Leviticus 4:27-29, “If anyone of the common people
sins unintentionally in doing any one of the things that by the LORD's
commandments ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, (28)
or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring
for his offering a goat, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has
committed. (29) And he shall lay his hand on the head of the
sin offering and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering… (35)…
And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed,
and he shall be forgiven.”
We seldom
consider how rampant sin is in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
It is so deeply ingrained within our nature and is so much a part of daily life
that we can find ourselves committing sin unintentionally, with no idea or
knowledge that we are sinning. For example if a work colleague tells us that
they have done a particular task, but they are lying, we are none the wiser.
When we are then asked by a superior if that task has been done and we reply
positively based on what we have been told, then we too are guilty of lying,
even though we are not aware of it. Another example is that we may develop a
prejudice against another person based on information that we have been told,
however that information is false and fabricated. In these cases are we then
responsible for this sin, are we accountable for it?
Many think
that it would be grossly unfair if we were held accountable for it. Yet the
reality is that sin is sin, whether it be intentional or not, and it cannot
simply be ignored or overlooked. Such is God’s holiness that all sin must be
dealt with. Our guilt in regard to these unintentional sins may not be as great
as those who commit that same sin intentionally, but the fact remains that sin
is sin and guilt is guilt, repentance is still required.
To help the people
of Israel understand that sin is so deeply ingrained and can be committed
unintentionally, we find in Leviticus 4 the institution of the sin offering. An
offering that was to be made when it was discovered that one had been guilty of
unintentional sin, or an offering that was to be made for sins they had
committed, but of which they are not aware. The institution of this sacrifice
teaches a number of important truths. Firstly, it teaches us that God sees all
and knows all, nothing escapes His sight or His knowledge. Secondly, God’s holiness
is absolute, there is no room for give or take and there is no tolerance of sin
whether it is deliberate or unintentional and unknown to the individual. Thirdly,
to be accepted in God’s presence, our holiness also needs to be absolute, there
cannot be even the faintest trace of sin. Fourthly, sin is deeply ingrained in
us and in the lives of all those around us, we sin daily, and others sin
against us daily. We need to be aware that in the course of the day we can be
caught up in the sins of others, without even realising it.
On the basis
of these truths, if God had not made a way of dealing with these sins, then
salvation, fellowship and relationship with God would be impossible. Therefore this
sacrifice of unintentional sin may at first come across as being unfair,
however, it is a means of mercy and grace. God in His desire to see us freed from
sin has instituted a means to deal with sin, all sin, known and unknown.
Ultimately
this sacrifice points us to Christ, for it is only Christ that can change our
hearts to deal with the sin within, and it is only Christ who can make us
absolutely holy by clothing us with His holiness. Christ deals with all our
sin, the sins that haunt us and cause us to feel greatly ashamed, and this sins
that we don’t even know about. If we take time to contemplate this we will once
again be reminded of the immensity of God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness and
salvation extended to us through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Finally, on a practical note, this chapter
reminds us of the importance of praying for forgiveness for unknown and
unintentional sin. We should have the same prayer as that of David in Psalm 19:12-14, “Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden
faults. (13) Keep back your servant also from presumptuous
sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and
innocent of great transgression. (14) Let the words of my mouth and the meditation
of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” And,
Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and
know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
(24) And see if there be any
grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” On a daily basis
we should ask for God to search our hearts and reveal to us any and all sin,
known or unknown, intentional or unintentional, and then seek after His
forgiveness of that sin. We should pray for His protection against such sin,
and for discernment to recognise sin and the sin of others so that we might
avoid it. As believers in Christ, we have been made holy through the work of
Christ, but the challenge is for us to walk in that holiness.
Most merciful God we thank You for the
depth of grace and forgiveness that You extend to us. We rejoice in the fact
that You have dealt with and forgiven all of our sin, even the sin we do not
know about. Thank You that because of Christ, we are now counted as holy and
are therefore acceptable in Your sight. We pray that through the aid of Your
Spirit we might be able to walk in this holiness whilst keeping a close watch
on our lives, ensuring that we seek after righteousness and avoid temptation
and sin. Search our hearts today, expose our sin, known and unknown and lead us
to repentance. Amen.
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