Leviticus 4:27-35, 5:1-13

And 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. – Leviticus 4:31


To read the full passage, click on the link below:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lev%204%3A27-35%2C%205%3A1-13&version=ESV


In today’s passage we continue to look at the sin offering and the different scenarios by which the Israelites come to need forgiveness or purification for their sin.


One key trait of the sin offering is that the worshiper unintentionally commits the sin but comes to know of it and realises his guilt at a later time. So, what happens if there is an extended period of time between the committing of sin and the coming to realise one’s offence? Are such persons guilty during this time in between?


Yes, of course. Even if it was committed unintentionally, a person is guilty of the sin the moment he commits it. The guilt doesn’t begin only when he realises it. However, it is when he realises it that he becomes responsible for dealing with the sin as God commands. We must deal with sin as we become aware of it, and this is the work that the Holy Spirit does within our heart and conscience.


How then is the guilty sinner supposed to come to know of their infraction if they have done it unintentionally and has yet to realise or come to know of their sin? Lev 5:1 brings to our attention the responsibility of the community. Those around the clueless sinner, who may have seen or heard of the matter, are responsible to bear witness to the truth if they are called to testify. Being silent about a sin is also a sin.


A cheeky believer might question: Then, what if there is no public call to testify? Wouldn’t it be better that the witness keep quiet and allow his unintentionally guilty friend be free of this responsibility to offer up an animal, thus saving the friend a lamb or some other livestock?


A wise teacher would point out: The point of this law is not to avoid the responsibility of offering up the sacrifice, and perhaps save some livestock. The point of this law is that God’s people should be clean and pure of any kind of guilt of sin. So as a witness, if one has knowledge of a friend’s guilt and chooses to keep quiet about it (naively thinking he is saving his friend the trouble of offering such sacrifices), what this witness is doing is actually condemning his sinner friend to remain in guilt and uncleanness, and even worse, the guilty party remains there unknowingly. So even if there was no public call, the person withholding knowledge may be found guilty of sin as well.


As soon as we become children of God, we are connected to the church, which is the family of God. By accepting God as our Father, we also become brothers and sisters in Christ with other Christians. Through the vows of baptism and membership, we give permission to fellow believers to watch over us, so we may continue as faithful, obedient disciples of Jesus. We also are given the responsibility of watching over other believers in love. The purpose is that every child of God, every disciple of Jesus may be free of sin and its guilt and be pure and holy before our holy God. That is why we are called to confess our sins to God and one another, and to confront those who are committing sin, whether knowingly or unknowingly. This is the way the community keeps its members on the path of righteousness.


Reflection:
Have we been allowing fellow Christians to speak into our lives, especially about the areas that are not pleasing to God? Have we been watching over brothers and sisters in Christ, speaking truth in love, so that they may be holy as God is holy? This takes a lot of wisdom and courage. The Holy Spirit is our Guide and Comforter, and we can rely on him to help us.


Prayer:
Father, thank you that you didn’t leave us alone to figure out how to be a good Christian by ourselves. You have given us fellow believers, brothers and sisters, so that we can be watched over, taken care of, guided and encouraged, corrected and trained, so as to be faithful disciples. Help us to be humble enough to receive the love offered by fellow believers. Help us to learn to love our brothers and sisters enough to actively watch over them and to lovingly confront them if they are going down a sinful path. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.