It's been far too long since I've made a blog entry.
When I was writing a weekly devotional for the bulletins at Dayton Center Church, it was a weekly task and fairly automatic. But, now at Ensley Baptist Church, I've hardly done any writing, other than the three messages in the typical week - Sunday AM, Sunday PM, and Wednesday PM.
Yet, I'm going to give it another "go."
There are a variety of Bible reading plans that will take you through the Bible in a year. If you read "Our Daily Bread," whether in print or on-line, each devotional has a "The Bible in One Year" section with a daily reading. I hope that you don't just stop with the quick devotional, but make the time to read God's Word daily. I know it will be a challenge. Even as a pastor, it's a challenge. But, it's time well spent.
I am partial to the "Book-at-a-Time Bible Reading Plan." You can find it to print here: https://www.navigators.org/www_navigators_org/media/navigators/tools/Resources/DJ-Book-at-a-Time-Bible-reading-plan.pdf
Or, as I do, you can use the YouVersion app or www.Bible.com, and it will even read the passage to you.
As I was listening to today's passage (the opening chapters of Leviticus), I was struck by the sacrifices required even for unintentional sin. When people realized their sin, they were to make a sacrifice.
Leviticus 4:27-28 "If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any one of the things that by the LORD's commandments ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, 28 or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. (ESV)
The offerings for leaders were different, but also required. The priests had to offer a bull (4:3). Other leaders had to offer a male goat (4:23).
That makes me wonder how much the people were afraid to sin - whether because of the cost of the sacrifice to them, or for more proper reason of sin being an offense against God.
And, here we are today ... when we sin, there are usually consequences to deal with. There is definitely a need to set it right with God and others (if it's a sin against them). But, unless there's restitution to be made, there's little cost.
Because Jesus fulfilled the Law and made the ultimate sacrifice at the cross, we don't have to follow the sacrificial system of the Law. For that, we should all be thankful.
There is always cost to sin, whether we realize it or not, but perhaps not like there was under the Law.
All this to say that we need to have a healthy fear and hatred of sin. While we don't have to bring an animal and see its blood shed because of our sin, we must remember that Christ's blood was already shed for our sin ... the Lamb of God, for sinners slain. What a high cost for our sin. May we never forget the price He paid, and may that be a powerful reminder when the moment of temptation is upon us!
