Complexity made simple — by grace!

 

 

Leviticus 5-8

I’m making a complicated quilt with lots of pieces and fabrics and a complex design. Its pattern was a guide but not helpful in the arrangement. In other words, no rules to follow and I am using experience and my sense of design and color for this challenge. While enjoying the process, I look forward to the next one which will be simple and much easier.

Then I read these four chapters in Leviticus with directions for sin and guilt offerings and realized how little I know about complexity. These rules were vital in the relationship of God’s people with Him, their only way to be forgiven for sin and yet they seem so impossible. A sample of a few commands:

When he realizes his guilt in any of these and confesses the sin he has committed, he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin. (Leviticus 5:5–6)

But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation for the sin that he has committed two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. (Leviticus 5:7)

But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it and shall put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. (Leviticus 5:11)

If anyone sinned regarding the holy things of the Lord, to be forgiven he must sacrifice a ram without blemish for a guilt offering and make restitution for what he has done, adding a fifth for the priest. If anyone breaks a commandment unintentionally then realizes his guilt, he must do the same. (Leviticus 5:15–18)

Those who gain by robbery or take something entrusted to him, or find something another person lost and do not return it, he shall restore it in full and shall add a fifth to it, then restore what was take to whom it belongs on the day he realizes his guilt. (Leviticus 6:4–5)

As for the burnt offerings, they were to be on the altar all night until the morning. This fire must be kept burning with the priest adding wood every morning, then the burnt offering and the fat of the peace offerings. This fire shall not go out. (Leviticus 6:8–13) Also, the grain offering must be burned, not eaten. (22-23)

There were specific laws for the guilt offerings, sin offerings, peace and grain offerings, alike in some ways yet with variations. For instance, a vow offering or a freewill offering must be eaten on the day it is offered and the next day, but the rest burned on the third day or he who offered it will not be accepted and shall bear his iniquity. If that person eats the sacrifice of the peace offerings while unclean, they shall be cut off from his people. Eating fat or blood was forbidden. Those who did it were also cut off from their people.

Ordination offerings were “waved for a wave offering before the Lord as He commanded Moses.” When Aaron and his sons were consecrated as priests, some of the anointing oil and of the blood that was on the altar was sprinkled on them and their garments. They were not to go outside the tabernacle for seven days or they would die.

I’m not aware of all the symbolism in these rules and rituals. I just know that Jesus is the sinless Lamb offered for the sin of the world and slain on a cross, not an altar. His blood was shed to atone for their sin, our sin, my sin — so I can experience forgiveness and a relationship with Him — apart from all the laws and rule-keeping that became even more complex as the Pharisees kept adding more rules to “protect the rules” and sinful human hearts kept saying “I will do this myself” instead of trusting Him. I think of the noises and smells of dying animals, and the grief of realizing these rituals would need repeating because humans are so helpless to stop the sin that would otherwise condemn them — constantly, constantly. And I think of Jesus who “has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.” (Hebrews 7:27)

He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption . . . And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 9:12; 10:10)

Lord, by grace You saved those who trusted You back then and those who trust You now, by grace through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, once for all. Thank You, thank You, thank You.