Rabbi Schneider - Sin, Sacrifice, and Mercy

TOPICS: Worship the Sacrifices and the Priesthood, Sin, Sacrifices, Mercy

We showed you last week that the sin offering and the trespass offering was predominately for sins that were unintentional. And yet when we read in the Book of Leviticus, we read last week that many of the sins that the offering atone for, things like robbery, extortion, lying; those things don't seem to be sins that are unintentional. I mean if you extort somebody, you know you're extorting them. If you rob somebody, you know you're robbing them, and yet the Lord said that these sins were, these atonements were for those things that were unintentional, and yet he go ahead and list when you rob and when you extort.

So you say well that doesn't really make sense, I mean how could someone lie and extort somebody and it be unintentional? But I believe beloved, it has to do with Revelation. I'm gonna illustrate this principle now by turning to the Book of Matthew chapter number 12, as I illustrate this through looking at the sin known as the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Many of you are like me; you've read this before and it's terrified you. I remember as a young believer reading in Matthew 12 about the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, and I was literally terrified. I said to myself, well Lord, how do I know I'm never gonna blaspheme the Holy Spirit? It literally paralyzed me beloved until the Lord set me free. Hear the word of God, Matthew chapter number 12, beginning there at verse number 22: Then there was brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and dumb, and he healed him so that the dumb man spoke and saw.

Continuing in the 24th verse: And when the Pharisees heard it, they said, this man cast out demons, speaking of Jesus, this man cast out demons only by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. And the 28th verse, it continues on, Yeshua says: If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. And then the 31st verse he says: Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men: but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. This is the sin known once again as the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

Think about the context: Yeshua drives demons out of somebody by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yeshua said if I cast out demons by the finger of God, know that the kingdom of God has come upon you, and they has come upon you, and they say this man is casting out demons by the devil, by Beelzebub. And Jesus said if you speak a word against me, you can be forgiven, but if you speak a word against the Holy Spirit, you can never be forgiven in this age or the age to come. We know that someone could be forgiven if they speak against Jesus, because when Jesus was on the cross, they lied, they about who he was, they said things about him that weren't true, they plucked out his beard, they spit on him, they jeered, they hated him; and yet Jesus said Father, forgive them. Why? Because they know not what they do.

It's the same thing that's taking place in Leviticus 4 through 6. What they seem to be doing was very intentional: lying, and plucking out his beard, and hitting him, and mocking him, but yet Jesus said they did it, listen now, because they didn't have revelation. They really didn't know who he was. But when someone knows the truth beloved, because the power of the Holy Spirit has made it a Rhema to them, I mean deep inside they just know that there's an inner witness, and they choose to defiantly harden their heart and reject the Holy Spirit, making it known to them. Then they sever themselves beloved, from their only hope of salvation and forgiveness.

And I believe that's what was going on here in Leviticus chapter 4 through 6. If a person was sinning, but they were doing it in ignorance, like the Apostle Paul said that the Lord had showed him mercy, even though he was taking part in stoning Stephen to death in Acts chapter 7. But he said the Lord showed him mercy, because Paul said I was ignorant and I really didn't know that this Jesus was God in the flesh. But when someone knows beloved, cause God has made it known, and they keep on resisting, and keep on hardening in their heart, they sever themselves from the grace of God forever. The Bible says those that go on sinning willfully, after receiving the knowledge of the truth; that there no longer remains for that one, a sacrifice for sin, but only the fearful expectation of judgment.

See, there comes a time when the Holy Spirit makes truth known to an individual. They didn't just hear it, they didn't just read about it, but the Holy Spirit himself bears witness with their heart of the truth, and they have an opportunity at that point to open their heart and surrender to it, or to defiantly and rebelliously harden their heart for what, against what they know is true, because of their pride and their evil, and when they do that beloved, that's blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. When someone rejects Jesus, after the Holy Spirit has clearly revealed to them, and I believe sometimes it's a process that takes place, and finally the Holy Spirit gets to the end of the line and says this is as far as I can go with you, and this is your last chance. And if you harden your heart to this Gospel truth now; I'm gonna leave and there's nothing left for you, but a fearful expectation of judgment.

You see often times beloved, the Lord will speak to us, and he'll give us time to respond. This is so in the Book of Revelation when Yeshua talks about Jezebel, the false prophet that's, that's leading God's servants into immorality, and Yeshua says here: I gave her time to repent, I dealt with her, I spoke to her, I gave her time, but she would not. And then the Lord said, and now she's gonna be left unto, unto a bed of sickness. Beloved, I wonder if God has been speaking to some of you, and over and over, God has spoken to you, and you have a love for him, but you still haven't repented, you still haven't turned to him. We read in the, in the offering, of the sin offering and the trespass offering; not only was it necessary to bring the offering beloved, but repentance was also necessary. The sinner beloved, had to make restitution. They had to turn away from the sin, they had to change.

I wonder if there's some that are watching right now, and the Holy Spirit's been bearing witness with you about Jesus, about truly repenting, about turning your life over to him. Are you in danger beloved, of hardening your heart defiantly so that he leaves you and there's no longer gonna be for you a sacrifice for sin, but only a fearful expectation of judgment? The Bible says if today you hear his voice; do not harden your heart, for God will stride with you forever. I'm gonna read now from the Book of Numbers chapter 15 verse 30. Remember, in the Book of Leviticus chapter 4 through 6, there is an atonement there, there's an offering that could be given for one that sins. When one is doing it unintentionally, when one is doing it not because they're in rebellion, but because beloved, they just don't know any better, they haven't been trained, they haven't really had a depth of revelation.

But some people beloved, they, they sin and they have the revelation, and that's beloved, when you're in danger of blaspheming beloved, the Spirit of God by telling him no, when you know he's saying to you, yes. Hear the word of God, the Book of B Midbar in Hebrew, the Book of Numbers, chapter number 15 verse 30 and 31: The person who does anything defiantly, whether he is a native or an alien. Now notice that word "defiantly". This is the difference, it's defiant, it's rebellion, you know the person who does anything defiantly, whether he is a native or an alien; that one, listen now is blaspheming the Lord.

Remember, Yeshua said in Matthew 12, the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. He said you can say something against me, cause you might be saying something against me, and maybe you just think that you know, I'm a man and maybe you think I'm crazy, or maybe you think you know, maybe you think I'm just a criminal, a liar, because you don't know any better. It could be forgiven you; just like I looked at those people that were crucifying me and I said Father, forgive em for they know not what they do. But Yeshua said, but when the Holy Spirit makes you know and you defiantly rebel, you're blaspheming. Listen once again to the Book of Numbers chapter 15 verse 30: The person who does anything defiantly, whether he is a native or an alien, that one is blaspheming the Lord. It's the Word that Yeshua used in Matthew 12 when he spoke about blaspheming the Holy Spirit. That person Yeshua said, or that person Yahweh said in the Book of Numbers, that person, continuing on, shall be cut off, very similar to Matthew 12. That person shall be cut off from among his people, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt will be upon him.

I wanna read that whole Scripture again in continuity, just letting you get the flow of it and I want you to see how this is connected to the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, and why people that resist when they know no longer have a sacrifice. Remember, Leviticus 4 through 6, it was for people that were sinning that did not have the full revelation. But when someone has the revelation and they still rebel, no longer is there a sacrifice. Hear it again. Numbers 15:30 and 31: The person who does anything defiantly, whether he is native or an alien, that one is blaspheming the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from among his people. That person shall be completely cut off; his guilt will be upon him. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 26 and 27 says this: For if we go on sinning willfully; notice that word "willfully", for if we go on sinning willfully, Hebrews 10:26 and 27: After receiving the knowledge of the truth; this is the blasphemy, you know you've received the knowledge, this is what Yeshua was talking about. If we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment.

And so this is the explanation, I believe beloved, for Leviticus chapter 4 through 6 in the atonement that was provided by Yahweh for an individual that was sinning unintentionally. They were doing things beloved, that were wrong, but they didn't fully understand. But if they did understand, and became defiant, it turned to blasphemy against the Lord, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and there no longer beloved, was salvation. The Lord says behold, I knock at the door of your heart and knock. If I knock at the door, knock. If I knock at the door, don't harden your heart, but don't harden your heart, but if you open up the door, the Lord said I'm gonna come in and sup with you.

Father God, sensitize our hearts Father God, soften our hearts for em, we don't wanna be amongst those Lord that harden our hearts to you, but we want Father God, to be amongst those Father God, that love you and are sensitive to you and Yeshua's name, Amen, and Amen, and Amen.

Now let me say Yadid, beloved ones, some of you may be like me and you love the Lord, but you're just terrified that maybe you've blasphemed the Holy Spirit, or maybe you're gonna blasphemy the Holy Spirit; I want you to know my personal feeling is beloved, if you're born of Yahweh, and if the Lord lives in your heart, if you're truly his, if you're one of the elect, that you're not gonna blaspheme the Holy Spirit, because God beloved, has come into the center of your heart. The Scripture says no one that's born of God practices sin in, in one of John's letters. Why? Because God, God's nature has come into us, and so God has put a new nature in us. And so I just wanna release some of you that are living in fear that the devil is tormenting about the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. God has saved you beloved. The Bible says we were dead in our transgressions and sins, Ephesians chapter 2, but God, but God, because of what the Lord did, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, he made us alive.

So I just want you to know beloved, that if you truly belong to the Lord, I want you to be released and freed from living in fear and terror that the devil may be putting on you about the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. So the love of God has been shed abroad in your heart, and now you love him beloved, because he first loved you. Now as I continue in on this offering here, Leviticus 4 through 6; I want you to know that the offering for sin and the offering for trespasses, it always involved blood. We read about this in Leviticus chapter 4 verse 5 through 7, and then again in Leviticus chapter 5 verse 9. Let me read the verse of 5 through 7 in the 4th chapter: Then the anointed priest is to take some of the blood of the bull and bring it to the tent of the meeting, and we go on with this same concept as the verse continues.

The same thing in the 5th chapter; the sin and the trespass offering both involve the shedding of blood. Why? Because the Lord told us that the life of the flesh, Leviticus 17:11: The life of the flesh is in the blood Yahweh said, and I've given it to you on the altar to make an atonement for your soul. And that's what these two offering were, they were offerings of atonement. And so it's a mystery, but somehow beloved, we think as human beings that our life source, life's source is in the mind; something that the crown of the human being is in their mind, that the identity is in the mind. Some think that the primary place of individual's residence is in that mysterious thing called the heart. But the Lord tells us in his Word beloved, that the life of the flesh is not in the mind or in the heart. The Scripture tells us in Leviticus 17:11 that the life of the flesh is in the blood, it's the most, it's the most complicated, you see the blood is so complicated.

There's something mysterious about it that we don't understand, but its something in the blood beloved that is connected to, to, to our creation. And so when an innocent one dies in the place of the guilty, which is what happens in the sin offering and the trespass offering; the Lord is letting the guilty one go free, because he's putting an innocent one to death in its place. In the case of Leviticus 4 though 6, it's an animal. Of course it was simply a shadow of Yeshua himself that died in our place, the innocent one dying in the place of the guilty. The blood of that animal had to be shed; not only did the animal have to be put to death, but its blood had to be shed and applied around the altar. That's why in Yom Kippur, the high priest would bring the blood of the bull and the blood of the goat inside the Holy of Holies, and pour it on the altar there over the Ark of the Covenant, because the life of the flesh is bound up in the blood. And so when the animal is put to death, its blood is then poured out, because the fact that its blood is poured out is symbolic of the fact that the animals been put to death, because its life is in the blood.

And as I said earlier, I wanna make this final statement about the sin and the trespass offering that we read in Leviticus chapter 5 verse 16 that it wasn't enough you just bring an offering, and then continue to sin. We needed to bring an offering for forgiveness, but also to repent. And so Leviticus chapter 5 verse 16 says: He shall make restitution for that which he has sinned against the holy thing. And of course this is prophetic, because not only do we need to come to Jesus beloved, but we need to repent, we need to turn to him, there needs to be a change. We can't just keep coming to him and asking him for forgiveness without repenting. That's why Yeshua said in Luke's 13:3: Unless you repent, you will perish. And so I trust that as we've studied these sacrifices, that it's bringing some conviction to you, that God is not looking for this cheap form of Christianity that we so often see preached today in the American culture. Whether it's in the church setting, or whether it's in media ministry beloved; so often times the Gospel that we're hearing is not the Gospel of Scripture.

The Gospel beloved, that has been revealed to us in Scripture and through Yeshua HaMashiach, it's a Gospel beloved that is seen in the five offerings that Yahweh commanded to be brought to him at the tabernacle. Reviewing the first of those offerings in Leviticus chapter 1 was the burnt offering, the offering called Olah, it means to ascend. And what was significant about this burnt offering was that the entire offering, the insides, the outsides, the innards, all of it, the kidneys, the entire offering was burned on the fire unto Yahweh. It represented total and complete dedication. If you come to the Lord beloved, if you're really gonna come to him, you can't come to him giving him part of your life. You can't come to him and say I want you, but I'm gonna hang onto this part of my life. I wanna come to you Lord Jesus, but I wanna remain in control of this part of my life. I still wanna go do this, and I still wanna do this, and I wanna have this in my life my way. No, if you're gonna come to him beloved, really truly, because remember, the tabernacle is the pattern of how to come to him, and how to have intimacy with him.

That's what the word sacrifice means, it's the Hebrew word Korban and it means to come close. If you're gonna come to him, you've got a come to him first of all beloved, lock, stock and barrel from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet; otherwise you're not gonna be accepted. Remember the rich young ruler that came: he said Lord, I wanna follow you, but I wanna go bury my dad. Yeshua said let the dead bury the dead, you follow me; for he that starts to follow me and looks back is not worthy of me. So first of all, if you're gonna come to Jesus. I'm not preaching now the easy Salvationism of today that so many of our modern preachers are preaching; I'm speaking about what God has revealed. You wanna come to Jesus? You got a come to him beloved, lock, stock, and barrel from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. You need to say Jesus, feet.

You need to say Jesus, I'm yours. I wanna be completely committed, completely devoted to you. I completely devoted to you. I wanna make you my life. I wanna be like Paul that said to live is Messiah and to die is gain. I want my whole life now God, surrendered and abandoned to you; that's the burnt offering, the first offering that we looked at. The priest, the worshipper rather, put his hands on that offering, symbolizing it was an extension of himself. It's the only way you can come. And the fire was always on the altar to accept it, and if you come to the Lord like that, by his grace he'll accept you. And then we looked at the Mincha Offering, the gift offering called the peace, I mean I'm sorry, called the meat or the meal offering, also the grain offering. It was simply to thank the Lord for who he was and what he's done for you. It just speaks about extravagantly loving Jesus. Jesus has called us beloved, to be in a love relationship with him.

And then we looked at the Sheh'-lem Offering in Leviticus chapter 3. It comes from the Hebrew word shalom, it's the peace offering, the friendship offering where the worshipper, the priest and the Lord himself all ate of the, it actually is spoken of as food. It speaks of God and man in relationship in partaking of a meal together. It speaks of friendship and intimacy with God. And when we truly come to God beloved, we have friendship with him, and he wants us to get a hold of this and to get revelation of this in our life, so we ask you Lord to put that into our loins, help us understand Lord that you are our friend, that we walk in friendship with you, just like Enoch. And then we look beloved, at the sin and the trespass offering. It was a blood atonement that was committed for sins that were not defiant, that people didn't have full revelation about, and the Lord forgave em and will always forgive you.

Now in next week's broadcast, we're gonna look as we conclude this series in how Jesus, Yeshua HaMashiach fulfilled all these offerings, how he has beloved, been sacrificed for you once and for all. It's all about Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Until then my beloved one, God bless you and shalom. May the Lord bless you and keep you, make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift you up with his countenance, and may the Lord beloved, give you hallelujah, his peace.

Father, we ask you to come into us now and circumcise our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Father God, we can't do anything of our self. Your Word says no one comes to you unless you draw them. You told us Jesus that we only know through revelation. We ask you now Lord, to have mercy and to consume us Lord as an acceptable sacrifice unto Yahweh in Yeshua's name by your Spirit. Amen.