“If any member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, when they realize their suit and the sin they have committed becomes known, they must bring as their offering for the sin they committed a female goat without defect.” (Leviticus 4:27 NIV)
This life rhythm of unintentional sin revelation, sacrificial selection and slaughter is outlined and reinforced there times in the fourth chapter of Leviticus. The community as a whole, the leadership and the congregation are each addressed and the appropriate sacrifice is assigned. We note a few things: sin at any level is taken seriously, sin for any reason is unacceptable, and the sacrifice to cover said sin is expensive.
Sin is expensive. Let’s dive deep into that truth. I read the instructions outlined in Leviticus and know that if I lived under the old covenant, I’d be tugging my female goat to the Tabernacle on an all-too regular basis. I currently journal my confession, I don’t know that I’d have a flock left by now.
Let’s think bigger: an entire community was instructed in this matter. Scholars estimate the original exodus to include 2 million people. Consider a couple million souls convicted of sin; stumbling toward atonement with their cows and goats in tow. Imagine the chaos, the blood and gore and burning meat; the mess that was the sacrificial system. Realize the tangible dent that sin offering put in the local livestock market.
We are so far removed from this process, I wonder if we can fully appreciate the exorbitant price tag of our trespass? Jesus paid it in full on a hill far away and long ago. How can we appreciate the outrageous fee that we’ve incurred?
I’m the mean mom who makes my kids pay for stuff. When they hit double digits, we bought them iPods. Within weeks they were dropped, left behind, lost or stolen. The next iPod was on them; meaning they saved or scraped until they could purchase the expensive tech themselves. And when they finally did, they kept track of them, took care of them. Turns out an iPod can last a long time if your invested. We value what we pay for.
Jesus went ahead and paid for our sin because it was a price we could not possibly pull together on our own. All the chores and birthday money in the world was never going to add up to our salvation. That being said, we can at least become acutely aware of the steep sum He forked over. We can reconsider the cost of our sin and let the blood and gore of His sacrifice serve as a deterrent from future trespass.
I think about that; the Israelites lugging their livestock to slaughter, and I wonder how much that long walk to death affected their life choices. I’d be put off by the whole process, I’d keep my slate as clean as possible to prevent further bloodletting.
“How much more then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve a living God!” (Hebrews 9:14 NIV)
Lord, today we deeply consider Your blood sacrifice. We picture You on the cross, heaving under the weight of our sin. We realize we are not worthy. We are aware of the many times we have sinned without consideration to the cost. Please forgive us. Show us how to do better. Lead us in the way everlasting. Let the cost keep us from sinning anew. Amen.