Mon.’s Devo - Sacrifices and New Wine

Read: Leviticus 4:1-5:19; Mark 2:13-3:6; Psalm 36:1-12; Proverbs 10:1-2
Today we read about the sin offering. A sin offering was offered for someone who accidentally did something that broke one of God’s commandments and then found out about it and wanted to atone for his sin. He was guilty the moment he sinned, but not responsible untill he realized his sin.
If the anointed priest sinned, it put guilt on the whole nation. He was to bring a young bull and lay his hands on its head to transfer his sin to the animal.
If the whole community sinned, they were to bring a young bull and the elders of the people were to put their hands on its head and transfer their sins to the bull.
If a leader or ruler sinned, he was to offer a male goat and put his hands on its head.
If a member of the community sinned, he was to bring a female goat to show submission to his leader. But…if a person brought a lamb as his sacrifice it is burnt on top of all the other sacrifices because the lamb trumps them all. Jesus as our sacrificed lamb trumped all the other sacrifices and was the final and last sacrifice needed to take away our sins.
The trespass offering was like a guilt offering. It was to cleanse their soul from hearing or seeing a curse; or touching something unclean or filthy, or speaking something vile. When he was convicted, he was to offering a sacrifice of what he could afford. The sacrifice would have its neck broken first to be a picture of breaking the rebellion from the person. Then another sin offering was to be offered to take care of the sin.
If the sin was against another person, they were to make amends to that person also. This would remove both the sin and the guilt.
If a person sinned against the holy things of God, he was to bring a sacrifice as penalty for his sin for his guilt offering, then he was to make restitution for his failure to do what was right and add a fifth to the value of the property. I would think this had to do with not tithing or not taking responsibility in the church in matters of serving or using your spiritual gifts and talents for the Lord. It had to do with apathy and neglect for the things of God.
Jesus removed both the sin and the guilt of our sin and he made a way for us to have continual fellowship with him. He gives us grace to serve him in his church and gives us gifts to use to edify the body.
In Mark, the religious leaders were so mad at Jesus because he refused to stay “clean” and lawful. He ate with sinners and tax collectors, he and his disciples didn’t fast and he healed on the Sabbath. Jesus explained that they were old wineskins that couldn’t hold this new wine he was pouring out. They had to be born again to receive kingdom principles. Instead, they strained at a gnat and swallowed a camel.
Lord, may we be new wineskins that hold the new things that you are doin in our day. Open our eyes to see and our ears to hear and our hearts to understand.