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Sunday 26 December 2010

Leviticus 4:1-5:13 - Sin Offerings

The sin offering was for specific unintentional sin. Different sacrifices were required for different people. High priests brought a young bull, male goats for leaders, female goats or lambs for common people, doves or pigeons for poor people, and a tenth of an ephah of flour for the very poor. 
The system was designed so that everyone could make a sacrifice for their sin. The principle that applies now is that everyone's sin can be forgiven by believing in Jesus. Whoever you are, you are not excluded.
As with other sacrifices, there is a lot of detail about what to do with the blood and various internal organs. 
A young bull also had to be offered if the whole community was guilty of some unintentional sin. 
Sins of omission were important as well as sins of commission. Failing to speak up when they can about a public charge against someone is mentioned specifically.
What can we learn from all this, apart from being glad that we don't have to go through all this rigmarole any more? Unintentional sins matter, and we can become "contaminated" by everyday life. In the Lord's prayer we ask for forgiveness everyday.

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