I wasn’t surprised, then, when we saw a shooting on a TV drama from almost fifty years ago. The victim was shot twice as he dove into a swimming pool. When the police arrived, the body was at the bottom of the pool with a very noticeable detail missing: blood. Can you imagine such a thing in today’s world of showing virtually anything and everything on screen in graphic detail? If that scene were shot today, the victim would have bled out and the pool water would be a sickening crimson.
That scene reminded me of stories I used to hear about violent crimes committed by people who were shocked at how bloody and messy they ended up. Think about it; they might have been angry enough to shoot or stab someone, but they just didn’t imagine all the blood that would flow.
I have heard stories about soldiers that were gung ho about going into combat. They had no idea that they would end up in shock over the horror of just how bad and bloody war actually was.
I bring this up today because I frequently hear people express their dismay at just how bloody the Bible is; especially the Old Testament. "King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. And so the king and all the people dedicated the Temple of God." (2 Chronicles 7:5 New Living Translation) Imagine what THAT looked like! Have you ever driven by a slaughterhouse and smelled the odor that comes from there? I can recall times growing up when my dad would kill one of our fully-grown calves to provide meat for our family. The sight of all that blood would sicken me for the next few days. 22,000 cattle? 120,000 sheep and goats? What must that have been like?
You probably know that “blood work” is a big part of the Bible. To miss it is to ignore a critical element of faith. That’s why it’s the topic of this week’s “Why Bother?” installment. Believe me, blood matters and I can’t wait for you to hear about it…this weekend at Stone Ridge Church. Can’t be there in person? Catch the podcast!
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