Year 4, Day 93: Leviticus 4

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Identity

• Identity: Our true identity comes from the Father.  Only when our identity comes from God can we be obedient in ways that satisfy our person to our core.

As we look at the Sin Offering, we can’t help but notice the categories contained within.  The book begins with what should happen when a priest unintentionally sins.  Then we hear about what happens when a leader unintentionally sins.  Finally we hear about what happens when an ordinary member of the community sins unintentionally.

One of the neat dynamics of this chapter is that we can look at the punishment with respect to the role of a person within the community.  The spiritual leader should know better.  The spiritual leader is looked upon as an example.  Thus, when the spiritual leader sins unintentionally it is a rather big deal involving a rather large sacrifice.  The same is true of a general community leader, but to a somewhat lesser extent.  It is also true of an ordinary member of the community, but to a much diminished extent.

What is your identity from God?  What role has God asked you to play within your spiritual community?  Are you living up to your identity?  Are you taking into consideration the implications of your wrongdoing with respect to the effects upon the whole community?  When you are obedient to the identity that comes from the Father, how is the community made better?  When you are disobedient to your identity that comes from the Father, how do you make atonement to God so that the community underneath you is not affected?

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