Hebrews 5:2

Hebrews 5:2

Sins of ignorance

This verse is packed with truth. The first thing we notice is the tolerant attitude of the High Priests; they were aware of their own sinfulness and thus they must deal gently with the people they represented. Some believers beat themselves up all the time because of their weaknesses and failure to live lives worthy of their calling. Others seem to carry on as if nothing had happened, they hold their relationship with Jesus Christ very lightly. Notice that it is the ignorant who are going astray that are treated gently by the Priest, because He understands their weakness and unawareness of their sin. It is a beautiful picture of our relationship with our High Priest – Yeshua. This verse brings into focus the Scriptural division between unintentional sins of ignorance and those of rebellious defiance. Many Christians are surprised to discover that there is a difference! 

Leviticus 4 explains, in great detail, the nature of the sin offering made by priests on behalf of the people of Israel, it starts (in verse 2) by pointing out that this offering was for “anyone who sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands.” Numbers 15:22-31 describes a similar scenario but ends with these chilling words, “But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native born or foreigner, blasphemes the Lord and must be cut off from the people of Israel. Because they have despised the Lord’s word and broken His commands, they must surely be cut off; their guilt remains on them.” We need also to take heed of Hebrews 9:7 which points out that the Day of Atonement was when the High Priest offered blood “for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.”

 This distinction between sins committed in ignorance or unintentionally, and those that came out of rebellious defiance has been lost. In fact, it should be made clear that intentional sin could never be covered by the blood of sacrifices and forgiven until Christ came and suffered and died for all sins. This is a highly charged subject, but we need to take note that God still distinguishes between sins of ignorance and those of complete defiance. That is why some had to be put out of the church in Corinth and others brought judgement upon themselves when they took the Bread and the Wine of Communion. (1 Corinthians 11:17-34) There are many warnings in the Epistles about why we should not even associate with those who live immorally and defy the Law of the Lord. 

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