Are Christians Allowed to Eat Blood?

Today’s passage is Leviticus 7:22-38. With a humble heart, see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 7:22-27 (NIV)
²²  The LORD said to Moses,
²³  “Say to the Israelites: ‘Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats.
²⁴  The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it.
²⁵  Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which an offering by fire may be made to the LORD must be cut off from his people.
²⁶  And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal.
²⁷  If anyone eats blood, that person must be cut off from his people.'”

On verses 22-27:  Even as I am writing this I am eating a leftover steak with an obvious layer of fat on it. The day before, I was eating this same steak (medium rare) and there was blood on the steak.  How can I eat like this when Leviticus 7:23 says “Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats” and Leviticus 7:26 says “And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal”?  It’s because the dietary regulations of Leviticus have been replaced by a new paradigm in the New Testament, where Jesus declares all foods clean (Mark 7:19) and Christians are not bound by the dietary regulations of the Old Testament (Acts 10:9-15).  Thank God for that because I really like steak!

Leviticus 7:28-30 (NIV)
²⁸  The LORD said to Moses,
²⁹  “Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who brings a fellowship offering to the LORD is to bring part of it as his sacrifice to the LORD.
³⁰  With his own hands he is to bring the offering made to the LORD by fire; he is to bring the fat, together with the breast, and wave the breast before the LORD as a wave offering.

On verses 28-30:  The fact that God required every Israelite – not just the priests, but all the Israelites – to bring their fellowship to the Lord “with his own hands” (v30) and the fact that they were to bring the fat and “wave the breast before the Lord as a wave offering” (v30) tells me something: God made worship to be a participation sport, not a spectator sport.  God made you to participate in His worship, and not just watch others engage in it.  Don’t just stand there and watch others worship.  Participate in giving God the worship He is due.

Leviticus 7:31-38 (NIV)
³¹  The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons.
³²  You are to give the right thigh of your fellowship offerings to the priest as a contribution.
³³  The son of Aaron who offers the blood and the fat of the fellowship offering shall have the right thigh as his share.
³⁴  From the fellowship offerings of the Israelites, I have taken the breast that is waved and the thigh that is presented and have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons as their regular share from the Israelites.'”
³⁵  This is the portion of the offerings made to the LORD by fire that were allotted to Aaron and his sons on the day they were presented to serve the LORD as priests.
³⁶  On the day they were anointed, the LORD commanded that the Israelites give this to them as their regular share for the generations to come.
³⁷  These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering and the fellowship offering,
³⁸  which the LORD gave Moses on Mount Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the LORD, in the Desert of Sinai.

On verses 31-38:  Yet again in verses 31-36 we see God going out of His way to make sure that the priests who dedicate their working lives to serving God and God’s people are well provided for through the offerings of the people.  Likewise, every church community has a responsibility to make sure that those who dedicate their working lives to serving God and the church are well provided for through the offerings of the people.  May you fulfill that responsibility well in your church community by doing your part to give your faithful tithes and generous offerings, for those who work in the church are providing an indispensable and incredibly valuable service.

Father, thank You for declaring all foods to be clean for us to eat.  Thank You for desiring our participation in Your worship.  And thank You for having a heart to provide well for those who dedicate their working lives to serving You and Your church.  May they be well provided for because that is Your heart.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!