Examination Time

Tuesday, 1st May 2007

With the mid-year exams just around the corner, I thought I would blog about the topic of examinations :-)

In the Old Testament, a Jew who had done wrong would bring an unblemished animal (usually a bull or a goat) as a sin offering before the Lord.

Who or what did the priest examine for blemishes? The person or the offering?

It would not be the person, because the very reason why he was there in the first place to offer the sin offering is because he has sinned.

The priest would examine the animal to make sure there were no blemishes. Having satisfied himself that there were none, he will then kill the animal and offer it to the Lord. The blood that was shed would then cover the sin of that person.

Let's fast forward to today.

There is no longer the need for sin offerings because Jesus became that offering for us once and for all when he died on the cross.

Even back in the Old Testament times, the priest would examine the offering and not the offeror.

Yet today, we are still hearing fiery and judgemental sermons telling us that we have to examine ourselves, or that God is examining us!

Ludicrous, isn't it?

Dearest brothers and sisters, God has already accepted Jesus as our sin offering. Jesus said before He breathed His last that "It is finished!" (John 19:30)

Our sins are not just merely covered with the blood of bulls and goats. Our sins are taken away by the blood of the Lamb of God! (John 1:29).

Next week is exam time for our kids. Thankfully, exam time is over for us as believers because that has already happened 2,000 years ago.