Covered in Blood

I realize the title might have initially grossed some of you out.  Good!  I wanted you to have the same reaction I had while doing my Bible reading yesterday.

Anyone read Exodus 29 recently?  Or recall this chapter that gives instructions for the dedication of the priests?  If so, do you recall THIS part:

¹⁹ “Take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. ²⁰ Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then splash blood against the sides of the altar. ²¹ And take some blood from the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated.

How is it that I have read this before and don't remember it?  Why do we not ever hear about God's instructions to sprinkle blood all over His priests?  At first I was grossed out.  I mean, it's not like the blood was just sprinkled on them then they could go take a bath and wash that sticky stuff off.  And have you ever tried to get blood out of clothing?  Nearly impossible.  But they didn't try; the blood is what consecrated them and their garments for service to God!  They walked around in blood covered garments.  ALWAYS.  It is what gave them the right to enter God's holy dwelling place, the tabernacle.

But, after I got over the initial shock of this mental picture, I was in awe...we, too, are covered in blood!  And we who are in Christ are priests.

...Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.  To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, ⁶ and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.  (Revelation 1:5-6, emphasis mine)

Not just priests, but we--the church--make up a royal priesthood.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  (1 Peter 2:9)

We walk around, covered in blood that sets us apart and makes us holy to God!  We can enter His presence because of the blood!  But it is not our ears, toes, fingers, and garments that are sprinkled; it is our hearts...

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  (Hebrews 10, emphasis mine)

We've know this, right?  But maybe you, like me, never knew how perfectly the New Testament mirrors the Old Testament in this regard.  Every single time I see how God used Old Testament rituals to foreshadow the New Testament covenant of Christ, I am in awe!  From beginning to end, He is the same and His ways are perfect.