The Burnt Offering

Leviticus has always intimidated me; It is a book of old Israelite rituals. My prior misconception is that old Israelite customs cannot be relevant today, and besides, it is a lot of repitition for each and every detailed instance. However, with the understanding of Christ making the ultimate atonement, I find Leviticus very interesting in retrospec.

The beginning is about the burnt offering, the big deal of atonement in those days. The goal/purpose was to atone for sin, the Israelite's had to sacrifice big time by giving up one of the best of their flock; be it a ram, sheep, goat, etc. They sacrificed their own livelihood's in essence to make up for their sin against God. In translation of Christ becoming the ultimate sacrifice I turned my attention to the sinner - which would translate as me. I am to give with my own hands (everything required the laying of hands) my finest things when I screw up as restitution to God. I am to give up my firstfruits (they are God's anyways right). In 4:23, it states, "When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering a male goat without defect." What I see this as meaning for me today (if scripture is transcendent than this has to have specific meaning), then when I am made aware of my sin I am to confess and then sacrifice; I have to own my wrong doing and give up something on my behalf. I know that Christ is the ultimate atonement but I also realize that by no way does that get me off the hook for being a responsible Christian.

The rituals continue: if a person is passive in the midst of public falsification he is responsible for that sin (5:1 - no claiming that I was not directly involved - what does this mean for social justice?). I am held accountable to those I rob, which I wouldn't say is just money but time possibly; and in light of that I owe them extra of what was originally intended (6:5). Ultimately, when refering to the burnt offering (Jesus Christ), "The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out." (6:13) The atonement is transcendent and must be continually acknowledged. To call my self a disciple (in this text an Israelite, chosen by God), I must be responsible for my actions. Responsibility is not taken atonement into my own hands because that has been done already by Christ, but it does hold me accountable to God which I cannot take lightly as I claim to be a child of God.