Eating blood was forbidden under the Law of Moses (Lev.Β 7:26,27), but βwe are not under the law, but under graceβ (Rom.Β 6:15). It is true that men were told not to eat bloodΒ beforeΒ the Law, but there was a reason for this. God told Noah,
ββ¦flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eatβ (Gen. 9:4).
When God expanded Adamβs vegetarian diet here (Gen.Β 1:29Β cf. 9:3), He warned Noah not to eat the flesh of an animal with its blood, for the blood of an animal is βthe life thereof,β and God hadΒ anotherΒ purpose in mind for the life of animals:
ββ¦the life of the flesh is in the blood:Β and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls:Β for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.Β ThereforeΒ I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat bloodβ¦β (Lev.Β 17:11,12).
The word βthereforeβ here clearly shows thatΒ the reasonΒ they werenβt to eat blood under the Law was because βit is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.β We know that this was also trueΒ beforeΒ the Law, for animal sacrifices were required to be βacceptedβ by God before the Law as well (Gen 4:7).
But this isΒ notΒ true under grace! Now that Christ shedΒ HisΒ blood to reconcile us to Himself (Col.Β 1:20,21), anyone who says we shouldnβt eat blood because the life of the flesh is in the blood must believe that the blood of animalsΒ stillΒ atones for menβs souls, for this is the only reason eating blood was prohibited.
This is similar to Godβs prohibition against eating unclean animals. The only reason God said some animals were unclean (Lev. 11) was to teach Israel that someΒ peopleΒ were unclean, i.e., the Gentiles (Lev. 20:24-26 cf. Acts 10:9-16,28). That means anyone who says certain foods are uncleanΒ todayΒ must believe that the Gentiles areΒ stillΒ unclean. And anyone saying we shouldnβt eat blood βfor the life of the flesh is in the bloodβ must still believe that the blood of animals atones for menβs souls. source
