Shalom
Something
I didn't mention in my last post; the sacrifices themselves were
only for unintentional sin. Leviticus 4:1-2 says The Lord
said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites:
‘When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any
of the Lord’s commands....
In all fairness,
it has literally taken me years to see that, and to realize just what
that means. Just like many of you reading this, I was always told
that these were the sacrifices for all sin, intentional as well as
unintentional, hence the constant theme of needing a blood sacrifice.
Yet a careful reading shows that all these were for sins (including
the flour and the silver) that were unintentional. I looked for
“intentional sin” and many variations thereof in multiple
interpretations of the bible and I found nothing. Having said that, I
did find a lot of verses that spoke of Israel turning back to G-d
after they went after the “gods” of the nations from where they
had been scattered, starting with Moses.
He was a prophet
of G-d, he led the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt,and even after seeing
all the miracles that G-d had performed on their behalf, they
rebelled against G-d to the point that G-d caused them to spend 40
years in the desert until all the people who had rebelled died off.
Moses is at the end of his life so he is speaking to all of those who
were about to cross into the promised land.
Deuteronomy
30: 1-3,6
When
all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and
you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among
the nations,
and when you and
your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your
heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you
today,
then the Lord your
God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather
you again from all the nations where he scattered you...The
Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your
descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with
all your soul, and live.
King Solomon was
the third king of Israel. He was the son of David and he was
considered to be the wisest of all the kings that Israel was to ever
have. It was during his reign that the temple was built and at it's
dedication Solomon gave many prayers including this one found in 1
Kings 8:46-50.
“When they sin against you—for there is no
one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them
over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far
away or near;
and if they have a
change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent
and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have
sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’;
and if they turn back
to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who
took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their
ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have
built for your Name; then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear
their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. And forgive your
people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they
have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them
mercy;
Many
of the prophets carried on the same theme, these are but a few.
Joel 2:12-13 “Even
now,” declares the Lord,“return to me with all your heart,with
fasting and weeping and mourning.”Rend your heart and not your
garments. Return to the Lord your God,for he is gracious and
compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love....
Hosea
14:2-3 “ Return O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have fallen
because of your sin. Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say
to Him: Forgive all guilt and accept what is good; Instead of bulls
we will pay the offering of our lips.” JPS
Jeremiah
29:11-14 For I know the
plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Then you will call on
me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek
me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
I will be found by
you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.
I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have
banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the
place from which I carried you into exile.”
Ezekiel
18:21-23 “But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they
have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and
right, that person will surely live; they will not die. None of the
offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because
of the righteous things they have done, they will live. Do I take any
pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord.
Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
These
passages,and many just like them, were written for a time, as it is
today, that the temple doesn't exist, and the sacrifices are long
gone.
The
common theme is a simple one; the people realize their sin, turn
their hearts back to G-d, do what is right,follow His commands, and
He forgives them. No mention of sacrifices, no mention of blood.
Shalom.
More to follow.
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