The blood of Jesus Christ was, without doubt, a very big emphasis in the Old Testament church.
Genesis 3:21: “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” Adam and Eve clothed themselves with fig leaves, but God shed the blood of an innocent animal to clothe them.
Exodus: 12:3, 13: “Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a house . . . and WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD, I WILL PASS OVER YOU, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”
Genesis 4:10: “And he said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.” Abel’s blood cried out for vengeance.
Hebrews 12:24: “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” The voice of Jesus’ blood speaks better things (mercy, forgiveness, salvation, deliverance, and healing) for all mankind.
When the children of Israel left Egypt, they had to take a lamb for every household. Every day in the life of the Old Testament church, there were two lambs killed, the morning and evening sacrifice (Exodus 29:38, 39).
For the dedication of Solomon’s temple, they killed 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep (1 Kings 8:63).
At Josiah’s Passover, he gave of his own substance 30,000 lambs and goats and 3,000 cattle; his princes gave 2,600 lambs and goats and 300 bullocks; and the Levite leaders gave 5,000 lambs and goats and 500 bulls (2 Chronicles 35:7-9). Wow, that’s 38,700 in all!
It was not the slain animals that God was impressed with, but rather the innocent blood. The inestimable value of all the blood of millions of sacrifices beginning with Abel to the patriarchs, to the sacrifice of the firstborn animal, to the dedications of the temples, as well as all the daily free will offerings, all pointed to the one great final sacrifice of absolute inestimable worth—the precious blood of God’s own son, Jesus Christ. He is the only One who takes away the sins of the whole world.
All these sacrifices and their blood pleaded day by day and year by year (as on the Day of Atonement) for mercy, favor, and forgiveness for all the sins of Israel (God’s chosen people).
How much more should we, every day, sing and shout the praises of Jesus’ blood that was so very much more effective and precious to cleanse the darkest stains of our sinful nature and give to us eternal salvation, mercy, and forgiveness?
The amazing truth is this: it took just one perfect and sinless sacrifice to take away sin and fulfil the rivers of blood that flowed from all the Old Testament altars.
If your church does not exalt and praise the precious blood of Jesus, you and your family can be deceived to build a Cain altar of your own works.
Make praising the blood of Jesus a strong part of your family worship time.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell