Pentecost 25 2024

The worship of ancient Israel was not for the faint of heart. And given the harsh realities before the modern age, not many were faint ofheart. The Hebrew worship in the Tabernacle was a bloody and smelly affair. Sheep, goats, and bulls were slaughtered in the courtyard. Their blood was variously poured, sprinkled, flung, and painted on the tent, the various altars, furnishings, and vessels in the Tabernacle. Then the priests would apply the blood on the lobe of their right ear, the thumb of their right hand, and the big toe of their right foot. Portions of the slaughtered animals were burnt on the outdoor altar as an offering to God with the smoke ascending to heaven. All this was not for the faint of heart.