March 22, 2022 — “If A Person Sins Unintentionally”

Here was a new class of offerings for those who had agreed to obey the commands of Sinai.

We now shift from the voluntary sweet-aroma offerings to the required non-savor ones. The sin offering is discussed in Leviticus 4 and the trespass offering in chapter 5. Notice the first words the Lord speaks: “If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them…” (4:2). God is not offering carte blanche to commit sin. This is not winking at the sins of Mardi Gras if we promise to give up smoking for Lent! Sin is always sin with God, but He did make arrangements for sins of ignorance. In the Old Testament, there was no similar provision for willful disobedience. If they sinned on purpose, there was nothing “but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries” (Heb 10:27). How thankful we must be for the Cross! There our Savior “gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed”—not only sins of ignorance but of self-willed rebellion, too! But did He do this so we would be free to sin or free from sin? Here is the rest of the verse: “and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14). Thus the writer to the Hebrews warns those who might choose the God-ordained religion of Judaism over following the despised Nazarene (see Heb 10:26-31). There would be no hope for someone guilty of self-willed sin under the Levitical sacrifices. Only one Offering could, at the same time, be both a sweet savor and an offering for sin; only One could forgive sins of ignorance and sins of intention; only One was so satisfactory to God that He “has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (v 14). How thankful we should be to the Lord for that!

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