Read the whole Bible in one year

February 5 to 11, 2011 -- Week # 6 -- “BLOOD”

This week's Reading: 

Old Testament:  Exodus 21:22-33:23
New Testament:  Matthew 24:1-27:14

Psalms:  Psalm 29:1-33:11

Proverbs:  Proverbs 7:6-8:36

Exodus 29: 10-22 (RSV)

[10] "Then you shall bring the bull before the tent of meeting. Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon the head of the bull, [11] and you shall kill the bull before the LORD, at the door of the tent of meeting, [12] and shall take part of the blood of the bull and put it upon the horns of the altar with your finger, and the rest of the blood you shall pour out at the base of the altar.  [13] And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the appendage of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and burn them upon the altar.  [14] But the flesh of the bull, and its skin, and its dung, you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering.  [15] "Then you shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon the head of the ram, [16] and you shall slaughter the ram, and shall take its blood and throw it against the altar round about.  [17] Then you shall cut the ram into pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with its pieces and its head, [18] and burn the whole ram upon the altar; it is a burnt offering to the LORD; it is a pleasing odor, an offering by fire to the LORD.  [19] "You shall take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon the head of the ram, [20] and you shall kill the ram, and take part of its blood and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron and upon the tips of the right ears of his sons, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet, and throw the rest of the blood against the altar round about.  [21] Then you shall take part of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron and his garments, and upon his sons and his sons' garments with him; and he and his garments shall be holy, and his sons and his sons' garments with him.  [22] "You shall also take the fat of the ram, and the fat tail, and the fat that covers the entrails, and the appendage of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of ordination), 

Matthew 27:1-10 (RSV)

[1] When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death; [2] and they bound him and led him away and delivered him to Pilate the governor.  [3] When Judas, his betrayer, saw that he was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, [4] saying, "I have sinned in betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself."  [5] And throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself.  [6] But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money."  [7] So they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.  [8] Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.  [9] Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, [10] and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me." 

Discussion Points:

 A.Old Testament:  What was the purpose of the blood sacrifices in Exodus 29?  Why don't Jews or Christians still sacrifice animals on an altar?  Exodus 29: 10-22 
 B.New Testament:  Both Judas and Peter denied Christ.  How and why did the consequences of their sins differ so completely? Matthew 27:1-10