“His young feast on blood…” Job 39:30a

Job was challenged on his understanding of aerodynamics when God asked him if the hawk took flying lessons from him (v.26). Pressing further, God asked if Job commanded the eagle to soar so high in the sky or build his nest in the high crags of the cliffs (vv. 27 – 28). It is from a rocky crag that the eagle is secure from attack, while also serving as a perfect vantage point to spot his prey from afar (v.29). These smart and powerful birds have incredible distance vision.

Eagles and hawks are essential in controlling the rabbit, mice and rat population in the wilderness of the desert. They also conveniently take advantage of kills by other animals (like the coyote or lion), acting as a scavenger – feasting on the remains of a carcass… the easiest food source for a young eaglet to master. If there’s a dead creature, you can count on scavenger birds to be soon present, including the eagle.

Job records God describing the eagle’s young feasting on the blood of the kill. There is life in the blood (read Leviticus 17:11; John 6:53), and the life of the dying animal is transferred, in a way, to those scavengers who depend on death as their means for survival. In a similar way, we survive spiritually by the death and blood of Jesus Christ.

Jesus called His disciples attention to the sacrifice of His own blood and body as a payment for the sins of man. When He broke the bread and shared the cup at The Last Supper, Jesus instructed the disciples to remember His sacrifice as often as they practiced the ritual. Rituals act as reminders to we humans who are so quick to forget. They bring us to a moment of recalling a sacred moment or action which should never be forgotten, and which should always be preserved as part of one’s understanding about worship – the object and purpose for worship.

For Christians, the young feast on blood in a symbolic way. We are God’s young… His children, who are reminded of God’s great love for us – expressed through the life and death of His Son, Jesus Christ. The next time you approach the Lord’s Table or participate in The Lord’s Supper, remember that in Christ, there’s abundant life. Yes, there IS life in the blood… of The Lamb, slain before the foundation of the world.

Have a blessed day…