Thursday, June 7, 2012

Dealing With Sin

Numbers 15:21-41

“And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses, Even all that the LORD hath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the LORD commanded Moses, and henceforward among your generations; Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto the LORD, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering. 


And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance: and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their ignorance: And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; seeing all the people were in ignorance.” 


And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering.  And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.  Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.”(Numbers 15:22-29)  

God recognizes that people can unintentionally slip into sin without realizing they have done so.  It can happen to an individual basis or to a group.   The standard is the same for both Jews and Gentiles.  If they confess and correct it, they would not be held accountable for their sin.

"But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.  Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.” (Numbers 15:30-31)

Deliberate sin, is rebellion against God’s authority however, and must not be overlooked.  A person who presumed on God’s forgiveness, by deliberate sin was to be excluded from the congregation and take the consequences for his sin.  In Matthew 18:15-17 Jesus gave guidelines for making sure whether it was deliberate or unintentional.  “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.”

Hebrews 10:26-31 deals with this as well.  “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.  He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?  For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”  This principle is largely ignored in modern churches, but Israel got an immediate demonstration of what God meant.

“And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.  And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.  And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. 


And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. 


And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.” (Numbers 15:32-36) 

No specific detail had been given as to exactly what was to be done, so they consulted God and in this case, he instructed them to execute the man.  The problem was not the gathering of sticks per se, but the deliberate disobedience of God.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.  I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.” (Numbers 15:37-41)

The Jews were to put fringes in the hems of their clothing, along with a blue ribbon to remind them that they were God’s people.  It was to be a reminder for themselves to help prevent their straying from God.  The blue color would remind them of God, while the fringe would get their attention, constantly catching on things.

In Christ’s day the Jews had begun to use it as a way to impress others with their religiosity, instead of reminding themselves of their responsibilities.  It was this perversion of God’s command Jesus referred to in Matthew 23:5.

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