Drinking Life – gives a new meaning to “reborn”
I was reading through Deuteronomy last week and came across something that made me stop cold. Since then I have told several people about it and every time I do I get chills. I am continually amazed at how the Old Testament sets up and frames the New Testament, and, how you have to view the Old Testament through the lens of the New, and the New Testament through the lens of the Old. Amazing!
So, the text that has really captured me is Deuteronomy 12:22-23 which says,
Just as the gazelle or the deer is eaten, so you may eat of it. The unclean and the clean alike may eat of it. Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.
Did you catch that? It says for the blood is the life. When I read that several things hit me. First was that Jesus’ Disciples would have been intimately familiar with this passage, its meaning and its application to their life. The second (this is where I get chills) is realizing the power of Jesus’ statement at the Last Supper, “and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:27-28). HE TOLD THEM TO DRINK HIS BLOOD! Metaphorically of course, but imagine!
For thousands of years the Hebrews had been commanded not to drink the blood of anything because it was that animal’s life. And now, in a moment of eternal significance, Jesus looks at His closest followers and dear friends and essentially says, “its time to break tradition, you must consume my life as it is given as an offering for you.” Astounding!
When I look at this critical New Testament event through the lens of Deuteronomy it gives a whole new meaning to the idea of being born again. Because as we accept the sacrifice of Jesus and embrace Him as our God, we are spiritually drinking in His life, and His life is being re-birthed in us. We are born again as spiritually new beings, containing the very life of Jesus Christ! Unbelievable!
Note: Now, I’m not saying that I’m an Old Testament Scholar, so if you have any thoughts please share them. This is just the observation of a humble learner, trying to better connect with Jesus through reconnecting with my spiritual (Hebrew) heritage.
August 13th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
“The unclean and the clean alike may eat of it.”
When Yeshua went into the temple, the week of Passover (the second time) and turned over the tables of the money changers he said the following:
“It is written,” he said to them, ” ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’”
The first thing that Yeshua quoted was Isaiah 56:7:
7) these I will bring to my holy mountain
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.”
You notice the last line, “for all nations.”
So in Deuteronomy 12, is “the unclean and clean alike” foreshadowing the removal of the law? I don’t think it is foreshadowing it here, but the time came where the Jews and the Gentiles (Gentiles = all nations) both received the blood that gives us everlasting life.
BTW, Orthodox Jews still will get all of the blood out of an animal before eating it. In Lev. 7:26-27 and Lev. 17:10-14 it states that you are to not eat meat with any blood.