The Sin Offering

We are on our fourth week of Leviticus and now we come to the "sin offering" in Lev 4-5:13; 6:24-30. I think simply posting my outline is not very helpful to many so I will try to at least make it annotated this time! I have to say that this has been a challenging book to teach through but it is getting easier as our knowledge and exposure to the text increases. The more I wrestle with it, the more sense it makes.

1. Guilt is natural and all too common.
   

This passage is primarily about dealing with guilt for things we did and were not aware that it was a sin at the time, or that it had sinful consequences. I think whenever we feel guilty there is a natural desire to make up for it. We recognize we made a mistake and we want to make it right. Unfortunately, we make so many it is impossible to compensate for them all. This is the idea behind karma and reincarnation in Hinduism. You have so many mistakes you will need to die a thousand deaths to make up for it all. Really, karma is a depressing idea and very unchristian as well. For our God doesn't work like that, he provides a way for us to remove guilt through sacrifice.

In addition, there is this strange language in the Bible of "clean" and "unclean." I always had a hard time wrapping my head around it. But once I thought it about it (and was inspired by a good resource "The NIV Old Testament Bible Background Commentary"), we all obsess about being clean. We understand that what we do can cause us to feel dirty or cause other things to be dirty. This is one of the powerful messages in "Wall-E" (great flick by the way). We are very aware that what we do can pollute the world, or that what we eat can pollute our bodies. The problem is, we fail to understand that not only are we the reason for this pollution, but the its source lies within us and our desires. Our sins whether intentional or unintentional pollute us and everything we come in contact with. Think about it. Places or things where you have had "bad experiences" are tainted, contaminated, and you can't stomach being there, eating that, or seeing that person. You know that your guilt or the guilt of others that has not be paid for has contaminated everything associated with the act of sin.

1. Becoming Clean, Lev 4:2 -
1. the name of the offering is more appropriately called "purification" because it is intended to cleanse things but the Hebrew word for it is the word for sin.
2. When to do it - "when one becomes aware of their guilts"
1. ignorance does work, just like prosecution for negligence. I suppose the key is, when you become aware.
2. Covers both inadvertent sins and sins of omission.
3. Things can be contaminated by sin
1. People often do this with old pictures or gifts from a failed relationship. In the movie "Forrest Gump" he does with the house of Jenny's abusive father. A very righteous thing to do.
2. We are often contaminated by things associated with sins of our past. We should remove things, like drug paraphanelia, to be cleansed from our past and remove the temptation and guilt.
3. We ought to consecrate or dedicate things to God. Cleanse your computer from porn then consecrate to be used in a holy way for God. It cannot do both, it is either clean or unclean.
2. The Spreading of Sin
1. The nature of things
1. all creation is good, very good, Gen 1:31.
2. No object is unholy in essence, God did not create sin.
2. The nature of sin
1. Sin is not a thing, it is not an object or a substance that possesses things or contaminates them.
2. Sin is a perversion of the will (see Augustine's Confessions, book 7, article 12)
   
3. It doesn't spread like germs it spreads through people using things for evil purposes rather than for good as God intended.
4. It is the corruption of our desires and wills.
3. The Presence of God
1. The gravity of the responsibility = the gravity of the sin
1. this is something I didn't talk much about but Lev 4 structures the sin offering from those with the most responsibility offering the most expensive animal to those with the least offering the smallest animal.
2. In addition, they're access to the tent of meeting represents greater exposure to God's presence. Thus the holiest place becomes contaminated as a result of people not confessing their unknown or unintentional sin.
3. The holiness factor proceeds from the Holy of Holies where the ark of the covenant was to the inner sanctuary, to the tabernacle, to the camp, and to the world. This becomes a picture of discipleship and Christian individually and collectively as the church. God's presence is most fully demonstrated in the holiest places.
2. God is the source of life and death must come to things apart from God, those who sin, whether intentional or unintentional. Blood must be shed for the forgiveness of sin, Heb 9:22.
3. God cannot be "present" with sin.
   
1. Try to think of God's presence in relationship to sin as not spacial. God is spirit, Jn 4:24.
2. God's presence is primarily displayed via his divine attributes, Ex 34:6 for the best display.
3. This is akin to us as Christians displaying the fruits of the Spirit, Gal 5:22-26.
4. Thus, you cannot display the fruits of the Spirit when in sin and God's presence is not a part of it in anyway. I recognize this is philosophically heavy stuff and it is something I have longed wonder what the relationship is between sin and God's presence. But if sin is not a substance it does not occupy space. Hence, you are either living in the spirit, with the attitude of God or of sin.
4. The Temple of God
1. One of the implications of this needed cleansing from sin is that Christ has cleansed us through expiation. We no longer need to offer sacrifices and the temple or tent of meeting is obsolete because Christ's sacrifice is superior to all others. As a result, the temple of God becomes Christians gathered in the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor 3:16-17. Keep in mind this is a plural "you" not you individually but collectively. (cf. 1 Cor. 6:19 that is a singular you)
2. Jesus says it is not what goes into a person that makes them unclean but what comes out of them. Matt 15:1-20
1. You need to root our sin filled desires
2. You cannot afford to be ignorant and unaware of the affects of sin in your life.
3. We need to be cleansed internally. Eat all the organic food you want and live as green as you want be you will still not be clean.
5. Be Cleansed from Sin by Christ through Confession
1. The expiation of sin, the cleansing of sin and guilt and shame happens as a result of Christ's atoning sacrifice. Therefore, 1 Jn 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us of all unrighteousness."
1. You must confess the guilt you carry. Lev 5:5
2. Confess to God somethings but others things you need to confess to those you wronged. It doesn't do you any good to hide your sins from others by trying to pious and confess them to God. Own up to your mistakes and people will respect you for it, besides it is certainly more difficult and should serve as a deterrent against hurting them in the future, provided your repentance is true.
   
3. Receive forgiveness from God
4. Cleanse yourselves, humble yourself and God will lift you up! Jam 4:7-10
5. Jesus Christ is your guilt offering and covers all you mistakes. He washes you clean from all guilt and can remove the sinful desires from your heart that you may live and dwell in God's Spirit always.

so much for annotated....