Leviticus 7:1-10
The verses we read, Leviticus 7:1-10 before us can be divided into three parts: Forgiveness of Sins (vv.1-5), Assurance of Forgiveness of Sin (v.6-8;10), Thanksgiving for Forgiveness (v.9). This morning I will address for a theme Forgiveness of Sin and Thanksgiving.
Forgiveness Of Sin
The Phrase “This is the law of the guilt offering” tells us this is the instruction concerning the guilt offering. So one of the important things we need to know is what is the Guilt Offering. You remember we spent some time to speak about unintentional sins? The Guilt Offering was part of dealing with that. Some translations translate the guilt offering as trespass offering, that is to say a violation.
So what is The Guilt Offering? It is mainly about making amends with God. It deals with correcting things we have done wrong. There is an element of paying a compensation or making amends in the guilt offering. When you wrong someone, you apologise. I believe this is the least of things we can do, acknowledging we are wrong and apologising. But human as we are, it appears it is a difficult thing to do. If you do something to destroy someone’s trust, you take steps to restore or repair the relationship. That is what the Guilt offering is mainly about; seeking forgiveness. But more than wronging one another, we have wronged God. We have trespassed his commandments and we stand guilty before him. And we need to pay for our sins. And that’s what the guilt offering is about. Making amends for sins. Seeking forgiveness for sins.
14 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 15 “If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the Lord, he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued in silver shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. 16 He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven. 17 “If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity. 18 He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven. 19 It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before[g] the Lord.”
Observe that the Guilt Offering is for Atonement, that is, making amends or righting wrongs with have done. In this understanding, the Guilt Offering is for the forgiveness of our sins. And just as the Israelites made sacrifices for their sins, you and I will have to pay for our sins. But God sent Jesus Christ to come and die to save sinners. Jesus is our ultimate Guilt Offering. He died to make amends with the Father on our behalf. He died to pay what you and I must pay for. He died to right our relationship with God. In the Guilt Offering, God’s people receive Forgiveness Of Sins.
Assurance of Forgiveness
Now the worshiper doesn’t only receive forgiveness of sin, but they also receive Assurance of Forgiveness. It’s not enough to believe you have been forgiven. You need to be assured of that forgiveness. And God ensure his people are assured of his forgiveness. How does he do that? He makes his Priest, those offering the sacrifice on behalf of the people eat the sacrifices they bring. The sacrifice then is not only given to the Priest for Physical and Spiritual Nourishment as we have already learnt. It is also given to them so the people will be assured it has been received. There is an incident in Leviticus 10 which paints for us this reason for assurance of forgiveness as why the Priest eat the sacrifice. When Aaron’s two sons were killed for offering wrong sacrifices, he didn’t eat of the sacrifices that were brought that day. And there was a confrontation between Moses and Aaron. Look at Leviticus 10:16-20
Now Moses diligently inquired about the goat of the sin offering, and behold, it was burned up! And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the surviving sons of Aaron, saying, “Why have you not eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is a thing most holy and has been given to you that you may bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord? Behold, its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You certainly ought to have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.” And Aaron said to Moses, “Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and yet such things as these have happened to me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would the Lord have approved?” And when Moses heard that, he approved.
This incident brings to the fore why they were to eat the sacrifices. To bear the iniquity of the people. Once the priest eats the sacrifices, then the worshipper are assured of forgiveness. Dear friends, a greater sacrifice has been given to us in the person of Jesus Christ. He died on the cross. His body was broken for us so that you and I through faith will be saved. Not only saved, but assured that we are saved:
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)
Have you confessed your sins? Have you believed in Christ? Have you thrown yourself upon Christ and on him alone? Then dear friends, be assured your sins have been forgiven. Whatever they are, they are not counted against you. They have been accounted for by Jesus’ death.
Thanksgiving
Now a forgiven people are a grateful people. If your sins are forgiven, you must be thankful. You will notice that the text introduces the Grain offering alongside the guilt offering in verse 9. In the sacrificial system of Israel, the grain offering is offered alongside all the animal sacrifices. It is a sacrifice that is offered to express thanksgiving to God for forgiveness of sin.
Like the other sacrifices, the grain offering symbolises the worshipper’s dedication of himself to God. The Hebrew name for this offering suggests that it was a gift, expressing the worshipper’s gratitude to God.
So when the guilt sacrifice for sin is made and assurance received, the worshipper thanks God by offering the Grain offering. The hymn we just sung before the sermon,
Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven
to his feet your tribute bring,
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven
evermore his praise sing
is a hymn for those who have been saved and are grateful. The redeemed people of God are a thankful people. A forgiven person is a grateful person. The hymn is a rendition of Psalm 103:1-5
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Are we as a church grateful to God? We must be. The Lord has been faithful to us by giving us a church we can worship with. As you know, the majority of us including myself didn’t have Reformed background. But the Lord in his mercies has gathered us and placed us in a sound church where we hear the truth. And we must be grateful. Are we grateful as individuals for God’s salvation? We must be. For if God didn’t save us, we couldn’t save ourselves. So you and I must be thankful for God’s salvation extended to us in Jesus Christ. God has not only saved us. But he provides for us. He watches over us. He keeps us safe
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