Why is it some preachers today don’t want to talk about sin? In our current culture, there is fear of offending or being “judgmental,” or simply wanting to be “welcoming.” To talk about sin is to point out behaviors people want to cling to rather than avoid. I’m sure Moses was experiencing similar struggles with his wayward crowd. The loving thing is to try to help people find their way out of sin.
Just as I was wondering what sins would necessitate the sin offering from our last reading, God reveals some of them in this passage. One common thread to these sins is recognition. “When you realize what you have done,” it says. Do you agree that sometimes we sin but don’t know we’re sinning? It’s because we don’t recognize that our actions or behaviors are driving a wedge between us and God. We aren’t familiar enough with what pleases and displeases God, only focused on pleasing our own selfish desires.
Because God prescribed these practices for removing sin, we see how much he wanted to redeem his people. Seeking God’s forgiveness in those days required a lot of work for both the sinner and the priest. We should appreciate even more what Jesus did for us on the cross as our perfect sacrifice.
The sins on this list aren’t surprising considering the culture and the time. How do we make sense of them for our own time? I’m not entirely sure, but Moses does say something that we can relate to in verse 5. “When you become aware of your guilt in any of these ways, you must confess your sin.” It comes back to identifying what is sinful and then confessing it. Don’t hide it, come clean with God. It can be helpful to confess our sins to other trusted believers, too.
What else does the Bible say about sin? The apostle John wrote in 1 John 3:4, “Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God.” The apostle Paul says in Romans 3:23, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Jesus knew that when he said to the people wanting to stone the woman caught in adultery, “let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” (John 8:7).
As for identifying our sins, the more we read the Bible the more we learn about God and what displeases him. Those are sins that separate us from God. The Israelites would have tried to follow the laws given by God to Moses, but there were 613 laws. There is no way to be that faithful. Our righteousness, that is getting right with God, comes from God through Jesus. The sin offerings were a temporary fix, and it is good for us to know the history to appreciate Jesus even more.
Take some time today to reflect on how you are living your life. What are you spending your time doing? Is it keeping you from worshipping our precious King Jesus?
Let’s pray. Thank you, Jesus, for what you did on the cross for me. I know I am a sinful creature. Forgive me for the sins I’ve committed and didn’t even know. I want to live a life that pleases you. You have washed away my sins and brought me to this place of beauty. Empower me for service. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
