Lev 5-6 I can well remember my mother washing my mouth out with soap. The taste was horrible and remained even after the incident, in hopes, perhaps, that this lingering taste would cause me to forgo lying when the next temptation arose. However, I must be a slow learner because I remember my parent doing it repeatedly. In Lev. 5, God is saying we must repent and seek forgiveness, whether the sin is intentional or unintentional sin and whether it is the first time or the umpteenth time. We have a choice; try to ignore it OR confess it. Just as Mother had to wash my mouth over and over, we may have to face our sins because even unintentional sins need God’s forgiveness.
What a blessing to know we have the indwelling Holy Spirit to speak to our heart so that when we realize we are guilty before a holy God, we can seek God’s forgiveness and trust that He is faithful and righteous and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [1John 1:9 paraphrase]
Do you need this today? Do not delay but listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
As a child who often spoke first and thought later, the taste of soap became a regularity. Had it really done its job, this mouth would have been antiseptically clean. However until that antiseptic, called the Holy Spirit, did His work this mouth continued and will continue to exude that which dishonors and defames because “It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” [Matt 15]