Gen 9.4

"But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood."
I see three possible explanations:

Possibility 1. Drinking blood is prohibited because of what's not happening; i.e., it's a sin of omission. In other words, it's wrong simply because the blood needs to be used for some other purpose. Maybe he should pour it on the ground as some shadowy type of sacrifice. I don't know. {{shrugs}} The ground cries out for our blood, so we give it animal blood instead. Something like that.

Possibility 2. Drinking blood is prohibited because of what is happening; it's a sin of comission. This is a bit more straight-forward: the act itself of imbibing blood is sinful. But I can't think of why that would be. Perhaps drinking nephesh symbolizes an attempt to obtain "life" illicitly, outside of God's provision.

Possibility 3. Both of the above.

Barefoot humility?

Unfinished thoughts and questions on sandals:

1. Sandals and clothing go together--that's pretty intuitive, and also backed up biblically. Furthermore, sandals/clothes are a blessing (2 Chron 28.15, Song of Sol 7.1, Deut 29.5). Presumably, Adam would've worn sandals and robes eventually if he had never sinned.

2. In other words, it seems there's more to shoes than just protecting our feet from cursed ground.

3. Barefeet in the OT usually carry connotations of nakedness or shame (2 Sam 15.30, Isaiah 20.2-4, Micah 1.8).

4. So then, why does God require Moses to take off his sandals as he approaches the holy ground in Ex 3? Is God requiring "symbolic nakedness" of Moses? Why? Are barefeet more humble than shoes, perhaps?

5. How does this affect our understanding of holiness in general in the OT?

6. How might all this change in the NT?

Avenger of Blood

In Numbers 35, the Kinsman Redeemer (i.e., the Avenger of Blood) was required to seek out the death of the man-slayer. Why? It's not familial devotion, and it's not "righteous anger." The reason is given in vs. 33-34: to cleanse the land. Cf. Genesis 4; the ground is bloody and cries forth for vengeance.

He had to stay in a City of Refuge until the death of the High Priest. Then--and only then--he was free to live. The blood of the High Priest cleanses the land and atones for his manslaughter. Only the death of the High Priest himself can satisfy the ground's cry for vengeance.

Jesus' crucifixion was the death of the High Priest. He cleansed the land; the ground no longer cries out for our blood. Now we are free to live.