Confess

Leviticus 5:1-6 – “If anyone sins in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity; or if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean wild animal or a carcass of unclean livestock or a carcass of unclean swarming things, and it is hidden from him and he has become unclean, and he realizes his guilt; or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort the uncleanness may be with which one becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and realizes his guilt; or if anyone utters with his lips a rash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people swear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these; when he realizes his guilt in any of these and confesses the sin he has committed, he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin.

Proverbs 28:13 – Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

Leviticus 4:2-3 – “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If anyone sins unintentionally in any of the Lord's commandments about things not to be done, and does any one of them, if it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull from the herd without blemish to the Lord for a sin offering.

Exodus 32:30 – The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

Application:

• ·         The offerer had to acknowledge his sin to God in order to receive forgiveness.
• ·         He who conceals his sins has physical and psychological pain. He who confesses and renounces his sins has the joy of forgiveness.
• ·         All high priests sinned except the high priest Jesus Christ. The final perfect sacrifice for the sins of God’s people was the crucified Christ, who was without any moral defect.
• ·         Moses would make atonement for Israel’s sin by making urgent intercession before God, as the mediator God had appointed between Himself and Israel. Jesus Christ, the great Mediator, offered Himself on the cross to make atonement for His people.

All Scripture verses taken from ESV