Feb 23

Various verses from Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy dealing with Offerings.

These verses outline the proper procedures for presenting offerings to the Lord. The idea of cost came to mind as I read. When we sin, we commit cosmic treason against a holy and perfect God. In order to make our relationship right with Him, there is a cost or a penalty that must be paid in the form of an offering.

1) Lev 6:1-7
The LORD said to Moses: "If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the LORD by deceiving his neighbor about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen, or if he cheats him, or if he finds lost property and lies about it, or if he swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that people may do- when he thus sins and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to him, or the lost property he found, or whatever it was he swore falsely about. He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day he presents his guilt offering. And as a penalty he must bring to the priest, that is, to the LORD, his guilt offering, a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for any of these things he did that made him guilty."

In the case of fraud or theft, a person who cheats another out of their property, not only were required to return the item, they had to pay restitution. This means they had to pay back over and above what was stolen. This punishment clearly shows that sin is costly.

2) Deut 21:1-9
If a man is found slain, lying in a field in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him, your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distance from the body to the neighboring towns. Then the elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked and has never worn a yoke and lead her down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and where there is a flowing stream. There in the valley they are to break the heifer's neck. The priests, the sons of Levi, shall step forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings in the name of the LORD and to decide all cases of dispute and assault. Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, and they shall declare: "Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done. Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O LORD, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent man." And the bloodshed will be atoned for. So you will purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD.

Sin is costly, even if it is not known who committed it. The excuse "But I didn't do it" is not good enough in God's eyes. He still wants it to be made right.

Sometimes we can have the wrong attitude toward sin by acting like it's no big deal. But this could not be further from the truth. The Israelites should have fully understood the concept of cost, because every sin they committed had to be paid for by making an offering to God. Today, we should fully understand it because Jesus, God Himself, had to pay the ultimate price for our sin by dying on the cross. His sacrifice sufficiently paid the cost of all our sins, so we could have a right relationship with God. Next time you are tempted to think that sin is no big deal, remember what Jesus did and thank Him for paying the price for us.