Page 237 - Sons and Daughters of God (1955)

We are Cleansed by Christ’s Blood, August 6
The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1
John 1:7.
Some speak of the Jewish age as a Christless period, without mercy
or grace. To such are applicable the words of Christ to the Sadducees,
“Ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God.” The period of the
Jewish economy was one of wonderful manifestations of divine power.
So glorious was the revealing of His presence that it could not be borne
by mortal man. Moses, who was so highly favored of God, exclaimed,
“I do exceedingly fear and quake.” But God strengthened him to endure
this excellent glory, and to bring from the mount a reflection of it upon his
face so that the people could not look steadfastly upon it....
The very system of sacrifices was devised by Christ, and given to Adam
as typifying a Saviour to come, who would bear the sins of the world, and
die for its redemption. Through Moses, Christ gave definite directions to
the children of Israel in regard to the sacrificial offerings.... Only clean and
precious animals, those which would best symbolize Christ, were accepted
as offerings to God....
The Israelites were forbidden to eat the fat or the blood.... This law
not only related to beasts for sacrifice, but to all cattle which were used for
food. This law was to impress upon them the important fact that if there
had been no sin there would have been no shedding of blood....
The blood of the Son of God was symbolized by the blood of the slain
victim, and God would have clear and definite ideas preserved between
the sacred and the common. Blood was sacred, inasmuch as through the
shedding of the blood of the Son of God alone could there be atonement
for sin. Blood was also used to cleanse the sanctuary from the sins of the
people, thus typifying the blood of Christ which alone can cleanse from
sin.14 [226]
14The Signs of the Times , July 15, 1880.
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