Leviticus 17:11

Leviticus 17:11 says, For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.  Moses was told why the people of Israel were not to eat the blood of an animal.  Life was in the blood and was used on the altar to make atonement for the sins of the people.  Jesus Christ shed His life blood on ther cross of Calvary to make atonement for our sins, and it is the only way to make atonement.  Verse twelve adds, Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood.  This command of God's to not eat the blood of the animal applied to all the people of Israel and anyone who sojourned with them who were not born a part of the nation.  No one today is born into the family of God.  Even then, those who were born into the nation of Israel were really a part of God's people by faith in Him and acceptance of the covenant relationship that they had with Him.  We today are a part of the family of God because of our acceptance of and faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse thirteen continues, And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust. Any animal that anyone killed to eat, whether by a natural born person of Israel or a stranger who sojourned with them, was to drain the blood of the animal and cover the blood with dust.  Verse fourteen states, For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.  God again told Moses that the life was in the blood, and that anyone who ate the blood was to be cut off from the nation of Israel.  Today, everlasting life is in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and anyone who is not washed in His blood will be cut off from the family of God.  Verse fifteen adds, And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.  Anyone ate an animal that had died naturally or been killed by by another animal was to wash his or her clothes, bathe, and be considered unclean until evening.  Verse sixteen concludes, But if he wash them not, nor bathe his flesh; then he shall bear his iniquity.  If the person did not wash his or her clothes, then the person was to bear the iniquity of the sin.  Unless we are bathed in the blood of Christ today, we will bear the iniquity of our sins, and this will result in an everlasting separation from God.