Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?
Why haven't you eaten the sin offering in the holy place? It is most sacred, and God gave it to you so you could carry away the guilt of the community and make things right between them and the LORD.
God is asking the priests why they didn't follow the proper ritual of eating the sin offering, which was their God-given way to remove the people's guilt and restore their relationship with Him.
📚 Historical Context
This question comes after Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu were killed for offering unauthorized fire before the LORD. Moses discovered that the remaining priests had burned the sin offering completely instead of eating it as commanded. The priests were supposed to eat portions of certain sacrifices as part of the ritual that symbolically transferred the people's sins away from them.
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