Eating Blood is Prohibited by God
1. Question: To whom did God initially prohibit the eating of blood?
Answer: 1.1 God initially prohibited Noah and his children to eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.
(Genesis 9:3-4, NIV) “Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. (Genesis 9:4) “But you (Noah and his children) must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.”
1.2 God also prohibited the descendants of Israel and those living with them to eat blood and any meat with blood still in it and anything they found already dead.
(Leviticus 3:17, NIV) “‘This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.’”
(Leviticus 7:26-27, NIV) And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal. (Leviticus 7:27) If anyone eats blood, that person must be cut off from his people.’”
(Leviticus 17:10, NIV) “Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood — I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people.
(Leviticus 17:12-14, NIV) Therefore I say to the Israelites, “None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood. (Leviticus 17:13) Any Israelite or any alien living among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, (Leviticus 17:14) because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.”
(Leviticus 19:26, NIV) “‘Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it".
(Deuteronomy 12:16, NIV) But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.
(Deuteronomy 12:23-25, NIV) But be sure you do not eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat. (Deuteronomy 12:24) You must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. (Deuteronomy 12:25) Do not eat it, so that it may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD.
(Deuteronomy 14:21, NIV) Do not eat anything you find already dead. You may give it to an alien living in any of your towns, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. But you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
(Deuteronomy 15:23, NIV) But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.
2. Question: Why is eating of blood forbidden?
Answer: 2.1 Eating of blood is forbidden because the life of a creature is in the blood.
(Leviticus 17:11, NIV) “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.”
(Leviticus 17:14, NIV) because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.”
(Deuteronomy 12:23-25, NIV) But be sure you do not eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat. (Deuteronomy 12:24) You must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. (Deuteronomy 12:25) Do not eat it, so that it may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD.
2.2 Eating of blood is forbidden because the blood is given or offered to the altar for the forgiveness of sins under the old covenant.
(Exodus 30:10, NIV) Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the LORD.”
(Leviticus 16:27, NIV) The bull and the goat for the sin offerings, whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp; their hides, flesh and offal are to be burned up.
(II Chronicles 29:24, NIV) The priests then slaughtered the goats and presented their blood on the altar for a sin offering to atone for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.
3. Question: Is eating of blood also prohibited among Gentiles?
Answer: Eating of blood is also prohibited among Gentiles.
(Acts 15:20, NIV) “Instead we should write to them {Gentiles}, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.”
(Acts 15:29, NIV) “You {Gentiles} are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.”
(Acts 21:25, NIV) “As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”
Summary:
God initially prohibited Noah and his children to eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it (Genesis 9:3-4), then later, the descendants of Israel including those living with them were told not to eat blood and any meat with blood still in it and anything they found already dead (Leviticus 3:17; 7:26-27; 17:10, 12-14; 19:26; Deuteronomy 12:16, 23-25; 14:21; 15:23). This was the lasting ordinance for the descendants of Israel for the generations to come.
Eating of blood is forbidden because the life of every creature is in its blood and this is right in the eyes of the Lord if we do not eat blood (Leviticus 17:11,14; Deuteronomy 12:23-25). Further, it is also offered to the altar for the forgiveness of sins under the old covenant (Exodus 30:10; Leviticus 16:27; II Chronicles 29:24). We must not eat blood, instead, drain it out and cover it with earth (Leviticus 17:13) or pour it out on the ground like water (Deuteronomy 12:16, 24; 15:23), whichever is more applicable.
Eating of blood is also prohibited among Gentiles. The apostles of Jesus Christ also advised the members of the church to refrain from the things that are offered to idols, adultery, and meat of the strangled animals and blood (Acts 15:20, 29; 21:25).
In the same way that blood of animals were used as sin offering under the old covenant (Hebrews 13:11-12),* through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect (I Peter 1:18-19)*, was poured for the forgiveness of sins under the new covenant (Matthew 26:27-28; Mark 14:23-24; Luke 22:20; I Corinthians 11:24-25)*. It is important to know and The True Meaning according to the Holy Scriptures!
*Related Verses:
Hebrews 13:11-12, NIV - The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.
I Peter 1:18-19, NIV - For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
Matthew 26:27-28, NIV - Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. (Matthew 26:28) This is my blood of the [Some manuscripts: the new] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.“
Mark 14:23-24, NIV - Then he {Jesus Christ} took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. (Mark 14:24) “This is my blood of the [Some manuscripts: the new] covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them.
Luke 22:20, NIV - In the same way, after the supper he {Jesus Christ} took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
I Corinthians 11:24-25, NIV - and when he {Jesus Christ} had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” (I Corinthians 11:25) In the same way, after supper he {Jesus Christ} took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
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