In this way the priest will make atonement for them before the Lord, and they will be forgiven for any of the things they did that made them guilty.
Summary: Looking back over the Old Testament, we see the foundation for the New.
The first part of Leviticus, chapter six, explains what people needed to do to correct wrongdoing. It begins by following the format of the two Great Commandments that Jesus gave us; love God above all else and our neighbors as ourselves. (Matthew 22: 37-40) It begins with:
“If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord by deceiving a neighbor …” (Leviticus 6: 2)
The whole passage (Leviticus 6: 1-7) lists several specific sins, and then it says whenever a person who sins in these ways “realize(s) their guilt” (vs 4), there are some specific things that they need to do to make amends. The first step is to return or restore what was taken from their neighbor plus an additional twenty percent of the value (Verses 4-5).
The second step is to make amends with the Lord. For this part they bring a guilt offering for the Lord, and the priest will “make atonement” for them.
Atonement is an interesting word. It is an amalgamation of the words “at” and “one,” plus the suffix “-ment.” God wants us to be “at one” with him. Sin stands between us and our God. To bridge the gap between us, God provided the means to bring us back together with him.
Once a person has acknowledged that they did wrong (sinned) and made restitution (repented), then they can be restored to a right relationship with God (atonement).
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There are several interesting parts to this formula for restoring a relationship. The first one is the offense itself. Human nature is predictably corrupt. Thoughts come to us without prompting. Sometimes we act on them without thinking through our actions.
Leviticus mentions crimes like deceiving a neighbor, stealing from them, cheating someone, lying, or swearing falsely. Little crimes lead to bigger ones, just like little lies lead to big lies.
The second thing that happens is someone has to “realize their guilt.” Have you ever experienced that subtle change from thinking what you said or did was a good idea to realizing it was wrong? I have! It is easy to do, and the mere fact that it is such an easy trap to fall into scares me.
There is an unspoken part to this formula that is dealt with in another part of the Old Testament: What happens if a person realizes their guilt and decides to ignore their conscience?
God warns the people of Israel about this in several places. One of the more famous passages is Deuteronomy 27: 9-26. People who intentionally oppose God’s will are in for a rough ride!
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Over many centuries the Israelites chose to oppose God. Their “rough ride” included the complete destruction of their nation and everything God had given them. It also included the rescinding of the covenant God had made with them (Jeremiah 31:31, Luke 22:20, Hebrews 8:6).
The “new covenant” mentioned in Hebrews is the covenant in blood that Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 11:25. This new covenant is now the only path available for restoring our relationship with God. Yet some of the same principles that we see in the old covenant still apply. We still need to acknowledge when we have done wrong and repent (i.e. – turn away) from our wrongdoing. We come before God in humility, not in pride. When it comes to our relationships with other people, the same basic principles apply plus God adds this: we need to forgive as God forgives us.
Application: Sort through your memories of past events and see if there is any forgiving that you need to do.
Food for Thought: What does it feel like to be “at one” with God?
Interesting question. Feelings can deceive. When I first came to Christ, I don’t think I felt any different than before. But I did have a peace based on the truth of what Jesus promised.
I realize that might not be what you meant by the question. In general it feels freeing today to know that the wrath I deserve has been paid by my Savior. I am grateful and desire to demonstrate my love and gratefulness.
But sometimes I have to hold to the truth of the promise more than what I feel in the moment.
Thanks Rich!
Actually, I think your response is “spot on.” The Peace that passes all understanding, well … passes all understanding! 🙂
Blessings!
01-03-2022, What does it feel like to be “at one” with God?
Every believer remembers the moment all our sins were forgiven, the moment we received assurance that EVERYTHING was going to be okay, because now God ruled our hearts. The burdens of sin had been replaced with the Love of God which we experienced in its purity for the first time in our lives. I recall walking several feet off the ground for weeks.
Every father knows how it feels to walk in the door after a day of work and see his little children as their faces light up, they drop everything and yell “DADDY” as they run to get a hug.
Our turning to God, living in His will over our own is His call to us in our bibles. His steadfast love is better than life. In Him we have eternal life, now, the ability to experience life in Him NOW. We are called to begin our eternal life at the moment of our salvation, by living in obedience on a full time basis, not part time.
Psalm 63:3, John 17:3, Habakkuk 3:17–18
God has made this very clear throughout His word.
Thou shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, Matthew 6:33
When asked “Which is the great commandment in the Law?”, Jesus responded, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment” Matthew 22:35–38
God wants each of us to have the very best life possible and is continually calling to each of us,
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18
Ron,
I love your analysis of this question. As we are drawn into the Eternal NOW our experience of life changes. It is hard to explain but you did a great job! 🙂
As usual, great meditation and question! Always thought provoking surprise at the end.
Blessings,
Ron
I really appreciate Rich’s response because he articulated what I too believe: my feelings come and go but my faith is grounded on my knowledge and understanding of God’s Word. Sometimes when I “feel” I can’t hear Him, I realize it was me that dropped the conversation.
I would like to share this though; I had been closed off (disassociated) from my emotions for most of my life. In the past two years though, I have found that God and the Holy Spirit open my heart, particularly when in His presence (in prayer, in Worship) and also when speaking to others from the heart about my life and my walk. Its sort of a feeling of peace, joy,
safety, and gratitude all rolled into one, and often I tear up, but not in sadness. It’s hard to explain, and sometimes I think it is because I had felt nothing for so long, that feeling this seems so large. But it is not the feeling that makes me “at one” with God, it is seeking and following His Will that does.
Thanks Chris!
I can relate. We serve an amazing God!
What does it feel like to be “at one” with God?
I’m not sure I really know. Let me use a bad comparison:
I have many food sensitivities, but we didn’t learn about them all at once. We discovered one and I stopped eating that food. I felt the best I ever had felt in my life. I thought I was perfect (bodily) and would feel great forever. But years went by and I realized that part of those feelings that I had from the sensitivity was still there even though I still wasn’t eating it. Well, we learn about another one and again I felt fantastic. But again, after a while I realized the struggle was not yet over. This has happened 4 or 5 times in my life. Each time I felt better, and I really was doing much better, but something still wasn’t perfect.
The same I think goes for our “at one” with God. Our verdict on judgement day is decided, but until we get out of these sinful bodies we’ll only have the thought of what it feels like, because we haven’t reached the end of our sanctification. We piece by piece get closer to being “at one”.
A –
I like how you have turned food allergies into an allegory for getting closer to God. I also like the idea that our discoveries of being closer to God are continually repeated. To use another food allegory, it is like peeling an onion. There is always another layer to God’s love.
👍