Martin R. DeHaan, M.D. (1891-1965)
The Chemistry Of The Blood
“The life Is In The Blood” —Leviticus 17:11
Martin R. DeHaan, M.D. (1891-1965)
SERMON FIVE
"But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat." —Genesis 9:4
This is part of the very first command which God gave to man after the awful judgment of the Flood of Noah. After the wickedness of man had reached its peak in ante-diluvian days, God, in order to spare the human race from complete corruption sent a great flood upon the earth and destroyed all men except one family which by the grace of God had still remained "Perfect in his generations." With this new family on a cleansed and renewed earth, the Lord begins a new chapter in the history of humanity. No sooner had God, however, released Noah from the Ark, than He gave him some instructions concerning his conduct, lest another judgment should fall upon them. Chief among these instructions was the commandment “EAT NO BLOOD.” "But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat." EAT NO BLOOD, says God to man as he emerges on the new earth. Is there not here more than a mere suggestion that the flood may have come in part as the result of man's disregard for the “sacredness of blood?"
We know the earth was filled with violence, and the first overt sin committed after the fall was the sin of the shedding of Abel’s innocent blood. This blood cried for vengeance from the ground. If that innocent blood called for vengeance in the Flood of Noah, shall God not also avenge the blood of those who today are dying because of the latter-day violence which is unquestionably in fulfillment of the words of our Lord when he said,
"And as it was in the days of Noe', so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man." —Luke 17:26
Yes, one of these days He is coming to put an end to the reign of terror on the earth and cleansing the world, by the judgment of the tribulation of which the Flood was but a type, will bring a kingdom of peace on another renewed and cleansed earth.
BLOOD IS SACRED
Because life is in the blood, and not in the flesh of God's creatures, He permitted man to eat FLESH but it must be WITHOUT BLOOD. God is very insistent on this point. In giving the national dietary and ceremonial laws to Israel He repeats the prohibition of Genesis 9:4."But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat." —Genesis 9:4
"Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings. Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people." —Leviticus 7:26-27
The same injunction is repeated at greater length in Leviticus 17. God said, “It is sin to eat any manner of blood.” So serious was this sin that the transgressor was to be cut off from his people. Meat which had not been thoroughly drained of its blood was unfit for food, as well as all things strangled. Today, the orthodox Jew, at least, still remembers this prohibition, and will eat nothing but Kosher meat, that is, meat which is without blood and which has been slaughtered according to the law. Every kosher meat market and every bit of kosher food is evidence of the sacredness of blood.
WE ARE UNDER GRACE
Now someone will say, “But we are under grace and that command was given to the Jews under the law.” That objection carries no weight. God first gave the command to NOAH and NOAH WAS NOT UNDER LAW. He lived over a thousand years before the Law of Moses was given on Mt. Sinai. More than that, after the law had been fulfilled in Christ and the age of Grace ushered in, God is careful to let us know that this rule still holds: “EAT NO BLOOD.” In the fifteenth chapter of Acts we have the record of the first general church council at Jerusalem. A very vexing question had arisen in the early Church after Paul and Barnabas had taken the Gospel to the Gentiles. The Jewish members of the early Church insisted that these Gentile believers become circumcised and that they were to keep the law. A bitter controversy arose and a meeting was called in Jerusalem to decide this question. Paul and Barnabas came down from Antioch for the meeting, and after much disputing they were sent back to the Gentile Believers at Antioch with this message,
"Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and KEEP THE LAW; to whom we gave no such commandment." —Acts 15:24,25
Please do notice carefully what the apostles said, “WE GAVE NO SUCH COMMANDMENT.” They denied that they ever taught that the Church was under the law or that Gentile believers had to be circumcised. Nineteen hundred years after, the Church is still vexed by these legalists who would make Jews out of us all, but the apostles said No, we are not under the law but under grace. The Christian does not keep the law because he MUST but he serves God because he is so grateful for having been delivered from the law. Now notice the further instructions of the apostles:
"For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and FROM BLOOD, AND THINGS STRANGLED, and from fornication." —Acts 15:28-29
They were not under the law, but still they were to abstain from the eating of blood, not because they were under the law, but because of the SACREDNESS OF BLOOD, which is the life of all flesh. God gave the commandment to Noah one thousand years BEFORE the law. It held during the age of law and after the age of the Law had passed, it still holds today.
WHY NO BLOOD NOW?
God’s commands are never arbitrary but always logical and reasonable. Many reasons can be found for abstaining from blood. We might mention the reasons of HEALTH and HYGIENE but there are two reasons which stand out most prominently.
FIRST, the life is in the blood and LIFE is sacred. It was God’s special gift and the effect of His own breath. Moses tells us in Genesis, this fact,
"God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the BREATH OF LIFE; and man became a living soul." —Genesis 2:7
Now follow closely the Biblical argument. Since life is in the blood, all flesh is lifeless without blood. Here then is Adam formed out of the dust. Just a lump of matter without life. God breathed into his nostrils and lo, he lives. Since the LIFE IS IN THE BLOOD, it was BLOOD which God added to that body when He BREATHED INTO HIM THE BREATH OF LIFE. Adam’s body was of the earth but his blood was DIRECTLY FROM GOD. God demands that we respect this fact since it was God’s own breath which filled all flesh with blood. To eat blood, therefore, is to insult the life of God for "the life . . . is in the blood."
THE PRECIOUS BLOOD
There is a Second and a more potent reason still. The blood was God’s only purchase price of redemption. When man sinned, something happened to his blood, for "the life . . . is in the blood." Instead of incorruptible and, therefore, deathless blood, Adam’s blood corrupted through sin and became subject to death. To redeem this DEAD sinner, life must be again imparted. The only remedy for death is LIFE. This life is in the blood and so blood must be furnished which is sinless and incorruptible. Now none of Adam’s race could do this. For in "Adam all died." "All have sinned and come short." The angels could not furnish that blood for they are spirit beings and have neither flesh nor blood. There was only one, yes, ONLY ONE, who could furnish that blood, the virgin-born Son of God, with a human body, but sinless supernatural blood, inseminated by the Holy Ghost. In a previous message we showed scientifically that every drop of blood in an infant’s body is the contribution of the male parent, while the mother furnished all the flesh of that little body. Jesus’ body was of Mary; His blood was by the Holy Ghost. This sinless, supernatural blood was the only price of redemption God could accept, without violating the integrity of His holy nature. Death can only be banished by life. A blood transfusion must be performed and provided.
BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS
We hear much today about blood transfusions. Many lives have been saved by this little operation. In cases of hemorrhage, and various diseases, the blood from healthy individuals is put in the veins of the suffering victim and death is cheated of its prey. Well, the greatest of all “transfusions” is performed when a poor sinner dead in trespasses and in sins is transfused by the blood of Christ the moment he believes. The only requisite is Faith in the atoning blood.
BLOOD BANKS
We hear much, too, in these days about BLOOD BANKS. It is the name applied to a storehouse for blood taken from healthy individuals for future use on injured or sick persons. By adding certain preservatives to the blood taken from healthy individuals it can be kept for future use in sterile containers. This preservative does not affect the potency of the blood so that it can be used at some future date. Persons are asked to come to the hospital or laboratory to donate this blood. There, this blood is taken, treated and filed away. In this way there is always an ample supply of blood for transfusion in any emergency. How wonderful the findings of science. Today, you can give your blood to save the life of some stranger a thousand miles away, a month from now.
GOD'S BLOOD BANK
This is not one millionth as wonderful as what God did nineteen centuries ago. Then there was one Man who gave ALL His sinless blood on the Cross of Calvary. There a BLOOD BANK was opened and into that bank went the blood of the Lord Jesus. It suits every type, avails for everyone and is free to all who submit to its “transfusion” by the Holy Spirit. All you need to do is apply for it by FAITH. We must add chemicals to the blood in our blood banks to preserve it, and then it eventually deteriorates just the same, but no preservatives need be added to His Precious blood, for it is INCORRUPTIBLE and sinless. Not one drop of that blood was lost or wasted. It is INCORRUPTIBLE.
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with CORRUPTIBLE THINGS, as silver and gold. . . . But with the precious BLOOD of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." —1 Peter 1:18,19
That blood CANNOT PERISH I do not know where that blood is now but I suspect it is in heaven somewhere just as fresh and as potent as when it was shed nineteen hundred years ago. When I get to heaven I shall not be surprised to find a diamond studded, golden basin next to the throne with the very blood, the precious incorruptible blood which was shed at Calvary, and as we gaze upon it we will sing,
"Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood," Revelation 1:5
Hallelujah for the Blood! Reader, do you know that blood is as fresh today as it ever was and will be. It cannot perish. There is a hymn which goes something like this,
"Upon the Cross His blood was spilt,
A ransom for our sins and guilt."That is not true, Jesus’ blood was not “spilled.” Spilling is the result of an accident. The death of Christ was no accident. He laid down His life and voluntarily shed His precious blood that we might live.
Oh sinner, won't you appropriate that precious blood NOW! There is nothing else which can wash you clean from the guilt and the power of sin. Receive it today and be saved.
You believers who have been grieving over your sin, remember,
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to CLEANSE us from all unrighteousness." —1 John 1:19
TRUST HIM NOW
"There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains."
Footnote
1. From a personal letter received from William Schepp of Schepp Laboratories.
END OF ARTICLE
M. R. DeHaan (1891 – 1965) was a successful physician in western Michigan when he obtained a degree in theology. He left his medical practice to pastor churches and then formed a Bible study ministry. Later he expanded the Bible study to radio and founded Radio Bible Class in 1938. He also began the publication of a daily devotional guide Our Daily Bread, still in circulation today. The broadcasts of a series of lessons about the blood of Christ led to the publication of a NINE CHAPTER book called The Chemistry of the Blood, still available today. You can order The Chemistry of the Blood at Amazon.com below...
http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Blood-M-R-DeHaan/dp/0310232910
Edifying Quotes by Martin R. DeHaan, M.D.
"Before an individual can be saved, he must first learn that he cannot save himself."
"We need not all agree, but if we disagree, let us not be disagreeable in our disagreements."
"Be on guard against any tampering with the Word, whether disguised as a search for truth, or a scholarly attempt at apparently hidden meanings; and beware of the confusion created by the senseless rash of new versions, translations, editions, and improvements upon the tried and tested Bible of our fathers and grandfathers.""The true Church preaches REGENERATION; not reformation, not education, not legislation, but regeneration."
SOURCE: THE TABERNACLE, Pg. 101
"Let me repeat that no greater curse has ever afflicted the Church of Jesus Christ than the curse of spiritualizing Scripture, that is, making Scripture mean something other than its literal meaning... Instead of spiritualizing, it is 'demonizing' of the Scriptures, for if any 'spirit' has anything to do with that school of Scripture interpretation it must be an 'evil spirit.'
No, the Scriptures were not given to us to confuse us but rather to instruct us. Certainly God intends that we should believe His Word with all simplicity. A thousand years means a thousand years; a wolf means a wolf; a lion means a lion. If you read your Bible that way, a child can understand it."
SOURCE: THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS, pg. 82,83; by M.R. DeHaan; 1944; ISBN: 0-8254-2483-6
