It is interesting to note how the various sin offerings for different groups of people reflect an order of seriousness of sin. A sin committed by an anointed priest has more gravity than the sin of another member of the Israelite community. In the case of the offering for the sin of the priest, the meat of the sacrifice could not be eaten, whereas the meat of the sacrifice for the sins of any other individual could be eaten. This difference, and others that you might note, serve to underline the extra responsibility of those anointed as priests. In fact, the offering-ritual required for the sin of the priest is the same as the offering-ritual required for the sin of the entire community. The reason is that the role of the priest was to mediate between God and the community. The priest carried a responsibility for the community, so when he sinned it would have implications for the community that he represented. We see this kind of thing when David, the anointed king, sins against God. We see the whole nation suffer as a result (see 1 Chronicles 20 and 21). Think about the fact that you are called to be a priest of God (1 Peter 2:5). There are people that God has made you responsible for. When you choose a path of sin it undermines your ability to perform your role and people will suffer as a result. Life is not just about you. Your choices affect others even when you don’t perceive these effects.
Think about how your actions affect other people.
Read Leviticus 4
