#241 Inside Out

The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands—

3 “‘If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the Lord a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. 4 He is to present the bull at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the Lord. He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it there before the Lord. 5 Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and carry it into the tent of meeting. 6 He is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the Lord, in front of the curtain of the sanctuary. 7 The priest shall then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the Lord in the tent of meeting. The rest of the bull’s blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 8 He shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering—all the fat that is connected to the internal organs, 9 both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys— 10 just as the fat is removed from the ox sacrificed as a fellowship offering. Then the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering. 11 But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, as well as the head and legs, the internal organs and the intestines— 12 that is, all the rest of the bull—he must take outside the camp to a place ceremonially clean, where the ashes are thrown, and burn it there in a wood fire on the ash heap.

13 “‘If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, when they realize their guilt 14 and the sin they committed becomes known, the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the tent of meeting. 15 The elders of the community are to lay their hands on the bull’s head before the Lord, and the bull shall be slaughtered before the Lord. 16 Then the anointed priest is to take some of the bull’s blood into the tent of meeting. 17 He shall dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it before the Lord seven times in front of the curtain. 18 He is to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the Lord in the tent of meeting. The rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 19 He shall remove all the fat from it and burn it on the altar, 20 and do with this bull just as he did with the bull for the sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for the community, and they will be forgiven. 21 Then he shall take the bull outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull. This is the sin offering for the community.

22 “‘When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the Lord his God, when he realizes his guilt 23 and the sin he has committed becomes known, he must bring as his offering a male goat without defect. 24 He is to lay his hand on the goat’s head and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the Lord. It is a sin offering. 25 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 26 He shall burn all the fat on the altar as he burned the fat of the fellowship offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for the leader’s sin, and he will be forgiven.

27 “‘If any member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, when they realize their guilt 28 and the sin they have committed becomes known, they must bring as their offering for the sin they committed a female goat without defect. 29 They are to lay their hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering. 30 Then the priest is to take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 31 They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven.

32 “‘If someone brings a lamb as their sin offering, they are to bring a female without defect. 33 They are to lay their hand on its head and slaughter it for a sin offering at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. 34 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 35 They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the lamb of the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar on top of the food offerings presented to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven. Leviticus 4

The first sacrifice is that of the priest, for there are none righteous, and one's office does not change this. A priest's job is simplified best in knowing that it was temporary, that he is a sinner, One will come later Who is without sin, and do in full realization that which the priest by careful obedience can only tell. He is not without sin, nor without err, and shall he discover or it be discovered that he is in a sin, then the sin offering is at the greater price of the bull. The bull is taken outside of the camp to be burned. To have such office now is either pagan or in reverse of the dispensation. We do have a High priest but it has gone from the many imperfect symbols to the One spotless Lamb, Who sits at the right hand of God.

Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. Hebrews 13:12-14

When it is the whole of the community it is the young bull. When it is the leader it is a male goat. A leader's office does not provide for itself a covering from guilt. No matter your title or what belief you may hold that there is none greater than yourself, there is God, and then there is the least that is still above you in His kingdom. Leaders should not be without accountability, those under their rule have been held accountable long after the leader's demise, by that higher law of God. You may say, as I once did, "I don't believe in God, and my leaders say this is not murder, not stealing, not wrong." Fair enough, if there is no God, then there are, for however many people alive at any moment, that many views of right and wrong that mean absolutely nothing in themselves. So yes, if your leaders have the biggest guns and the ear of the most people then they may enforce what they feel is right or wrong. I no longer believe it is men who decide this, nor feelings or emotions. Whether my present rulers agree with God or not, His word shall stand, and like Martin Luther, I believe that therein is my conscience held. We are all men and all capable of err.

“If you have understanding, hear this;

listen to what I say.

17 Can someone who hates justice govern?

Will you condemn the just and mighty One?

18 Is he not the One who says to kings, ‘You are worthless,’

and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’

19 who shows no partiality to princes

and does not favor the rich over the poor,

for they are all the work of his hands?

20 They die in an instant, in the middle of the night;

the people are shaken and they pass away;

the mighty are removed without human hand. Job 34:16-20

The everyday parishioner could offer a female goat, and rightly so in view of the Church as the bride of Christ and all offices here now held, held in the knowledge of their passing away. We have  an advocate, Jesus, we have God's word and spirit to ever teach us. Because of His sacrifice we may now come boldly up to the throne of grace, and not in arrogance renaming sin, but joy requesting forgiveness for it and in sincerity begging that what is left in us be revealed and removed. 

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?…Romans 6:1&2