Immerse: Beginnings Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 168
156
IMMERSE
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BEGINNINGS
4:6-26
bull’s blood into the Tabernacle, dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it
seven times before the Lord in front of the inner curtain of the sanctuary.
The priest will then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar for
fragrant incense that stands in the Lord’s presence inside the Tabernacle.
He will pour out the rest of the bull’s blood at the base of the altar for burnt
offerings at the entrance of the Tabernacle. Then the priest must remove
all the fat of the bull to be offered as a sin offering. This includes all the
fat around the internal organs, the two kidneys and the fat around them
near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver. He must remove these along
with the kidneys, just as he does with cattle offered as a peace offering, and
burn them on the altar of burnt offerings. But he must take whatever is left
of the bull—its hide, meat, head, legs, internal organs, and dung—and
carry it away to a place outside the camp that is ceremonially clean, the
place where the ashes are dumped. There, on the ash heap, he will burn
it on a wood fire.
“If the entire Israelite community sins by violating one of the Lord’s
commands, but the people don’t realize it, they are still guilty. When they
become aware of their sin, the people must bring a young bull as an offering
for their sin and present it before the Tabernacle. The elders of the community must then lay their hands on the bull’s head and slaughter it before
the Lord. The high priest will then take some of the bull’s blood into the
Tabernacle, dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before
the Lord in front of the inner curtain. He will then put some of the blood
on the horns of the altar for fragrant incense that stands in the Lord’s
presence inside the Tabernacle. He will pour out the rest of the blood at
the base of the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
Then the priest must remove all the animal’s fat and burn it on the altar,
just as he does with the bull offered as a sin offering for the high priest.
Through this process, the priest will purify the people, making them right
with the Lord, and they will be forgiven. Then the priest must take what
is left of the bull and carry it outside the camp and burn it there, just as is
done with the sin offering for the high priest. This offering is for the sin of
the entire congregation of Israel.
“If one of Israel’s leaders sins by violating one of the commands of the
Lord his God but doesn’t realize it, he is still guilty. When he becomes
aware of his sin, he must bring as his offering a male goat with no defects.
He must lay his hand on the goat’s head and slaughter it at the place where
burnt offerings are slaughtered before the Lord. This is an offering for his
sin. Then the priest will dip his finger in the blood of the sin offering and
put it on the horns of the altar for burnt offerings. He will pour out the rest
of the blood at the base of the altar. Then he must burn all the goat’s fat on
the altar, just as he does with the peace offering. Through this process, the
