You cannot work for God until you are sheltered behind the blood; and
until you are sheltered it all stands for naught. You may build
churches, endow colleges, pay ministers and missionaries; but it all
goes for naught until you are sheltered behind the blood. Don't let
any one deceive you on this point. Don't let Satan deceive you by
telling you that you can get to heaven by some other way. They asked
Christ, "What must we do that we may work the works of God?" Perhaps
these men had got their pockets full of money, and were ready and
willing to build churches. Christ told them that the work of God was
that they should believe in His Son. But they were not willing to do
such a small thing; they would rather do some greater thing; but that
was not what was wanted. You cannot do anything to please God until
you believe.
"Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice." People may work day and
night, and even work themselves to death; but they never will do right
until they do what God requires them to do.
The blood _on the toe_ of the right foot was to show that Aaron was to
walk with God. When Adam fell, communion with God was broken. Before
he had walked with God; but the moment he sinned he fell out of
communion with Him; and from that time to this God has been trying to
get man back into communion. God is full of truth and justice. His
justice must be met; and after that has been met He is satisfied. God
never walked with men until He put them behind the blood at Goshen.
What could stand before them then? They passed through the Red Sea,
and God said to Joshua, "Take this country, and no man shall be able
to stand before you all the days of your life." In the days of Joshua
there were whole regiments of giants; but one stripling from the
Lord's hosts defeated the giant of Gath. If God is with us, the giants
will be like grasshoppers; but if God is not with us, it will be
different. I would rather have ten men separated from the world than
ten thousand nominal Christians who go to the prayer-meeting to-night
and the ball to-morrow.
In Leviticus xvi. 14 it is said: "He shall take of the blood of the
bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy-seat eastward;
and before the mercy-seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his
finger seven times." It seems as if God originally gave Adam a life by
which he held communion with Him; but on the day that he broke the
command he lost that communion. And ever since God has been trying to
get men back into communion with Himself. But how could God be just
and the justifier of sinners? That is done through the Blood of
Christ. "The life of the flesh is in the blood." God demands blood to
atone for sin.