Mon.’s Devo - The Sin Offering

Read: Leviticus 4:1-5:19; Mark 2:13-3:6; Psalm 36:1-12; Proverbs 10:1-2 God gave a way the people could atone for sin that they unintentionally did. The ritual was different for the anointed priest, the whole congregation, the ruler and the common person. *** For the anointed priest if he sinned unintentionally, he was to bring a bull to the door of the tabernacle, lay his hand on its head and kill it. He was to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times in front of the veil of the Holy of Holies. He was also to put blood on the horns of the incense altar and pour the remaining blood at the base of the burnt offering at the door of the tabernacle. *** He was to take out the liver, kidneys and fat around the entrails and burn them on the altar. They are the parts of the body that filter waste so they would represent sin. The rest of the bull was to be burnt on the altar and its ashes taken outside the camp. *** If the whole congregation unintentionally sinned and they realized it, they were guilty. The elders of the community were to lay their hands on the head of the bull and it then kill it. The rest is the same as when the priest sinned. *** If it is a ruler that is guilty of unintentional sin and wants to make things right, he must offer a male young goat and lay his hand upon the head of the goat. It was then killed and the priest out put some the blood on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. There rest was poured out at the base of the burnt offering altar. *** If the common people sinned unintentionally he was to bring a female goat or a female lamb and lay his hands upon the animal. Then it would be killed and the priest would put its blood on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour all the remaining blood at the base of the altar. *** The priest is a masculine noun where the community is a feminine noun. The ruler was also a masculine noun and had to give a male goat as an offering, where the common people was feminine and gave a female offering. So, it looks like the priest and the ruler stood as the husband and the community and the common people represented his bride. *** The trespass offering is given if a person hears a person utter an oath and then does not come forward and testify what he heard. It is also given if someone touches something unclean and is unaware of it. The person is still unclean and guilty but is not held responsible until his sin is made known to him. His offering is what he can afford: either a lamb, pigeon or grain. He is to confess his sin and let the priest atone for him. That is what we do when we sin. We confess our sin to the Lord, and he, as our high priest applies his blood to our sin. *** In Mark, Jesus called Levi from his tax collector’s booth to come and be his follower. Levi got up and left his business behind. He wanted his friends to meet Jesus so he invited them to his house to eat. The Pharisees saw Jesus eating with sinners and called him out on it. Jesus explained that healthy people don’t need a doctor, just sick people. He had come to call those who knew they were sinners, not those who thought they were righteous. Busted! He was, of course, speaking of them since they did all their rituals to look righteous. *** Then the pious religious leaders asked Jesus why his disciples didn’t fast. Jesus answered that you don’t fast when you are at a wedding celebrating with the groom. But, one day, the groom would be taken away and they would fast then. *** Jesus said you don’t patch an old cloth with new material because the new material would get wet, and shrink and tear away from the old material. Then the hole would be even bigger than before. And, you don’t put new wine into old wineskins or the old wineskins would burst. New wine needs new wineskins. *** Jesus was referring the scribes and Pharisees as the old cloth and the old wineskins. Jesus was bringing in a new concept, a new kingdom with new rules, new leaders and new ways of operation. *** Jesus explained this further when the religious leaders accused his disciples of doing work on the Sabbath just because they broke off heads of grain to eat. They were all about don’t do this, don’t do that on the Sabbath. Jesus was all about what you could do, like eat, heal, set free, do good. That is why most of the recorded miracles happened on the Sabbath… like the man with the withered hand. *** Lord, may we be about the good deeds of your kingdom. May we put off old wineskins to embrace what you are doing now. Thank you for your atoning blood.