Today we are reading Leviticus 4. In this chapter we read about the sin offering. “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If anyone sins unintentionally in any of the Lord’s commandments about things not to be done, and does any one of them, if it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull from the herd without blemish to the Lord for a sin offering. He shall bring the bull to the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord and lay his hand on the head of the bull and kill the bull before the Lord. And the anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull and bring it into the tent of meeting, and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle part of the blood seven times before the Lord in front of the veil of the sanctuary. And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense before the Lord that is in the tent of meeting, and all the rest of the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And all the fat of the bull of the sin offering he shall remove from it, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys (just as these are taken from the ox of the sacrifice of the peace offerings); and the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering.” Leviticus 4:1-10 ESV The pattern seems to be the same. The blood of the animal is taken to the altar and handled the same with each sacrifice. Certain organs are taken and burnt. All of the directions are done the same. Again, why such a bloody mess? It is a restraint against the practice of human sacrifice as conducted by their pagan neighbors. In addition, the fact that the life of an animal is required as payment shows the seriousness of sin. Do spend time focused and seriously contemplating your sin with remorse? May God bless you with a broken and contrite heart. Pastor Tim
