Safety rules require lots of repetition. God never tires of telling His people about the blood.
The latter half of Leviticus 17 (vv 8-16) underlines again the importance of Israelites not eating blood. The explanation goes like this: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul” (v 11). You see the two reasons. First, physical life is sustained by the blood in our bodies. But second, spiritual life was also linked to the blood in its application at the altar. Through this, people could have their sins atoned for. Of course, atonement meant “to cover,” and the blood of sacrificial animals was a temporary picture pointing to the full and final putting away of sin by the Savior’s blood. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph 1:7). So the application of this section to believers today should be obvious. If the people of Israel had to be so careful about the blood of animals, how careful should we be about the blood of Christ? “For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb 9:13-14). And Paul would warn Christians concerning a careless attitude at the Lord’s Supper, “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body” (1 Cor 11:28-29). As F.R. Havergal wrote, “Precious, precious blood of Jesus, Shed on Calvary; Shed for rebels, shed for sinners, Shed for me.”