Leviticus 4:1-21   (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 4:1-17. With a humble heart, see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 4:1-21 (NIV)
 The LORD said to Moses,
 “Say to the Israelites: ‘When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands–
 “‘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.
 He is to present the bull at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the LORD. He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it before the LORD.
 Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and carry it into the Tent of Meeting.
 He is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD, in front of the curtain of the sanctuary.
 The priest shall then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. The rest of the bull’s blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
 He shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering–the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them,
 both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys–
10  just as the fat is removed from the ox sacrificed as a fellowship offering. Then the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering.
11  But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, as well as the head and legs, the inner parts and offal–
12  that is, all the rest of the bull–he must take outside the camp to a place ceremonially clean, where the ashes are thrown, and burn it in a wood fire on the ash heap.
13  “‘If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, they are guilty.
14  When they become aware of the sin they committed, the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the Tent of Meeting.
15  The elders of the community are to lay their hands on the bull’s head before the LORD, and the bull shall be slaughtered before the LORD.
16  Then the anointed priest is to take some of the bull’s blood into the Tent of Meeting.
17  He shall dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it before the LORD seven times in front of the curtain.
18  He is to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. The rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
19  He shall remove all the fat from it and burn it on the altar,
20  and do with this bull just as he did with the bull for the sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven.
21  Then he shall take the bull outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull. This is the sin offering for the community.

On verses 1-21:  Leviticus 4:1-21 talks about what happens when a Jew sins against God unintentionally  (v1).  For example, maybe that person did something that was against God’s laws but they were not aware that they did it, or maybe they didn’t know it was something God’s laws prohibited.

Verse 13 shows us that just because we don’t know we sinned doesn’t mean we haven’t sinned.  Sin is sin, whether we do it intentionally or not.  One of the lessons of Leviticus 4 is that when we sin, even if it is by accident, it is still necessary to deal with that sin.  That’s why David would write, “Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.  Keep your servant also from wilful sins; may they not rule over me.” (Psalm 19:12-13)

What should you do when you realize you sinned unintentionally?  As soon as we become aware that we have sinned against God or another person, we should look to God for forgiveness and where necessary make things right with the person we sinned against.

Praise God that just as He made provision for unintentional sins in Leviticus 4, God made provision for our unintentional sins by sending Jesus Christ as a sin offering to die for all our sins (see Romans 8:3).

In fact, in Jesus Christ we have an even greater provision than the Jews had in Leviticus 4.  While a sin offering in Leviticus 4 was good to cover only one unintentional sin, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was good enough to cover ALL our sins — intentional, unintentional, past, present and future. 

Let’s thank God that through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus made once and for all, ALL our sins are totally forgiven.   We don’t need to live in constant fear that we are sinning against God unintentionally.  Instead, we live under the all-sufficient umbrella of God’s mercy and grace, fully protected and fully forgiven.

Thank You, God, for loving me and forgiving me through Jesus Christ even when I unintentionally sin against You.  Thank You Jesus for dying on the cross not just for the sins I’ve committed intentionally but for all the ways I’ve sinned unintentionally against You and against others.  Thank You that Your mercy and love are enough to cover ALL of my sins, even the unintentional ones.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

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