August 23, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in selections from Leviticus and Galatians? Here’s today’s reading:
Leviticus 4 (NIV)
The Sin Offering
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2“Say to the Israelites: ‘When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands—
3“ ‘If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the Lord a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.……Continue Reading
Leviticus 4
Steve and Camy
Leviticus 4 is one of those chapters that should help us examine ourselves. God takes sin so seriously that He made a way for even unintentional sins to be forgiven. If sins we commit unintentionally required the sacrifice of Jesus…how much more should we lean on the Spirit of God to submit to His will and walk in His Path, making every effort to put to death those sins which we know we commit, intentionally, either through deliberate acts, or though lack of mindfulness and discipline? But as Hebrews 12 says, God disciplines the one He loves. It also tells us not to grow weary or fainthearted, because “in your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” God disciplines us in order to train us in righteousness and conform us to the image of His Son, that Jesus would be the firstborn of many brothers. When we reject God’s discipline and training and choose sin, we are telling Him we don’t trust Him, and we don’t love Him. May God help us all to submit to the work of His Holy Spirit in us…let Him do what He wants.
I would say, what Sean said, because God does take sin seriously and also in this chapter causes us to have a reflective life where I am always open to God revealing something I have done even if I never intended to do wrong. It also makes me thankful for I John 1:9 that when we confess our known sins He cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Now that is never to be used as an excuse to sin or keep us from reflecting on our lives. But once assessed, we can accept the forgiveness that comes to us in our modern day based in the work of Jesus on the cross.
Amen, Pastor!
Leviticus 4
This is an interesting parallel to what I am reading in Ezekiel to prepare for the Women’s Bible study. In Ezekiel God says that if the righteous man sins (this is intentional transgression according to the sermon I listened to) he will die and if the wicked man repents and does what is lawful he will live. The people say that because of this God is not fair. Apparently they wanted to “bank” their good works so they could do as they pleased at other times.
”“Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair! When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways.”“
Ezekiel 33:17-20 NKJV
Leviticus 4
Leviticus 4
It is important to realize that there is no excuse to sin as we see God’s instruction for unintentional sin. “I didn’t mean it” is no excuse for sin. When we walk with God and keep His ways as our ways how much more difficult is it to unintentionally sin. This chapter helps us to see the importance of that and to be careful that our own ignorance and selfishness isn’t causing us to sin.