Pleasing God
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I have a longing to please my Heavenly Father, and it’s not because He demands it or I’m trying to earn His favor. I just love Him with increasing love, and want to delight His Heart by pleasing Him.
Recently I realized in a fresh way, the importance of “the blood theme” throughout scripture. And as I’ve studied and considered . . . I could sense the pleasure that it brought to God’s heart.
Perhaps you’d like to share this THANKFULNESS JOURNEY with me during these days before we celebrate what Jesus did for us on The Cross. So I offer the following Blood Reflections for your Easter worship and praise:
From the closing of the gates of Eden (Genesis) to the opening of the door of Heaven (Revelation) it’s all about The Blood. Like a scarlet thread running through the Bible, blood sacrifices occupy a prominent place in scripture. If we don’t pay attention, we’ll miss something important!
After sin entered the world and Eden’s gates closed, Abel brought the first sacrifice which included the shedding of blood. (Hebrews 11:4)
NO RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD
1600 years pass, then came the flood. Once again God pronounced His judgment on sin with the destruction of mankind. The first recorded act of Noah after he stepped off that boat was the offering of a burnt sacrifice. This signified a new beginning. (Genesis 8:20)
NO RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD
God’s divine command to Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac, was the revelation of Divine Truth, that only through death can a life be truly consecrated to God. Since Isaac could not be resurrected because death would “hold him down”, God substituted a ram in his place. Here we find the great lesson of substitution, giving us the picture of what Jesus did for us on the Cross. (Genesis 22:1-19)
NO RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD
400 years pass and Isaac’s descendants are the Israelites in Egypt. By the sprinkling of the Blood on the doorframes of their houses, the angel passed over their families, sparing them from death. Only because of the Blood were they allowed to live. (Exodus 12:12-13)
NO RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD
50 days later at Mt. Sinai, God laid the foundation for His Covenant by the giving of the Ten Commandments. The Law, The Altar, and The People were all sprinkled with the Blood. (Hebrews 9:18-22)
NO RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD
Immediately afterward God commanded that a sanctuary be built, so He could dwell among His people. The Blood was central throughout. (Exodus 25:8)
Looking deeper I find that the Blood was needful for everything – the birth of a child, the consecration of a house, and the penitence for sin. The FB status of the Hebrew of the day might have read . . . TODAY MY FAMILY IS CLEANSED AND MADE RIGHT THROUGH THE BLOOD!
NO RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD
Then came Jesus, and John recognized the significance of His coming . . . Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)
The significance of all of this? It celebrates the Life and Mission of Jesus The Christ!
Old Testament – New Testament – Throughout Eternity!
Everything the Old Testament teaches about Blood and Sacrifice had to be fulfilled before the Once For All Sacrifice of Jesus took place. Then followed the Indwelling of His Spirit within all Believers.
Oh my, The Blood of Jesus is the deepest mystery of Divine Wisdom! We don’t grasp it all at once. In fact, we’ll never fully get it (I’m convinced) during our earthly living. After all, God took 4,000 years preparing man with this sacrificial system before the birth of Jesus.
But, we CAN live a life of gratitude without fully grasping this Mystery. Taking the time and trouble to “pay attention to The Blood” will lead us to deeper thankfulness for all He’s done without understanding the spiritual nuts and bolts of it all.
Yep, my theological understanding of The Blood and The Cross are pretty limited, I freely admit. But my thankfulness is growing daily . . . and I know that pleases my Heavenly Daddy!
