February 17

2009, 2012

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Leviticus 4:1-5:19

Overview: "Even if he is unaware, he is guilty" and "when he learns of his sin he is guilty"...

(1) vs 2: "When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands..."

(2) vs 3: "If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the LORD a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed ..."

(3) vs 13: "If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, they are guilty. When they become aware of the sin they committed, the assembly must ..."

(4) vs 22: "When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the LORD his God, he is guilty. When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must ..."

(5) vs 27: "'If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, he is guilty. When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering for the sin ..."

I'm noticing the sequence: priest, whole community, leader, member. Only the priest is exempted from "when he becomes aware of his sin" to make an offering; an atonement of some form.

(6) The Kinds of Violations: not speaking against false accusations; unclean contact: ceremonially & then human uncleanliness; thoughtless oaths. (Lev 5:1-11).

(7) With regard to "holy things": "When a person commits a violation and sins unintentionally in regard to any of the LORD's holy things..."

(8) How does the following (Lev 5:17) differ from 4:27 - "If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible..." ? The sinner is referred to here as a person while in the former instance a member of the community.

Matthew Henry writes:

The prophet supposes that they were not so likely as the great men to know the way of the Lord, and the judgment of their God (Jer. 5:4), and yet, if they sin through ignorance, they must bring a sin-offering. Note, Even sins of ignorance need to be atoned for by sacrifice. To be able to plead, when we are charged with sin, that we did it ignorantly, and through the surprise of temptation, will not bring us off if we be not interested in that great plea, Christ hath died, and entitled to the benefit of that. We have all need to pray with David (and he was a ruler) to be cleansed from secret faults, the errors which we ourselves do not understand or are not aware of, Ps. 19:12. 2. That the sins of ignorance committed by a single person, a common obscure person, did require a sacrifice; for, as the greatest are not above the censure, so the meanest are not below the cognizance of the divine justice. None of the common people, if offenders, were overlooked in a crowd. 3. That a sin-offering was not only admitted, but accepted, even from one of the common people, and an atonement made by it, v. 31, 35. Here rich and poor, prince and peasant, meet together; they are both alike welcome to Christ, and to an interest in his sacrifice, upon the same terms. See Job 34:19.

Mark 2:13-3:6
1.(2012) The Sabbath.

Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Psalm 36:1-12

Proverbs 10:1-2

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