The Pouring out of Blood

16Then the anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull into the tent of meeting, 17and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD in front of the veil. 18And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is in the tent of meeting before the LORD, and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 19And all its fat he shall take from it and burn on the altar. Leviticus 4:16-19

These were the instructions that the LORD gave Moses regarding sin offerings. To atone for their sins, the Israelites had to kill animals, pouring out their blood and offering the rest of the carcass through complete destruction in fire. Listen to what Jesus told His disciples at the last supper:

27And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, 28for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26:27-28

In describing His impeding death, Jesus alluded to the sacrifice of animals. The difference was that Jesus' death eliminated the need for any further sacrifice. The Jews had to continually slaughter more animals to keep up the flow of redeeming blood. However, Jesus' blood flowed in His death and still flows today to atone for the sins of his elect. It is the perfect, eternal sacrifice. See what the author of Hebrews says:

13For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Hebrews 9:13-14

May we be eternally grateful for this!

"There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains."

William Cowper