They must then bring a guilt offering to the priest, who will present it before the Lord. This offering must be a ram with no physical defects or the animal's equivalent value in silver. The priest will then make atonement for them before the Lord, and they will be forgiven. (Leviticus 6:6-7 NLT)
My wife makes a savory dish called Sweet and Sour meatballs. It is a combination of meatballs, pineapple chunks, and Sweet and Sour Sauce served over rice.
The Israelites received instructions for sweet-savor offerings and non sweet-savor offerings. The two non-sweet savor offerings were required when sin had broken their fellowship with God. The guilt offering paved the way for restoration from the sins of touching an unclean object, making a foolish vow, cheating or fraud, while the trespass offering caused sins of injury to God and others to be forgiven.
What do a dented fender, cracked windshield, and a white spot in your favorite pair of dark pants have in common? (Hint: they have nothing to do with your spouse!) Give up? All three act as reminders of less than favorable experiences: the yellow pole in Wal-Mart's parking lot that ran into your car, the rock the truck slung at your windshield, and the Clorox that splashed unto your pants.
God has given each of us unpleasant memories to remind us of our sinfulness. None of them are a sweet fragrance to God because sin is never sweet to him. Sin requires repentance, forgiveness, and restitution. In response to confession God says, "He has removed our sin as far from us as the east is from the west." (Psalm 103:12 NASV)
Have you given God a non sweet-savor offering lately? God is always ready to listen to our complaints, forgive us for our sins, and restore the joy of salvation in our souls.
Thought for the Day: Non sweet-savor offerings are a mandatory requirement for sin.
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