Are our sins covered, or totally forgiven?

You say that the Israelites’ sins were only "covered," not "taken away" in the Old Testament, but [Yahweh] said they were "forgiven" in Leviticus chapter 5. [Yahweh] is not the legalist you make Him out to be."—email

Hebrews 10:11-14 says of the Old Testament priests who offered animal sacrifices, "And every priest stands daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but this Man [Yahshua] after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down at the right hand of Elohim…For by one offering He has perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

It was only through Yahshua’s death and sacrifice of His own blood that it was possible for the ancients in the Old Testament to receive the promise of eternal life as well as we. Their sins were covered but not eliminated. Hebrews 9:15 is clear: "And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance."

Later in the chapter we find that only through Yahshua’s blood is the death penalty caused by sin eliminated in a person’s life: "For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

In Leviticus 5:10 and 18 we find that if a man sins and brings an offering, his sin can be forgiven of him. But being that only Yahshua can totally eliminate the sin, a person’s sins can only be covered by animal blood in the Old Testament. Animal blood still could not bring redemption.

Yahweh desires humanity to stop sinning. Because sin is the breaking of the law (1John 3:4), one must agree that Yahweh supports the law. Does that make Him a legalist? That depends on your definition.