Daily Scripture Reading Exodus 29:10-25
Many modern churches and pastors do not want to talk about sin. They believe sin is a negative concept that turns people away from Christianity; therefore, they ignore the topic and only mention terms they perceive to be positive and up-lifting.
The problem with that approach is that the Bible does not ignore sin. In fact, sin is a recurring theme throughout the whole Bible. Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden because of sin. The Mosaic Law contained precise instructions regarding sin offerings. The Old Testament nation of Israel repeatedly suffered oppression and eventual exile because they sinned.
The 29th chapter of Exodus contains instructions on how to ordain Aaron and his sons as priests. They were to be clothed in the priestly garments and anointed with anointing oil. The next step was animal sacrifices. The first sacrifice was specifically called a sin offering. The requirement to atone for their sins is a picture of how Christians in the 21st century also need to confess our sins. This means the church cannot and should not ignore the topic of sin.
Ex. 29:10 ¶ “Then you shall bring the bull near before the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull.
The laying on of hands was an act that set the bull apart.
Ex. 29:11 You shall slaughter the bull before Yahweh at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
Ex. 29:12 You shall take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out all the blood at the base of the altar.
There were specific instructions on how to handle the blood. The book of Hebrews tells us, “All things are cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb. 9:22). Today, we do not have forgiveness because of animal sacrifices. Instead, we have forgiveness because Jesus was sacrificed on the cross.
Ex. 29:13 You shall take all the fat that covers the entrails and the lobe of the liver and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and you shall offer them up in smoke on the altar.
Ex. 29:14 But the flesh of the bull and its hide and its refuse, you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering.
Take note that the carcass was burned outside the camp. Just as the sin offering was burned outside the camp, so too Jesus was crucified outside the gate (see Heb. 13:12).
Notice also that the bull was a sin offering. There were multiple types of animal sacrifices. Burnt offerings were voluntary and indicated loyalty to God. The sin offering was required anytime a person became aware of sin. In the process of ordaining Aaron and his sons, the first offering was a sin offering to atone for their sins.
The New Testament does not include animal sacrifices for sin because Jesus gave His life once as an atonement for all sin. However, just as the sin offering was a way of acknowledging sin, so too we Christians need to acknowledge and confess our sins (see 1 John 1:9). We do not do this by making sacrifices or offering some other gift. Instead, we do it by admitting our sin in our hearts and accepting that we did something wrong.
Ex. 29:15 ¶ “You shall also take the one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram;
Ex. 29:16 and you shall slaughter the ram, and you shall take its blood and splash it around on the altar.
Ex. 29:17 Then you shall cut the ram into its pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with its pieces and its head.
Ex. 29:18 You shall offer up in smoke the whole ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to Yahweh: it is a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to Yahweh.
Notice the word “burnt.” The ram was not a sin offering; it was a burnt offering, indicating surrender and devotion to Yahweh.
Take note also of the word “soothing.” The burnt offering was soothing to Yahweh. Verses 10–14, which describe the bull as a sin offering, do not contain the word “soothing,” meaning a burnt offering was soothing, but a sin offering was not.
Ex. 29:19 ¶ “Then you shall take the second ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram.
Ex. 29:20 You shall slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the lobes of his sons’ right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet, and splash the rest of the blood around on the altar.
Ex. 29:21 Then you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and on his garments and on his sons and on his sons’ garments with him; so he and his garments shall be set apart as holy, as well as his sons and his sons’ garments with him.
Ex. 29:22 ¶ “You shall also take the fat from the ram and the fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails and the lobe of the liver and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them and the right thigh (for it is a ram of ordination),
Ex. 29:23 and one cake of bread and one cake of bread mixed with oil and one wafer from the basket of unleavened bread which is set before Yahweh;
Ex. 29:24 and you shall put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and you shall wave them as a wave offering before Yahweh.
Ex. 29:25 You shall take them from their hands and offer them up in smoke on the altar on the burnt offering for a soothing aroma before Yahweh; it is an offering by fire to Yahweh.
Many modern pastors do not talk about sin. They believe sin is a negative concept that turns people away from Christianity; therefore, they ignore it. They only speak on topics they perceive to be up-lifting. The problem is the Bible is not silent about sin.
When Aaron and his sons were ordained to be priests, one of the steps was to sacrifice a bull as a sin offering. That was a way of admitting they were sinners and needed atonement.
Likewise, the New Testament tells Christians to confess our sins. Sin is not a topic that can be ignored. Sin is an offense against God that must be dealt with.
Does your pastor preach about sin?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”