Leviticus 4:1-5:19, Mark 2:13-3:6, Psalm 36:1-12, Proverbs 10:1-2

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~

Old Testament - See the links below from bible.org for explanations of the following:

• The Sin Offering - An offering to God for having sinned against His commandments. Priests offer a bull. The community as a whole would offer a bull. Leaders offer a male goat. Members of the community offer a female goat or lamb. The poor offer two doves, two pigeons or a measure of flour. Confession is required.
• The Guilt Offering - A ram for having sinned in relation to any of the LORD's holy things. It is in addition to the Sin Offering (sin and guilt are inseparable). If restitution is required, the offering would also include repayment plus an additional 20% penalty given to the priest.

The Good News is that Jesus Christ is our Sin Offering and our Guilt Offering. We are still responsible for confession and restitution. But the debt of our sin has been paid, and we will be declared "not guilty".

New Testament - I like how Jesus is characterized in this article by Jeff Miller at bible.org. Among other things, Jesus is:

• The Lord of Forgiveness - Remember Jesus forgiving the sins of the paralytic in yesterday's reading.
• The Lord of Redemption - Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
• The Lord of Change - Jesus is going to establish the Age of Grace in place of the Age of the Law.
• Lord of the Sabbath - The Lord created the Sabbath for us, not the other way around.

Psalms - I really love when the daily reading from each of these four books complement each other so beautifully. Today, Psalm 36 ties in so well with the reading from Mark when you think of how the Pharisees were so self-righteous. Unfortunately, so many people today have no belief or fear of the Lord and are too proud to open themselves up to the Word. I pray that more and more people will put their pride and self-righteousness aside, and accept Christ's redemption.

Proverbs - Depending on how our children behave, they bring us joy or grief (hopefully much more of the former.) I imagine the same goes for our Father in heaven. How much joy and grief He must feel simultaneously as He looks down on all of us. Let's be good children and bring Him joy.