Leviticus: Sin as a Power

One last brief post for the week!

One of the very interesting and very important theological issues in Leviticus 4-5 is how sin and impurity are implicitly described. Almost none of the sins or impurities listed along with these sacrifices actually happen in the Tabernacle, yet the Tabernacle itself (and not the "sinner") is what is purified with the blood from the purification ("sin") and reparation ("guilt") offerings. So what does it tell us about sin?

Sin and impurity are described by Leviticus as though they have real being. Sin is not simply breaking one of God's laws, but Sin is a power and force at work in the world. We can almost think about sin like air pollution or radiation; it's released by sinners and then goes into the Tabernacle and defiles it. Sin is not just a legal issue between an individual and God, but something that has spiritual existence and power to corrupt. This is right in line with what the Apostle Paul describes in Romans, where he talks about Sin as a power or being:

Romans 3:9
What then? Are we any better off? No, not at all; for we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin.

Romans 5:12-13
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned— ¹³ sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. 

Romans 6:12
Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions.

Romans 7:11
For sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 

All of this has big implications for how we think about Christ's atoning death, God's judgment and God's work to make us holy!