Unintentional Sin! A sin whose forgiveness
Is accompanied with a sweet aroma that goes up to Yehoah!
Have you ever payed attention to the fact that there are different kinds of sins mentioned in the Bible as defined by our Lord? Perhaps you have already heard about the most serious of them, the one which is unforgivable: its outcome is the second death! Paul tells us about it in his epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 10 and verses 18 to 39:
" 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Yeshuah, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of Elohim, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of Elohim underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says Yehoah. And again, “Yehoah will judge His people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living Elohim.
32 But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: 33 partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; 34 for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. 35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of Elohim, you may receive the promise:
37 “For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”
39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. "
Paul encourages us to not forsake our assembly, insofar as we are authorized to attend it. Paul also encourages us to have endurance and keep our confidence.
Besides the unforgivable sin of which we have just spoken very briefly, there are other forms of sins. First there are sins which are the fruit of the temptation due to our carnal nature. These are sins that we would like not to commit but to which we succumb. Paul tells us about them in his epistle to the Romans, chapter 7 and verses 13 to 25:
" 13 Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of Elohim according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank Elohim —through Yeshuah Christ our Lord!
So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of Elohim, but with the flesh the law of sin.... "
The sins Paul is talking about here, we all know they are sins when we commit them. But we act reluctantly. These sins are forgiven by our Father although according to the book of Leviticus, during the old covenant, they did not give rise to sacrifices of good smell for Yehoah.
We are going to discuss longer about a third family of sins that the Lord takes pleasure in forgiving. A very good example of this type of sin is given in II Chronicles, chapter 34 and verses 14 to 21:
" 14 Now when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of Yehoah, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of Yehoah given by Moses. 15 Then Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of Yehoah.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. 16 So Shaphan carried the book to the king, bringing the king word, saying, “All that was committed to your servants they are doing. 17 And they have gathered the money that was found in the house of Yehoah, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers and the workmen.” 18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.
19 Thus it happened, when the king heard the words of the Law, that he tore his clothes. 20 Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying, 21 “Go, inquire of Yehoah for me, and for those who are left in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of Yehoah that is poured out on us, because our fathers hae not kept the word of Yehoah, to do according to all that is written in this book.”
This family of sins which we will discuss in more detail are the
Unintentional Sins!
What is an unintentional sin?
An unintentional sin is a sin that a man commits without being aware of it because he is unaware of the existence of the commandment violated. For instance in what we read above, it is through the discovery and CAREFUL reading of the law that Josiah became aware of the sins committed by him and Israel.
All of us commit unintentional sins, especially those we committed before baptism before we entered our Creator's Church.
This is how Yehoah is speaking about it in His Word, in Numbers 15: 22-24:
" 22 ‘If you sin unintentionally, and do not observe all these commandments which Yehoah has spoken to Moses— 23 all that Yehoah has commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day Yehoah gave commandment and onward throughout your generations— 24 then it will be, if it is unintentionally committed, without the knowledge of the congregation, that the whole congregation shall offer one young bull as a burnt offering, as a sweet aroma to Yehoah, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one kid of the goats as a sin offering."
The definition given by Yehoah is very clear. For a sin to be unintentional, it is necessary to have transgressed any of the commandments contained in the Bible, from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation and this transgression takes place when one is not aware of the meaning of this commandment.
The right attitude to unintentional sin.
When we realize the existence of an unintentional sin, we must above all not be influenced by our carnal nature which would push us to adopt a vain and proud attitude, that of a person who is not ready to accept to see herself in the mirror as he is but who wants to give a false image of himself.
We should imitate Cain who was blaming others for his fault, or we should not question the Lord today on the reason behind the fact that He would have kept us in ignorance of His commandments. Such an attitude, which was that of the Pharisees, would be guided by the vanity of believing us and making others believe that we are already perfect!
On the contrary, we must accept the fact that we have been wrong and that we may have deceived those around us. It is good to meditate about this subject by reading Paul in his epistle to the Romans, chapter 3 and verses 9 to 20:
" 9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after Elohim.
12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” 13 “Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 And the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of Elohim before their eyes.” 19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before Elohim. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. "
We must therefore learn to recognize that we are sinners but it must come from the depth of our hearts and not from the tip of our lips. If we only say it, we are like the Pharisees and Yeshuah (Yeshuah) tells us what he thinks about them in Matthew 23, verses 1 to 3:
" 1 Then Yeshuah spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do."
So, if one day we realize that we are sinning against one of the commandments of Yehoah which we did not know before or if one day someone reveals to us that we sin, do not let pride take over but follow rather the words of John in his first epistle, from chapter 1 verse 8 to chapter 2 verse 2:
" 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Yeshuah Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that [your joy may be full.
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that Elohim is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yeshuah Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. "
Chapter 2.
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Yeshuah Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
This should convince us that we have many sins to discover and take away from our lives while asking forgiveness from our Father.
The first key: humbleness in us.
All of this should push us to be humble while facing an unintentional sin. Nor should it be passed over the leg and neglected as if such sins were unimportant in the eyes of our Lord. We should avoid too much confidence in our own assessments according to Proverbs 14, verse 12:
" There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death."
It is somewhat the same idea that we find in Proverbs 3: 5-8:
" 5 Trust in Yehoah with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear Yehoah and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones."
Indeed, the consequence of sin is the same for all sins whatever their nature in the eyes of our Father (Romans 6: 23):
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of Elohim is eternal life in Christ Yeshuah our Lord.”
With these ideas in mind, we will understand and share the attitude of King Josiah whose story we read at the beginning of this meditation. Let us read the verdict of Yehoah on it in the second book of Kings, in chapter 22 and in verses 11 to 20:
" 11 Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes. 12 Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Michaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying, 13 “Go, inquire of Yehoah for me, for the people and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of Yehoah that is aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”
14 So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. (She dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.) And they spoke with her. 15 Then she said to them, “Thus says Yehoah Elohim of Israel, ‘Tell the man who sent you to Me, 16 “Thus says Yehoah: ‘Behold, I will bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants—all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read— 17 because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath shall be aroused against this place and shall not be quenched.’ ” ’ 18 But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Yehoah, in this manner you shall speak to him, ‘Thus says Yehoah Elohim of Israel: “Concerning the words which you have heard— 19 because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before Yehoah when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says Yehoah. 20 “Surely, therefore, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place.” ’ ” So they brought back word to the king. "
After seeing this good example of King Josiah, we need only to stand in front of the mirror to see what is wrong with us. So let us act firmly and in faith. But beware, our Lord expects us to be convinced of what we are doing. This means that we must never be swayed by anyone or anything. Paul warns us of the danger of doubt in Romans 14: 22-23:
" 22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before Elohim. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin."
The example of Josiah is not the only one, let us read how Ezra was humbling himself before Yehoah after having become aware of the sins of his people, in Ezra 9, from verse 1 and until chapter 10, verse 12:
" 1 When these things were done, the leaders came to me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, with respect to the abominations of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed is mixed with the peoples of those lands. Indeed, the hand of the leaders and rulers has been foremost in this trespass.” 3 So when I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and plucked out some of the hair of my head and beard, and sat down astonished. 4 Then everyone who trembled at the words of the Elohim of Israel assembled to me, because of the transgression of those who had been carried away captive, and I sat astonished until the evening sacrifice.
5 At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to Yehoah my Elohim. 6 And I said: “O my Elohim, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my Elohim; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens. 7 Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been very guilty, and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to humiliation, as it is this day. 8 And now for a little while grace has been shown from Yehoah our Elohim, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our Elohim may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage. 9 For we were slaves. Yet our Elohim did not forsake us in our bondage; but He extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to repair the house of our Elohim, to rebuild its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem. 10 And now, O our Elohim, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments, 11 which You commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land, with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from one end to another with their impurity. 12 Now therefore, do not give your daughters as wives for their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons; and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever.’ 13 And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since You our Elohim have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such deliverance as this, 14 should we again break Your commandments, and join in marriage with the people committing these abominations? Would You not be angry with us until You had consumed us, so that there would be no remnant or survivor? 15 O Yehoah Elohim of Israel, You are righteous, for we are left as a remnant, as it is this day. Here we are before You, in our guilt, though no one can stand before You because of this!”
Chapter 10.
1 Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of Elohim, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly. 2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra, “We have trespassedagainst our Elohim, and have taken pagan wives from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this. 3 Now therefore, let us make a covenant with our Elohim to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to the advice of my master and of those who tremble at the commandment of our Elohim; and let it be done according to the law. 4 Arise, for this matter is your responsibility. We also are with you. Be of good courage, and do it.”
5 Then Ezra arose, and made the leaders of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear an oath that they would do according to this word. So they swore an oath. 6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of Elohim, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; and when he came there, he ate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned because of the guilt of those from the captivity.
7 And they issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the descendants of the captivity, that they must gather at Jerusalem, 8 and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the instructions of the leaders and elders, all his property would be confiscated, and he himself would be separated from the assembly of those from the captivity.
9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month; and all the people sat in the open square of the house of Elohim, trembling because of this matter and because of heavy rain. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have transgressed and have taken pagan wives, adding to the guilt of Israel. 11 Now therefore, make confession to Yehoah Elohim of your fathers, and do His will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the pagan wives.”
12 Then all the assembly answered and said with a loud voice, “Yes! As you have said, so we must do.”
Another example of attitude towards unintentional sin is that of the prophet Daniel. Daniel had already clearly demonstrated his strong wish to live with Yehoah at the time of the king of Babylon even at the risk to loose his life. He could therefore have considered himself freed from the sins committed by his people and which were the cause of the captivity in Babylon. However when he realized well what caused this captivity, he did not have an attitude of pride, on the contrary we read how humble he was and with what tears he spilled in front of his Lord. Let us read how he prayed his Elohim, precisely at the time of the evening oblation in Daniel 9: 1-19:
"1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of Yehoah through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
3 Then I set my face toward Yehoah Elohim to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 And I prayed to Yehoah my Elohim, and made confession, and said, “O Yehoah, great and awesome Elohim, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. 6 Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. 7 O Yehoah, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.
8 “O Yehoah, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 To Yehoah our Elohim belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. 10 We have not obeyed the voice of Yehoah our Elohim, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. 11 Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of Elohim have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. 12 And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.
13 “As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before Yehoah our Elohim, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. 14 Therefore Yehoah has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for Yehoah our Elohim is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice. 15 And now, O Yehoah our Elohim, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly!
16 “O Yehoah, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us. 17 Now therefore, our Elohim, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for Yehoah’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my Elohim, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. 19 O Yehoah, hear! O Yehoah, forgive! O Yehoah, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my Elohim, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
Once again, I am drawing your attention to the fact that his prayer is said at the time of the evening oblation as you can see in verse 21.
The second key: Know how to ask for forgiveness.
Once we realize that we have committed an unintentional sin and that we are fully convinced of this fact, the very first thing to do is to approach our Lord and ask forgiveness with all the humbleness which we have already mentioned above.
Not asking for forgiveness would be tantamount to jeopardize our life and to get a death penalty, the reward awarded by our Father for sin. On the other hand, if we ask sincerely for forgiveness, we have the guarantee that it will be granted to us according to Matthew 7, verses 7 to 11:
" 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"
**Forgiveness is indeed a blessing for any man who asks for it and get it! But the value of our request for forgiveness is intimately linked to our repentance. Indeed, it is an essential condition in the statement of the commandment relating to this unintentional sin, according to the texts of the book of Leviticus, chapter 4, verses 1 to 14, 22 and 23 and 27 and 28:
"1 Now Yehoah spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of Yehoah in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them, 3 if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to Yehoah for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering. 4 He shall bring the bull to the door of the tabernacle of meeting before Yehoah, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and kill the bull before Yehoah. 5 Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and bring it to the tabernacle of meeting. 6 The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before Yehoah, in front of the veil of the sanctuary. 7 And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before Yehoah, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood of the bull at the base of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 8 He shall take from it all the fat of the bull as the sin offering. The fat that covers the entrails and all the fat which is on the entrails, 9 the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove, 10 as it was taken from the bull of the sacrifice of the peace offering; and the priest shall burn them on the altar of the burnt offering. 11 But the bull’s hide and all its flesh, with its head and legs, its entrails and offal— 12 the whole bull he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire; where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned.
13 ‘Now if the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done something against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which should not be done, and are guilty; 14 when the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the assembly shall offer a young bull for the sin, and bring it before the tabernacle of meeting....
... 22 ‘When a ruler has sinned, and done something unintentionally against any of the commandments of Yehoah his Elohim in anything which should not be done, and is guilty, 23 or if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a male without blemish. ...
... 27 ‘If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally by doing something against any of the commandments of Yehoah in anything which ought not to be done, and is guilty, 28 or if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, then he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. "
Having read this, we can understand that Yehoah is dealing with anyone in the same way about these involuntary sins: It can have been committed by anyone of the Children of Israel, the priest, the prince, all the people or a single person: this should inspire the Heads States and Governments who are too often implicated in dishonest acts and tried for these facts, but it is very rare that we witness their repentance! On the contrary, they use all the tricks of the justice system to make appeals and to delay their conviction; we are very far from biblical commandments!
Yehoah is strongly insisting on the necessity of recognize our sin, in other words that we really become aware of it. Then He asks us to offer a sacrifice. Today, the nature of this sacrifice has changed according to what Paul writes to us in his epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 7 and verses 23 to 25:
" 23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He (Yeshuah), because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to Elohim through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. "
Let's also read the rest of chapter 10, verses 1 to 18:
"1 For the law, having a shadow (note: to know more about the meaning of the word shadow, do not miss to read the meditation on the feast of first day of the seventh month) of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year [note: Paul speaks here of the sacrifice offered during the feast of atonement, on the tenth day of the seventh month (Leviticus 16)]. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
5 Therefore, when He came into the world ( editor's note: whose prince is Satan), He said:
“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
To do Your will, O Elohim.’ ”
8 Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), 9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O Elohim.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Yeshuah Christ once for all.
11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of Elohim, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says Yehoah: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.”
This sacrifice of Yeshuah Christ is therefore made for us when we repent of an unintentional sin, but please note that as it was done for the skin, the flesh and most of the bull offered for a sin (Leviticus 4: 11-12 that we read above), the body of Yeshuah Christ, after having offered himself within the walls of the holy city, his body was taken out of the city under the orders of the priests, in other words outside the camp. On this subject, let us read the epistle of Paul to the Hebrews, chapter 13, verses 10 to 14:
"10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Yeshuah also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. "
But there is also a big difference between these two periods of time: Yeshuah, our sacrifice, is now alive, while all the bulls and other sacrifices are dead. This is what we can read in Hebrews 7: 24-25.
Yeshuah is not only alive but he is even our advocate with the Father. It is through him that we can ask the Father to be good enough to forgive us of our sin as it is written in the first epistle of John, chapter 2, verses 1 and 2:
"1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Yeshuah Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. "
No favoritism nor discrimination of anyone!
What we just read brings us to such a wonderful aspect of the Justice of our Father and His Son! We could already see it earlier when we read chapter 4 of the book of Leviticus. Yehoah does not make any difference concerning the unintentional sin, anyone, the priest, the prince or the common man had to follow a similar process to get the forgiveness of his sin.
Likewise, Christians at the time of baptism are forgiven for so many sins which they were unaware of and which they repented of.
But for all unbelieving men and women, often called pagans, our Creator is watching with the attention of a loving Father to observe what they do just and unjust in relation to His law that they don't know yet. Let us read how Paul tells us about these people in Romans 2, verses 11 to 16:
" 11 For there is no partiality with Elohim.
12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law 13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of Elohim, but the doers of the law will be justified; 14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when Elohim will judge the secrets of men by Yeshuah Christ, according to my gospel."
Do not believe that the wording of this law came with Christianity, it was already stated in the commandments pronounced by Moses as we can read in Numbers 15:29:
" You shall have one law for him who sins unintentionally, for him who is native-born among the children of Israel and for the stranger who dwells among them."
So let’s go to work!
The very existence of these unintentional sins committed by ignorance of the law should encourage us to increase our knowledge of the law!
Let us continue to humbly seek all that is wrong with us!
It is essential that we do not consider ourselves wise in our own eyes and that we constantly use the tool that our Father gave us:
" 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of Elohim, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [c]instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of Elohim may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (II Timothy 3: 16-17)
King David heard this lesson:
" 57 You are my portion, O Yehoah;
I have said that I would keep Your words.
58 I entreated Your favor with my whole heart;
Be merciful to me according to Your word.
59 I thought about my ways,
And turned my feet to Your testimonies.
60 I made haste, and did not delay
To keep Your commandments.
61 The cords of the wicked have bound me,
But I have not forgotten Your law.
62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You,
Because of Your righteous judgments.
63 I am a companion of all who fear You,
And of those who keep Your precepts.
64 The earth, O Yehoah, is full of Your mercy;
Teach me Your statutes." (Psalm 119: 57-64)
Like David, we must read the Word of our Father every day and meditate on it in such a way as to bring it into our life.
Failure to read and ignore the Bible is tantamount to becoming blind and heading towards bitterness.
So with perseverance, let's follow the route of those about whom James tells us:
" 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." (James 1: 22-25).