Amongst other books, I am reading through Andrew Murray's classic 'The power of the blood of Christ'. This is a short book but packed with wisdom from Murray.
Chapter 1, takes a fast walk through the whole bible on significance of the blood. The main theme of this chapter is to give
a biblical overview of 'Not without Blood' (Heb 9:7,18). It is Murray' objective to demonstrate what the scriptures teach “concerning the Glorious Power of the Blood of Christ, and the wonderful blessings it has procured for us by it.” He will progressively show that the one and same blood, is the power of redemption.
Chapter 1 is split into small sections. Blood -
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In the Old Testament
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In the teaching of our Lord Jesus Himself
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In what the Apostles say
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In what the Apostle John tells us in Revelation
1_In the Old Testament
We are taken straight outside the gates of Eden. Hardly had these gates been firmly shut that we see the connection of sacrifice with Able. Heb 11:4 tells us that it was by faith Able sacrificed. “his faith and God's good pleasure in him are closely linked with sacrificial blood.”
Murrays states:
“In Light of later revelation, this testimony, given at the very beginning of human history, is of deep significance. It shows that there can be no approach to God; no fellowship with Him by faith; no enjoyment of His favour, apart from THE BLOOD”!
Next we can see that through the flood (God's judgement on sin), that God brought forth a “new earth from that awful baptism of water”. Murray points to the fact that the new earth must also be baptised by Blood. 'As with Abel, so also with Noah at a new beginning' it was “Not without BLOOD.”
As we move onto Abraham and God establishing His kingdom on earth, we see that this is not 'without Blood'. Abraham was already in a covenant relationship with God. However, “ the son (Isaac) of promise” (who was wholly God's), can only be surrendered to God by death. To be truly God's Isaac had to die as Murray also states – “For Abraham, as well as for Isaac, only by death could freedom from the self life be obtained.” Isaac's life was spared and a ram was sacrificed in his place (a substitute). Through the blood of that sacrifice his own life was spared.
“He [Isaac] and the people that sprang from him, live before God 'NOT WITHOUT BLOOD.' By that blood, however, he was in a figure raised from the dead.” Murray points out that here we have a great lesson on substitution.
Even the release from Egyptian bondage some 400 years later, the Israelite's was to be recognised as God's 'first born' among nations. But as Murray's catch phrase says again “NOT WITHOUT BLOOD.”
Murray,
What blood accomplished on Mount Moriah [Abraham and Isaac] for one person, who was the father of the nation, must now experience by that nation.” what Murray is saying, is that, the nation of Israel can only experience life by death, and that by a substitute, hence the lamb, and the sprinkling of blood on their doorways. It was this, in Murrays words that “ instituted the Passover with the words- 'When I see BLOOD I will pass over you.”
This was more so at Mt Sinai, the law given was the 'Foundation of His covenant' (For more on covenant see M.Horton, Introduction to covenant theology). That covenant must now be established but as it is expressly stated in Hebrews 9:7, 'NOT WITHOUT BLOOD'. Now the people had the blood sprinkled over them. This is the declaration “This is the BLOOD of the covenant” (Exodus 24).
We can see where Murray is taking us, there are differences between the sacrifices of of Abel, of the ram on Mt Moriah, to the painting of the blood on door posts of homes then at Sinai, it was sprinkled on the persons themselves. “The contact was closer, the application more powerful”!
We can see that the the blood of a substitute is essential to approach and to have fellowship with God. From Abel to the Temple we can see in the Old Testament that a substitute had to die, blood had to be shed. For sin had such a grip that it led to death.
Next Murray takes us to “what our Lord Jesus Himself taught about 'THE BLOOD'.”
I go on night shift now, but hope to have the next part up soon.
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