Winstein--20
on diet first at Lev.5:2.
"Clean" is the absence of uncleanness.
"Sin" is mainly personal alienation from God by failure to live right by God.
Everyone conceived normally--everyone
since Adam and Eve--has this inability
(Gen.3:16; 8:21; Ps.51:5). Even the righteous of them are only so in being
relatively
well-behaved, having faith in God, and knowing sin is bad (Gen.9:21,
12:11-20; Num.20:7-12; 2 Sam.11; 24; 1 Kings 19:4;
Is.6:5; Jer.15:19; and oth-
ers). Sin first appears at Gen.3.
"Atonement" may be easy to remember as meaning that the taint of sin and un-
cleanness has been removed to
bring the person or thing into at-one-ment with
God, making them or it acceptable to God. Though this basic concept
appears
earlier, the word first shows up at Ex.29:33 regarding holy things used for
atonement and food.
"Sacrifices" and "offerings" in Mosaic law had a greater variety of meanings,
things they were used for (such
as the breaking of any of most of over 600 Mo-
saic laws), and things used for them. Among other things, they could
be con-
sidered:
- gifts or tributes to God who deserved a share of what he helped provide
(Ex.13:11-16; Lev.27:1-22;30; Num.18:12-19;
Deut.26:1-15),
- a way of sharing food with God (the Israelites and surrounding cultures
both offered their God or gods fat
as food--Lev.3:14-17; Deut.32:37,38; also
see Ex.29:38-42; Lev.24:5,6; Num.28; 29; 1 Sam.21:6; and others),
- a way to seal an alliance or covenant with God by followers putting some
blood on their door posts and lintels
or by blood put on the followers them-
selves, which may be a variation of people sealing a covenant by sharing a meal
(Ex.12;
24:6-11; and others; Gen.26:26-31; Josh.9, esp. vv.9-16), and
- sin and guilt offerings, not only for people but for things (Lev.4; 7:1-7;