Holy Living: Sacrifices and Blood

17 1-7 God spoke to Moses: “Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the Israelites. Tell them, This is what God commands: Any and every man who slaughters an ox or lamb or goat inside or outside the camp instead of bringing it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to offer it to God in front of The Dwelling of God—that man is considered guilty of bloodshed; he has shed blood and must be cut off from his people. This is so the Israelites will bring to God the sacrifices that they’re in the habit of sacrificing out in the open fields. They must bring them to God and the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and sacrifice them as Peace-Offerings to God. The priest will splash the blood on the Altar of God at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and burn the fat as a pleasing fragrance to God. They must no longer offer their sacrifices to goat-demons—a kind of religious orgy. This is a perpetual decree down through the generations.

Read full chapter

Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox,[a] a lamb(A) or a goat(B) in the camp or outside of it instead of bringing it to the entrance to the tent of meeting(C) to present it as an offering to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord(D)—that person shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; they have shed blood and must be cut off from their people.(E) 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.(F)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 17:3 The Hebrew word can refer to either male or female.