It takes a certain amount of self-awareness to be a Christian. We need to know what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and whether or not any of it lines up with what God wants. Paul himself struggled with this in 1 Corinthians 9:27 by saying that he “disciplines his body daily” to bring it into subjection. We all need to do the same.
But what about if we sin unintentionally? In other words, what if we did something that only later we realized was wrong? How do we fix it?
Fortunately, Leviticus 4 gives us the answer. Throughout this chapter, God lays out the reconciliation practices for four different groups of people: priests, the congregation at large, leaders of the people, and the laypeople. Most of the sacrifices are similar; the primary difference is in which specific animal is to be offered.
What is an unintentional sin, though? If I wasn’t aware that something was wrong, can I really be held responsible for it?
That’s the argument Paul made when breaking down the nature of the Law in Romans 7:7-13. As he says, he wouldn’t have known what coveting was unless the Law came and identified that action as sin. Now that he knows, he has the responsibility to change it.
Another example would be Abraham’s deception of Pharaoh in Genesis 12 and Abimelech in Genesis 20. In both situations, Abraham lied about his wife Sarah, claiming she was his sister. In both situations, the people are threatened by God for their sin. And in both situations, each man claims ignorance—which is the only reason they’re allowed the opportunity to rectify the sin.
This is the difference between an unintentional sin and other sins. If I know what I’m supposed to do and don’t do it, that’s a presumptuous sin. I have willingly disregarded what God told me to do because I either didn’t want to do it or didn’t care enough to change my ways.
Unintentional sins are different. With those, God gives grace to allow the person time to repent of their sins. Once they recognize their error, it’s their responsibility to do something about it. And for people under the Old Law, that’s where Leviticus 4 came into play.
