Restitution
He must make restitution for what he has failed to do in regard to the holy things…
Leviticus 5:14-16
God is the Holy One. When human beings sin against him, restitution must be made. Through the death of bulls, rams, goats and lambs which were place on the altar and offered as burnt sacrifices, atonement was provided for sinners.
I’ve noticed how Jewish people were always very concerned about getting all of their work done and getting home before the Sabbath began - even anal retentive about it. Well, no wonder! If they didn’t they would be breaking the 4th Commandment and death would be the result. Thankfully not their own death, but the blood of an animal would need to be shed. Atonement would not only be gory, but costly as well. I wonder if the priests grew tired of slicing the throats of animals. I wonder if the constant shedding of blood smelled. Did it bother them? And yet this was what was required for people to be forgiven by their holy God – who cannot co-exist with sin.
Restitution to this Holy Being is important for every person. It’s important for me! I pray that the gory and costly sacrifice that God the Father provided for me is never taken for granted! The blood of Jesus makes restitution for my sins against God. Jesus provided atonement for all who believe in Him. May the thought of His sacrifice move me to avoid sin at every turn on every day.
Father, I praise You for the gift You gave in Jesus, Your Son. You provided the Lamb who has removed my sin, making restitution for me. What a gift! My life is lived for You, now, as an expression of worship and thanks. I am so grateful… Thank You!
1 comments:
Even though I've been a Christian from the time I was very little, was raised in the church, and attended a Christian University, I still don't get the whole Old Testament Atonement/Restitution bit. I don't understand how a god - our God - who cannot exist in the presence of sin can suddenly exist with those same sinners if they would just kill an animal for their wrongdoings. How does that make things right? Seems like a kind of odd (maybe even foolish or silly) system. I know this is the set up for our need for Jesus and pretty much a foundational piece of our faith, but I still don't understand the philosophy (or I suppose you could call it theology) behind this system God set up.
Could we talk about this sometime, Neil?
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