"Eat my flesh and drink my blood"

[themuzicman]

I've been thinking about this clause more and more lately (from John 6), and I realized that I hadn't really looked in the OT to see where these phrases are present and how they are used.

Oddly enough, they both exist together in Ezekiel 39, but this is a victory and restoration chapter in Ezekiel:

Eze 39

17"As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: Speak to the birds of every sort and to all beasts of the field, 'Assemble and come, gather from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and drink blood. 18 You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth—of rams, of lambs, and of he-goats, of bulls, all of them fat beasts of Bashan. 19And you shall eat fat till you are filled, and drink blood till you are drunk, at the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you. 20And you shall be filled at my table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men and all kinds of warriors,' declares the Lord GOD.

In most other contexts, each refers to the death and/or demise of an individual or kingdom. (Jer 46:10, Isa 34:7)

Of course,there is also the flesh ande blood of sacrifices, but my sense was that the Jews were only to eat the flesh, and drain the blood, although this seems to be the pouring part of the sacrifice.

It seems pretty clear that the Jews that followed Jesus across the lake didn't understand what Jesus was telling them.

But Jesus' disciples don't have the same reaction. They say "this is a hard teaching."

If Jesus is referring to the OT uses of these phrases, then Jesus seems to be saying that unless they embrace their part in bringing about Jesus' demise and death, His sacrifice, that they cannot abide with Him.

And this being a hard teaching from a Jewish perspective is understandable. They wanted a Messiah who would rise up and create a glorious kingdom, victorious over Rome, and Jesus is telling them that they are going to put Him to death. (Which they do.)

Of course, it is impossible to tell, as we aren't given the reason many disciple depart from Him, but given how the OT uses these phrases (and assuming they'd be used this way in Jewish culture), it seems pretty clear that Jesus is telling them that eternal life can only come through His death.

[supton]

I forget, was there any use for blood in the OT? I recall it being used to mark the doors during Passover; but was there other usage? Or was it drained from sacrifices (or regular food, I guess) and then tossed?

[Cow Poke]

I forget, was there any use for blood in the OT? I recall it being used to mark the doors during Passover; but was there other usage? Or was it drained from sacrifices (or regular food, I guess) and then tossed?

One of the oddest uses of blood is found in...

Scripture Verse:

(Exo 29:20 KJV) Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.

(Lev 8:23 KJV) And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.

(Lev 14:14 KJV) And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:

(Lev 14:25 KJV) And he shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:

While I have not studied this intensely, the "great toe" and "thumb" are symbolic of strength and power - you can't hold a sword or throw a spear without a thumb, and balance is difficult without a big toe, and the "tip of the right ear", some say, indicated hearing and/or obedience. Also, the "right side" seemed to imply strength.

[Littlejoe]

I forget, was there any use for blood in the OT? I recall it being used to mark the doors during Passover; but was there other usage? Or was it drained from sacrifices (or regular food, I guess) and then tossed?

The O.T. Sacrifice specifies that the blood was drained and then was to be splashed on the side of the Altar of God, put on the Horns of the Altar, etc. . See Ex. 24:5, Ex. 29:12, 16, 20 Lev. 1:3, 5, 15...well you get the picture, it is spelled out all through Leviticus as well as several other places...:hehe;

LJ

[themuzicman]

I guess I'm referring more directly to the use of "eat my flesh" and "drink my blood".. The earth is often referred to as having drunk the blood of some person(s) who were killed, either in judgment or unjustly.

[OneSizeFit]

wow. i never made the connection between that verse in ezekiel and christ.

[One Bad Pig]

I've been thinking about this clause more and more lately (from John 6), and I realized that I hadn't really looked in the OT to see where these phrases are present and how they are used.

Oddly enough, they both exist together in Ezekiel 39, but this is a victory and restoration chapter in Ezekiel:

Eze 39

17"As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: Speak to the birds of every sort and to all beasts of the field, 'Assemble and come, gather from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and drink blood. 18 You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth—of rams, of lambs, and of he-goats, of bulls, all of them fat beasts of Bashan. 19And you shall eat fat till you are filled, and drink blood till you are drunk, at the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you. 20And you shall be filled at my table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men and all kinds of warriors,' declares the Lord GOD.

In most other contexts, each refers to the death and/or demise of an individual or kingdom. (Jer 46:10, Isa 34:7)

Of course,there is also the flesh ande blood of sacrifices, but my sense was that the Jews were only to eat the flesh, and drain the blood, although this seems to be the pouring part of the sacrifice.

It seems pretty clear that the Jews that followed Jesus across the lake didn't understand what Jesus was telling them.

But Jesus' disciples don't have the same reaction. They say "this is a hard teaching."

If Jesus is referring to the OT uses of these phrases, then Jesus seems to be saying that unless they embrace their part in bringing about Jesus' demise and death, His sacrifice, that they cannot abide with Him.

And this being a hard teaching from a Jewish perspective is understandable. They wanted a Messiah who would rise up and create a glorious kingdom, victorious over Rome, and Jesus is telling them that they are going to put Him to death. (Which they do.)

Of course, it is impossible to tell, as we aren't given the reason many disciple depart from Him, but given how the OT uses these phrases (and assuming they'd be used this way in Jewish culture), it seems pretty clear that Jesus is telling them that eternal life can only come through His death.

I don't think Ez 39:17 has anything to do with John 6, but is instead reflected in Matthew 24 and parallels. Ez. 39 is describing the aftermath of a battle, not the eating of sacrifices.

[Obsidian]

Yeah, but the point is that you eat people you kill. Although in Music Man's passage, it does admittedly seem to be talking about animals eating people. It's sort of confusing whether these animals are supposed to represent people or just regular animals.

[One Bad Pig]

Yeah, but the point is that you eat people you kill. Although in Music Man's passage, it does admittedly seem to be talking about animals eating people. It's sort of confusing whether these animals are supposed to represent people or just regular animals.

I don't think that's the point. The birds aren't the ones doing the killing in Ez. 39:17. The point of the passage is that God will allow Judah's enemies to triumph because Judah has not followed the LORD, and Judah's soldiers will become carrion fodder. What's confusing about that?