Good morning!
Today is a reflection day.
We have started our reading of Leviticus, and perhaps some of us are thinking, “Oh, boy, here comes the hard part.” Maybe, but, “All Scripture is God-breathed and useful…” (2 Timothy 3:16), so our challenge as we read is to ask the Lord to speak. Do that, and pay attention, and you will get a lot out of Leviticus.
So far we have read the first four chapters – and they are all about different sorts of sacrifice. Apparently, sacrifice matters. In fact it does – it is by Jesus’ sacrifice that we are made whole again, our sins forgiven, and the provision is made for our eternal life and blessing. Here is a detail. In introducing the guilt offering procedure, the Lord says,
“Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If anyone sins unintentionallyin any of the Lord’s commandments…”
Wait a minute. Unintentional sin requires a penalty, a sacrifice? Yes it does. And that may offend our sensibilities. It seems pretty harsh to us that if someone should be condemned when they unknowingly cross a boundary. The reason it bothers us speaks to our lack of comprehension of the awfulness of our sin. It is worse than we think – way worse. And all this sacrifice stuff is actually laying the foundation for our only way out – the blood of the Lamb! Praise God! Amen.
in Him, Mike