Leviticus 4:22-35 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Leviticus 4:22-35. 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 4:22-35 (NIV)
22 “‘When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the LORD his God, he is guilty.
23 When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering a male goat without defect.
24 He is to lay his hand on the goat’s head and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the LORD. It is a sin offering.
25 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.
26 He shall burn all the fat on the altar as he burned the fat of the fellowship offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for the man’s sin, and he will be forgiven.
27 “‘If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands, he is guilty.
28 When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering for the sin he committed a female goat without defect.
29 He is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering.
30 Then the priest is to take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.
31 He shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. In this way the priest will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.
32 “‘If he brings a lamb as his sin offering, he is to bring a female without defect.
33 He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it for a sin offering at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered.
34 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.
35 He shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the lamb of the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar on top of the offerings made to the LORD by fire. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.
On verses 22-35: In Leviticus 4, notice that when a person sins unintentionally, the animal to be sacrificed for the sin offering depends on the person’s position in the community.
Why was a more expensive animal required when the high priest sinned? That’s because the high priest’s sin either directly or indirectly impacted the entire community that he led. Since the damage was greater, the sacrifice required for the high priest’s sin was also greater. In fact, notice that the sacrifice required when the high priest sinned was the same as if the whole community sinned.
What’s the lesson here? If you serve and lead others, you are still subject to the same standards as everyone else. In fact, you are subject to even stricter standards (see James 3:1). That’s because when a leader sins, it affects not only the leader, but the people whom the leader leads.
So as leaders and priests in God’s kingdom, let’s be careful to rely on God’s grace and avoid sinning at all costs.
Also, just as God was gracious and merciful toward the leaders’ sins, let us be gracious and merciful too when our leaders appear to have sinned, failed or disappointed us. Let’s extend to them the same grace that Jesus Christ extended to us, because only God is perfect.
Thank You Jesus for being our sin offering, for paying the highest price when you died on the cross to forgive all of our sins, both intentional and unintentional. Thank You Lord that though I still fail you in so many ways, Your mercy never fails. Your love really is amazing! In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
copyright © 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.
