There can be no real (and close) Communion with God (the Theme of the whole Book of Leviticus) … apart from blood sacrifice! Not in God’s Economy, anyway.

And the Book of Exodus certainly centers on that epochal “blood sacrifice” Event, the Passover!

Three steps were involved in the Process. Slaying the little lamb, applying the blood to the doorposts, and then eating its flesh!

The slaughter/bloodshed … picturing Jesus, the coming Lamb of God! (The Cross of Calvary)

The application … at the “gate/door” of each house … symbolizing believing faith in God’s Son as the Sacrifice, the Saviour!

The eating/internalization of the sacrifice … described in Exodus in amazing detail … indicating consecration as a result of one’s soul Salvation!

Wow!

And just so you know … this is the same process through which the Priests of the Old Testament were subjected, in order to serve in their high and holy Calling! Yes, in both Exodus 29 and Leviticus 8 all three steps are enumerated.

This suggests Israel as a “Priestly Nation!” As in Exodus 19:6 … “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.”

Wow!

God is obviously preparing Israel (mankind throughout Genesis having drifted further and further away from Divine Fellowship) to lead creation back to Himself!

Now let me show you one more “link” … Israel to worship/communion with God. As a “Priestly” People, Nation.

This idea/nexus centers on the Hebrew word “abad.” It can (and often does) mean “to serve as a slave.” Exodus 20:2 … “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage (abad).”

It also can (and often does) mean “to serve in an act of worship!” As in Psalm 100:2 … “Serve (abad) the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.”

Or Numbers 3:7, specifically regarding the Levites/Priests … “And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do (abad) the service (abad) of the tabernacle.” Twice in a single verse!

See?

Israel transformed (via the blood of the lamb) from being a slave to being a servant (priest) of God!

Wow!

It’s called Grace!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.