April 16 - The Price of Atonement

Read Leviticus 5:1-10

Context: God called to Moses in the desert and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting about many offerings the Israelites were to make.

Text:
1 " 'If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will be held responsible.
2 " 'Or if a person touches anything ceremonially unclean—whether the carcasses of unclean wild animals or of unclean livestock or of unclean creatures that move along the ground—even though he is unaware of it, he has become unclean and is guilty.
3 " 'Or if he touches human uncleanness—anything that would make him unclean—even though he is unaware of it, when he learns of it he will be guilty.
4 " 'Or if a person thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil—in any matter one might carelessly swear about—even though he is unaware of it, in any case when he learns of it he will be guilty.
5 " 'When anyone is guilty in any of these ways, he must confess in what way he has sinned 6 and, as a penalty for the sin he has committed, he must bring to the LORD a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin.
7 " 'If he cannot afford a lamb, he is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the LORD as a penalty for his sin—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. 8 He is to bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one for the sin offering. He is to wring its head from its neck, not severing it completely, 9 and is to sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar; the rest of the blood must be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. 10 The priest shall then offer the other as a burnt offering in the prescribed way and make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven. (NIV)

taken from www.biblegateway.com

Whenever I read about the sacrifices that were required of the Israelites I immediately get a picture in my mind of a long line of people waiting by the temple. Each has a lamb, goat, or bull next to them with a piece of rope around its neck. The animals are straining to get away or to 'mingle' with each other. Dust is flying from their restless movements, and tempers are running short as the people struggle to control their animals. Passersby look with contempt on all who are in the line, and most hang their heads in shame.

At the head of the line is a priest, dressed in white but you can't tell that any more. He has been slaughtering animals all day and he is covered in blood. The stench of blood and animal 'deposits' is overwhelming. There is no where you can go to get away from the noise. Every few minutes you hear an animal's shrill cry cut short as it is killed. Smoke blows in the wind carrying the smell of burnt meat.

I imagine you wouldn't have to stand in this line too many times before you think twice about sinning.