Does it get a little “boring” when something is repeated several times, almost in a single breath?
The last section of Leviticus 4, verses 32-35, is the “forgiveness” formula that is repeated another time, having been already repeated several times for different groups or types of “forgiveness seeker”.
Here, our attention can be drawn to what words or concepts do we want to retain as fundamental to our faith. In these verses (Leviticus 4:32-35), some key words are:
| female lambs | blood | priest |
| slaughter | forgiven | sin offering |
| Lord | horns | pour out |
| fat removed | atonement | altar |
Words such as “female lambs”, “slaughter”, and “blood” are those I am sure we agree that they are no longer fundamental part of our faith, specifically on reconciliation to God in his graceful forgiveness of our sin.
Other words such as “priest”, “altar” might fall in the “difficult” or “need discuss” category. Some churches don’t have priest: instead, they have ministers or pastors; other churches don’t have any of these. Some churches have priests, or have people we commonly refer to as priest.
The point here is that we may have been selective in what to retain as our faith. If we start from “what is needed as our faith”, as of today which is after New Testament time of Jesus as our Saviour, we should all agree that words “Lord”, “atonement” and “forgiven” are fundamentals to our faith. To take it the other way, without ALL of these, our faith is not “complete”:
- Lord: it is Jesus who is our Lord and Saviour, in his dying on the cross and resurrection, that through him we have salvation.
- Atonement: that salvation is atonement. The “at one ment” with God. We can not be restored to God until a price is paid for the sin we have committed: words, thoughts and deeds.
- Sin offering: the sin in words, thoughts and deeds which are against God, knowingly or not (as one of the themes in earlier sections of Leviticus 4), for which we make a deliberate step to seek forgiveness. The question is what constitutes an “offering”.
Offering – In the time of Levicitus / Old Testament, this is made clear: in this section of Leviticus, it is female lambs. In New Testament time and after (as today), this is no longer necessary, because Jesus has satisfied this requirement, at one time, and for all time.
That’s a very important point about our faith. We might have retained or introduced some elements of “embellishment” to our faith. During the pandemic, without access to church buildings, pastors / priests / ministers / elders, and the congregation we are part of, many of the “embellishments” could not be had. But our faith had not been shaken, God’s forgiveness for us remains, and remains available for new believers who seek to be with God.
In reflecting on our faith, let us review and challenge ourselves, how much do we place on such other things, seen or unseen, that we have come to treat as fundamental to our faith: offering, priest, musical instruments, hymn books, altars, font etc. The word of Jesus, as recorded by Matthew 11:28 comes to mind:
The condition is in fact an invitation:
"Come to me".
Approach Jesus, ask him.
The response from Jesus is:
"give you rest" -
spiritual, mental and physical.
In approaching the condition, there is no other condition. Between the condition and the response, there is nothing, it’s ourselves in our conditions – “weary and carrying heavy burdens”. Following the response, there is nothing else for us to do or be, because we are all basking in full rest in Jesus. Having additional and other “embellishments” will take our attention away from the fullness of forgiveness we experience from God.
