Scripture: Leviticus 5:18-19
You shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock, or the equivalent, as a guilt offering; and the priest shall make atonement on your behalf for the error that you committed unintentionally, and you shall be forgiven. It is a guilt offering; you have incurred guilt before the Lord.
Thought for the Day: Throughout much of Christianity, there has been this attempt to explain the logistics of how a sacrifice could appease God or make restitution to God. These theories make God into some sort of mechanical process by which you put in the proper payment and you get out what you want. I hope my relationship with God is less robotic and more flowing and gracious. The offerings described in Leviticus and other places in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) were never intended to describe some sterile procedure by which we can make everything right. Instead, it was symbolic of how one gives a gift as a way of saying, “I’m sorry”. As the smoke from the offering ascended to the heavens, it symbolized God graciously receiving the gift. The meat from the offering was often used in a banquet feast with God to celebrate a loving relationship renewed. How do you view your relationship with God? Is it mechanical or is it alive and full of grace?
Prayer: God of immeasurable Grace, I desire to more fully live the relationship you have offered to me in Jesus Christ. May your spirit continue to encourage me as I discover what it means to be adopted into your family. Amen.
