We talk often about sacrifices only being for sin.
But we have a difference between
sin offering
guilt offering
Which seems to distinguish between the action of sin and the feeling of guilt
afterwards. It is a sin to do something wrong and then conceal it.
The Lord said to Moses: 2 “If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord by deceiving a neighbor about something entrusted to them or left in their care or about something stolen, or if they cheat their neighbor, 3 or if they find lost property and lie about it, or if they swear falsely about any such sin that people may commit— 4 when they sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found, 5 or whatever it was they swore falsely about. They must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering.
Lev 6:1-5
Sacrifices of thankgiving
Grain, drink, peace offerings, incense offering.
This is all very rich in colour and implication, which is interesting when
we often end up in a black and white language of sin, repentance, confession and
forgiveness, when it is actually more subtle, with sins that lead to death and those
which are related to people being upset or hurt by them.
If the Lord distinguished our sins and implications in the law in such detail, to dismiss
this detail in Christ seems to be denying the very intentions God has in His dealings
with our personal issues and rebellion.
But we have a difference between
sin offering
guilt offering
Which seems to distinguish between the action of sin and the feeling of guilt
afterwards. It is a sin to do something wrong and then conceal it.
The Lord said to Moses: 2 “If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord by deceiving a neighbor about something entrusted to them or left in their care or about something stolen, or if they cheat their neighbor, 3 or if they find lost property and lie about it, or if they swear falsely about any such sin that people may commit— 4 when they sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found, 5 or whatever it was they swore falsely about. They must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering.
Lev 6:1-5
Sacrifices of thankgiving
Grain, drink, peace offerings, incense offering.
This is all very rich in colour and implication, which is interesting when
we often end up in a black and white language of sin, repentance, confession and
forgiveness, when it is actually more subtle, with sins that lead to death and those
which are related to people being upset or hurt by them.
If the Lord distinguished our sins and implications in the law in such detail, to dismiss
this detail in Christ seems to be denying the very intentions God has in His dealings
with our personal issues and rebellion.