Life is in the Blood

June 10, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

²²The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²³“Speak to the people of Israel, saying, You shall eat no fat, of ox or sheep or goat. ²⁴The fat of an animal that dies of itself and the fat of one that is torn by beasts may be put to any other use, but on no account shall you eat it. ²⁵For every person who eats of the fat of an animal of which a food offering may be made to the Lord shall be cut off from his people. ²⁶Moreover, you shall eat no blood whatever, whether of fowl or of animal, in any of your dwelling places. ²⁷Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.”

²⁸The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁹“Speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to the Lord shall bring his offering to the Lord from the sacrifice of his peace offerings. ³⁰His own hands shall bring the Lord’s food offerings. He shall bring the fat with the breast, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the Lord. ³¹The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be for Aaron and his sons. ³²And the right thigh you shall give to the priest as a contribution from the sacrifice of your peace offerings. ³³Whoever among the sons of Aaron offers the blood of the peace offerings and the fat shall have the right thigh for a portion. ³⁴For the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed I have taken from the people of Israel, out of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons, as a perpetual due from the people of Israel. ³⁵This is the portion of Aaron and of his sons from the Lord’s food offerings, from the day they were presented to serve as priests of the Lord. ³⁶The Lord commanded this to be given them by the people of Israel, from the day that he anointed them. It is a perpetual due throughout their generations.”

³⁷This is the law of the burnt offering, of the grain offering, of the sin offering, of the guilt offering, of the ordination offering, and of the peace offering, ³⁸which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai, on the day that he commanded the people of Israel to bring their offerings to the Lord, in the wilderness of Sinai. – Leviticus 7:22-38 ESV

In verses 22-27, God reemphasizes His restrictions on the Israelites consuming either the fat of an animal or its blood. He even expands this prohibition beyond the sacrificial system by placing off limits any animal that dies of natural causes or is killed by a wild beast. Regardless of how the animal dies, its fat and blood were not to be consumed under any circumstances. And God made this ban on the consumption of fat and blood very clear.

“All fat is the Lord‘s. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood.” – Leviticus 3:16-17 ESV

But these restrictions are far from arbitrary. God had a reason for prohibiting the Israelites from consuming the fat and the blood of an animal. The fat represented the best because it flavored the meat of the animal. The Hebrew word for this delicacy is חֵלֶב (ḥēleḇ) and it refers to the richest or choicest part of the animal. In fact, it was often used to refer to the “fatness” or abundance of the land. In the book of Genesis, Pharaoh tells Joseph to retrieve the rest of his family from Canaan and bring them to Egypt where he will provide them with “the fat of the land.”

And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat (ḥēleḇ) of the land.’” – Genesis 45:17-18 ESV

Blood and fat are closely associated in Scripture. In the book of Exodus, Moses is commanded by God to consecrate Aaron and his sons as priests. Part of the ritual included the sacrifice of a bull. Moses was told to set apart the blood and fat of the animal as part of the consecration ritual.

“…and shall take part of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and the rest of the blood you shall pour out at the base of the altar. And you shall take all the fat (ḥēleḇ) that covers the entrails, and the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat (ḥēleḇ) that is on them, and burn them on the altar.” – Exodus 29:12-13 ESV

It seems that these two elements, the fat and the blood, are associated for a reason. In Leviticus 17, God provides the reason for His outright ban on the consumption of blood.

“If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” – Leviticus 17:10-11 ESV

Blood is the key to life. The loss of blood ensures the end of life. And God set apart the blood as a means of providing atonement and forgiveness of sin. The author of Hebrews provides an explanation for God’s use of this life-giving substance as a means of payment for the sins of His people.

For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. – Hebrews 9:19-22 ESV

The loss of life (shedding of blood) became the key to prolonging life (forgiveness of sin) because the wages of sin is death. Pouring out the animal’s blood literally robbed it of life. But that very same blood was then used to purify and atone for the sinner. And this payment was offered to God, whose judgment against sin must be satisfied. God did not take the loss of life lightly. This substitutionary sacrifice was necessary to atone for the sins of the guilty party. So, God would not allow His people to consume the blood in any way. And He put the same restriction on the fat of the animal.

And it seems that the fat, like the blood, was also designed to bring life to the animal. The particular fat God prohibited was that which “around the internal organs, ⁴the two kidneys and the fat around them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver” (Leviticus 7:3-4 NLT). The fat provided a protective layer for these vital and vulnerable organs of the body that helped to prolong life. The blood and fat were designed by God to ensure life. The kidneys and liver help keep the blood free from harmful contaminants by removing wastes and extra fluid from the body. The kidneys also remove excess acid produced by the body’s cells and maintain a healthy balance of water, salts, and minerals—such as sodium, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium—in the blood. The liver removes waste products and foreign substances from the bloodstream and helps to maintain proper blood sugar levels and creates essential nutrients necessary for the body’s health.

God’s prohibition against the consumption of blood and fat was meant to emphasize the importance of life. These two vital elements were the key to sustaining life, a gift given by God to both man and animals.

All the way back in the book of Genesis, Moses records the words God spoke to Noah immediately after the flood that destroyed all human and animal life.

Then God blessed Noah and his sons and told them, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth. All the animals of the earth, all the birds of the sky, all the small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the fish in the sea will look on you with fear and terror. I have placed them in your power. I have given them to you for food, just as I have given you grain and vegetables. But you must never eat any meat that still has the lifeblood in it.” – Genesis 9:1-4 NLT

Long before the law was given and the sacrificial system was established, God decreed His ban on the consumption of blood. But with the building of the Tabernacle and the inauguration of the sacrificial system, God provided His divine purpose behind this restriction. The blood would have a much greater purpose. Even in death, the blood would be used to extend life. The guilty would receive pardon and escape the penalty of death because innocent blood was poured out on his behalf.

God is the provider of all life. It is He who initiates all human, animal, and plant life, and He has given mankind the means of extending life through the consumption of meat, grain, fruits, and vegetables. Even in the sacrificial system, God made provision for life by providing the priests with their portion of the offering.

“Then the priest will burn the fat on the altar, but the breast will belong to Aaron and his descendants. Give the right thigh of your peace offering to the priest as a gift. The right thigh must always be given to the priest who offers the blood and the fat of the peace offering. For I have reserved the breast of the special offering and the right thigh of the sacred offering for the priests. It is the permanent right of Aaron and his descendants to share in the peace offerings brought by the people of Israel. This is their rightful share. The special gifts presented to the Lord have been reserved for Aaron and his descendants from the time they were set apart to serve the Lord as priests.” – Leviticus 7:31-35 NLT

Through the sacrificial system and the use of the blood and fat, God provided a means by which the sinner might enjoy life rather than death. But God also provided a way to extend and enhance the lives of those men who helped make atonement possible. Their lives had been set apart for God’s service. They were sacrificing their lives to the service of God’s people and would not receive any of the “fat of the land” in Canaan. But God would graciously provide them with life-giving meat and grain to eat, and He would do it through the sacrificial system.

But ultimately, God would provide eternal life through the death of His Son. It would be through the shed blood of Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God, that sinful mankind would find true atonement and a permanent means of finding restoration to a right relationship with God.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. – Ephesians 1:7-10 NLT

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Food For Thought

June 9, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹¹“And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings that one may offer to the Lord. ¹²If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the thanksgiving sacrifice unleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and loaves of fine flour well mixed with oil. ¹³With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving he shall bring his offering with loaves of leavened bread. ¹⁴And from it he shall offer one loaf from each offering, as a gift to the Lord. It shall belong to the priest who throws the blood of the peace offerings. ¹⁵And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. He shall not leave any of it until the morning. ¹⁶But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow offering or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day what remains of it shall be eaten. ¹⁷But what remains of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned up with fire. ¹⁸If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering is eaten on the third day, he who offers it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be credited to him. It is tainted, and he who eats of it shall bear his iniquity.

¹⁹“Flesh that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten. It shall be burned up with fire. All who are clean may eat flesh, ²⁰but the person who eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of the Lord’s peace offerings while an uncleanness is on him, that person shall be cut off from his people. ²¹And if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether human uncleanness or an unclean beast or any unclean detestable creature, and then eats some flesh from the sacrifice of the Lord’s peace offerings, that person shall be cut off from his people.” – Leviticus 7:11-21 ESV

God turns His attention once again to the peace offerings for thanksgiving. These types of offerings were covered in chapter three and followed God’s exposition on the sin and guilt sacrifices. Those two types of offerings involved atonement and cleansing, whereas the peace offering was designed as an opportunity for the formerly guilty party to enjoy his restored relationship with God by providing the appropriate gift. This was intended to be a time of worship as the one who had received atonement partook of a meal with the Lord.

One of the things that set this particular offering apart from all others it that a portion of the meat that was sacrificed was to be shared by the giver. This section of chapter seven clarifies who could eat what part of the sacrifice. Any grain offering or bread was to be the property of the priest, but a portion of the meat was reserved for the one who offered up the animal as a peace offering.

“This peace offering of thanksgiving must also be accompanied by loaves of bread made with yeast. One of each kind of bread must be presented as a gift to the Lord. It will then belong to the priest who splatters the blood of the peace offering against the altar. The meat of the peace offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the same day it is offered. None of it may be saved for the next morning.” – Leviticus 7:13-15 NLT

The worshiper was allowed to eat any of the leftover meat but it had to be consumed according to God’s parameters. The one who gave the offering was required to eat it on the same day. Any attempt to preserve the meat for the following day was strictly prohibited. This meal was to be enjoyed by the giver and anyone else he chose to join him. It was the priest’s job to ensure that God’s commands were carried out.

In the case of a vow offering, God extended the time for consuming the meat a second day.

“If you bring an offering to fulfill a vow or as a voluntary offering, the meat must be eaten on the same day the sacrifice is offered, but whatever is left over may be eaten on the second day.” – Leviticus 7:16 NLT

God provides no explanation for this slight variation between the two offerings. What distinguished the various types of peace offerings was the motivation behind the gift. The category of peace offering contained three subtypes: The thank offering, the vow offering, and the freewill offering. The first of these three was really a praise offering. The Hebrew word translated as “thanksgiving” is תּוֹדָה (tôḏâ) and might better be translated as “acknowledgment” or “praise.” This offering was given in recognition of God’s providential care and faithful provision. The giver was expected to declare to the entire congregation what God had done for them. In giving his gift, the giver would be accompanied by friends and family members to whom he would express the ways in which God had richly provided for all his needs. These invitees would then join him in consuming the sacrificial meal as a form of worship to Yahweh for His goodness and generosity.

“It was an integral part of the public act of thanksgiving. The ceremony concluded with a joyful communal meal, involving the worshiper, family, priests, Levites, and the poor (Psalm 22:25, 25).” – Kenneth A. Matthew, Leviticus: Holy God, Holy People

From the time the Israelites departed Mount Sinai to the moment they entered the land of Canaan, they would have plenty of reasons and opportunities to praise God for His provision of all their needs. The “praise” offering was instituted as a means of expressing gratitude to God for all He had done, and because it was to be a public confession of God’s goodness and greatness, it was meant to encourage the entire community to place their trust in Him for all their needs.

God outlined two additional fellowship offerings that were closely related to the peace offering. One was the votive or vow offering and the other was the freewill offering. The first of these was an offering given to celebrate or commemorate the successful completion of a vow. Having fulfilled a commitment made to God, the worshiper offered a gift to celebrate the occasion. The freewill offering was a voluntary gift given to God as an expression of praise and gratitude. It was not tied to a vow or associated with the confession of a particular sin. This gift was given willingly and gladly as a public display of one’s gratefulness to God. And each of these offerings included a communal meal so that others could celebrate Yahweh alongside the giver.

But these meals had restrictions as well. While these offerings were not given for the purpose of confession or atonement, they were still required to be holy and pure before God. No shortcuts or concessions could be made. Unclean or defiled meat was not allowed. Any violation of God’s commands regarding the timeline for consuming the meat would render the gift unacceptable. God had a reason behind His regulations concerning the timely consumption of sacrificial meat. These rules were not arbitrary.

“Any meat left over until the third day must be completely burned up. If any of the meat from the peace offering is eaten on the third day, the person who presented it will not be accepted by the Lord. You will receive no credit for offering it. By then the meat will be contaminated; if you eat it, you will be punished for your sin.” – Leviticus 7:17-18 NLT

God was protecting His people from incurring guilt and His wrath. In the process of offering their praise to Him, the people of God could actually end up contaminating themselves and negating the efficacy of their gift.

It was the job of the priest to ensure that none of these rules were broken. If the meat of the sacrifice inadvertently touched something unclean, it was to be burned with fire. The priest was not to allow anyone to consume the contaminated meat. He was also to regulate the participation of all those who gathered to partake in the communal meal. It was essential that the sacrificial meat be consumed only by those who were ceremonially clean. If someone had come into contact with an unclean person or object and then attempted to partake in the communal meal, they would be held guilty and punished for their action.

“If you are ceremonially unclean and you eat meat from a peace offering that was presented to the Lord, you will be cut off from the community. If you touch anything that is unclean (whether it is human defilement or an unclean animal or any other unclean, detestable thing) and then eat meat from a peace offering presented to the Lord, you will be cut off from the community.” – Leviticus 7:20-21 NLT

Since these offerings were built around the idea of a celebratory meal, you can see how the Israelites might treat them with less seriousness than the sacrifices for sin and atonement. In their eagerness to enjoy a meal together, they might make unnecessary concessions that would taint and disqualify the sacrifice. Rather than focusing on the offering’s primary purpose of worshiping God, the meal might become the focus. And people might be tempted to cut corners to enjoy a quality meal with their friends. But God wanted all sacrifices to be treated with a soberness and seriousness that reflected a respect for His holiness.

The one thing the people of Israel needed to understand was that each of these sacrifices was to be dedicated to God. And the peace offerings were especially important because they each involved a meal eaten in communion with God. He was allowing the giver to partake of part of the meat that had been sacrificed and dedicated to Him. He was graciously sharing a meal with His people, and He expected them to treat that special occasion with the proper dignity and decorum it deserved.

Centuries later, the apostle Paul would warn the believers in Corinth against taking the Lord’s table in an unworthy manner. This too was a meal eaten in celebration of God’s graciousness and goodness. It was a communal meal commemorating God’s gift of His Son and intended to express gratitude for the undeserved atonement provided by Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross. But Paul’s audience was guilty of misusing this meal. It had lost its original significance and become just another opportunity to satisfy their own fleshly desires.

When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. – 1 Corinthians 11:20-21 NLT

So, he warned them to realign their priorities and treat the Lord’s Table with the reverence it deserved.

So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died. – 1 Corinthians 11:27-30 NLT

Payment for Services Rendered

June 8, 2023June 8, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹ “This is the law of the guilt offering. It is most holy. ²In the place where they kill the burnt offering they shall kill the guilt offering, and its blood shall be thrown against the sides of the altar. ³And all its fat shall be offered, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, ⁴the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys. ⁵The priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering to the Lord; it is a guilt offering. ⁶Every male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy. ⁷The guilt offering is just like the sin offering; there is one law for them. The priest who makes atonement with it shall have it. ⁸And the priest who offers any man’s burnt offering shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering that he has offered. ⁹And every grain offering baked in the oven and all that is prepared on a pan or a griddle shall belong to the priest who offers it. ¹⁰And every grain offering, mixed with oil or dry, shall be shared equally among all the sons of Aaron.” – Leviticus 7:1-10 ESV

Chapter 5 contains God’s regulations regarding the guilt offering.

“…he [the guilty party] shall bring to the Lord as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued in silver shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering.” – Leviticus 5:15 ESV

God made it clear what the offering was to be and exactly what sin it was meant to atone for.

“He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.” Leviticus 5:16 ESV

But God did not spell out what the priest was to do with the ram after its life was taken. This opening section of chapter 7 provides Aaron and his sons with the details concerning their role in the process of providing atonement for the penitent sinner. The protocol for the guilt offering followed that of the burnt offering.

“In the place where they kill the burnt offering they shall kill the guilt offering, and its blood shall be thrown against the sides of the altar.” – Leviticus 7:2 ESV

The blood of the slaughtered animal must be used to anoint and cleanse the bronze altar. Then the officiating priest was to butcher the animal, placing the fatty portions of the animal on the altar to be consumed as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. And God was very specific about what parts of the animal were to be burned.

“Then the one making the offering must present all its fat: the fatty tail, the fat covering the entrails, the two kidneys and the fat on their sinews, and the protruding lobe on the liver (which he must remove along with the kidneys)…” – Leviticus 7:3-4 ESV

The fatty portion of the animal was considered to be the best part because it was the most flavorful and represented health and vitality. This favored part of the animal was dedicated to God and offered as a gift to the Lord. But God was willing to share this offering with His priestly mediators.

“Every male among the priests may eat of it…” – Leviticus 7:6 ESV

These delicacies, while dedicated to God, were made available to His servants as payment for their role in the atonement of His people. These men had dedicated their lives to the service of the rest of the nation and God made sure they were adequately compensated for their efforts. He even gave the presiding priest the rest of the meat from the sacrifice along with the hide that had been removed during the butchering. This generous compensation plan also included the burnt offering and the grain offering. The priests were richly rewarded for their work. When they served well, the also ate well. They would never run short of food, because there would never be a shortage of sacrifices. Their role in providing atonement for the people earned them the favor and generosity of God Almighty. No part of the animal went to waste. Even the flour used for the grain offering was used to bake cakes that filled the stomachs of God’s priests. The repentance of the people brought them repentance and prolonged their lives, but it also nourished the lives of the men who served as their faithful mediators.

The role of the priest was to offer sacrifices on behalf of the people. But this was also their sole means of livelihood. The priests were not bi-vocational. Their job was so demanding that they had no time to earn an income on the side. So, they were completely dependent upon God for their sustenance. And the very sacrifices the people made to atone for their sins, God used to feed and nourish His priests. Oddly enough, because sin was going to be a constant problem for the Israelites, offering sacrifices would become a permanent part of their lives., and it provided the priests with job security and a steady source of nourishment.

The apostle Paul picked up on this divine compensation plan when he wrote his first letter to his young protege, Timothy.

Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” And in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!” – 1 Timothy 5:17-18 NLT

Paul actually quoted from Deuteronomy 25:4, using timeless wisdom regarding the fair treatment of a laboring ox to encourage the proper compensation of a pastor, elder, or teacher. He also picked up a statement made by Jesus when He was sending out 72 of His disciples on a missionary journey.

“Don’t move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay.” – Luke 10:7 NLT

The priests deserved to be compensated for their work and God was the one who made sure that they were more than adequately provided for. Without their efforts, the sacrifices of the people would mean nothing. The faithful efforts of the priestly class would ensure that the people received forgiveness from God and, in return, the priests would receive the benefit of the gifts the people provided as payment for their sins. It was a win-win for all involved.

Proper Priestly Protocol

June 7, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

⁸ The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ⁹“Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. ¹⁰And the priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar. ¹¹Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. ¹²The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. ¹³Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.

¹⁴“And this is the law of the grain offering. The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord in front of the altar. ¹⁵And one shall take from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering and its oil and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering and burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. ¹⁶And the rest of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten unleavened in a holy place. In the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it. ¹⁷It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of my food offerings. It is a thing most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. ¹⁸Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it, as decreed forever throughout your generations, from the Lord’s food offerings. Whatever touches them shall become holy.”

¹⁹The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁰“This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening. ²¹It shall be made with oil on a griddle. You shall bring it well mixed, in baked pieces like a grain offering, and offer it for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. ²²The priest from among Aaron’s sons, who is anointed to succeed him, shall offer it to the Lord as decreed forever. The whole of it shall be burned. ²³Every grain offering of a priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten.”

²⁴The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁵“Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering. In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord; it is most holy. ²⁶The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting. ²⁷Whatever touches its flesh shall be holy, and when any of its blood is splashed on a garment, you shall wash that on which it was splashed in a holy place. ²⁸And the earthenware vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken. But if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, that shall be scoured and rinsed in water. ²⁹Every male among the priests may eat of it; it is most holy. ³⁰But no sin offering shall be eaten from which any blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it shall be burned up with fire.” – Leviticus 6:8-30 ESV

At this point, God turns His attention to Aaron and his sons, focusing on their role as His priests and the mediators for the people of Israel. God outlines the five different offerings once again, but this time from the vantage point of the priestly family. These men had been given the weighty responsibility of making atonement for the sins of the people and God wanted them to take their role seriously. It was one thing for the sinner to offer the proper sacrifice for sin as ordained by God, but it would be of little value without a priest to perform the actual act of atonement. The sinner could bring the required sacrifice but only a priest was qualified to present the offering to God on the sinner’s behalf.

So, God provided Aaron and his sons with very specific instructions regarding the burnt offering, the grain offering, the ordination offering, and the sin offering. Each required a slightly different protocol that was to be observed down to the last detail. The priests were not allowed to improvise or alter the form of the sacrifice in any way.

Every morning, one of Aaron’s sons would put on his official robes, enter the Tabernacle compound and remove the ashes from the previous day’s sacrifices. These “holy” garments were required before he could approach God’s altar. Once the ashes were collected, he was to remove his sanctified garments and replace them with ordinary clothing so that he could leave the compound and place the ashes in a predesignated location that had been ceremonially cleansed and prepared for this purpose. In accomplishing this task, it was essential that the priest ensured that the fire never went out on the bronze altar.

“…the fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must never go out. Each morning the priest will add fresh wood to the fire and arrange the burnt offering on it.” – Leviticus 6:12 NLT

The ashes had to be removed but the embers were to be kept alive and additional wood was to be added in order to maintain a perpetual flame on the altar. As long as the Israelites were encamped and the Tabernacle was open for business, the flame on the bronze altar was to be constantly kindled and perpetually ready for sacrifices to be made. And it was the responsibility of the priests to keep the fire burning at all times.

In chapter 9, Moses records the inauguration of the sacrificial system, when Aaron and his sons offered a series of sacrifices on behalf of themselves and the people. Once Aaron had completed the required offerings, officially opening the Tabernacle for business, God placed His seal of approval on the entire proceedings in a powerful and memorable way.

Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. – Leviticus 9:22-24 NLT

God created the initial fire that consumed those first offerings, and it was up to Aaron and his sons to preserve a remnant of those embers for perpetuity. The flame that God ignited was to never go out.

It was from this very same altar that the priests would remove coals to ignite the incense that was burned on the altar of incense. God was the source and sustainer of the purifying flame that made their sacrifices not only possible but effective. Even the grain offerings that were offered to God were a pleasing aroma to Him due to the flame that He Himself had initiated. And God graciously provided Aaron and his sons with a portion of the grain offering as payment for their services.

“I have given it to the priests as their share of the special gifts presented to me. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy. Any of Aaron’s male descendants may eat from the special gifts presented to the Lord. This is their permanent right from generation to generation.” – Leviticus 6:17-18 NLT

God provided all that the priests needed, from the robes they wore to the food they ate. They served on His behalf and, in return, He amply sustained and rewarded them for their faithful service.

God notes that if anyone or anything other than one of the priests came into contact with these sanctified offerings, they would be rendered holy. If a commoner happened to touch some of the grain offerings that had been reserved for the priests, he would be considered holy by virtue of transference and expected to maintain his purity in the same way as the priests.

“The layman who touched these most holy things became holy through the contact, so that henceforth he had to guard against defilement in the same manner as the sanctified priests.” – Keil and Delitzsch, Leviticus

It was essential that everything be done according to God’s exacting standards so that holiness might be maintained. Any variation from God’s script would result in the sacrifices being defiled and their atoning purpose thwarted.

Even Aaron and his sons, whom God had set apart for His service, were required to maintain their set-apart status by carefully following God’s commands. This included their twice-daily offering of two quarts of choice flour. These offerings were to be burned in their entirety on the altar as a form of worship to Yahweh. It was not only important that the priests served God on behalf of the people, but they were also to demonstrate their own reverence for God by offering these gifts as a pleasing aroma to Him. It was all to be consumed by fire and offered as a gift to God alone.

Holiness, humility, worship, and obedience. All of these things factored into the proper adherence to God’s sacrificial system. Everything had to be done according to God’s strict requirements and from a proper perspective. The right sacrifice offered in the wrong way or with improper motives would prove fruitless and counterproductive. Obedience was essential but so was obeisance. Seeking God’s forgiveness but without offering Him proper worship from a contrite and reverent heart was to risk incurring His wrath. Atonement was only possible if done in the right way and from a right heart.

Restitution and Restoration

June 6, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹ The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²“If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against the Lord by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or if he has oppressed his neighbor ³or has found something lost and lied about it, swearing falsely—in any of all the things that people do and sin thereby— ⁴if he has sinned and has realized his guilt and will restore what he took by robbery or what he got by oppression or the deposit that was committed to him or the lost thing that he found ⁵or anything about which he has sworn falsely, he shall restore it in full and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to him to whom it belongs on the day he realizes his guilt. ⁶And he shall bring to the priest as his compensation to the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering. ⁷And the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord, and he shall be forgiven for any of the things that one may do and thereby become guilty.” – Leviticus 6:1-7 ESV

God continues to delineate the specific kinds of sins that require a guilt offering. In this case, He addresses the sin of theft and any acts of deception associated with the commission of the crime. It’s important to note that God considers these sins committed against another individual to have been committed against Him as well. The eighth commandment clearly prohibited stealing, so when someone stole from a fellow Israelite, they were also sinning against God Himself by breaking one of the commands found in the Decalogue.

We tend to think of stealing as a blatant act of robbery where someone takes an item that belongs to another. People could steal another person’s property, such as a sheep or goat, or they could break into their home and take an item of value. But God includes acts of deception that include fraud or failure to keep a financial commitment. God mentions something held in trust or a pledge. This would have covered the case of someone refusing to return an item that had been entrusted to their possession by a neighbor or friend. It was like a form of deposit. According to McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia, surety was “some form of עָרִב, arb, to barter, and especially to deposit a pledge, either in money, goods, or in part payment, as security for a bargain; ἔγγυος.”

To defraud someone of their deposit was the same as theft in the eyes of God. Refusing to return a pledge after a deal was consummated was a violation of the eighth commandment. The guilty party was taking something that was not rightfully theirs to keep. And their refusal to return the money or possession involved lying and deception.

God also included another form of theft. If a person found someone’s lost property or possession and refused to return it, they too were guilty of theft. And if they covered up their act with lies or denials, they only complicated the matter. In all of these cases, God required a guilt offering. But there was a further requirement of restitution and an additional penalty of a 20 percent tax on the value of the stolen goods. And it appears that these things had to take place before the required sacrifice could be offered and atonement received. God expected the guilty party to make things right with their offended neighbor.

Jesus dealt with something similar when giving His sermon on the mount.

“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.” – Matthew 5:23-24 NLT

It was wrong for a person to seek forgiveness from God before they had made proper amends with the one they had defrauded or stolen from. Full restitution was required before any sacrifices could be made. Forgiveness of the sin could not precede reparations for the damages done. Once the guilty party became aware of his crime, he was expected to make things right with the offended party that very same day. And his restitution was to be immediately followed by his presentation of the guilt offering: “a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent” (Leviticus 6:6 NLT).

Since these sins involved crimes committed against another, they required confession and proper compensation. There had to be an admission of guilt and a willingness to make amends before the sinner could expect to have his damaged relationship with God restored. But once he had done the right thing, he was free to present his guilt offering at the Tabernacle,, and he was assured of receiving forgiveness from the Lord.

“Through this process, the priest will purify you before the Lord, making you right with him, and you will be forgiven for any of these sins you have committed.” – Leviticus 6:7 NLT

Ultimately, all sin is an offense against a holy and righteous God. But many of our sins are horizontal in nature, involving transgressions against others. Six of the ten commandments deal with sins committed against others. God knew that His chosen people were going to have a difficult time maintaining a proper sense of community. Greed, lust, envy, and jealousy would prove to be constant temptations for the people of Israel, and they would result in everything from lying and deception to fraud, theft, and even adultery. They were inevitable and unavoidable. So, God instituted a guilt offering to cover these kinds of sins. And because God thought ahead, the Israelites were guaranteed the blessing of His forgiveness even when they lived in disobedience to His commands. God would graciously restore them to a right relationship with Himself, but He would also see to it that they were restored to a right relationship with one another. This is why when the Pharisees asked Jesus what was the greatest of all of God’s commandments, He replied:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 22:37-40 ESV

Treating the Holy as Common

June 5, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁴The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁵“If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the Lord, he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued in silver shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. ¹⁶He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.

¹⁷“If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity. ¹⁸He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven. ¹⁹It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before the Lord.” – Leviticus 5:14-19 ESV

Verse 14 begins a new section dealing with what has been described as the guilt offering, but what is also referred to as the offering of reparations. The focus remains on sins committed without the individual’s knowledge. While these particular sins could be committed by accident, they were still considered breaches of faith and required the guilty party to make restitution to the Lord.

The Hebrew word used to describe this kind of offering is אָשָׁם (‘āšām), and it can be translated as either “guilt” or “compensation.” What seems to set this offering apart from all the other offerings that have been discussed is the emphasis on the value of the animal to be sacrificed. God stipulated that the guilty party was to bring an unblemished ram that was of great monetary value.

“The offering must be your own ram with no defects, or you may buy one of equal value with silver, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel.” – Leviticus 5:15 NLT

The NET Bible translation of verse 15 implies that the sinner could also bring the cash equivalent of the ram’s value in silver and use that as an offering before the Lord.

“…he must bring his penalty for guilt to the Lord, a flawless ram from the flock, convertible into silver shekels according to the standard of the sanctuary shekel, for a guilt offering.” – Leviticus 5:15 NET

It would appear that this offering required a cash commitment on the part of the sinner. There was also a fine to be paid that was one-fifth of the animal’s value.

Once the individual became aware of their sin, they were expected to make reparations. It is unclear what is meant by “the holy things of the Lord” (Leviticus 15:14 ESV). Some speculate that these sins had something to do with the holy objects located within the Tabernacle. According to the NET Bible Study Notes, “The phrase evidently refers to anything dedicated to God by the Israelites, including the tabernacle, its furnishings, the offerings, houses, lands, and tithes.” Perhaps the sin involved someone unknowingly eating meat that had been dedicated to the priests or they could have inadvertently violated proper protocol concerning behavior in and around the Tabernacle. If they failed to treat God’s priests with proper dignity and respect, this could have incurred God’s judgment. Of course, the possible theft or mistreatment of any sacred property would also be a great offense to God.

Whatever the exact sin might have been, the guilty party was expected to compensate God for what they had done. Their real crime was that they had robbed God of glory. They had mistreated His “holy things” and, in doing so, they had diminished God’s value in the eyes of the people. Everything about the Tabernacle was to be considered holy because it all belonged to God. He had set apart the Tabernacle as His earthly dwelling place and the people of Israel were to treat His home with proper honor and respect.

As with all the other offerings, this one was intended to restore the sinner to a right relationship with God. Though he or she was guilty of having transgressed God’s pre-established standards for behavior, they could be made right with Him once again by following His prescribed plan for atonement.

“Through this process the priest will purify you from your unintentional sin, making you right with the Lord, and you will be forgiven.” – Leviticus 15:18 NLT

Restoration was the goal. God knew that His people were going to violate His commands. He was well aware of their inability to live up to His exacting standards of conduct. So, He provided a means by which their inevitable sins could be atoned for and their broken relationship with Him could be healed.

Verse 15 describes these sins as “a breach of faith.” In Hebrew, this phrase is actually māʿal māʿal and should be translated as “trespasses a trespass.” The idea is that the person has violated a known violation outlined by God. In doing so, they crossed over a boundary that God established between the holy and the common. The Tabernacle and all that was associated with it was to be off-limits to the average Israelite. It was to be treated with awe and reverence and to be used only for holy purposes because it has been consecrated to the Lord. These sins seem to involve cases of someone dishonoring that which was holy by treating it as common or ordinary.

God will eventually task Aaron and his sons with the responsibility of teaching the people of Israel the difference between the holy and the common.

“You must distinguish between what is sacred and what is common, between what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean. And you must teach the Israelites all the decrees that the LORD has given them through Moses.” – Leviticus 10:10-11 NLT

Centuries later, God would reiterate His command that the priests teach the people to discern between the holy and the ordinary.

“They will teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is common, what is ceremonially clean and unclean.” – Ezekiel 44:23 NLT

And God will hold the priests personally responsible for their failure to teach the people how to treat the holy things of God with the honor they deserve.

“Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. And they do not teach my people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean. They disregard my Sabbath days so that I am dishonored among them.” – Ezekiel 22:26 NLT

One of the greatest sins an individual can commit is to treat the holy things of God with dishonor. To treat as ordinary that which God has set apart as His own is to disregard His wishes and to disrespect what He has deemed worthy of honor. If a priest were to take one of the holy vessels from the Tabernacle and use it for a common purpose, he would be trespassing a trespass. He would be guilty of treating the holy as ordinary. And any person who unknowingly treated that which was holy as common would stand before God as guilty and deserving of judgment. But restitution and restoration were possible. Forgiveness was available. But, as is always the case, atonement came with a price.

You Shall Be Holy

June 4, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹“If anyone sins in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity; ²or if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean wild animal or a carcass of unclean livestock or a carcass of unclean swarming things, and it is hidden from him and he has become unclean, and he realizes his guilt; ³or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort the uncleanness may be with which one becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and realizes his guilt; ⁴or if anyone utters with his lips a rash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people swear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these; ⁵when he realizes his guilt in any of these and confesses the sin he has committed, ⁶he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin.

⁷“But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation for the sin that he has committed two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. ⁸He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first the one for the sin offering. He shall wring its head from its neck but shall not sever it completely, ⁹and he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar; it is a sin offering. ¹⁰Then he shall offer the second for a burnt offering according to the rule. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.

¹¹“But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it and shall put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. ¹²And he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take a handful of it as its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, on the Lord’s food offerings; it is a sin offering. ¹³Thus the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed in any one of these things, and he shall be forgiven. And the remainder shall be for the priest, as in the grain offering.” – Leviticus 5:1-13 ESV

Sin can take a variety of forms. There are sins that can be committed out of ignorance or by accident. But these unintentional sins are no less egregious in the eyes of God. So, when a sinner became aware of his indiscretion, he was expected to offer the appropriate sacrifice to make atonement and restore his relationship with Yahweh.

There are sins of omission, in which an individual fails to do what God has commanded. The apostle James explains this kind of sin when he writes, “it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it” (James 4:17 NLT). There are also sins of commission, in which an individual willingly and knowingly violates one of God’s commands. As Leviticus has made clear, sins of commission can be either intentional or unintentional, and they do not necessarily require forethought. In other words, sins can be committed without any premeditation or prior planning. They can be inadvertent and spontaneous but are sins nonetheless.

The opening verses of chapter 5 present yet another category of sins that required sacrifice. The first entailed an individual who was witness to another individual making an oath but failed to disclose what he knew. The context seems to be that of a trial or an attempt to resolve a dispute between two individuals. An oath had been made but remained unfulfilled. The offending party had denied ever having made the oath in an attempt to keep from having to fulfill it. If someone was witness to the oath and failed to speak up, he was covering up the truth. His silence condemned him as a liar. He knew the truth but was refusing to make it known. This not only made him complicit in the other person’s sin but also made him guilty of being a false witness. His silence condemns him. This is a perfect illustration of what James was talking about.

Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin. – James 4:17 BSB

The second sin in this section of Leviticus deals with cases of ceremonial uncleanness. One involved touching “something that is ceremonially unclean, such as the carcass of an unclean animal” (Leviticus 5:2 NLT). Coming into contact with the body of a dead animal would render the individual unclean and make them a threat to the spiritual well-being of the entire community. The other sin entailed coming into contact with another human being who had been deemed unclean. This could be through direct contact with that individual or by inadvertent contact with anything they had touched.

Chapter 11 of Leviticus provides further details concerning ceremonial uncleanness. God provided His people with clear instructions regarding contact with certain types of animals and creatures. He warned them against allowing themselves to be made impure or defiled in any way because they were to be holy.

“For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” – Leviticus 11:44-45 ESV

Contact with anything defiled or unclean rendered the individual unclean until evening. During that time, a ritual purification process was required. The sin offering was in cases where the guilty party had failed to follow the proper cleansing procedure. He remained defiled and unholy and unfit to reside among the people of Israel. He posed a threat to the community by spreading his impurity to all those around him.

The third case involved anyone who made “a foolish vow of any kind, whether its purpose is for good or for bad” (Leviticus 5:4 NLT). This sin entailed the making of a promise and the failure to keep it. In God’s eyes, it was the same thing as lying, and it required atonement.

In all of these cases, God adds the condition of awareness. As soon as the individual became aware of his sin, he was expected to take action.

“…when he realizes his guilt in any of these and confesses the sin he has committed, he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering.” – Leviticus 5:5-6 ESV

Conviction was to be followed by confession and contrition. A sacrifice was to be offered as atonement for the sin committed. And God provided a range of acceptable sacrifices, in order to accommodate both the wealthy and the poor. There would be no excuse for failing to atone for sin. The guilty party could bring a female goat or sheep or, if economically challenged, they could bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. Or in the case of someone who was destitute, they could offer two quarts of choice flour as their sacrifice. God made it possible for any and all to receive atonement for their sin, regardless of their financial status.

“Through this process, the priest will purify those who are guilty of any of these sins, making them right with the Lord, and they will be forgiven.” – Leviticus 5:13 NLT

Sin separated the individual from God. But it also created a barrier between the sinner and the rest of the faith community. The sinner’s presence among God’s people rendered him a liability because he endangered their ongoing relationship with Yahweh. God expected His people to be holy. Any sin within their midst rendered them unholy and unacceptable to Him. That is why He called them to remain set apart and consecrated for His use.

“I am the Lord your God. You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. So do not defile yourselves…” – Leviticus 11:44 NLT

Defilement was inevitable though because sin was unavoidable. That is why God provided the sacrificial system as a means of atoning for sin and receiving forgiveness. Their wrong decisions could be dealt with through obedience to God’s commands. By offering the proper sacrifice, they could be restored to a right relationship with God. Repentance, confession, and atonement purified the sinner and preserved the holiness of God’s people.

Atonement for Sin

June 3, 2023June 3, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

²²“When a leader sins, doing unintentionally any one of all the things that by the commandments of the Lord his God ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, ²³or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without blemish, ²⁴and shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord; it is a sin offering. ²⁵Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering. ²⁶And all its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings. So the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven.

²⁷“If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any one of the things that by the Lord‘s commandments ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, ²⁸or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. ²⁹And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering. ³⁰And the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. ³¹And all its fat he shall remove, as the fat is removed from the peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. And the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven.

³²“If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish ³³and lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering. ³⁴Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. ³⁵And all its fat he shall remove as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on top of the Lord‘s food offerings. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed, and he shall be forgiven. – Leviticus 4:22-35 ESV

Everyone sins. It’s an inevitable and unavoidable fact of life. The apostle Paul put it this way: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). King Solomon gave this rather sobering assessment of the problem.

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. – Ecclesiastes 7:20 ESV

And Solomon would double down on the same stark evaluation of sin’s relentless stranglehold on humanity.

…there is no one who does not sin. – 1 Kings 8:46 ESV

And it was the pervasive and inescapable reality of sin that caused the apostle John to encourage confession rather than denial.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. – 1 John 1:8-10 ESV

No one understands the damaging effects of sin better than God. While He is completely free from any form of unrighteousness, He understands that sin’s entrance into the world had a devastating impact on humanity. When Adam and Eve made the fateful decision to eat fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they did far more than disobey God’s command; they expressed their desire to become their own gods. They listened to the lie of the enemy and asserted their right to run their own lives according to their own wills. What God had declared off-limits, they determined was rightfully theirs to have. Rather than trust God’s perfect will for their lives, they allowed their desire for autonomy to cloud their thinking and blind their eyes to the devastating outcome of self-rule.

God’s decision to set apart the people of Israel as His special possession was intended to show how sinful humanity might enjoy a restored relationship with its creator. By choosing the descendants of Abraham as participants in His divine case study, God was going to reveal how the pernicious presence of sin could be dealt with in a way that could result in their restoration to a right relationship with Him. He would use this one nation to showcase His grace, love, and forgiveness. He would make a covenant with them that would guarantee them status as His chosen people and assure them of His future blessings. But they would be required to live in obedience to all the laws and regulations associated with that covenant. Failure to do so would bring divine discipline. But knowing that His people would find it impossible to live in perfect obedience to His law, God provided the sacrificial system as a means to atone for the sins they would inevitably commit.

That brings us back to Leviticus chapter 4. God has already made it clear that sin was a problem for His people. Even the priests would have difficulty living in obedience to His commands. And it was only a matter of time before the entire nation came under the weight of God’s wrath for some inadvertent and unintentional sin committed by one of their own. The whole focus of the opening chapters of Leviticus seems to be God’s emphasis on the inescapable nature of sin. Even when the people of Israel thought they were doing well, there was the very real possibility that they had sinned without even knowing it. Sin was hardwired into their systems. It was part of their nature. And they were fully capable of committing sins both willingly and unwittingly.

That’s why God instituted these sin or purification offerings. Even if someone committed a sin by accident, they were still required to make atonement for that sin. As soon as they became aware of their offense, they needed to bring their offering before God in order to receive forgiveness and restoration. And this requirement applied to every Israelite, regardless of their social status or economic standing. God even made provisions to accommodate the poor by allowing them to offer less costly sacrifices. Everyone from priests, elders, the rich, and the poor was required to follow God’s purification process. It was mandatory and not up for debate. To refuse to make the proper sacrifice for sin would leave the individual separated from God and under a death sentence. Sin required confession, sacrifice, and purification. Forgiveness was available, but only if the sinner faithfully followed God’s gracious commands.

Verses 22-35 deal provide the same protocol for the leader and the common man. Their social status did not change anything. It didn’t matter if Moses had committed the sin or if the guilty party was an obscure member of the working class. Both were required to “bring as his offering a goat” (Leviticus 4:23, 28 ESV). The only difference was that God allowed the less affluent Israelite to substitute a less-expensive female goat as a sacrifice. But both animals had to be without blemish, and the same ritual had to be painstakingly followed in order for the sacrifice to be effective. When God’s program of purification was adhered to, both individuals received the same results.

“…the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven.” – Leviticus 4:26, 31 ESV

The goal was forgiveness. God knew that sin was inevitable, even among His chosen people. The presence of the law didn’t eliminate the Israelite’s propensity for sin. The law simply provided a clear and irrefutable outline of God’s expectations for His chosen people. The apostle Paul would later explain the purpose behind the law.

…the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. – Romans 3:19-20 NLT

…the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) – Romans 4:15 NLT

The law of God established His standard of holiness. But He knew that the Israelites were incapable of living up to that standard. Their sinful natures made it impossible to live in perfect obedience to His righteous requirements. As a Jew, the apostle Paul could relate to the difficulty they faced.

In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. – Romans 7:25 NLT

So, God provided the sacrificial system as a way of mitigating the inevitable damage that sin would do to the Israelite’s relationship with Him. Sin would result in division between God and His people. In His holiness, He would be obligated to deal with their sin justly and righteously. He could not turn a blind eye or act as if it never happened. So, the sacrificial system was designed to offer atonement, make available forgiveness, and provide a restored relationship with God.

The author of Hebrews provides a powerful reminder of how the law was a foreshadowing of something far more significant to come. It was meant to serve as a sign of a greater program of sacrifice and atonement that God had in mind.

The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.

But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. – Hebrews 10:1-4 NLT

And the author goes on to reveal what the Old Testament sacrificial system was meant to point towards:

That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God,

“You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings.
    But you have given me a body to offer.
You were not pleased with burnt offerings
    or other offerings for sin.
Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—
    as is written about me in the Scriptures.’” – Hebrews 10:5-7 NLT

God had always planned to send His Son as the final and all-sufficient sacrifice that would pay for the sins of mankind, once and for all.

For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. – Hebrews 10:10 NLT

But during the Old Testament dispensation, God provided the sacrificial system as a temporary and incomplete model of the greater plan to come. Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), had always been God’s ultimate plan of atonement, forgiveness, and restoration. And as the author of Hebrews states, “when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices” (Hebrews 10:18 NLT). Jesus alone can offer full forgiveness from sin and freedom from future condemnation. And Paul sums up the incredible reality of God’s perfect plan of redemption, made possible through the sacrifice of His Son.

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. – Romans 8:3-4 NLT

Sin in the Camp

June 2, 2023June 2, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹³“If the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do any one of the things that by the Lord‘s commandments ought not to be done, and they realize their guilt, ¹⁴when the sin which they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall offer a bull from the herd for a sin offering and bring it in front of the tent of meeting. ¹⁵And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord, and the bull shall be killed before the Lord. ¹⁶Then the anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull into the tent of meeting, ¹⁷and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord in front of the veil. ¹⁸And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is in the tent of meeting before the Lord, and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. ¹⁹And all its fat he shall take from it and burn on the altar. ²⁰Thus shall he do with the bull. As he did with the bull of the sin offering, so shall he do with this. And the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven. ²¹And he shall carry the bull outside the camp and burn it up as he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the assembly.” – Leviticus 4:13-21 ESV

The next mandatory blood sacrifice was in the case of the entire community committing an unintentional sin. It seems that it would have been a rare occurrence for the entire nation to be guilty of having committed the same inadvertent sin. How could an entire multitude of people have unknowingly participated in a violation of God’s law without knowing it? It’s difficult to imagine every single Israelite unwittingly or accidentally participating in the very same violation of God’s law.

But the Hebrew word for “congregation” carries a range of meanings that includes a family, crowd, assembly, or gathering. Yet the context of this passage would seem to indicate that God has the entire Israelite community in mind. The actual sin committed might be the work of a few within the community, but God would hold the entire nation responsible. Sin is like an infectious disease and has a way of spreading throughout the entire body if left undetected and untreated. So, even if the violation had been committed by only a handful of the Israelites, the entire nation would find itself impacted by their actions. The impurity of a few would leave the whole congregation in a state of impurity and in need of cleansing.

So, God provided a means of receiving atonement. He wanted His people to take seriously any form of sin within the camp, and there is a powerful example of this in the book of Joshua. When the people of Israel eventually entered the land of Canaan, God gave them a miraculous victory over the city of Jericho. But this was followed by an unexpected defeat at the hands of the much-smaller city of Ai. Joshua chapter 7 opens up with the statement: “But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things…” (Joshua 7:1 ESV).

Before they began their siege of Jericho, God had given the people clear instructions concerning their post-victory celebrations.

“Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies.

“Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.” – Joshua 6:17-20 NLT

But one man decided to ignore God’s command and enrich himself with some of the plunder from the city. And yet, Moses records, “Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the Lord” (Joshua 7:1 NLT). God held the entire nation culpable for Achan’s actions. In fact, Moses notes that “the Lord was very angry with the Israelites” (Joshua 7:1 NLT).

Joshua and the rest of the Israelites were completely oblivious to Achan’s sin. So confident of certain victory over the smaller city of Ai, Joshua sent a contingent made up of 3,000 Israelite soldiers, but their mission ended in defeat. And Moses records that “the Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away” (Joshua 7:5 NLT). Joshua, shaken by this unexpected turn of events, called out to God for an explanation. He couldn’t understand why God had failed to intervene on their behalf against the Amorites living in Ai. But what Joshua didn’t know was that sin had entered the camp of Israel. Achan’s violation of God’s command had left the entire community contaminated and worthy of God’s judgment, and God pulled no punches in declaring the seriousness of the situation.

“Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.” – Joshua 7:11-12 NLT

While Achan’s sin had been anything but accidental, the rest of the nation had been unaware of its occurrence. They were ignorant of Achan’s crime but were just as responsible before God as if they had all taken part. And God made it clear that the entire community would be considered impure and responsible for the crime until the guilty party was sought out and exposed.

“Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.” – Joshua 7:13 NLT

Purification was part of the process. The entire community needed to purge itself of the sin that had left them contaminated and worthy of God’s judgment. The next day, God revealed the identity of the guilty party and ordered his execution.

“The one who has stolen what was set apart for destruction will himself be burned with fire, along with everything he has, for he has broken the covenant of the Lord and has done a horrible thing in Israel.” – Joshua 7:15 NLT

In this case, Achan and his entire family were stoned to death and then burned with fire. The sin was purged from their midst and the nation was spared God’s judgment. But the atonement came at a high price.

And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies. They piled a great heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Trouble ever since. So the Lord was no longer angry. – Joshua 7:25-26 NLT

When it came to the sin/purification offering, God provided a means by which the nation could receive a different form of atonement for inadvertent or unintentional sins committed among them. When someone violated one of God’s laws and it ended up impacting the entire community, there was a way to restore fellowship and receive forgiveness. But it involved a blood sacrifice. A life had to be given so that the guilty might be spared. In this case, it was to be “a bull from the herd” (Leviticus 4:14 ESV). This animal must be free from defects and in perfect health. It represented a payment of high value and illustrated the gravity of the crime committed. Atonement could not be achieved without considerable cost to the guilty party.

As representatives of the people, the elders were to lay their hands on the sacrificial animal, symbolizing its role as their substitute or stand-in. The guilt of the people was symbolically transferred to the bull, then the life of the animal was taken. Its blood was shed so that the Israelites could live and enjoy God’s forgiveness. But before atonement from sin could be enjoyed, the blood of the animal had to be taken by the priest and sprinkled on the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. The people’s access to God had been impacted by their sin. The entrance into God’s presence, represented by the veil, had been contaminated by sin, and needed to be purified by the blood of the sacrificial animal. As the author of Hebrews reminds us, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22 ESV).

Having purified the veil, the priest was to take the remainder of the blood and purify the bronze altar as well as the altar of incense. This ritual cleansing of the two altars of sacrifice was intended to restore their holiness and reestablish their use for worshiping God. And by following all the details of this pre-established ceremony “the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven” (Leviticus 4:20 ESV).

The Joy of Forgiveness

June 1, 2023June 1, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²“Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If anyone sins unintentionally in any of the Lord’s commandments about things not to be done, and does any one of them, ³if it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull from the herd without blemish to the Lord for a sin offering. ⁴He shall bring the bull to the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord and lay his hand on the head of the bull and kill the bull before the Lord. ⁵And the anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull and bring it into the tent of meeting, ⁶and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle part of the blood seven times before the Lord in front of the veil of the sanctuary. ⁷And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense before the Lord that is in the tent of meeting, and all the rest of the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. ⁸And all the fat of the bull of the sin offering he shall remove from it, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails ⁹and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys ¹⁰(just as these are taken from the ox of the sacrifice of the peace offerings); and the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering. ¹¹But the skin of the bull and all its flesh, with its head, its legs, its entrails, and its dung— ¹²all the rest of the bull—he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, to the ash heap, and shall burn it up on a fire of wood. On the ash heap it shall be burned up.” – Leviticus 4:1-12 ESV

Having covered the burnt, grain, and peace offerings, God now addresses two distinctively different sacrifices dealing with unintentional violations of His commands. The Hebrew phrase is בִּשְׁגָגָה (bishgagah) and it refers to a sin committed in ignorance and without premeditation. This could involve a case of someone violating one of God’s commands unknowingly or accidentally. Unlike the first three kinds of offerings, these two offerings place emphasis on the status of the sinner and not the sacrifice itself. It’s not that the type of sacrifice or the manner in which it is given is unimportant but that the specific type of sin is the higher priority.

These sacrifices involve accidental sins or sins of omission. If someone inadvertently committed a sin of which they were ignorant or unaware, there was a way for them to be restored to a right relationship with God. Their ignorance did not excuse or absolve them from guilt or condemnation. Simply claiming, “I didn’t know” would not alleviate their guilty standing before a holy God. Failing to observe one of God’s commands was a violation worthy of judgment whether the individual did so knowingly or not. And, like all other violations of God’s commands, these sins of ignorance required atonement.

So, God provided a gracious and very specific remedy for these unique situations. He knew that not all sins would be blatant displays of willful rebellion against His law. Some would innocently and unknowingly break His commands and find themselves under His righteous judgment. What were they to do? How were they supposed to remedy the situation in a way that God would find acceptable?

First of all, God addressed the priesthood. Even this select group of men would find themselves in the awkward and dangerous spot of having violated one of God’s commands unknowingly. Yet, it seems that these kinds of cases would have been rare since the priests were to be the experts when it came to God’s laws. But God knew that even Aaron and his sons were fully capable of making a mistake and unwittingly violating one of God’s many laws. And, when that unlikely occasion arose, there was a way for them to restore their broken relationship with God.

One of the important things to note in this passage is that God took all forms of sin seriously. It didn’t matter whether the individual intended to sin or not. Once the sin had been committed, it created a barrier between the individual and God. It left the violator impure and unworthy to enter God’s presence. This posed a real problem for those men who had been set apart to minister as mediators between God and His people. If Aaron or one of his sons committed an unintentional sin, their very presence in the Tabernacle and their interactions with the altars and utensils would invalidate any offerings they made. They would end up contaminating God’s house and rendering any of their actions as priests to be unacceptable.

“Purification is the main element in the purification [sin] sacrifice. Sin not only angers God and deprives him of his due, it also makes his sanctuary unclean. A holy God cannot dwell amid uncleanness. The purification offering purifies the place of worship, so that God may be present among his people.” – Gordon J. Wenham, The Book of Leviticus

These men played a vital role in the spiritual well-being of the people of Israel, and if their personal sins, whether willing or unwilling, remained unatoned for, the people will suffer the loss of God’s presence and power in their lives. Not only that, any sacrifices they offered would be deemed unacceptable to God. So, it was essential that the priests had a way to appease God for any and all sins they committed – even those that were the result of ignorance.

These inadvertent sins included such things as failing to keep one’s word or simply neglecting to do the right thing. Living in a sin-stained world could leave someone contaminated without them even knowing it. The key to these kinds of sins is awareness. Once someone became aware that they had unknowingly broken one of God’s commands, they were expected to confess their sin and make atonement for it. The former ignorance would not absolve them from responsibility or assuage their guilt. If they had unknowingly touched something that was unclean, that action would have rendered them unclean. Once they became aware of their unclean status, they were expected to do the right thing and offer the proper sacrifice. And God was quite specific as to the nature of that sacrifice.

While these sin offerings bear similarities to the burnt, grain, and peace offerings, there were slight differences. These offerings were not meant to be a soothing aroma to God. Instead, they were intended to expiate or make amends for the sin committed. As with all the other offerings, the animal that was to be sacrificed had to be without defect. There was a cost involved, even if the sin was accidental. The manner in which the sin was committed did not lessen the penalty or the cost of atonement. A perfect sacrifice was required to restore the sinner’s broken relationship with God.

When it comes to sin, ignorance is not bliss. A misguided sense of innocence did not render one right in the eyes of a holy, all-knowing God. That is why all sin should be taken seriously and it is a sober awareness of sin’s capacity for hiddenness that led David to cry out to God, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24 NLT).

David knew that sin was insidious in its ability to hide in plain sight. There was no way that he could know the true condition of his own heart, so he asked God to reveal any hidden sin that needed to be confessed and atoned for. And God reminded the prophet, Jeremiah, that the key to unlocking the secrets of the human heart lies with God and not man.

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
    and desperately wicked.
    Who really knows how bad it is?
But I, the Lord, search all hearts
    and examine secret motives.
I give all people their due rewards,
    according to what their actions deserve.” – Jeremiah 17:9-10 NLT

Even sins committed in ignorance carry weight and require atonement. They cannot be overlooked, should not be underestimated, or treated apathetically. God wanted His people to live in perfect fellowship with Him, but He knew that sin would create an impenetrable barrier. The presence of sin in the individual’s life rendered them unacceptable and made God inaccessible. But God graciously provided a solution – in the form of a blood sacrifice because “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22 ESV).

And once the atoning sacrifice was offered and the blood was sprinkled on the altar, the remaining portion of the slain animal was carried outside the camp and burned.

“…the skin of the bull and all its flesh, with its head, its legs, its entrails, and its dung— all the rest of the bull—he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, to the ash heap, and shall burn it up on a fire of wood. On the ash heap it shall be burned up.” – Leviticus 4:11-12 NLT

In a sense, these unacceptable portions of the animal represented the unacceptable nature of the individual’s sin. Unworthy for use as an offering to the Lord, these leftovers were to be taken outside the camp and burned. It was David who wrote of the amazing reality of God’s forgiveness.

Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. – Psalm 32:5 NLT

And it was God who assured His stubborn and rebellious people of His willingness to faithfully forgive their repeated acts of sin against Him.

“I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake
and will never think of them again.” – Isaiah 43:25 NLT

Sin was inevitable. Accidental sins were unavoidable. But forgiveness was always available. And the key to restoration was confession and atonement. God would later remind His covenant people of His willingness to forgive if they would only confess.

“…if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

Men sin but God forgives. This requires that men confess so that God can restore them. And, thankfully, God provided His people with the means to be restored to a right relationship with Himself, even when they had violated His law by mistake.

The great news is, that “if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9 NLT).

Devotionary

The Bible Made Accessible and Applicable

Month: June 2023