodus 12:13 (NKJV) Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
God had to allow the firstborns of the Egyptians to die as Pharoah had hardened his heart against releasing the people of Israel. However, God was gracious to the Israelites because of His covenant with them. Nonetheless, blood still needed to be shed. To differentiate between the Israelites and the Egyptians, every Israelite household was asked to apply the blood of the paschal lamb on the doorpost of their house, because an unblemished lamb had to take the place of the Israelite family’s firstborn. God fulfilling His promise “when I see the blood, I will pass over you” was a lesson for the people of Israel that life can only be obtained by the death of a substitute.
God continued to teach His people this important lesson after the law was given to them as the foundation of the Mosaic covenant. While in Egypt, the blood was applied on the doorposts, in Sinai, the blood was sprinkled on the people.
Exodus 24:5-8 (NKJV) Then he sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.” And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words.”
The lesson for the Israelites—and for us today—is that without blood, there can be no access by sinful men to a holy God. Praise be to God that Jesus, the Messiah—the promised One through the Abrahamic covenant—finished the work on the cross. He was made sin for us and gave us His righteousness. The New Covenant has done away with all dead works such as sacrifices, rituals, and offerings by the priest. We are saved entirely by the grace of God, not by works, so that nobody can boast.
Sermon Series: The Power of the Blood (Part 1)
重要的一课
亚伯、挪亚和亚伯拉罕都知道，要接近神并使他们的罪得赦免的方法就是通过献上无辜动物的血。然而，数百年后，以色列人发现自己在埃及成为奴隶，对罪及其惩罚一无所知。为了教导这个民族，神赐律法给他们作师傅，叫他们知道律法不能使他们在神面前称义。
在律法赐给他们之前，以色列人不认识神或祂的圣洁，也不知道什么是罪，但是当神听到他们的呼求时，神记念与他们所立的约，并兴起摩西来拯救他们。
出埃及记12:13这血要在你们所住的房屋上作记号，我一见这血，就越过你们去。我击杀埃及地头生的时候，灾殃必不临到你们身上灭你们。
由于法老硬着心不释放以色列人，神不得不让埃及人的长子死去。然而，神因着与以色列人所立的约，就施恩与他们。尽管如此，仍然需要流血。为了区分以色列人和埃及人，每个以色列家庭都被要求将逾越节羔羊的血涂在自家的门框上，因为无瑕疵的羔羊要代替以色列家的长子。神履行祂的应许“我一见这血，就越过你们去”，这给以色列人上了一课：只有通过替代者的死才能获得生命。
在神把律法作为摩西之约的基础赐给祂的百姓之后，神继续教导他们这个重要的功课。在埃及，血要涂在门柱上；在西奈，血要洒在人身上。
出埃及记24:5-8又打发以色列人中的少年人去献燔祭，又向耶和华献牛为平安祭。摩西将血一半盛在盆中，一半洒在坛上，又将约书念给百姓听。他们说，耶和华所吩咐的，我们都必遵行。摩西将血洒在百姓身上，说，你看，这是立约的血，是耶和华按这一切话与你们立约的凭据。
给以色列人和今天的我们的教导是，没有血，有罪的人就无法接近圣洁的神。感谢神，弥赛亚耶稣——就是亚伯拉罕之约所应许的那一位——已经在十字架上完成了这工作。祂为我们成为有罪的，并将祂的义赐给我们。新约废除了一切死行，例如祭司的献祭、仪式和供物。我们得救完全是本乎神的恩，不是出于行为，免得有人自夸。
讲章系列：宝血的力量
Image Source：pixabay.com