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  • From: ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk (Ben Crick)
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Exodus 24.8
  • Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 13:33:09 +0100


On Wed 26 Jul 2000 (19:53:12), peterg45 AT excite.com wrote:
> Does anyone know of a thorough exposition of Exodus 24.8, especially
> relating to "the blood of the covenant"?

Dear Gordon,

Hmmmmm. There is an article on this in the /Authorised Daily Prayer Book/,
Centenary Edition, 1990, with an essay on the Blood of the Covenant entitled
"Some thoughts on animal sacrifices in Judaism" by the late Chief Rabbi,
Lord Immanuel Jakobovitz (pages 897ff). There you will find a Jewish view.

For a Christian view, you could start with Hebrews 9:1-22 and 13:20, and 1
Peter 1:2. The blood is the Life; and the blood poured out is the Life
poured out in death (Leviticus 17:11). When Adam and Eve transgressed in the
garden, God slew two lambs to make them garments of skins to cover their
sins. Cain and Abel could only be reconciled to God through the shedding of
blood. When God "cut a Covenant" with Abraham, it involved literally cutting
the sacrificial animals in half (Genesis 15:10). When God made the Passover
Covenant with Moses, the number of lambs slain was directly proportional to
the numbers of worshippers eating. The blood had to be sprinkled or daubed
upon the doorposts and lintels, and when God saw the blood, he "passed over"
or skipped over (PiSSaC) them. Christ is "our Passover" (1 Corinthians 5:7).
John's Gospel portrays Christ as the "Lamb of God" (John 1:29) "lifted up"
(3:14) and slain even as the Passover lambs were being slain (19:14).

The "Blood of the Covenant" from a Christian point of view is the rationale
for the Wine at the Holy Eucharist. The wine at Holy Communion is not the
actual Blood of Christ, but represents it. Catholics and Protestants part
company over the precise extent of this; but that's the basis of it.

In the context of Exodus 24, the "blood" is the blood of the oxen sacrificed
in verse 5 as "burnt offerings" and "peace offerings". The laws for these
categories are in Leviticus 1, 2 and 3. But Moses calls *this blood* the
Blood
of the Covenant HiNNeH DaM-HaBBeRiYT. The Covenant of Moses is the Passover;
so here perhaps we have *representative blood* representing the Blood of the
Covenant of Sinai. It is not the Passover Blood; but is represents it IMO.
The
people have just reiterated their acceptance of the /Book of the Covenant/,
thought to be enshrined in Exodus 20:23 thru 23:33 (verse 3). So the Blood is
the divine provision of a Remedy for those who have broken the laws in the
Book of the Covenant, which they unanimously and freely accepted and bound
themselves to fulfil. The spilt blood of the sacrificial victims is behind
the
Covenant slogan "The LORD do so to me and more also, if I break this
Covenant..." (Ruth 1:17; 1 Kings 2:23) and the Covenant watchword, MaH LiY
WaLaK, "what (is between) me and thee?" (1 Kings 17:18; 2 Chronicles 35:21;
Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28; John 2:4).

There are numerous commentaries on Exodus and Leviticus which you may
consult.
Kevin W. Woodruff will doubtless provide you with a select bibliography
(Kevin?). You may find those by Dr Gordon J Wenham (Eerdmans) excellent for
starters. Readable and not too long!

Shalom
Ben
--
Revd Ben Crick, BA CF
<ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk>
232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm







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