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Numbers Chapter 5 (ESV)
5 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Speak to the people of Israel, When a man or woman commits any of the sins that people commit by breaking faith with the Lord, and that person realizes his guilt, 7 he shall confess his sin that he has committed. And he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong. 8 But if the man has no next of kin to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for wrong shall go to the Lord for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement with which atonement is made for him.
REFLECTION:
- Read this passage aloud as if I am hearing from God directly.
- Ritual contamination by an infectious skin disease was visible. Moral failures were more difficult to ascertain. Any person who wronged another “in any way” was guilty and “must” confess the wrong and make full restitution. We are each responsible to maintain a right relationship with God and with others in the faith community.
- Sharing our deepest weaknesses and failures with God and trusted others, so that we may enter into God’s grace and mercy and experience his ready forgiveness and healing (Ref I John 1:9).
PRAYER
Ask the Holy Spirit to examine my relationship with God and other people. Is it good without any ill feeling or grudge? If there is, ask God for courage to confess and to compensate when necessary.
