Reading: Exodus 24:8

In Exodus 24 God confirms the covenant with Israel by a solemn ceremony. The ceremony is sealed with the blood of the sacrificed animals. This blood is sprinkled on the altar and the people.  Blood is necessary to make possible the covenant between God and His people. Why? Holy God cannot just have a covenant relationship with sinful people. The people’s sins forms a huge debt with holy God; the debt must first be paid and the people redeemed to make the covenant possible. But no person can pay for their sins and redeem themselves or another. Psalm 49:7-8 says “None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him – for the redemption of their souls is costly”.

Only Jesus Christ can pay the debt of sin and bring redemption. In the Old Testament time God said that the blood of bulls and goats must be sprinkled for the covenant to be made. However this blood does not remove the actual sins and not does make the covenant possible. Hebrews 10:4 says “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” Therefore “Christ came as High Priest … Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:11-13).

What amazing grace: God removes the barrier and makes an eternal covenant with His people through the blood of Jesus Christ. Today the covenant continues. We too are members through the blood of Jesus Christ. We are not sprinkled with the blood of animals; instead we are sprinkled and cleansed by the water of baptism, symbolising the blood of Jesus Christ.

Key text: Ex 24:8 “And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, ‘This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words.’ ”

Question: Psalm 49:7-8 “None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him – for the redemption of their souls is costly”. Why is the redemption of souls costly?