Journaling: Leviticus 5-8

Leviticus 5-8Not bearing witness to promote, preserve or protect justice – in relation to yourself or others, is the sin of obstructing justice (5:1).Through Christ all persons/things which were once ceremonially unclean become clean (or lawful) (5:2-3 w/13:1-3 w/Luk 5:12-13 w/Joh 15:1-3 w/1Co 6:12 and 10:23 w/1Ti 4:4-5).It is sin to make promises that you don’t keep (5:4-13; Mat 5:33-37).Confession is an important part of repentance and prerequisite to receiving God’s forgiveness for our sins (5:5, 16:21. 26:40-42; Psa 32:5; Pro 28:13; 1Jo 1:9; Jam 5:16; e.g. Act 19:18).Unintentional sin or sins of ignorance are still sin and therefore something we are responsible for making right when we realize our guilt (5:17-19).Per the guilt offering, restitution must be paid plus 20% penalty (of the cost of restitution/to make it right) for the sins of:1) sacrilege (penalty paid to the church) = treating/making/using what God sees as sacred/holy things for secular/common/ulterior purposes (5:14-16; e.g. 2Chr 26:16-18, 28:19-25, 36:14; e.g. putting a cross, scripture or other sacred things in your business logo or mentioning that you are Christian to promote your business/self).),2) fraud/oppression/theft (restitution and penalty paid to victims) (6:2-7).Confession and making restitution – or seeing that justice is served, are not only the necessary components of true repentance (Mar 1:5; Luk 3:1-14) but also always the necessary prerequisites to seeking/receiving God’s forgiveness (sacrifice of atonement) (5:1-6:7; e.g. Dan 9:1-23; Mar 1:4; Luk 3:3b). Hence the reason for Amos and Jesus’ corrective words (Amo 5:21-24; Mat 5:23-24).We are to be maintaining the “fire” of our salvation – gained (or started) thru the grace and divine power of God (Lev 9:23-24 w/Exo 40:34-38 w/2Ti 1:5-7; 2Pe 1:1-3), by perpetually: 1) committing ourselves to our burnt offering, Jesus Christ (6:8-13, Heb 10:5-24),2) adding to our burnt offering (Jesus Christ), the peace offering (the LT) (6:12 w/3:1-7 w/7:11-21, 29-36 w/1Co 11:24-34 w/Joh 13:1-10a w/Mat 26:26-29).God’s ministers shall be:1) shall be supported thru what is offered by the covenant community they serve (6:16, 26, 29, 7:6-9, 13-14, 28-36; 1Co 9:1-11; 1Ti 5:17-18),2) anointed and ordained by the covenant community they serve (versus some outside group) (6:28-30 – the ordination offering, 8:1-36, 3-5 w/33-35), 3) reveal God’s will/judgment for the covenant community they serve (8:8-9; Tit 2:15; e.g. Col 4:12; 1Th 4:3; 1Pe 2:15; Act 15:19)Eating the peace offering – now the Lord’s Table, when “uncleanness is on” us (i.e. we are living in unrepentant sin) brings a curse (7:11-17 w/18-27; 1Co 11:24-34).God’s disciplinary prescription for fraud, theft or oppression exposes as unjust the practice of church discipline in most churches attempting to be biblical (5:14-6:7 compared to the penalty incurred for adultery in most churches).Bread not given to God or used in a sacred context, can be leavened (Lev 7:13-14).