All Sacrifice Belongs to Me
All slaughter must be brought to the tent entrance, not offered out in the open field to goat demons. Blood may never be eaten, because the life is in the blood — and our Father gave it on the altar to atone for their lives.
17 1Our Father spoke to Moses, saying:
2"Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all Israel, and tell them: This is what I have commanded: 3Any Israelite who slaughters an ox, lamb, or goat inside the camp, or outside the camp, 4and doesn't bring it to the tent of meeting's entrance to offer to me before my tabernacle—that man is guilty of bloodshed; he has shed blood and will be cut off from his people. 5So the Israelites will bring their sacrifices, now offered in the open field, to the priest at the tent of meeting's entrance, offering them as peace offerings to me. 6At the tent of meeting's entrance, the priest is to splash the blood on my altar and burn fat, a pleasing aroma to me. 7They must no longer sacrifice to the goat demons they prostitute themselves with. This is a lasting law for all their generations.
8"Tell them: Any Israelite, or foreigner living among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, 9and doesn't bring it to the meeting tent's entrance to offer to me—that man will be cut off from his people.
10"Any man of the house of Israel, or foreigner living among them, who eats any blood—I will set my face against that person and cut them off from their people. 11Blood is the flesh's life; I gave it to you on the altar to atone for your souls, for blood atones by the life. a a v11 Our Father himself gave the blood as the means of atonement — and the blood of every sacrifice pointed forward to the blood of Jesus, poured out to cover his children once for all. 12So I told Israel: None of you is to eat blood, nor any foreigner living among you.
13"Any Israelite or foreigner among them who hunts an edible animal or bird must pour out its blood and cover it with dust. 14Every creature's life is in its blood. So I told the Israelites: Eat no creature's blood, since its life is its blood—whoever eats it will be cut off.
15"Anyone, native or foreigner, who eats a carcass or an animal torn by beasts must wash his clothes, bathe in water, stay unclean until evening, then be clean. 16But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, he will bear his guilt."
