Leviticus 4 Devotional

Sins We Never Noticed

“And he shall remove all the fat, just as the fat of the lamb is removed from the peace offerings, and he shall burn it on the altar along with the food offerings to the LORD. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.”Leviticus 4:35 (BSB)

Leviticus 4 deals with unintentional sin, wrong done without realizing it. The chapter moves down through the nation: the anointed priest, the whole congregation, a leader, and finally one of the common people (4:3, 13, 22, 27). No one stands too high to need a sin offering, and the priest's own sin is said to bring guilt on the people (4:3).

Again and again the chapter speaks of the moment a person becomes aware of what he has done (4:14, 23, 28). Sin does not become harmless because it went unnoticed. Yet the refrain that follows is just as steady. The priest makes atonement, and the person is forgiven (4:20, 26, 31, 35). Psalm 19 asks who can discern his own errors, and prays for cleansing from hidden faults (Psalm 19:12). God has already made provision for what you cannot yet see in yourself, so you can face what he does show you without fear.

To think about: When God brings a fault to light that you had not noticed before, how does his provision of forgiveness change the way you respond?